Meet the Authors - Rocky River Public Library

Rocky River Public Library Book Festival
Meet the Authors
1600 Hampton Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
(440) 333-7610
www.rrpl.org
April 21, 2012
We want to thank the following for their support —
Book Festival Authors • Barnes & Noble Booksellers • Gray & Company, Publishers
Cosponsored by the Women’s Committee of Rocky River Public Library
and the Friends of the Library.
Jenna-Clare Allen
Jenna-Clare Allen is a Tennessee native, though she has had the good fortune to live all
over the United States. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theological
studies. Though she has written for as long as she can remember, As the Spark Flies
Upward is her first novel. It tells the story of four generations of a family living in the
Depression-era south. She also writes poetry, non-fiction and children’s stories. Ms. Allen
has been married for more than a decade to composer, Dr. Jeremy Allen. Jenna-Clare
lives in Cleveland Heights with her husband and their three-year-old son.
John Derf Backderf
A critically acclaimed comics creator and cartoonist, Derf Backderf, launched his edgy,
cranky comic strip, The City, in 1990. For over 20 years, it has been one of the mostwidely distributed weekly comics and has garnered numerous awards, including a Robert
F. Kennedy Award in 2006. Derf is the author-artist of three graphic novels. Trashed
(SLG Publishing, 2002), was named “the funniest book of the year” by Time.com and
nominated for an Eisner Award. Next came Punk Rock & Trailer Parks (SLG Publishing,
2009), followed by his newest, My Friend Dahmer, which tells the haunting account of
his teenage friendship with the future serial killer.
Emilie Barnett
While Emilie has had considerable education in the field of religion, particularly Jewish
studies, she had never heard of Beatrice Nasi Mendes (Doña Gracia 1510-1569) of
Portugal, one of the most outstanding figures of Jewish history. Born into a family of
secret Jews at the height of the Inquisition, Beatrice dared to rescue others, declare
her faith and establish a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. Emilie discovered her by
accident and spent years researching her life and visiting the cities where she lived to
write Daring Daughter of the Covenant and share this extraordinary life with others.
Gail Ghetia Bellamy
Gail Ghetia Bellamy is a Certified Culinary Professional with a Ph.D. in creative writing.
The managing editor and food editor of Restaurant Hospitality magazine, she has also
written about food for many local and national magazines and for America Online’s Food
& Drink Network. She has contributed to several books including Fodor’s/Wall Street
Journal Guides to Business Travel in the U.S. and Canada and Bergh’s International
Digest of Gastronomy, Cookery, and Wine. An accomplished poet, Gail is the author of
Victual Reality: Food Poems. Her newest book, Cleveland Food Memories, collects the
fondest memories of Clevelanders who still ache for treats from the past.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
1
Carole Calladine
Carole, the Director of Senior Services for the City of Rocky River, is also the author
of three books. Her first two books were on parenting challenges: Raising Siblings...
Raising Brothers and Sisters without Raising the Roof (Delacorte Press), and One
Terrific Year (Winston Press). Her recent book is a memoir titled Second Story Woman
(Bird Dog Publishing, Inc.). The Akron Beacon Journal reviewed Carole’s memoir and
said, “Likeable and candid, Calladine writes a lively account of her quest for second
chances─while becoming a ‘second-story woman’ herself.” Carole lives in Rocky River
with husband, Andrew and their cat, Hank.
Charles Cassady, Jr.
Writer, photographer and illustrator Charles Cassady, Jr. after years of visiting parallel
universes and alternate realities (meaning only that he was a film critic) got into writing
about the supernatural in Cleveland Ghosts, Paranormal Great Lakes and Paranormal
Mississippi River, all published by Schiffer, of Atglen, Pennsylvania. Cassady approaches
the extraordinary with newsroom skepticism, pop-culture savvy about how weird tales
are marketed, and fondness for bundling some good information along with the folklore
of poltergeists, UFOs, hairy man-beasts, water monsters, vampires and werewolves.
