Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of three novels: Reinventing Rita, Finding Fran and Moving Maggie and four short story collections: The Language of Love and Other Stories, Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories. Other books include two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers and the essay collection, The Gifts of Change.

The host of the Living the Writing Life podcast, she has given presentations on a range of topics at conferences, libraries, and schools. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), the Florida Writers Association (FWA), and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). For more information, visit her website: https://www.nancychristie.com/

Angelo Velotta is a local author from Mentor. His book Stories from the Bean Table Volume I was published in September of 2023. He is currently working on a second volume, in addition to a few other projects.

Scott Simon is living proof that one act of courage can change everything.

He never planned to lead a global movement. But after a panic attack at 30,000 feet forced him to face his deepest fears, Scott made a promise: to stop letting fear write the story. That vow became Scare Your Soul—a global initiative and courage-fueled platform that’s helped thousands step beyond comfort and into a braver, bolder life. His book, Scare Your Soul:  7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life, was published by Hachette.

Scott is sought-after keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies and cultural institutions like Nestlé, the United Nations, Lululemon, Logitech, Ritz Carlton, and the Cleveland Cavs. His work blends neuroscience, positive psychology, and behavior design to help individuals and organizations rewire fear into purpose, connection, and innovation.

Through his weekly newsletter (where he has shared 750+ free courage opportunities), Scott is on a mission to prove that you don’t need to be fearless—you just need to take one step out of your comfort zone.

Chante Thomas is a children and family book author, focusing on diverse family characters. These stories reflect positive images of children problem solving demonstrating positive relationships within their family unit and community. This is the fourth book independently published by this author. In addition to writing books since grad school in 1994, this author is an elementary school teacher. Author Thomas has taught math, language arts, social studies and science for the past 27 years. This author is the mother of two boys; one son is on the autism spectrum. She is also caregiver to a parent with Alzheimer's. Writing is the author's way to encourage family members of all ages to find joy, solutions and escape in books that have relatable characters dealing with common problems.

Grow is Dr. Justin Montello’s first novel. Dr. Montello is a proud middle school teacher, leukemia survivor, and family man. Check out his family on YouTube: Family Fun Party! Dr. Montello earned a PhD in teacher leadership and is an internationally published writer in both the professional and creative fields. 

Jacob Cramer is the founder of Love For Our Elders, a nonprofit fighting loneliness with love, one letter at a time. In his debut picture book, Grandma's Letter Exchange, he celebrates the craft of letter writing and his organization's work, inspired by his grandparents. He lives in Pepper Pike, Ohio and is a 2018 Orange High School graduate.

Dr. Andrew J. Pegman is a professor of English at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio. His teaching and contributions in the classroom earned him the Distinguished Faculty Award from the American Association of Community Colleges. He's been published in National Geographic, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, TROUT, In-Fisherman, The Drake, American Angler, Kayak Angler, Paddling Magazine, the Plain Dealer, Ohio Outdoor News, the Ohio Cardinal and the House Wren (Cleveland Audubon), as well as for SUN Newspapers and Cleveland.com and others. A story he wrote for American Angler was recognized in The Best American Sports Writing 2020 as a "Notable Selection," and the Outdoor Writers of Ohio Awards awarded him first place for Magazine Writing in 2020, among his other awards for magazine, internet and newspaper writing. He is the author of the award-winning book, Outdoor Tales of Northeast Ohio. 

Jennifer Handler is a faculty member in The Department of Biology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a BS in Molecular Genetics and PhD in Genetics. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in The Department of Neurosciences at The Cleveland Clinic and was a research associate in The Alzheimer’s Research Laboratory at The CWRU School of Medicine. Much of the story of KRISPR is her story. Handler was born and raised in
Cleveland but spent time as a young researcher at the prestigious Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Raising her family in the Midwest, she accompanied her teen-aged daughter to New York City where she participated in an international modeling competition, and later moved her into her dorm at a university in Midtown Manhattan. As a professor, Handler has a real sense of what it’s like to be a college student in the 21st century. She also has the training and expertise to understand and make relatable technologies in genetics and neuroscience. And she has personally experienced the heart-wrenching and devastating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease as she witnessed her dad suffer from it for several years prior to his passing. Jennifer Handler is her pen name, as her real name is a bit hard to pronounce.

Bob Walker is a children's picture book author who has published two books in the last couple years, with more to come. He is a retired partner with an international law firm, and still drums and sings with different bands. He splits his time between Reminderville, Ohio and Los Angeles, California. 

Jim Vendeland M.D. is a retired ophthalmologist living in Cleveland Ohio. Jim and his wife Marcia have an extended family including three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. He is an avid collector of antique ophthalmoscopes (eye instruments) and l9th century kaleidoscopes. He has given presentations of the latter at The Rowfant Club in Cleveland, The Brewster Kaleidoscope Society, The Ocular Heritage Society, The Beachwood Rotary Club, The Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society, and The Magic Lantern Society.

 Jim enjoys playing classical piano music and has an extensive collection of classical music and opera on compact discs and dvds.  He also enjoys playing racketball and has been training with a coach for several years.

