Meet the authors appearing at Indie Author Day on Saturday, October 14!
More than 20 authors will be at the Main Library on Saturday, October 14, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Get to know them, and their books, before joining us on Indie Author Day!
Looking for our schedule of events? Click here!
Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology – Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs, also writing contemporary fantasy novels under the name Alayna Williams. Learn more on her website.
With a degree from Miami University and a background in education, Deborah Bence Boerema began her publishing career as an editor with Goodheart-Willcox Publisher in the Chicago area. While at Goodheart, Deborah became the author of the Guide to Good Food teaching package, consisting of a textbook and seven ancillaries used in food and nutrition classes throughout the United States. With the release of her first picture book, The Innkeeper’s Dog, Deborah is excited to be writing stories that will delight children and inspire them to love books as much as she does. Find her on Facebook and Twitter.
D.B. Borton lives in Delaware, Ohio, where she teaches writing, film, and literature at Ohio Wesleyan U
niversity. Her latest novel, Second Coming, tells the story of a return visit by two extraterrestrials whose previous visit occurred in the fifties, and who are, consequently, behind the times. It is a comic novel that looks at 21st-century American culture through the eyes of a pair of visitors from the past and the future and a long way away. Borton has published eleven mystery novels in two series, the Cat Caliban series (Berkley, Hilliard and Harris) and the Gilda Liberty series (Fawcett). As an academic writer, she has published work on film, women’s literature, and the supernatural; she is co-author of Haunting the House of Fiction: Feminist Perspectives on Ghost Stories by American Women and Ghost Stories by British and American Women. She has also written for MS. magazine. Learn more on her website.
In a break with traditional print and ebooks, Liz Coley’s most recent indy novel, The Captain’s Kid, is also available as a read-along YouTube serial, part of her “Undercover Reading” series for tweens/teens who like to listen. Liz’s previous indy publications include time travel romance Out of Xibalba and the Tor Maddox “pink thrillers” series. HarperCollins published her award winning, internationally best-selling psychological thriller Pretty Girl-13 in 2013. In Cincinnati, Liz is surrounded by a fantastic community of writers, beaten regularly by better tennis players, uplifted by her choir, and adorned with hair by her cats Pippin and Merry. Find her as LizColeyBooks on social media and on her website.
Meghan Colvin lives in Ohio wit
h her husband and three sons. She spends her days hiding from dinosaurs, avoiding volcanic lava, and being rescued from the ever impending shark attack. During the time when her life isn’t in danger, she can be found poolside watching her boys swim or at the vet’s office with one of the family’s three pets, dogs Jethro and Penelope, or Jack the cat. Meghan graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, was a Developmentall Therapist with First Steps, and owned and operated a licensed daycare before moving to Ohio. Learn more on her website.
Born and raised in a military family, Allen Currier spent most of his youth traveling from one Air Force Base to another. That allowed a wide eyed boy to open his imagination to all of the different worlds around him. Having learned from life’s experiences showed him how much adventure there is in the world, that along with the old westerns he watched as a child to the science fiction he still enjoys today, his mind was opened up to a wonderful world of endless possibilities. Starting out early writing songs played a big role in creating and singing a song for his daughter’s wedding for the father daughter dance. Allen has been married for thirty seven years to his beautiful wife and has been blessed with three daughters and four granddaughters. He was once told that “you can’t read a book, much less write one.” He thought to himself “Challenge accepted.” So out of spite, he sat in a dark room letting his mind wander down pathways that had been closed by time and life. This opened up a world long forgotten. Telling no one, he completed his first manuscript and found a publisher. Today he is a published author, a song writer and if flying a model toy helicopter counts, he’d tell you he’s a pilot. His only dream is to see his family happy, healthy, loved, and laughing through life. He works very hard at the last one. Learn more on his blog.