Judith G. Cetina
Judith G. Cetina, Ph.D. is manager and archivist at the Cuyahoga County Archives and
frequently lectures to local historical and genealogical societies. A certified archivist,
she holds a Ph.D. from CWRU. She is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists
having served as former president and board member. A published writer of book reviews
and articles, she has contributed a chapter to Pioneer Healers, A History of Women
Religious in American Health Care, and she authored a history of Cuyahoga County
published in Glimpses of Ohio Counties. Dr. Cetina’s new book for Arcadia Publishing is
Cuyahoga County: The First Two Hundred Years.
Brian Chulik
Brian will be signing Brian’s World: Personal Perspectives and Insights from the Mind
of an Ordinary Everyday Philosopher. The debut book of author, science teacher, dog
lover, and all-around everyman, Brian’s World is an eclectic collection of wisdom on
topics ranging from overcoming self-doubt, the trials and tribulations of romantic relationships, the benefits of owning pets, the value of personal integrity, and much more.
Black-and-white photographs reflecting the author’s life intersperse this smorgasbord of
tell-it-like-it-is observations. It’s an anthology that’s fun to read whether a bit at a time or
all at once.
Susan Condon Love representing George E. Condon
The late George E. Condon wrote nearly 15 books in his long and illustrious career. He
worked at The Plain Dealer for nearly 45 years and in the course of his career, he was a
copy editor, reporter, television editor, and for the last 30 years of his tenure, a popular
columnist. A well-known historian and lover-of-all-that-was-Irish, one of Mr. Condon’s
most popular books is a compilation of the whimsical and downright goofy nicknames of
Cleveland’s colorful Irish population: Gaels of Laughter and Tears. Mr. Condon passed
away in October 2011. His book is being offered today by his daughter, Susan Condon
Love, a former PD columnist herself.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
2
Mary Lee Corlett
Born and raised in the Cleveland suburbs, Mary Lee Corlett earned her M.A. in art history
from Case Western Reserve University and began her career at the Cleveland Museum of
Art as a teaching assistant for the Saturday children’s classes. She moved to Washington,
DC in 1988, joining the staff of the National Gallery of Art in 1989. Her publications
include works on Romare Bearden, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jackson Pollock. Belle: The
Amazing, Astonishingly Magical Journey of an Artfully Painted Lady, featuring the
National Gallery’s collection, is her first children’s book. Ms. Corlett lives in Falls Church,
Virginia with husband, Tom, and daughter, Victoria.
Dan Coughlin
Dan has covered the Cleveland sports scene for 45 years, as a sportswriter for The Plain
Dealer (1964–1982) and on WJW TV8 (since 1983). His columns also appeared in several
daily newspapers, including the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, Medina Gazette, Lake County
News-Herald and more. He was twice named Ohio Sportswriter of the Year and was
honored with a television Emmy. He traveled with the Browns and Indians, sat ringside
for several world championship fights and covered 17 Indianapolis 500s. Dan has authored
Crazy with the Papers to Prove It and recently, Pass the Nuts. He lives in Rocky River.
Casey Daniels
Casey Daniels once applied for a job as a tour guide in a historic cemetery. She didn’t
get the job, but while she was there, she did get the idea for her Pepper Martin mystery
series. Pepper works in a Cleveland cemetery and investigates mysteries for the ghosts
there. Recently, the 8th book of the series, Wild, Wild Death was published. Book #9
comes out in September. It’s called Supernatural Born Killers. As Kylie Logan, she also
writes the Button Box mysteries. The first book of that series, Button Holed, was
published in September. Casey started her career writing historical romance and to date,
has published 40 novels.
Joyce Dyer
Joyce Dyer teaches creative writing at Hiram College in Ohio. She is the author of six
books, including In a Tangled Wood: An Alzheimer’s Journey (1996), Gum-Dipped: A
Daughter Remembers Rubber Town (2003), and Goosetown: Reconstructing an Akron
Neighborhood (2010). Dyer is a widely published essayist and won the 2009 David B.
Saunders Award in Creative Nonfiction. Perhaps best known for her work in memoir, she
has conducted summer workshops in this genre at the Antioch Writers’ Workshop, the
Appalachian Writers Workshop, and 826michigan. Dyer lives in Hudson and is currently at
work on a book about John Brown.
