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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Posted on behalf of Ohioana Library…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><img width=195 height=135 id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CCF6CB.8AB678B0" alt="Description: Ohio_Book_Festival_Logo"></span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, February 28, 2012</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br>CONTACTS: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Linda Hengst, Executive Director – Ohioana Library, <a href="mailto:lhengst@ohioana.org"><span style='color:blue'>lhengst@ohioana.org</span></a> 614-466-3831<br>Patty Donahey Geiger, PDG Communications, <a href="mailto:patty@pdgcommunications.com"><span style='color:blue'>patty@pdgcommunications.com</span></a> 614-325-6178</span><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The Ohioana Library Presents: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>THE 6th ANNUAL OHIOANA BOOK FESTIVAL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>CELEBRATING OHIO’S AUTHORS –SATURDAY, MAY 12<sup>TH<o:p></o:p></sup></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:6.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly'><i><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>COLUMBUS, Ohio – Live music, food carts, exhibits, fun-loving crowds and….books—lots and lots of books! The Ohioana Library’s goal, as it prepares to present the 6<sup>th</sup> annual Ohioana Book Festival, is creating a festival that brings readers, writers and books together for an inspiring, fun, learning experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Nearly 100 authors, including 10 who are designated as “featured,” will be at the festival with new books they have published within the past 16 months. The main event will be held on Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>546 Jack Gibbs Blvd., near downtown Columbus and the Short North. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>This event is free and open to the public with no tickets or advance registration required. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>“We are proud to announce the 10 outstanding and diverse writers who have been selected as the featured authors for the 2012 Ohioana Book Festival. These authors are all stars in their chosen literary fields,” </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>said Executive Director Linda Hengst. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>During the week prior to the main festival event the 10 featured authors, along with many other selected festival authors, will take part in more than 15 outreach programs in the Columbus area and around the state. A number of programs will be held in public venues while others will be provided for specific populations such as schools and classrooms<b>. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'>Featured Authors<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></u></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://www.funkywinkerbean.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Tom Batiuk</span></a> (Medina</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'> County), <i>The Complete Funky Winkerbean, Vol. I</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A native of Akron, Ohio, Tom Batiuk (rhymes with "attic") spent several years as a high school teacher before creating <i>Funky Winkerbean</i>, the celebrated comic strip distributed by King Features Syndicate to more than 400 newspapers nationwide. Batiuk has been recognized for his bold yet sensitive approach to real-life issues and was a Pulitzer Finalist in 2008. Batiuk's <i>Funky Winkerbean</i> began in 1972 as a laugh-a-day look at high school life and has matured into a series of real-life stories, highlighting such sensitive social issues as alcoholism, cancer, teen-dating abuse, teen suicide, guns in the school and teen pregnancy. These groundbreaking series have placed Tom Batiuk at the forefront of a new genre in comic art history. Among the numerous honors recognizing his work, Batiuk is a past winner of both the Ohioana Citation and the 1996 Governor’s Award for the Arts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://www.jenisicecreams.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Jeni Britton Bauer</span></a> (</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Franklin County), <i>Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Entrepreneur and now best-selling author, Jeni Britton Bauer started making ice cream in 1996, and has spent 15 years perfecting her craft and building a community of devotees -- who scan her website, blog, Facebook page and Twitter feed daily for what is sure to be their next addiction. Her creative, innovative, and nuanced recipes are inspired by the ingredients available any given day at the market. At Jeni's, everything is made by hand and in house (they even handwrite the name of the ice cream on every pint!). There are currently 10 stores, eight in central Ohio, one in Chagrin Falls, one in Nashville, Tenn., and retail clients throughout the country, along with a thriving mail order business. <i>Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home</i> is her first cookbook.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://cindachima.com/index.htm"><span style='color:blue'>Cinda Williams Chima</span></a> (</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Cuyahoga County), <i>The Gray Wolf Throne </i></span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>New York Times</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> and <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima began writing poetry and stories in third grade, and novels in junior high school. Her Heir Chronicles young adult contemporary fantasy series includes <i>The Warrior Heir</i> (2006), <i>The Wizard Heir</i> (2007), and <i>The Dragon Heir</i> (2008), all from Hyperion, with two more books forthcoming. Chima’s best-selling YA fantasy Seven Realms series launched with <i>The Demon King</i> (2009), followed by <i>The Exiled Queen</i> (September, 2010) and <i>The Gray Wolf Throne</i> (August, 2011.) <i>The Crimson Crown</i> is scheduled for fall, 2012. Chima was a recipient of the 2008 Lit Award for Fiction from the Cleveland Lit and was named a <i>Cleveland Magazine </i>Interesting Person 2009. Her novel, <i>The Exiled Queen</i>, won the 2011 Teen Buckeye Book Award. