Donald J. Bingle E. & S. Black BarbaraJo Bowers Karla Brandenburg Ken Brown Beckie Butcher BellaJane Crilly

Adela C. Durkee Judie Dziezak Cici Edward Mim Eichmann Lance Erlick Julie Gentile Susan Friedland Kate Gingold

Emma Golding John M. Greco Ed Herdrich Dennis Higgins Thomas Johnson Jim Julison Zee Lacson

Neil Loewe Diane Macey Jamie Lynn Miller Hugo V. Negron Jack O'Brien Kimberly Oclon

Michael Pickard Ed Piotrowski India Powers Georgann Prochaska D.A. Randall Eveline Rose L.A. Ross       

Ben Sheperde Pam Singleton

Stephen Szabados George Tackes Tom Toftey Susan Wells Diana Yearman Susan Zeiser R.G. Ziemer Joanne Zienty

 

Children's Authors

Alma Alonzo Sarah Aronson Linday Bailey Gunjan Bajpayee Barbara Binns Melissa Bowder

Rob Currie Marisa De Astis Brianna DeWert Sara Fujimura Chrishana Greer Katianne Olson

Janet Riehecky Dee Shaub Lori Sugarman-Li Diane Telgen Srividhya Venkat C.D. White Candice Pedraza Yamnitz

 

 

---

 

Donald J. Bingle

Donald J. Bingle is an eclectic author, with 9 books and more than seventy stories, including a spy thriller series, an urban fantasy series, a tale of murder in a suburban writers' group, a horror cookbook, and even a volume with three stories in Morse Code. See more about him at www.donaldjbingle.com.

---

E. & S. Black

S. & E. Black, a husband and wife team with 25 years of shared history, has brought their dark fantasy series, ‘The Chimera Snare,’ to life with their first entry of ‘Fragments.’ They live in Chicagoland with their rescue cats and enjoy live music, craft beer, and kombucha, and together, they founded Clay Urn Publishing, LLC in 2023.

---

BarbaraJo Bowers

I live in Elgin with my husband George.  Both of us are semi-retired.  I have a B.A. degree in Bible from Columbia International University in South Carolina.  I also teach piano.  In addition, I enjoy reading, gardening, and especially interacting with 16 grandchildren!  Of interest, perhaps, I spent just under eight wonderful years in India teaching Music and English in a small college.

---

Karla Brandenburg

Karla Brandenburg is an award-winning author of contemporary romance novels which include paranormal elements, as well as ghost stories and witches. Now that her children have settled into lives of their own, she loves to go out into the world on adventures with her husband, from Milwaukee to the French Riviera, but the Chicago suburbs have always been “home.” She is an avid reader across multiple genres and is a card-carrying cookie-holic (we all have our vices).

---

Ken Brown

Kenneth Brown has been writing since 2004, though he didn't publish his first novel until 2018. He writes Young-Adult Fantasy novels that he likens to Harry Potter meets Treasure Island, as he tries to add a strong action-adventure element to each novel.

He first became interested in fantasy novels when he was in high school reading the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He grew up reading Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Grafton, Cussler, Anne McCaffrey, and Robert Jordan.

He offers tips on fantasy writing on his blog, and features free fantasy eBooks. https://kenbrownauthor.com

---

Beckie Butcher

I am a former lab technician turned autobiographical/cookbook author. In 2007, I quit my job in the laboratory to pursue a career in Culinary Arts when I was stricken with the serious autoimmune disease chronic fatigue syndrome. I shared my story in my book, "My Battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" in hopes of letting people know they are not alone in their suffering. In May 2022, I was contacted by Amazon Studios for a film option.

---

BellaJane Crilly

BelaJane Crilly is the author of several halfway decent fantasy novels. She lives outside of Chicago, and currently attends college for several subjects only tangentially related to creative writing. Her loved ones frequently accuse her of ‘selling herself short’ but this is her bio and she can say whatever she likes.

---

Adela Crandell Durkee

Adela comes from a family of storytellers.  Being a little more introverted, Adela puts pen to paper.  First published at the age of eight, in the “Flint Journal,” the thrill of seeing her words in print never pales. You can find her words in various local newspapers and blogs She lives in rural Illinois with her husband George. Within driving distance are her four children, fourteen grandchildren, and the exciting city of Chicago. Add her vegetable and water garden in the backyard, and two cats on the balcony, and Adela says she has it all.