Michael Fehskens is writer and illustrator of children’s books and comics. Born in Pennsylvania, he attended Columbus College of Art & Design, and has remained in Columbus since to pursue independent publishing. His work has been called a cross between Doctor Seuss and Alex Grey, and reflects his love of animals and the paranormal. Learn more on his Tumblr.
About Carol Gaal, author of Cooking with Carol: When I set out to write Cooking with Carol, I wanted it to include all the things I love best: the great recipes I use all the time, the stories behind the recipes, my favorite Bible verses and whimsical artwork. I met Amy Nimon about five years ago. I think the first thing I noticed about her were her cool glasses. When she told me she’d painted them I knew we would be friends! Amy’s a great artist, so when she agreed to do the artwork for the cookbook i was overjoyed.
Andra Gillum is the author of Doggy Drama, Puppy Drama, and Old Doggy Drama (coming soon). Andra was born and raised in Columbus. She lives in Upper Arlington with her family. The Drama series tells the stories of Andra’s real dogs, Riley and Lucy. Learn more on her website.
Sandra Gurvis is the author of sixteen commercially published books and hundreds of magazine articles. Her titles include Day Trips from Columbus, 3rd edition; Ohio Curiosities, 2nd edition; Careers for Nonconformists, a selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club; America’s Strangest Museums, 2nd edition; and more. Her newest project is Close Enough for Government Work: America’s Presidential Libraries. She is also planning a “Geezerville” series of satires based in certain retirement “Villages” in Florida. She lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Margaret Leis Hanna, principal author of While…Born During WWII, wrote this contrasting memoir with a German woman of the same age. They share their growing up years in their own countries and beyond. Margaret (Peg) is a former teacher graduate of Grove City College (PA), with graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and The Ohio State University. She began writing and publishing children’s books with Sprite Press and Zaner-Bloser Educational books. While… is her first mainstream book. She is a wife, mother of six and grandmother of ten. Learn more on her website.
Avid reader and writer Sandee L. Hemphill is committed to making the writing journey easy for those writers who have more passion than industry knowledge. Her books, workshops and resources are designed to educate and encourage writers of all genres. A non-fiction writer, she also writes Christian books. Sandee brings her southern charm (from Atlanta, GA.) to all of her writing projects. She encourages writers to build a tribe of readers BEFORE they publish, and reminds time-challenged writers that it may not be their time but their SKILLS. The Columbus resident offers a quarterly “Help Desk” and answers writers’ questions in an online forum. Learn more on her website.
Gretchen Hirsch is Chief Surgeon at Midwest Book Doctors, an editorial services firm for writers seeking representation or publication or those publishing their own books. She is author of Talking Your Way to the Top: Business English That Works (Prometheus Books); The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Difficult Conversations (Alpha Books) and Womanhours: A 21-Day Time Management Plan That Works (St. Martin’s Press). With subject matter experts, she also authored Bud Wilkinson: An Intimate Portrait of an American Legend (Sagamore Publishing); Helping Gifted Children Soar: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers, (Great Potential Press) which was named an Arizona Best Book by the Arizona Book Publishing Association and has been translated into Spanish, Chinese, and Korean, and is now in its second edition; and A Love for Learning: Motivation and the Gifted Child (Great Potential Press), which also was named an Arizona Best Book and won the Indie Award of Excellence for best education book, an iParenting Award of Merit, and a Legacy Book Award from the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented. She has edited approximately 16 books in the last four years, and is currently at work on the fourth book by one of her favorite authors. Your Best Self-Published Book: How To Write It. How To Edit It, grew out of the common mistakes she finds in client manuscripts and the recurring questions she hears from workshop participants.
Marcia James writes hot, humorous romances featuring heroines you can root for, heroes to die for, and funny dogs. She finaled in eleven Romance Writers of America contests before selling her first comic suspense, At Her Command. In her eclectic career, she has shot submarine training videos, organized celebrity-filled nonprofit events, and had her wedding covered by People Magazine. After years of dealing with such sexy topics as how to safely install traffic lights, she is enjoying “researching” and plotting her novels’ steamy love scenes with her husband and hero of many years. Find her on Facebook and learn more at her website.