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://www.caseydaniels.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Casey Daniels</span></a> (</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Cuyahoga County), Wild, Wild Death</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Casey Daniels once applied for a job as a tour guide in a Cleveland cemetery. She didn’t get the job, but she did get the idea for the heroine in her popular Pepper Martin mystery series. Pepper works at a historic cemetery and solves mysteries for the ghosts there. In January the eighth book in the series, <i>Wild, Wild Death</i> was published. In addition, Daniels started a new series last year with <i>Button Holed</i>. The second book of the series, <i>Hot Button</i>, comes out in June. She’s writing the Button Box mysteries as Kylie Logan. Daniels has also written both historical and contemporary romances as well as books for young adults and one children’s book. She lives in the Cleveland area and is a frequent presenter at workshops nationwide.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://www.falsejustice.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Nancy Petro</span></a></span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> (Franklin County), <i>False Justice: Eight Myths That Convict the Innocent</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Nancy Petro, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Denison University, has more than 35 years of full-time experience in marketing, publishing, and business management. She played an active role in the political career of her husband, former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro. She shared Jim's unsettling awakening to the issue of wrongful conviction and worked with him for two and a half years on the book <i>False Justice: Eight Myths That Convict the Innocent</i>. She continues advocacy of their book, with a focus on increasing awareness of wrongful conviction and the importance of criminal justice reform. Nancy is a Tiffin, Ohio native and currently makes her home in Columbus. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://donaldraypollock.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Donald</span><span style='color:blue'> </span><span style='color:blue'>Ray Pollock</span></a></span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <b>(Ross County), <i>The Devil All the Time<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Born in 1954 and raised in Knockemstiff, Ohio, Pollock has lived his entire adult life in Chillicothe, where he worked at the Mead Paper Mill as a laborer and truck driver until age 50, when he enrolled in the creative writing program at The Ohio State University. While there, Doubleday published his acclaimed debut short story collection, <i>Knockemstiff</i>, and the <i>New York Times</i> regularly posted his election dispatches from southern Ohio throughout the 2008 campaign. Pollock is the recipient of the 2009 PEN/Robert Bingham Award and also won the 2009 Devil's Kitchen Award in Prose sponsored by the English Department of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His work has appeared in various literary journals, including <i>Epoch</i>, <i>Sou'wester</i>, <i>Granta</i>, <i>Third Coast</i>, <i>River Styx</i>, <i>The Journal</i>, <i>Boulevard</i>, and <i>PEN America</i>. His second book, <i>The Devil All the Time</i>, published in July 2011, was listed by <i>Publisher's Weekly</i> as one of the top ten books of the year<i>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://www.emilierichards.com/index.htm"><span style='color:blue'>Emilie Richards</span></a> (Cuyahoga County), <i>Sunset Bridge</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Florida-raised Emilie Richards lived in Cleveland for 12 years where she reared her children and continued a prolific writing career. She is the author of more than 60 novels, including series romances, romantic suspense, futuristic fantasy, paranormal, mysteries, and single title women's fiction. Her novel series include <i>Ministry is Murder</i> and <i>Happiness Key</i>. Richards is also a quilter and has published five <i>Quilting Along With Emilie Richards</i> books to compliment the books in her Shenandoah Album series. Her books have been published in more than 16 languages in more than 20 countries, and eight have recently been made into movies for German TV with more coming. Richards is a past winner of the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award, the highest prize given to romance authors. Prior to her writing career Richards worked</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <span lang=EN><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapist" title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapist"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>therapist</span></a> in a mental health center, a parent services coordinator for families enrolled in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_Start_Program" title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_Start_Program"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>Head Start</span></a>, and in several pastoral counseling centers. Married to her college sweetheart, Richards now lives in Virginia.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://lesroberts.