More Books to check-out!
Cinda Williams Chima: A Life Shaped by Words and Wonder
Before she ever wrote her first fantasy novel, Cinda Williams Chima was already destined for a life filled with stories. Her name itself came from a book—chosen by her mother after falling in love with a character who “made things happen.” Born in Springfield, Ohio, and raised in the Akron-Cleveland area, Chima grew up with that same spark of determination. Today, she’s the author of fifteen young adult fantasy novels beloved by readers everywhere—but her journey to literary success began long before publication.
“I started writing in third grade,” Chima recalls. “It seemed like the first thing I did at school that I didn’t get in trouble for. I’ve never stopped.” What began as a simple joy evolved into a lifelong calling. Over the years, she explored many forms of writing—from scientific papers to newspaper columns—but fiction always remained her first love. When her own sons became teenagers, she discovered the vast and imaginative world of young adult literature and knew she had found her niche.
Chima’s path to becoming a bestselling author wasn’t immediate. She worked as an advertising copywriter, a dietitian, and a college professor—all experiences that sharpened her skills and shaped her storytelling. “Although I did not publish my first novel until I was 54, none of that time was wasted,” she says. “Many of the jobs I had prepared me for success as a writer.”
For years, she balanced a full-time job, family life, and writing—rising at 4 a.m. to craft her stories before heading to work. “I all but gave up television,” she laughs. “I published my first three novels that way.” When her third book landed on The New York Times bestseller list and she received a three-book contract, she finally took the leap to write full-time. “It’s much easier now,” she admits with a smile.
At the Buckeye Book Fair, Chima finds that same sense of magic that drew her to books as a child. “What I love about Buckeye Book Fair is that entire families come to shop for books,” she says. “I enjoy talking to people and figuring out which of my books—or someone else’s—to recommend. I love the young readers who go to every table and talk to authors and look at books so that they can make an informed choice. It’s always like coming home.”
Her advice to aspiring writers is both simple and profound: write. “That’s the way you get better,” she insists. “It seems like common sense, but I meet people who tell me that they’d like to be a writer, and I ask them, ‘What are you writing?’ That’s where you begin.”
And perhaps most importantly, Chima encourages readers and writers alike to “never stop believing in the magic of books.” It’s a fitting sentiment from an author whose stories continue to remind us that within every page lies a spark of possibility—and that the best adventures often begin with a name, a dream, and a blank page waiting to be filled.
Jen McConnell — Current Disasters
Author Jen McConnell writes the kind of stories that surprise you, make you laugh, and sometimes leave you a little unsettled—in the best way. Originally from California and now an Ohio resident since 2008, McConnell crafts literary fiction with a touch of the surreal, often exploring the unexpected corners of everyday life. She’s published two collections of short fiction—Welcome, Anybody and her latest, Current Disasters, released this May—and her stories and poetry have appeared in more than forty literary journals. Twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize, McConnell’s work stands out for its wit, inventiveness, and emotional truth.
“I want people to be surprised and entertained while reading my stories,” she says, “and when they’ve finished, maybe keep a thought with them.” That sense of play and depth runs through her newest collection, where one story unfolds in the form of a recipe and another is just a single, breathless sentence. Her style is offbeat, sometimes surreal, always intentional—and readers can sense that every word earns its place.
But like most working writers, McConnell knows the realities of balancing art and life. “I wish I could support myself and my family by writing fiction!” she admits. Until that day, she channels her creativity into her full-time job as a Creative Lead and Copywriter for a major corporation. To make room for her own writing, she’s had to make sacrifices—but it’s become easier now that her family is grown.
She’s candid about the hurdles of the writing life: “Rejection is really tough, but it’s part of the process. You just have to power through it and keep submitting your work—but be intentional. My stories are offbeat and sometimes surreal, so I target publications and publishers that support similar work, which gives a better chance of the piece being accepted.”
McConnell’s advice for aspiring writers? “Get out of your own way. No writer’s first draft is good. Just get it down and then you go back and do the real work. If you believe in what you have to say, don’t give up.”