Shelly Jenkins is a native of Chicago, Illinois and has been a believer in Christ since young adulthood. An avid bible scholar and bachelors prepared registered nurse for more than 32 years, she has worked in a variety of nursing areas including Maternal Child Health, Nursing Education, and Child Welfare Services. Currently an author, publisher, natural health professional, school nurse for over 12 years, a legal nurse consultant and notary public, she has a passion for health, healing and wellness through a biblical perspective. An artist in her spare time, she is a mother of two and a grandmother of four and is currently living in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more on her website.
Leonard Krashoc, aka KRASH, has 14 children’s books in print but still finds time to travel, recently completing a 12 state book signing tour of the South West. Heading out again October 1st for the North West he will be back just in time for Indie Author Day at Pickerington Public Library, Saturday, October 14th. When not “on the road”, he spends his time at his Tree House overlooking Conneaut Creek in northeast Ohio. His books range from the “stick figure” rhymes of Abby Learns to Draw, for young children, to Marge and Last Dance, simple stories about life’s lessons, more for parents than their children. Learn more on his website.
Janie Mason grew up in Columbus. She and her own romance hero/husband, David, graduated from The Ohio State University and still reside in Central Ohio. They have two adult children and a Heinz 57 dog named Bonnie. Janie writes both contemporary and American historical romances. Learn more on her website.
Karen Meyer’s interest in history began in junior high with visits to Serpent Mound and the Ohio Historical Society. Her six historical novels for young readers focus on Ohio’s frontier history, Ohio’s part in the Underground Railroad, and Dayton’s Orville Wright as a youth. She visits schools portraying Grandma Sarah, a character in her first two books. Learn more on her website.
David Monseau writes under the pen name of Laura Chadwick ( a combination of his daughter and his dog). Born and raised in Weirton, West Virginia; a graduate of Weir High School, Wittenberg University and West Virginia University. Dave had a 34-year executive career with a fortune-five hundred business in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by his own consulting enterprise, The ChaD Group, for business, educational and non-profit organizations, nationally and internationally, and has served on college faculties. His writing experience is extensive and he is the author of “The Second Time Around,” a story of his own near death experience. Red Rider is his first venture into the world of fiction.
About Judy Carey Nevin: I worked as an editor for children’s books at Viking Children’s Books in New York quite some time ago. I love that I’m now involved in the process from the author side. It brings my experience with children’s books full circle. What Daddies Like started when our daughter came into our lives. It broke my heart to experience the complete lack of books–especially for very young children–depicting happy, loving interactions between fathers and their children. One day I overheard my husband playing with our infant daughter; he said, “Daddies like hugs too.” I thought, “That’s what I need to write,” and the book was born. Of course I haven’t left mommies out–What Mommies Like comes out in 2018.
Pete Planisek lives in Columbus, OH, where he teaches English, runs Enceladus Literary LLC, and is co-host of an entertainment podcast called Hindsight is 20-20. He received his Masters from Ohio University, where he founded a student literary arts magazine called Recently Eclipsed. He has published newspaper articles and is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association. He served for seven years as adviser/co-adviser to a NCTE award winning student literary arts publication. Frankenstein A Life Beyond was his debut novel. He has two published works in his Resurrection Trinity series titled Frankenstein A Life Beyond (Book 1 of 3) and Frankenstein Soul’s Echo (Book 2 of 3), and won a 2016 Silver Honoree IBPA Benjamin Franklin Digital Book Award for his children’s fantasy book, Princess Bella and the Dragon’s Charm. Find him on Twitter, Facebook, and on his website.
Connie Pond and Robert J. Pond have lived in Ohio for a lifetime while being associated with the Buckeye Trail for over 30 years. Throughout these years, hiking, maintaining and visiting along the trail have provided them with a unique perspective of Ohio, its history, biology, geology and beauty. Connie and Robert have hiked the entire 1400 miles and spent many weekends experiencing Ohio’s sights along the way. Connie and Robert are central Ohio residents and graduates of Ohio State University. Their careers were in engineering and human services. Their passion is the Buckeye Trail.