Diana J. Eid
Ever since the first settlers arrived in 1816, Parma, Ohio has steadily been growing,
residentially and industrially and is now the largest suburb of Cleveland, as well as the
seventh-largest city in Ohio. Diana J. Eid has been fascinated with the Parma community
for years. After researching old documents, interviewing residents and officials, she has
compiled a fun and easy to read pictorial history of the city with over 200 photographs in
her book Images of America: Parma. The historical images in this book bring to life the
stories and people of the past, which will carry on to future generations.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
3
Murray Fishel
Dr. Murray Fishel is professor emeritus of political science at Kent State University. He
is a late arrival to bicycling, purchasing his first bike at age fifty-one. Since 1991, Murray
has become an avid recreational cycle tourer. To date, Murray has ridden in forty-two
states and seven countries and has completed many long-distance rides — across the
U.S., down the Mississippi, along the Oregon Coast, and from San Francisco to Mexico,
to name a few. He will be signing Pedaling on the North Coast coauthored with Stan
Purdum.
Harold A. George
A resident of Lakewood, George is an author and lecturer of historical topics. He has
written, produced and published ten books, DVDs and quick reference guides since 1993.
He offers ten historical programs which he performs “first person” for the public. He has
been performing as a Civil War Re-enactor since 1992. He will be signing the following
books and DVDs: Civil War Monuments in Ohio, Abraham Lincoln Visits Ohio: 1861 &
1865, Andrews’ Raiders — “The Great Locomotive Chase,” Civil War Campsites in Ohio:
1861 – 1865, Civil War History of the 9 th Ohio Light Artillery, and Custer’s Last Stand.
Marty Gitlin
Author Marty Gitlin has had more than 60 books published, but admits that The Great
American Cereal Book is nearest and dearest to his heart. The book is a fun, funny, colorful
cereal encyclopedia and coffee table book. It features more than 350 nostalgic images of
cereal boxes and memorabilia dating back more than 100 years, as well as fascinating
facts about 800 cereals produced from 1863 to the present. The book highlights such
iconic cereal spokescharacters such as Tony the Tiger and the Trix Rabbit. Gitlin covers the
Cleveland Browns for cbssports.com and lives in North Olmsted with his family.
Justin Glanville
Justin grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland and now lives on the West Side. From 2000 to
2005, Justin worked as a reporter for The Associated Press in New York City before returning
to Cleveland to earn his master’s in urban planning, design and development. From 2007
to 2011, he served as Project Director for Building Cleveland by Design. He is the author of
New to Cleveland: A Guide to (Re)Discovering the City (2011). He is recipient of a 2012
Creative Workforce Fellowship from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.
Justin is currently working on a novel and a book about urban living in the Rust Belt.
John Gorman
In 1973, John moved to Cleveland to join WMMS and over the next thirteen years he
would help turn WMMS into one of the most popular rock stations in the country. He
went on to start 98.5 WNCX and then a radio consulting firm, Gorman Media. He was
inducted into the Ohio Radio-TV Hall of Fame in 2000 and received an Award for
Excellence in Broadcasting from the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters in 2008. He
will be signing The Buzzard. This rock and roll radio memoir takes you behind the scenes
at the nation’s hottest station during FM’s heyday, from 1973 to 1986.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Walter Grossman
After several years of producing landscape photographs, Grossman became interested
in architectural subjects. In 1994, he worked on a project for the Cleveland Bicentennial
Commission for which he photographed the structures and landmarks of Cleveland.
More recently, he collaborated with his longtime friend, Barry Herman, to co-author the
book, Cleveland’s Vanishing Sacred Architecture, published by Arcadia Press in 2010.
Grossman’s photographs have been exhibited and sold across the United States and in
selected galleries in Europe. He has recently entered the realm of digital processes, but
still prefers conventional large format cameras to capture his images.
Barbara Hacha
Barbara writes both fiction and nonfiction and is a freelance book editor. Her new
historical novel, Line by Line, was a finalist in the Best New Fiction category of USA
Book News “Best Books of 2011” Awards. Line by Line, set in the 1930s, tells the story of
Maddy Skobel, who, as the Great Depression deepens and her family disintegrates, flees
her central Ohio town determined to make her own way. Barbara is also a photographer
who teaches photography to people with disabilities. She occasionally exhibits in the
Cleveland area. Barbara lives in Concord, Ohio.