And when she’s not writing, she’s connecting—with readers, other writers, and anyone who loves books. “I could talk all day about books,” she says. “People who love reading are so passionate about it, and that’s my community—an oasis away from regular life where we’re just surrounded by books.”
With Current Disasters, Jen McConnell once again invites readers into her singular world—one where humor meets heartache, strangeness mingles with beauty, and the ordinary is anything but.
📚 Meet Jen McConnell at the 2025 Buckeye Book Fair and discover why her fiction is delightfully unpredictable and deeply human.
Unearthing the Past: The Historical Pursuits of James E. Duffey
In an age where history often competes with headlines, James E. Duffey reminds readers that the past still has the power to captivate, challenge, and connect us. A dedicated historian and author, Duffey has made it his mission to bring forgotten stories and overlooked moments of American history to life. His books—Victim of Honor: The Story of John Yates Beall and the Northwestern Conspiracy, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About History But Were Afraid to Ask, and A Peek into the Past—blend rigorous research with the curiosity of a lifelong learner.
Duffey’s writing career began with a simple academic assignment that evolved into a years-long passion project. While completing his graduate studies at Youngstown State University, he was asked to create an index for a series of post–Civil War magazines. The task led him down an unexpected rabbit hole of historical intrigue and into the life of Captain John Yates Beall, a Confederate operative whose daring attempts to free prisoners from Johnson’s Island near Sandusky, Ohio, sparked Duffey’s imagination. The project culminated in Victim of Honor, a book that not only earned Duffey acclaim but also established his voice as a careful and compelling chronicler of the Civil War era.
Over the years, Duffey has shared his love of history with audiences from Medina to Chicago, earning the Madeline Blum Award for Outstanding Research and publishing articles in respected journals like Battlefield Journal. His dedication, however, extends far beyond awards or sales. “The reward,” he says, “is not necessarily the money I make, but the feeling that my work is appreciated by so many.”
Balancing his work, family life, and writing is no easy feat, but Duffey’s perseverance continues to pay off—especially when he meets readers face-to-face at the Buckeye Book Fair. For him, these interactions are a reminder that the hours of research, revision, and reflection are worth it. His advice to aspiring writers is simple but invaluable: “Read and reread your work, and then have someone else read it too. There are always things another set of eyes can catch.”
Through his scholarship and storytelling, James E. Duffey invites us all to take a peek into the past—and to rediscover the people and events that continue to shape the present.
Spotlight on Marty Ross-Dolen
Unraveling Generations, Finding Healing Through Story
After fourteen years of writing, revising, and reflecting, Marty Ross-Dolen is overjoyed to see her memoir finally out in the world. Published in May 2025, the book traces the interconnected lives of three generations of women, exploring the lingering effects of multigenerational trauma. But as Ross-Dolen explains, it’s “so much more than that—it’s about family, discovery, truth, and love.” Her hope is that readers find not only her personal journey within the pages, but also the universal truths that speak to healing and connection in their own lives.
Finding the right way to tell her story was no small task. “Figuring out the best structure took years of experimentation,” she admits. “It was the hardest part—but also what ultimately propelled the writing forward.” Today, she brings that same passion for storytelling to her work as a writing teacher at Thurber House in Columbus, where she nurtures other writers on their creative journeys. She also serves on several local boards and committees and is training to become a memoir book coach, helping others shape their life experiences into meaningful narratives.
Ross-Dolen delights in meeting readers and hearing how her book has encouraged them to reflect on their own family stories. Her advice for writers in those inevitable quiet seasons? “Don’t distress about fallow periods when the writing isn’t flowing,” she says. “You are writing in your head and your heart, and you may not even realize it. When the time arrives, the words that are inside you will find their way to the page.”
Ross-Dolen’s memoir stands as a testament to patience, courage, and the enduring power of story—a reminder that, through writing, we can uncover not only our histories but also our healing.
DIRECTIONS TO BUCKEYE BOOK FAIR
Greystone Event Center
50 Riffel Rd.
Wooster, OH 44691
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