Author Spotlight: Tricia Springstubb
Tricia Springstubb grew up in New York, but Cleveland has been home for more than half her life. From picture books to chapter books, middle grade novels to young teen lit, her stories capture the hearts of young readers across generations. Her books have earned starred reviews, landed on “Best Of” lists, and collected awards—but the moments she treasures most are when a child tells her, “I loved your story.”
Springstubb’s writing journey hasn’t always been straightforward. After publishing actively in the ’80s and ’90s, she stepped back in the early 2000s to help put three children through college. When she returned, she found publishing had transformed. The rise of agents had reshaped the industry, and signing with one was now essential. Persistence paid off, and today she works with a champion who both believes in her voice and navigates the shifting world of publishing.
For Springstubb, writing is her full-time passion, but she delights in escaping solitude to gather with fellow authors and, most of all, with readers. Few sights, she says, compare to the joy of people carrying armfuls of books, gifts for themselves and for the people they love.
She offers simple, timeless advice for those starting out: read widely, write often, and find a creative community that will both challenge and support you. Remember, she says, that creating something from scratch, something that has never existed before, takes both time and love.
When asked what she wants readers to know, Springstubb says:
E.B. White
“All that I ever hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.”
That love infuses every page she writes, offering young readers not just entertainment, but a deeper invitation: to see the wonder in their own lives, and to love the world right back.
Author Spotlight: Naomi Stutzman Gingerich
Naomi Stutzman Gingerich grew up on a 50-acre dairy farm in Holmes County, Ohio, where her father served as both a farmer and a Mennonite Bishop and her mother instilled in her the values of home cooking and shared meals. Surrounded by the traditions of church, farming, and food, Naomi developed a love for storytelling, often drawing inspiration from her upbringing and the kitchen lessons learned at her mother’s side.
Her journey as a writer and entrepreneur is marked by perseverance and courage. At 46, she achieved a lifelong dream of higher education by earning her GED and enrolling in college—becoming the oldest student in her class. A decade later, she and her daughter launched Louie and Honey’s Kitchen in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with only $3,000 and a KitchenAid mixer her mother had gifted her years earlier. Today, the bakery thrives with 35 employees, remaining debt-free even through the challenges of the pandemic.
Writing and journaling have always been a steady part of Naomi’s life. She sees her recent book as both a personal invitation into her kitchen and an encouragement for others to preserve their own family recipes and heritage stories. For her, the work carries an intimate and heartfelt connection to her readers.
Though her primary focus is the bakery, Naomi treasures the time she now has to write. Returning to her home state for the Buckeye Book Fair is especially meaningful—an opportunity to reconnect with family, friends, and the place that shaped her.
Her advice to new writers is simple yet powerful: practice daily, even when inspiration feels distant. Writing consistently, she believes, builds the foundation for meaningful stories.
Above all, Naomi hopes readers come away from her book not only with recipes but also with a sense of connection, to her story, her heritage, and their own family traditions.
Author Spotlight: Charles Malone
Tell us a little about yourself.
Charles Malone is a poet and educator from Kent, Ohio. He grew up in rural Geauga County, spent time in Colorado and Michigan, and eventually returned to Kent, where he now serves as the Assistant Director of the Wick Poetry Center. He also founded CrayfishMag, an independent literary magazine.
What are some highlights in your story as a writer?
Charles is especially proud of editing Light Enters the Grove, an anthology created with Carrie George and Jason Harris for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. He previously led a similar project for Rocky Mountain National Park. His own works include two chapbooks, Questions about Circulation and After an Eclipse of Moths, as well as his full collection, Working Hypothesis.
What challenges have you faced?
For Charles, validation comes slowly. Some poems emerge in ten minutes, while others take ten years. He sees poetry itself as perseverance—most vital when life is difficult.
Is writing your primary occupation?
His teaching and community work come first, followed by editing and publishing, family, and then his own writing. He carves out irregular moments for poetry, which he describes as “a way of posing questions about the life I am living.”
What excites you about the Buckeye Book Fair?
This is Charles’s first year attending. He values the creative community and believes it’s important for writers to help each other and grow together.
What advice would you give to new writers?
He encourages writers to trust themselves, stay informed about their creative communities, and “make the work that we want to see in the world.”
What do you want readers to know about you?
Charles gives himself permission to be “unreasonably passionate” about what captures his attention—whether that’s national parks, science, photography, or farm life. Outside of writing, he enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and planning new adventures.
Author Spotlight: J.E. Irvin
J.E. Irvin, who also publishes poetry under her full name, Janet E. Irvin, is a lifelong Buckeye with deep Ohio roots. Born in Youngstown and raised in Struthers, she earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and now lives in Springboro. Her writing spans mystery, thriller, and contemporary romantic suspense novels as well as both narrative and lyrical poetry.
Although she always intended to pursue writing after college, life pulled her in other directions. For many years she balanced her role as a Spanish and English teacher with freelancing for the Dayton Daily News and submitting short stories to journals and contests. Her breakthrough came after retirement, when she completed her first novel, The Dark End of the Rainbow. In 2015, it won a contest that included a publishing contract, a gift, she says, that launched her career forward.
Irvin’s journey has not been without challenges. The birth of her second child, Scott, whose profound disabilities required her full attention, silenced her writing voice for nearly two decades. After his passing at nineteen, she found the strength and purpose to write again. With encouragement from programs like Midwest Writers Workshop, Antioch Writers Workshop, and the Ohio Writing Project, she rebuilt her creative confidence. The many rejections along the way only made the eventual acceptances more meaningful.
Today, Irvin approaches writing with what she calls the “butt in chair” philosophy, dedicating daily time to her craft while balancing teaching seminars, leading elder learners through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Dayton, gardening, reading, and cheering at her grandchildren’s sporting events.