Karen J. Hasley
Karen J. Hasley’s academic study of 17th-century female poets inspired a love for the rich
treasures to be found in women’s lives of the past, treasures yet to be discovered and
shared. With a unique storytelling gift, Karen intertwines fictional heroines with historical
real-life women so closely and so convincingly that you may need a history book to figure
out which is which. Akron’s Beacon Journal called Hasley’s writing “impeccable” and
“satisfying.” (10/15/06) She will be signing: Lily’s Sister, Waiting for Hope, Where Home
Is, Circled Heart, and her newest, Gold Mountain. www.karenhasley.com.
Lawrence Hohman
Alphabetical Breeds in Color is the latest in a series of alphabetical books by Lawrence
(Larry) Hohman. As both an artist and author, his past works include Alphabetical
Birds in Color, Alphabetical Beasts in Color, Alphabetical Botanicals in Color, and
Alphabetical Butterflies in Color. All have become favorites of children and adults. Born
in Cleveland, Larry’s talent for drawing was honed at The Cleveland Institute of Art. After
graduation, he went to work as an art studio designer, then as an advertising agency art
director, and finally as the owner of a commercial art studio before retiring in 1996.
Jennie Jones
In 2010, Jennie Jones, a well-known photographer, donated some 22,000 images to the
Michael Schwartz Library, Special Collections at Cleveland State University representing
30 years of her work. As a commercial architectural and fine art photographer, she was
privileged to have worked on most of the major building sites in Cleveland during those
decades. With her art history and fine art background, she was able to capture the
beauty, strength and complexity of the city. She will be signing her 12”x 12” coffee table
book, Cleveland Inside Outside. It’s full of visual surprises and stunning photographs of
the changes and growth of Cleveland, Ohio from 1981-2011.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
Laurie is the author of forty books and the author/ illustrator of two more. She has been
published in the trade, educational, craft, and Christian market. Why Cowboys Sleep
with Their Boots On won the Premier Print Award given by Eastman Kodak and has sold
over 45,000 copies. The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education
selected A Young Man’s Dance, as among the best Children’s Books of the year, 2007.
Laurie Knowlton is an international speaker, addressing students, educators and writers
throughout the United States and Mexico. You can reach Knowlton at LauriepKnowlton@
aim.com and visit her webpage at www.laurieknowlton.com
Sharon Kreighbaum
After working with clients for 20 years, Sharon noticed that when they put their house
on a diet and got rid of clutter they lost weight as well. She decided to write a book to
include interior design tips, decluttering strategies, and how to clean an entire house in
less than 90 minutes for less than 75 cents using what you already have in the kitchen
(baking soda, vinegar, dish detergent and lemon oil). Is Your House Overweight?
Recipes for Low-Fat Rooms is filled with vintage graphics, before and after photos and
reads like a magazine with short, entertaining information and recipes for low-fat rooms.
MaryLou Lamb
MaryLou is a Pastoral Disability Specialist recently retired from Outreach Ministry,
Catholic Dioceses of Cleveland. She is a former Special Education teacher, Program
Coordinator and Director of the Task Force for Persons with Disabilities—Lutheran
Metropolitan Ministry. She received the Cuyahoga County Award for Advocacy and New
Programs in 1973 and the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service in 1998. She will be
signing A Star and a Rainbow for Benji. Not in print but available on request: Be Gospels of Love, Special Stories and Rainbow Program.
Tiffany Laufer
Tiffany is a professional artist and writer. Her recent book, The Porch Dream, focuses on
two dogs dreaming of saving the day — a best seller at the Buckeye Book Fair. Tiffany
has been an artist her entire life. In grade school, she won her first award — a large purple
bunny for her coloring of a rabbit. In high-school, Tiffany won two Scholastic gold key
awards for watercolors. Tiffany’s illustrations have been seen in books, magazines and in
public art commissions. A recent watercolor appeared in the national SCBWI Magazine.