---

Judie Dziezak

Award-winning author Judie Dziezak is an inspirational speaker and mentor to executives. She has tons of intriguing stories that are interlaced with wisdom. Melding what she learned in her former thirty-plus-year careers as an attorney, technology writer, and food scientist with her work in hypnotherapy, she speaks on issues that affect today’s business women and helps them unlock the door to their own inner power. Her presentations are thought-provoking and leave the audience with tools they can readily implement to empower their professional lives.

Her debut book received an Independent Press Award and was a National Indie Excellence Award finalist.

---

Cici Edward

I love books! Reading them and writing them.
As an avid romance reader for many years, I always knew I wanted to write a romance novel of my own. Once I wrote my first novel, the passionate flame for writing burned inside me and one book was not enough.
I write Contemporary Romance novels with ghost stories. If you like sweet and steamy paranormal romance, you’ll love my haunting ghost stories with heart.
Possession of the Heart and other stories in The Possession Series are available for sale on Amazon.

---

Mim Eichmann

A graduate from the Jordan College of Music at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, Mim Eichmann has found that her creative journey has taken her down many exciting, interwoven pathways including fiction author, published lyricist and songwriter, choreographer, folk musician and jazz vocalist. She's written four novels: A SPARROW ALONE (2020), MUSKRAT RAMBLE (2021), WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CATHY MARTIN (2022) and TAYVIE'S STORY (2024), all of which were published by a small traditional press. A SPARROW ALONE was a semi-finalist in the 2020 Illinois Library Association's Soon-to-be-Famous Project Competition and her short story SLOMP was the winner of the 2018 American Library Association's "Courage" competition in conjunction with Short Edition of France.

---

Lance Erlick

Lance Erlick writes science fiction thrillers for adult and young adult readers. His Android Chronicles series was published through Kensington Books and follows the challenges of Synthia Cross, wrestling with the download of a human mind and emergent behavior while confronted by humans who seek to control her. Other published science fiction includes the three-book Rebel series, the four-book Regina Shen series, and Xenogeneic: First Contact. To learn more, visit him online at www.LanceErlick.com.

---

Susan Friedland

Susan Friedland is an equestrian author and blogger inspired by Marguerite Henry's "Misty of Chincoteague." Her passion led her to explore Henry’s life, culminating in her book, "Marguerite, Misty and Me," a blend of biography and travel memoir. Susan's journey took her from Wayne, Illinois, where Misty lived, to Chincoteague Island, Virginia, uncovering stories about Henry’s legacy. She has authored four other horse-themed nonfiction books and has been blogging at her award-winning website, Saddle Seeks Horse, since 2013. Susan also co-hosts the Barn Banter by Horse Illustrated podcast and enjoys adventures with her horse, Knight, in Bull Valley, Illinois.

---

Julie Gentile

Julie M. Gentile helps busy people create better self-care habits as a yoga teacher (RYT 500) and Ayurvedic yoga specialist, author of two award-winning books: 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas and How to Stay Calm in Chaos: An Everyday Self-Care Guide, and creator of the Stand Up for Your Self-Care blog and YouTube Channel. Connect with her on Instagram and Facebook @JulieGtheYogi, and sign up for her monthly Nourish Note at www.JulieGtheYogi.com.

---

Kate Gingold

Kate Gingold loves to share uncommon tidbits of history with readers. Her first book, Ruth by Lake and Prairie was honored by the Illinois State Historical Society. A children’s activity book followed, along with Six Degrees of Abraham Lincoln, Haunted by History, and Book Rookie.

Most recent is Agatha Annotated: Investigating the Books of the 1920s, a glossary for Agatha Christie’s earliest novels. Kate just returned from presenting at the International Agatha Christie Festival.

After raising a family in Naperville, Kate now enjoys life along the Fox River. She blogs at agathaannotated.com and is active online in lots of places.

---

Emma Golding

Emma Golding's debut novel ROOTED combines her love for history, literature, and music into a Shakespeare-era romance about a woman who escapes an unhappy future by joining a pirate crew. Emma has lived in the west burbs her whole life, and she is a professional musician who writes novels in her spare time. She has a B.A. English literature and a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano, and when she’s not writing swoony banter and steamy encounters, she enjoys yarn crafts, gardening, and camping with her husband and her two dogs.