Her novels reflect the elements she most enjoys in fiction—mystery, suspense, romance, and surprise—brought to life through strong female characters, complex plots, and quirky sidekicks. Nature and travel also play starring roles in her stories; she delights in visiting the places she writes about, from the Adirondack hamlet of Wanakena to the ancient ruins of Ephesus, Turkey.
For Irvin, attending the Buckeye Book Fair is both a homecoming and a celebration. She values the chance to meet fellow Ohio authors, share her creative journey with readers, and support literacy projects in a meaningful way. Her advice to aspiring writers is both simple and profound: persevere, have courage, believe in yourself, and surround yourself with a trusted circle who will encourage, critique, and inspire you along the way.
Author Spotlight: Thomas Wolf
Thomas Wolf grew up in Granville, Ohio, and has built a career writing both fiction and nonfiction. A former educator, now retired, he devotes his days to writing and exploring the stories that capture his imagination.
Wolf is especially proud of the two true crime books he co-authored with his wife, Patricia Bryan—Midnight Assassin and The Plea. He has also made a mark in baseball history writing. His book The Called Shot, which chronicles the dramatic 1932 baseball season, was named the “best baseball book of 2020” and was a finalist for the Seymour Medal. His most recent release, Baseball in the Roaring Twenties, continues his exploration of the game and its cultural impact.
Like many writers, Wolf has wrestled with the challenge of balancing writing time with life’s other responsibilities. Now, with the freedom of retirement, he embraces writing as his primary occupation, approaching it with discipline and joy.
Returning to Ohio for the Buckeye Book Fair is both meaningful and personal for Wolf. As a Midwesterner now living in North Carolina, he looks forward to reconnecting with the people and landscapes that first shaped him.
His advice to aspiring writers is grounded in persistence and practice: read widely, embrace rejection as part of the process, and write every day—even if only for a few minutes. Keeping journals, tracking progress, and reflecting on goals are all part of the steady, lifelong journey of becoming a writer.
Ultimately, Wolf writes to tell the kinds of stories he believes readers will value and enjoy—stories rooted in history, humanity, and the power of narrative.
Author Spotlight: C. M. Millen
Poet and author C. M. Millen lives in Toledo, Ohio, but her ties extend across the Atlantic to the west of Ireland, where she spends time each year with family. Her work has been widely recognized, most notably with the prestigious Lee Bennett Hopkins National Poetry Award for her book The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane.
Millen’s path as a writer has taught her an important truth: publishers may have priorities that don’t always align with an author’s passions. Her advice—born of experience—is to stay true to your own muse. Write what inspires you, she insists, because even if the work never reaches publication, it will still be meaningful and good.
Now able to devote herself fully to writing without the competing demands of earlier years, Millen continues to draw inspiration from history, community, and place. One of her projects, the historical fiction work Hinges, grew out of a visit to a Maumee cemetery where the young protagonist is buried. Hearing the girl’s voice in her imagination inspired the story, which explores the Underground Railroad in northwest Ohio.
For Millen, attending the Buckeye Book Fair is an opportunity to be energized by the creativity of others. She believes writers and readers alike benefit from the exchange of ideas and inspiration that such gatherings provide.
Her advice to aspiring writers is both practical and passionate: follow your heart, write because you must, and never create simply to please others. That inner drive, she says, is the surest sign you are a writer.
Author Spotlight: Florenza Lee
Buckeye born and raised, Florenza Lee has lived a life of movement and momentum. As a military spouse for nearly 41 years, she circled the globe before finally returning home to Ohio. That sense of adventure and resilience now infuses everything she writes—whether it’s children’s books that spark curiosity, graphic novels that blend math and magic, or sizzling romantic suspense penned under her alter ego, Aiken Ponder.
Few moments top the joy of seeing her very first book in a classroom and watching a child’s face light up with recognition. Since then, Florenza has gone on to publish more than 30 books, sign a multi-book deal with Paw Prints Publishing, and launch a new middle grade graphic novel series. She’s proudly represented by Moonbeam Literary & Media, and her insights into publishing recently appeared in the Independent Book Publishers Association’s magazine (IBPA Independent, July/August 2025).
But her story isn’t just about accolades, it’s about persistence. Moving every few years meant reinventing her writing life again and again. “Resilience became my superpower,” she says, a skill that now shines through in her books, her mentorship of fellow authors, and her podcast On the Air with Florenza, where she interviews some of America’s most prolific writers.
The Buckeye Book Fair holds a special place in her heart. This year marks her third appearance, and she loves the energy, the connections, and yes, even the creative challenge of narrowing her table display down to just a handful of titles.
Her advice for new writers? “Write boldly, rewrite bravely, and never wait for perfect conditions to tell your story. Surround yourself with people who clap when you win and push you when you wobble. And always, always stay true to your ‘why.’”
Florenza Lee
At the core of all her work—whether time-traveling tweens, mindful pups, or steamy suspense—is a mission: to spark connection, curiosity, and courage. “Every book I write is rooted in love and purpose,” she says. “I want readers to feel seen, inspired, and maybe even a little braver by the end.”
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, join us at the Greystone Event Center in Wooster, Ohio for the Buckeye Book Fair. It will be a day full of magic for readers of all ages. From 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, you’ll have the chance to meet Ohio’s most inspiring authors and illustrators, storytellers like Tricia Springstubb, Florenza Lee, Thomas Wolf, J.E. Irvin, C. M. Millen, Naomi Stutzman Gingerich, and more. Bring your questions, and share in the joy as authors sign copies, tell behind-the-scenes stories, and connect with readers who love their work. This is more than a book fair, it’s a celebration of voices, creativity, and human connection. The stories await!
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