Visit her at www.tiffanylaufer.com
Donna MacMeans
Award winning romance author Donna MacMeans will be signing Redeeming The
Rogue, nominated for both the 2011 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best
Innovative Historical Romance and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Publisher’s
Weekly says “Irish rebellion, smuggled guns, and the assassination of James Garfield
form a lively backdrop for this sweet, sexy, and smartly told Victorian romance.” A brief
resident of Lakewood, Ohio and otherwise practicing CPA, Donna’s books have won
numerous awards including the Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America, and the
2008 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Historical Love & Laughter.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Jen McConnell
Welcome, Anybody is the debut short story collection by author Jen McConnell.
Published by Press 53, it is a collection of fourteen stories about the quiet despair and
hope of everyday living. Her fiction has previously been published in literary journals
including Spectrum, Clackamas Literary Review, The Unknown Writer, The Clockhouse
Review, Word Riot, SNReview, Bacopa Literary Review, r.kv.r.y., and Flint Hills Review. A
California native, Jen McConnell moved to Rocky River in 2010, after living in Columbus,
Connecticut, and San Francisco. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine,
and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College in Vermont.
Larry Morrow
As a Cleveland radio DJ and host for more than four decades on four radio stations—
WIXY, 3WE, WERE, and WQAL— Larry Morrow became popular for his upbeat personality
and gentle good humor. He was inducted into the Radio and Television Hall of Fame and
is the only Ohio Broadcaster nominated to the National Radio Hall of Fame. Now, one of
Cleveland’s most popular celebrities, (given the honorary title “Mr. Cleveland” by former
Mayor George Voinovich) Larry shares favorite stories about remarkable people and
extraordinary events from a long and varied career in his book, This Is Larry Morrow….
Victoria Naumann Peltz
Victoria Naumann Peltz is a writer, artist, photographer and teacher. She was the
founding curator of the Cowan Pottery Museum at Rocky River Public Library, during
which time she co-authored the book Cowan Pottery and the Cleveland School with
Dr. Mark Bassett. Today, Victoria teaches English as a Second Language on the campus of
Case Western Reserve University, and Dr. Mark Bassett is a member of the faculty of the
Cleveland Institute of Art. Together they wrote the history of R. Guy Cowan, whose studio
was in Rocky River during the 1920s on Lake Road.
Sandra Philipson
Author Sandra Philipson is a reading specialist and consultant with a strong background
in the education and publishing fields. She has written eight children’s books and will
be signing: Max’s Wild Goose Chase, Max’s Rules, Forever Home, Ollie’s Monsters
and Other Stories, and Creation Station Literacy Workbook. As a children’s author,
Philipson has visited over 450 schools in Ohio and the midwest in the last 12 years.
Philipson, her husband, Elliot, and the Springer Spaniel, Tak , and the Cavalier King
Charles Spaniel, Oliver, reside in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. (Sadly, the original dogs, Max,
Annie, and now Trini are deceased.
David Powers
David Powers earned a degree in Creative Writing from Ohio University. He has since
worked as a freelance music critic, a section editor at an alternative newsweekly, and
is currently a technical writer, creating help files for a leading software developer in the
Cleveland area. He recently wrote Beyond Delicious with “Ghost Whisperer” Mary Ann
Winkowski. His fiction has appeared under the name David Christopher in magazines
such as Lost Worlds, The MacGuffin, The Inflated Graveworm, and Enigmatic Tales. He
currently maintains OH Hellmouth, a fiction blog at graveworm.com
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
7
Stan Purdum
Long an avid bicycle tourist, Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips,
including a cross-nation ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a
trek on the length of U.S. Route 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas,
the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. His book Pedaling to Lunch is a guide to 20
bicycle rides in Northeast Ohio. Stan’s newest book is Pedaling on the North Coast.
Co-authored with Murray Fishel, it narrates 18 bicycle rides in the Greater Cleveland area.
Stan makes his living as a freelance writer and editor. www.StanPurdum.com
Janie Reinart
A teacher consultant, freelance writer and storyteller with a passion for reading and
writing, Janie Reinart seeks ways to give people of all ages a voice to tell their own stories.