---

John M. Greco

John M. Greco is an Elgin, IL based husband, father, organizational consultant and author.

John has earned a Master of Science in Organization Development from Loyola University Chicago and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois.

As a consultant for over 25 years John’s work centered on helping people cope with change.  John began blogging in 2012; he curated his blog posts into four e-books, topics: change, culture, organization design, and leadership.

John is currently seeking a writer’s agent for his first book:  Better Change, by Design:  The One Unambiguous Shift That Moves Change Management from Powerless to Powerful.

---

Ed Herdrich

Edward J. Herdrich is the author of a non-Fiction book for entry-level investigators used by three local community colleges in their private investigation courses, non-Fiction short stories and articles on private investigations, and his recently completed full-length novel, An Unreasonable Amount of Trouble, which follows novellas and music centered around the protagonist, Samantha “Sam” Rose Johnson, Licensed Private Detective. Surface Tensions and Undercurrents; A Collection of Poems and Observations Along the Water’s Journey, his first poetry chapbook, reflects a poetic voice informed by over twenty years of working as a Licensed Private Detective, military service, years of camping and gardening, and inspired by nature, time he spent with Native American people, and his six intelligent, compassionate, strong and beautiful children.

---

Dennis Higgins

Award-winning author, Dennis Higgins is a distant relative of Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier. He has traveled the world over, collecting story ideas. As a native of Chicago, Illinois, Dennis Higgins has a passion for things that are gone but not forgotten, a romance with the past. For him, time travel is the answer. If not for real, then in the pages of his books.

He now lives in the Chicago suburbs with his lovely wife, and their Lhasa Poo dog, Dom Perignon.

Among his influences are Richard Matheson, Jack Finny, Dean Koontz, Joan Wester Anderson, Peter S. Beagle, and Audrey Niffenegger.

---

Thomas Johnson

Tom Johnson loves books. He has written eleven books. His past includes a long stint as a Data Center Manager working for a Fortune 500 company. After suffering a severe physical injury years ago, Tom left the computer field to focus his attention and energies on writing novels and some non-fiction books. Tom writes in many genres. You can learn more about his work at his site: https//kephapress.com

---

Jim Julison

Co-Author of "Growing North at 27 Miles/Hour" found the passion for writing after an intermittent 30 year dabble at it with my friend, John Bruhn over lots of drinks to tell the tale of our trip for adventure in the 70's after high school graduation.

---

Zee Lacson

Zee Lacson, a first generation immigrant, has lived half her life in one country and the other half in another. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines with her grandparents, father, and twin brothers, she now enjoys the small town life in Illinois with her husband and twin sons.

She has had practice in many professions. Engineer. Educator. Photographer. Artist. Storyteller.

The Woolgathering Trilogy is her first completed story. Reverie was published in 2020. Revenant, its sequel, was released the following year. The trilogy was completed in 2023 with the final book, Réveil.

Twice Removed, her most recent novel, is an immigrant story featuring Filipino folklore that was published on Philippine Independence Day in 2024. It remained on the Amazon BestSeller list for five consecutive weeks following its release  in June 2024.

She writes coming of age young adult magical realism and clean romance. Her work demonstrates dreamlike qualities and explores themes of self-discovery and the power of imagination. She’s never been a big believer of monsters hiding in the dark but she eats lots of garlic and will sleep with a little light on. Just in case.

ZeeLacson.com

---

Neil Loewe

Despite a life-long desire to become a firefighter, Neil was sworn in at age 22 as a police officer with his hometown police department in the City of Des Plaines, Illinois. During his career, he witnessed traumatic incidents and dealt with stress that continued long after he retired. His short stories have been featured in both local and national publications and he has taught a memoir writing class through a local library. His book, "What I Couldn't Leave Behind: My Career as a Cop," covers his career and its aftermath.

---

Diane Macey

Diane Macey came to believe in the power of the written word at age eleven when her first poem apparently inspired her father to stop smoking. Though the truth proved otherwise, she never gave up her dream of touching others through writing.

A retired educator, she is the author of two historical romance novels, A Change of Heart and Journey to Love, and two collections of short stories and poems, Tangerine Trees and Remnants. She has published in several national anthologies and magazines.