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Les Roberts</span></a> (</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Cuyahoga County), <i>The Cleveland Creep</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, mystery writer Les Roberts is the author of 26 novels, close to a dozen short stories, eight screenplays and countless newspaper articles and reviews. He’s best known for the creation of his Slovenian detective, Milan Jacovich, in a series of popular mysteries, the latest of which is <i>Whiskey Island</i>. Following a brief career as an actor in Hollywood, Roberts began writing for popular television programs as <i>Candid Camera, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Lucy Show, The Andy Griffith Show</i>, and <i>The Man from U.N.C.L.E.</i> He was the first producer of the long-running game show, <i>Hollywood Squares.</i> Roberts moved to Cleveland in 1990 and says the years he’s spent in the city have been the best of his life. He’s won the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Sherwood Anderson Literary Prize, twice been nominated for both the Shamus and Anthony Awards, and received an honorary doctorate in literature from Cleveland State University. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://www.michaeljrosen.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Michael J. Rosen</span></a></span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> (Perry County), <i>The Hound Dog’s Haiku and Other Poems for Dog Lovers</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Born in Columbus, Ohio, Michael J. Rosen is an award-winning writer, poet, and illustrator, with more than 80 works published to date. Rosen is the former Literary Director for Thurber House, where he edited several compilations of Thurber’s work and helped create the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Among the awards Rosen has received are the National Jewish Book Award, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance Book Award, and several Ohioana Awards. He has been a fellow of both the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><a href="http://robinyocum.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Robin Yocum</span></a> (</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Franklin</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> County), <i>Favorite Sons</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Robin Yocum was born in 1955 in Steubenville, Ohio, and grew up in the in the Eastern Ohio village of Brilliant. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University in 1978. After two years at the <i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i> and the <i>Martins Ferry Times Leader</i>, Robin spent 11 years as a crime and investigative reporter with the <i>Columbus Dispatch</i>. He received numerous writing awards, including those from the Associated Press and the Press Club of Ohio. Robin is the author of two nonfiction books: <i>Dead Before Deadline</i>, and <i>Insured for Murder</i>, which he co-authored with Dispatch reporter Cathy Candisky. He is the principle of Yocum Communications in Westerville. <i>Favorite Sons,</i> his first novel, was named the 2011 Book of the Year for Mystery/Suspense by USA Book News.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></u></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'>Festival Programs <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Activities during the May 12<sup>th</sup> festival </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>will include more than 20 panel discussions on a variety of topics. The 10 featured authors will appear in a track of five panels, including conversations about their own literary influences, the writing life and the creative process. Additional panel dialogue will explore children’s literature and poetry, along with several “behind-the-scenes” opportunities for new writers to find out more about how to get published. Author roundtables will be devoted to popular genres such as mystery, romance and science fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>"Each year, we offer at least one panel on the 'how-to's' of the publishing business and the room is filled to capacity," said Hengst. "Many people who come to the festival are aspiring writers who are trying to get their work published. This year we'll have more opportunities for those writers to meet people from inside the publishing industry, as well as talk to authors who will share their own experiences of breaking in to the business." <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In celebration of the 200th birthday of Columbus, there will be a special track of panels about the city, including The Ohio State University, the Lazarus Store and historically haunted places. One panel, "Lit, Lives, and Landmarks," will introduce a new Ohioana program “Ohioana Library On the Road,” highlighting tours that will begin in June. The Columbus tours will visit sites connected to noted authors such as O.Henry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>“We are excited to have so many nationally recognized authors participating in our sixth festival. They are all Ohioans by birth or residents with books that have been published in the past year,” Hengst said. “They represent every major literary field and genre – fiction (mystery, romance, fantasy, science fiction, and literary fiction), nonfiction (memoirs, history, essays, and cook books), poetry and books for children and young adults.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></u></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps'>Festival Authors (in addition to 10 Featured Authors)<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.uakron.edu/uapress/browse-books/author-detail/index.dot?author_id=1470163"><span style='color:blue'>Lisa Abraham</span></a>, <a href="http://www.arnoldadoff.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Arnold Adoff</span></a>, <a href="http://saundracrumakers.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Saundra Crum Akers</span></a>, <a href="http://www.jkelleyanderson.com/"><span style='color:blue'>J. Kelley Anderson</span></a>, <a href="http://www.risenfiction.com/gateway-to-gannah/"><span style='color:blue'>Yvonne Anderson</span></a>, <a href="http://books.upress.virginia.edu/detail%2Fbooks%2Fgroup-4440.xml?q=author%3A%22Steinbeck%2C%20John%22"><span style='color:blue'>Thomas E. Barden</span></a>, <a href="http://www.rebeccabarnhouse.