In writing groups, workshops and school residency programs, Janie encourages emerging
writers to play with words, telling their stories through prose and poetry. Love You More
Than You Know: Mothers’ Stories About Sending Their Sons and Daughters to War
contains a component inviting readers to share their stories using writing tips on her blog:
www.loveyoumorethanyouknow.com Reach her at janiereinart@gmail.com
Les Roberts
Roberts is the author of 15 mystery novels featuring Cleveland detective Milan Jacovich,
as well as nine other books of fiction. The past president of both the Private Eye Writers
of America and the American Crime Writer’s League, he came to mystery writing after a
24-year career in Hollywood. He was the first producer and head writer of the Hollywood
Squares and wrote for “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “The Jackie Gleason Show” among
others. In 2003, he received the Sherwood Anderson Literary Award. Roberts lives in
Northeast Ohio and is a film and literary critic. He will be signing many of his novels,
including his newest, The Cleveland Creep.
John Sabol
John is the author of three books that chronicle the histories of Cleveland Czechs
and Cleveland Slovaks, and most recently, Cleveland’s Buckeye Neighborhood. A
Cleveland native, he worked at a number of positions at the old Cleveland Press until
it closed in 1982. He also spent more than 20 years at Ernst & Young, where he was a
senior editor in the firm’s communications group. In 2008, he retired and began his
career as an author of local histories. John’s fourth book, expected in the spring of
2013, will deal with the history of Kelleys Island, where he and his wife Jeanne have a
summer home.
Michael Samulak
On a trip to Uganda, Africa, Michael got the inspiration for his book, A is for Africa, and
was fortunate enough to meet a local artist who helped to make that inspiration a reality.
This alphabet book (now also a coloring book) is a fresh depiction of the English Alphabet
set to authentic native African “batik” style illustrations. The book has won the 2010 Silver
Medal from the Mom’s Choice Awards and is recommended by Early-Childhood Educators,
the Daily Dose of Reading, and Parents. Mr. Samulak has worked as an educator and
church youth minister for over 15 years.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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“Big Chuck” Schodowski
“Big Chuck” began his television career as an engineer at KYW Channel 3 in 1960, but
quickly moved to a temporary position at WJW TV8, which lasted for 47 years. Schodowski
appeared in humorous sketches with Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson on the TV show “Shock
Theater” and eventually took over as co-host with Bob “Hoolihan” Wells, and later alongside Lil’ John Rinaldi on “The Big Chuck & Lil’ John Show.” He is the recipient of two-dozen local Emmys, numerous television and film awards, and a Grammy nomination. Tune
in as this Cleveland TV legend tells hundreds of funny stories in his book: Big Chuck!
Ted Schwarz
Ted Schwarz may be the most prolific author you’ve never heard of. It’s understandable
because he’s made his living for years as an uncredited ghostwriter, but he still has plenty
of books under his own name, including tomes on the Kennedys and true-crime stories
─ perhaps his best-known title is The Hillside Strangler. The latest book by Schwarz is
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon. His magazine work has
appeared in publications ranging from Family Circle to Germany’s Stern to Cosmopolitan.
Newspaper work has ranged from The Detroit News to the Akron Beacon Journal, Toledo
Blade, and others.
Pam Spremulli
Spremulli accredited by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, is best
known for her award-winning (GOLD Mom’s Choice Award for Distinctive Illustrations)
children’s book Letter Birds (PublishingWorks, Inc.). Her artwork has won numerous
awards and is privately collected both domestically and internationally. She continues
to show her work in galleries in New York and Cleveland. A member of the Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Northern Ohio Illustrator’s Society, her
second children’s book Woof! (PublishingWorks, Inc.) was released in 2011. Pam resides
in Chagrin Falls, Ohio with her husband and two daughters.
Tricia Springstubb
Tricia Springstubb has worked as a teacher and a children’s library associate, and is now
lucky enough to be a full time writer. She’s published for kids of all ages, most recently
two middle grade novels set in Cleveland: What Happened on Fox Street and its sequel Mo Wren Lost and Found. Fox Street was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year
and also won the Ohioana Award for Children’s Literature. A starred review of Mo Wren
predicts “readers will be inspired and comforted by these indefatigable sisters.” Tricia
currently lives in Cleveland Heights.