---

Jamie Lynn Miller

Jamie has been writing fiction since childhood and decided to take the plunge and go pro in 2008, finding to her amazement that people truly enjoyed her LGBTQ love stories. Jamie is a romantic at heart, and her tales reflect the desire we all have to find “the one,” persevering through trials and heartache for that happy ending. If you love men in uniform, Jamie’s books are for you!

If Jamie isn’t brainstorming story ideas, you can find her at a sci-fi convention, in front of a furnace doing glass blowing, or on a mat twisted into a yoga pose.

---

Hugo V. Negron

Hugo Valentin Negron is an avid fan of myths, legends, and folktales. He grew up in Illinois where he still resides with his wife and son. His background includes an M.A. in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University as well as an M.A. in industrial/organizational psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

He enjoys reading, biking, and walking winding trails through darksome forests, searching out the mystical beings that reside therein.

---

Jack O'Brien

Jack O'Brien presents his debut collection of short fiction. An American writer who resides in the Chicago area, he is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and actively participates in his local writers' group. O'Brien is married, with a grown daughter who passes on the love of reading to her fourth-grade students.

---

Kimberly Oclon

With a degree in Fiction Writing and Screenwriting, Kim taught high school for six years before becoming a mom. Her first literary loves were a series of Care Bear books. Now, her favorite book is THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. Her debut novel, MAN UP, was released in April, 2020. THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS was published in May, 2022. She lives in East Dundee with her husband, two kids, and a little dog named Zero.

---

Michael Pickard

Michael Pickard's writing acts as a bridge between his technology-driven profession and his creative passions. He has an impressive body of work, including eleven novels, three children's books, and a collection of short stories selected through juried processes. Notably, his piece "Hardwired" was honored with the Ray Bradbury Creative Writing Prize in 2005, showcasing his storytelling prowess. His first detective novel, Creative Deductions: Home Run, was a 2023 Soon To Be Famous Illinois finalist.

---

Ed Piotrowski

Born and raised in Chicago and a lifelong resident of its metro area, “just a regular guy” Ed Piotrowski graduated summa cum “nada” from Northern Illinois University, then spent 35 years tucked in the bowels of corporate America before retiring. His memoir, A Life Well Fished: “Reel” Adventures and the Stuff That Happened in Between, is easy reading -- a fun, thoughtful, witty and touching look at life through his eyes as a fisherman. It celebrates the triumph of family, friends, and fishing … though not necessarily in that order! He currently resides in Huntley with his wife, Jo Ann.

---

India Powers

In 2013, India Powers finaled in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Contest in the paranormal category with her manuscript “Demon’s Bane”. That book eventually went on to win the adult fiction category of the 2021 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project, as well as Best First Book in the Prism Awards. Demon’s Bane is the first entry in her fantasy romance series The Mageblood Chronicles. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Regency Fiction Writers, Chicago North Romance Writers, FF&P Romance Writers, and RWA®. Learn more about India and her upcoming books at: https://www.indiapowers.com

---

Georgann Prochaska

Georgann Prochaska writes soft-boiled mysteries. Her sleuths in the Snoopypuss Mystery series are two grandmothers, a Vietnam veteran, and a bloodhound named Audrey. The latest mystery, A Regrettable Menace, is where the interest in the hunt began. Georgann lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

D.A. Randall

D.A. Randall, ThrillerWriter, was raised on a steady diet of Batman, James Bond, Star Trek and Indiana Jones. He writes fantasy and action thrillers that read like blockbuster movies. You can find links to all of his books and events, and subscribe to his Packing Action newsletter at www.RandallAllenDunn.com.

---

Eveline Rose

Eveline Rose fell in love with storytelling in a high school creative writing class. She currently lives in the Chicago area with her cat, where she pours her heart and soul into her characters for your reading pleasure. She’s a theatre geek who can swing a sword, and a self-defense instructor who can shoot the bullseye. Eveline spends her free time volunteering in her community, hanging out with her friends, and of course reading.

---

L.A. Ross

A. Ross supported her writing habit by working as a technical writer, instructional designer, or business analyst. Although many of Ross' non-fiction articles have been published over the past years, she is following her dream by enjoying the freedom of writing under a pen name and focusing on her short writings, poems, and plays.