Lauren Shiman is a writer based in Ohio. She has written for organizations and publications in Ohio such as Street Speech. She is also a storyteller and was a selected participant in the 2016 Columbus Arts Festival as such. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from Ohio University. Her first compilation, Deep Roots, is planned for September 2017.
Lucy A. Snyder is a five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning writer and is the author of ten books and about 100 published short stories. Lucy’s fiction has been translated into French, Russian, Italian, Czech, Spanish, and Japanese editions. Her work has appeared in publications such as Asimov’s Science Fiction, Nightmare Magazine, Pseudopod, Strange Horizons, Shadowed Souls, and Best Horror of the Year. She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Goddard College and is faculty in Seton Hill University’s MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. Find her on Twitter, and learn more about her at her website.
Aileen Stewart is the award winning author of the Fern Valley Series which includes Fern Valley, Return to Fern Valley, and Cooking in Fern Valley, as well as the new Quack and Daisy Picture Book Series. She is also a public speaker, amateur photographer, a blogger, farmers’ market manager, library board of trustees member, and SCBWI member. In addition, she hosts writing workshops for children in first to sixth grade, offers library and school visits, and speaks at events. She resides in lovely Shelby, Ohio, with her beautiful daughter, wonderful husband, and their crazy cats Max, Daisy, and Fluffy. Her motto is “Kids Who Read Can Do Anything!” Learn more on her website.
Joe Sutphin is the New York Times-bestselling illustrator of James Patterson’s Word Of Mouse, as well as the Dr. Critchlore’s School For Minions series by Sheila Grau, and the forthcoming Raffie On The Run by Jacqueline Resnick. Publisher’s Weekly described Joe’s work in Word Of Mouse as, “Reminiscent of Garth Williams’s work in Stuart Little”. Joe lives in a red barn in Central Ohio along with his with his wife Gina, their 2 cats and a fish named Jerk. When he’s not drawing or writing stories he can be found in nature, looking under rocks for critters. Find him on Twitter and Instagram, and learn more on his website.
Cindy Thomson’s love of Irish history inspires much of what she writes. She is the author of eight books, including her newest novel set in early medieval times, Pages of Ireland. Her first novel, Brigid of Ireland, was published eleven years ago. She has written a historical series based on early 20th century Ellis Island immigrants, some nonfiction works, and numerous magazine and online articles on genealogy and Irish travel, and she does genealogical research work for hire. Find her online.
Chris Underwood lives in central Ohio with his wonderful wife and three children who are one by one being pushed out the door for college. His passions have included woodworking and the completion of a 10 year historical home restoration, in addition to his Computer Consulting career. More recently his passions for sailing and writing have been given more attention in his life. Chris openly pines for the day that writing and sailing completely consumes it. Creative Writing was always an interest, even decades ago when in college at Ohio State. Business Writing courses were pushed to the side in favor of Short Story and Sci-Fi. In the end, a Computer Science and Accounting degree seemed more promising in today’s world and writing was put on the back burner. Until a few years ago. A subject matter and storyline was imagined that created enough passion to put pen to paper. Now writing is daily event, with two more stories in process! Learn more at Chris’s Facebook page.
Ray Wenck taught elementary school for 35 years. He was also the chef/owner of DeSimone’s Italian restaurant for more than 25 years. After retiring he became a lead cook for Hollywood Casinos and the kitchen manager for the Toledo Mud Hens AAA baseball team. Now he spends most of his time writing, doing book tours and meeting old and new fans and friends around the country. Ray is the author of fourteen novels including the post-apocalyptic Random Survival series, the paranormal thriller Ghost of a Chance, and the mystery/suspense Danny Roth series. See a list of his other novels on his website.