Marilou Suszko
Local foods advocate, agricultural enthusiast and author, Marilou Suszko will be signing
two books that focus on the pleasures, flavors and stories behind local foods. Farms and
Foods of Ohio: From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate (Hippocrene Books, 2007) profiles
more than 40 small family farms in Ohio with over 100 recipes. Her newest release,
The Locavore’s Kitchen (Swallow Press, August 2011) focuses on seasonal foods with
information on cooking, canning and preserving plus over 200 recipes. A freelance writer,
Suszko’s work appears in numerous local and national publications and she is a frequent
guest speaker at venues around Ohio on the topic of local foods.
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Joe Tait
Joe was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 after 40 years on the air as the
radio voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also did play-by-play for the Cleveland Indians for 15 seasons and broadcast games for the Cleveland Rockers, Cleveland Crusaders
and other teams. This legendary broadcaster is like an old family friend to generations
of sports fans. It’s Been a Real Ball celebrates his inspiring career with stories from Joe
and dozens of fans, media colleagues and players. He says it’s his first and will be his only
book. He lives with his wife Jean in LaFayette Township.
Claudia J. Taller
When Claudia discovered the long wine-making history and the passion of growers and
winemakers at the 40-plus wineries along Lake Erie’s shores and islands, she wrote a
book about it: Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries. Taller writes travel, history, people profiles,
and lifestyle articles for numerous publications. A lifelong writer, she is a graduate of Kent
State University’s English department with a degree in literature and writing certification.
She interned with the Kent State University Press. She owns Igniting Possibilities
(IgnitingPossibilities.blogspot.com), a business that encourages people to become more
creative through writing. Her musings are at ClaudiaTallerMusings.blogspot.com
Mary Ann Winkowski
Mary Ann was born in Cleveland, Ohio and has been communicating with Earthbound
spirits for most of her life. Over the course of work as a paranormal investigator her
reputation has spread. She is a consultant to CBS’s “Ghost Whisperer,” has appeared
on numerous TV and radio news programs, and spoken at countless lectures. She has
authored: When Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits
(Grand Central Publishing, October 22, 2007), The Book of Illumination (Three Rivers
Press 2009), The Ice Cradle (Three Rivers Press 2010), and her latest book Beyond
Delicious: The Ghost Whisperer’s Cookbook. (Clerisy Press September 2011).
David Young
David Young taught for many years at Oberlin College, where he is still active as editor
at FIELD magazine and Oberlin College Press. He is the author of ten previous books of
poetry including Black Lab and At the White Window. His most recent book of poems is
Field of Light and Shadow (Knopf, 2010), and his most recent translation is Paul Celan’s
From Threshold to Threshold (Marick Press, 2010). He has also translated Petrarch,
Du Fu, Rilke, and Miroslav Holub. Young was a recipient of Guggenheim and NEA
fellowships as well as a Pushcart Prize.
Maura Poston Zagrans
For three decades Maura placed her career as a mother of six first, so it was not until
2007 that she finally turned her attention to writing for publication. The result is Miracles
Every Day: The Story of One Physician’s Inspiring Faith and the Healing Power of
Prayer (Doubleday Religion, 2010). Passionate about homelessness in America, Maura
is proud to have served on the Board of Directors of the Elyria Y.W.C.A. Maura is an avid
animal rights advocate and enjoys photography, vegetarian cooking, hiking and biking.
She supports book clubs of all types, especially Sunday Night Solstice Book Club, which
she founded eight years ago. www.MauraZ.com
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Neil Zurcher
Neil Zurcher logged more than a million miles on Ohio’s roads over 25 years as a TV travel
reporter. He was the original host of the “One Tank Trips” travel report. Zurcher received
the Distinguished Service award from the Society of Professional Journalism and the
Silver Circle award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He also
received an Emmy, the Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Cleveland
Association of Broadcasters, and has been inducted into the Cleveland Press Club Hall
of Fame. He has written five books about Ohio, including Ohio Oddities, Strange Tales
from Ohio and most recently, Tales from the Road.
Thanks to the businesses that
contributed items for door prizes!
Books A Million
Burntwood Tavern
Caribou Coffee
Earth Fare
Erie Island Coffee Company
Gray & Company, Publishers
Half Price Books
Market Restaurant
Nature’s Bin
Starbucks
The Melting Pot
Wine Bar Rocky River
WineStyles
Meet the Authors  Saturday, April 21, 2012
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