---

Ben Sheperde

Ben Sheperde has a deep interest in life’s mysteries, enjoying adventure and discovery as an avid artist, writer, and dog rescuer. Rememberer with Dog, his first book, chronicles how he learned, alongside his best friends, about the potential for hope to transform as personal experiences led him to confront questions about aging, mortality and eternity. He has a background in education and psychology and lives in the Midwest with his wife and dogs.

---

Pam Singleton

I teach classes on communication with someone with Alzheimer’s and ended up writing a book about my journey taking care of my mom.

---

 Stephen Szabados

Steve Szabados is a genealogy lecturer and author who has published over fifty books on family history and genealogy. He has given numerous programs to genealogy societies and libraries in Illinois and surrounding states, supporting his passion for family history.

---

George Tackes

George wrote plays performed at Chicago theaters in 1980s.
During the 1990s, he was a newspaper reporter for suburban newspapers. In 2000s, he worked as an associate editor for trade publications.
In 2021, his first two stories appeared in Airship 27’s Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective #17. Also, his first novel, “The Great Chicago Fire Conspiracy,” was published. It was nominated for Pulp Factory’s Best Pulp Novel in 2021.
In 2024, Airship 27 published another story of his in Domino Lady: Vol. 5. Blue Plant Press included his story, “Hatchet Job, in the anthology, CNI Classified Vol. 2.

---

Tom Toftey

A native of Grand Marais, Minnesota, "the coolest small town in America," Tom has been a resident of Wheaton/Winfield, IL, for 40 years. He's enjoyed four careers, teaching high school English and journalism, public relations, corporate relations, and qualitative research. Being an author is his fifth.  His undergraduate degree is from Gustavus Adolphus College and his master's degree from the UW-Madison. He and his wife have two children and five very active grandchildren. In spare time, Tom enjoys singing in his church choir and a men's barbershop chorus.

---

Susan Wells

Susan Wells is a graduate of Citizen’s Police Academy and completed multiple ride-alongs with several patrol officers, interviewed the DuPage Coroner and toured the Du-Comm 9-1-1 Center to add authenticity and tension to her writing. One of Susan’s short stories appears in the November 2024 issue of Children, Churches and Daddies. Susan’s short stories have also appeared in Everyday Fiction and Reedsy. Her latest play was read at the Kane Repertory Theater in St. Charles on November 19, 2023 to a SOLD OUT audience. An excerpt of “Secret Lives” appears in the 2023 Chicago Budlong Woods Writers anthology.

---

Diana Yearman

I was born in Aurora but ended up graduating from Larkin before going to Bradley University. I have been writing stories since I was in grade school. I just love the process and also the research.  I've heard it said that you should write "what you know," but I write what pulls me in, a strong interest that won't go away. The Middle Ages is like that for me and I spent years writing and researching my book.  I didn't tinker with historical truths or events because I wanted my story to be as true as fiction can be. In the end, I love my story!

---

Susan Zeiser

Susan has two books written as memoirs about trips to Europe. The first from a 1971 trip has many exciting adventures while hitchhiking across several countries. The second is a love story where she goes back to Scotland to see a lover from the first book. Poetry and photos from trips are included in each. She has sold over 200 books with accolades about her impressionistic ventures in each country. It is her story. Susan has been on NPR radio with poetry and is an avid photographer and watercolorist. She also has sung with a jazz trio and is newly married to the love of her life who came with two wonderful cats ! There will be a third book soon about Tom and his cats. Ask them about it!

---

R.G. Ziemer

G. Ziemer was born and bred on the south side of Chicago. He has made his way in construction, genealogy, and teaching from junior high to college. An avid hiker and canoeist, he travels when he can, venturing out from his home on the West Branch of the DuPage River. He is the author of the novel The Ghost of Jamie McVay, and the poetry book Blood and Remembrance.

---

Joanne Zienty

In 2014, Joanne Zienty won the first Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author contest, sponsored by the Illinois Library Association for her debut novel, The Things We Save. She was a finalist for the 2016 BookLife Prize sponsored by Publishers’ Weekly and in 2017 was named an “Emerging Voice” by the College of DuPage. Her second novel, Children of the Revolution, a revenge tale set in a dystopian Midwest, was published in 2020. A sequel, The Night Prophet, is coming soon. She’s given presentations at libraries and book clubs throughout Illinois.

 

---

 

Children's Authors