Bill Rapp has published eleven books of P.I. and espionage fiction.  His spy stories draw on his experiences from a 40-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as his training as an academic historian of Modern Europe.  The series is set during the Cold War and begins in the bombed-out ruins of postwar Berlin (Tears of Innocence). His most recent book, Assignment in Saigon, finds the series hero, CIA officer Karl Baier, in Vietnam in the summer of 1964 on a special assignment for the CIA Director as the US prepares to Americanize the war.  The manuscript for the seventh book in the series The Prague Spring, is currently with his publisher, Coffeetown/Epicenter Press, and will probably be released in early 2026.  That story takes place in Prague during the efforts by the Dubcek administration to reform the Communist government in Czechoslovakia along more open and democratic lines, which provoked another Soviet invasion.  Bill also has a three-book P.I. series set in the Chicago area, where he grew up, plus a thriller set during the fall of the Berlin Wall, which he experienced first-hand and for which he is responsible(!).

Andrew Farkas is the author of Sunsphere, The Big Red Herring, and The Great Indoorsman: Essays. He is an editor for Always Crashing and an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Washburn University. Check out him out at https://thegreatindoorsman.org/

Lynn Ellen is an author of novels and screenplays and enjoys writing stories that are both heartwarming and spiritual in nature. She is the mother of four daughters and lives in Ohio with her husband and their Bernedoodle, Nellie. You can follow her on Instagram @lynnellen.authoror visit her website at https://lynnellenauthor.com.

Inspired by a family tradition of storytelling, John H. Atwood and Jenean Atwood Baynes are a father-daughter writing team passionate about creating imaginative and educational children's books to educate, entertain and inspire new and young readers. Together, they formed Atwood Legacy Enterprises and brought to life “The Land of
Dushkin,” a whimsical storyland where children can learn and grow alongside lovable characters.

Tears in God’s Own Country, an 86,000-word upmarket fiction, tells the story of a musician’s struggle against colorism and the caste system. Though the story takes place in 1960s India, the author Cliff Anthony’s native country, the motifs are universal. When not stringing words, the award-winning journalist freelances and teaches in Cleveland.

“Rich with insight, feeling, and playful wit, Tears in God’s Own Country is a heartbreaking story of unfulfilled dreams, colorism, politics, status, and hard choices… Anthony shines at memorable characterization and a fast-moving plot. Fans of politically charged historical fiction and contemporary works rich in cultural narratives will find this captivating.” — Publisher’s Weekly-BookLife/Editor’s Pick.

Kalynn Applewhite is a writer with a lifelong love of fantasy. She is a work-from-home mom and lead creator for Applewhite Games. Her books explore her passion for feminist themes. Kalynn loves playing games, taking hikes, and eating super dark chocolate. She lives in Ohio with her husband and their menagerie of children, cats, chickens and houseplants.

Frank Ravanelli is a pricing analyst by profession and a fantasy author at heart. A graduate of The University of Akron with a degree in Marketing, Frank blends analytical insight with creative storytelling.

Raised in a large Catholic family with five brothers, Frank first discovered his love for writing while being homeschooled in elementary school. That early passion stayed with him and eventually led to the creation of his debut novel, Pages of the Aduir: Journey To Peninsia Throne—the first installment in a planned fantasy series.

Frank currently resides in Northeast Ohio, where he continues to develop Pages of the Aduir and draw inspiration from the beauty of nature and the adventures of everyday life. When he's not writing or working, you can find him hiking, working out, traveling, or spending time with his two golden retrievers. A lifelong reader, Frank names The Lord of the Rings as his favorite novel and a key influence on his writing.

David Grinnell who also goes by the pen name David Edgar Grinnell is a poet, author, and literary scholar from Cleveland, Ohio.  He was born 1992 in Norfolk, Virginia, but grew up in the suburb of Bedford.  In 2014 he attended Cleveland State University and graduated with a bachelors in English.  Grinnell specializes in Romanticism, the Gothic, and draws inspiration from vulnerability.  He reflects and portrays love alongside hope, melancholy, and even occasional despair.  Currently, he is a funeral director apprentice at St. John Funeral Home.

Paris Kaufman is a college student with a love for creative fiction. With her writing, she hopes to spark the same passion for reading she acquired as a young teen. When not writing, you can find Paris cooking, painting, or tending to her many animal friends.

Susan Wojnar is a mother, social worker, musician and writer who has 25 years of lived experience with mental health issues. Her book, White Darkness: Poetic Tales of the Schizophrenic Experience explores in detail exactly what it is like to live with psychosis. The book tries to be a bridge between others who suffer, to let them know they are not alone and are understood, and for caregivers, who struggle to understand and support family and friends who experience serious mental health issues.  Susan received her MA in English from Youngstown State University, is an avid gardener, cyclist, runner, swimmer, cat lover and is employed at UMPC Jameson in New Castle, PA. She also works part time as a correspondent for the Warren Tribune and Youngstown Vindicator.

Mary Conway Sullivan, a humorist from Cleveland, Ohio, draws from her farm journey to create this memoir. Beyond her roles, she infuses her writing with honesty, humility, and a unique blend of humor and empathy.

Carl Elton Cook holds degrees from two reputable American universities. From 1991 to 2008, he served as a contributing editor for 20th Century Guitar Magazine. Currently, he is involved with music and video production as the songwriter/guitarist with the rock band SpamRisk. He lives a quiet pet-free life at his home in Ohio.