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Rebecca Barnhouse</span></a>, <a href="http://www.archersbooks.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Paul Bauer</span></a>, <a href="http://www.carriebebris.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Carrie Bebris</span></a>, <a href="http://www.timbowers.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Tim Bowers</span></a>, <a href="http://www.garybraunbeck.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Gary A. Braunbeck</span></a>, <a href="http://www.reginabrett.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Regina Brett</span></a>; <a href="http://www.ohioswallow.com/author/Dale+Patrick+Brown"><span style='color:blue'>Dale Patrick Brown</span></a>, <a href="http://www.clevelandareahistory.com/2010/01/about-editors-christopher-busta-peck.html"><span style='color:blue'>Christopher Busta-Peck,</span></a> <a href="http://www.marykaycarson.com/Home/Home.html"><span style='color:blue'>Mary Kay Carson</span></a>, <a href="http://leahclifford.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Leah Clifford</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kacycook.net/"><span style='color:blue'>Kacy Cook</span></a>, <a href="http://kambricrews.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Kambri Crews</span></a>, <a href="http://connect.cleveland.com/user/mdawidz/index.html"><span style='color:blue'>Mark Dawidziak,</span></a> <a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/authors_Robb-Forman-Dew-%281003855%29.htm"><span style='color:blue'>Robb Forman Dew</span></a>, <a href="http://www.hrdpress.com/Lifes-Journey-LJ"><span style='color:blue'>Darryl S. Doane</span></a>, <a href="http://www.hrdpress.com/Lifes-Journey-LJ"><span style='color:blue'>David S. Doane</span></a>, <a href="http://juliedrew.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Julie Drew</span></a>, <a href="http://www.jeffillustration.com/Home.html"><span style='color:blue'>Jeffrey Ebbeler</span></a>, <a href="http://maryellis.net/"><span style='color:blue'>Mary Ellis</span></a>, <a href="http://ervin-author.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Terry W. Ervin II</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/author/fitzsimmonsd/"><span style='color:blue'>David S. FitzSimmon</span></a>, <a href="http://amandaflower.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Amanda Flower</span></a>, <a href="http://www.carolegerber.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Carole Gerber</span></a>, <a href="https://ohiostatepress.org/"><span style='color:blue'>Raimund E. Goerler</span></a>, <a href="http://www.utoledopress.com/thecalling.html"><span style='color:blue'>Blair P. Grubb</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hague"><span style='color:blue'>Richard Hague</span></a>, <a href="http://www.karenharperauthor.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Karen Harper</span></a>, <a href="http://www.harptoons.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Steve Harpster</span></a>, <a href="http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/authors/detail/12"><span style='color:blue'>Sherri Hayes</span></a>, <a href="http://www.susangh.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Susan Gee Heino</span></a>, <a href="http://www.upress.pitt.edu/BookDetails.aspx?bookId=36269"><span style='color:blue'>Rick Hilles</span></a>; <a href="http://jkachuba.com/"><span style='color:blue'>John B. Kachuba</span></a>, <a href="https://www.historypress.net/catalogue/productdetails.php?productid=978.1.60949.087.4"><span style='color:blue'>Nellie Kampmann</span></a>, <a href="http://danielkirk.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Daniel Kirk</span></a>, <a href="http://www.papress.com/html/book.details.page.tpl?isbn=9781616890599"><span style='color:blue'>Joy M. Kiser</span></a>, <a href="http://leonardkress.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Leonard Kress</span></a>, <a href="http://julieannelindsey.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Julie Anne Lindsey</span></a>, <a href="http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61777-742-4"><span style='color:blue'>Matt Livigni</span></a>, <a href="http://www.mbartists.com/cgi-bin/iowa/artists.html?portfolio=66"><span style='color:blue'>Tammie Lyon</span></a>, <a href="http://www.donnamacmeans.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Donna MacMeans</span></a>, <a href="http://www.etruscanpress.org/index.php/authors/m-p/jack-matthews/"><span style='color:blue'>Jack Matthews</span></a>, <a href="http://www.ohiofrontierhistorylady.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Karen Meyer</span></a>, <a href="http://www.davidmeyers.biz/"><span style='color:blue'>Beverly Meyers</span></a>, <a href="http://www.davidmeyers.biz/"><span style='color:blue'>David Meyers</span></a>, <a href="http://www.davidmeyers.biz/"><span style='color:blue'>Elise Meyers Walker</span></a>, <a href="http://www.brandonmariemiller.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Brandon Marie Miller</span></a>, <a href="http://www.daranaraghi.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Dara Naraghi</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/author/olszewskim/"><span style='color:blue'>Mike Olszewski</span></a>, <a href="http://karenapatterson.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Karen A. Patterson</span></a>, <a href="https://www.historypress.net/catalogue/productdetails.php?productid=978.1.60949.253.3"><span style='color:blue'>Mae Pelster</span></a>, <a href="http://www.nancyroepimm.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Nancy Roe Pimm</span></a>, <a href="https://www.clerisypress.com/authors.php?authorid=409"><span style='color:blue'>David Powers</span></a>, <a href="http://lima.osu.edu/english/poetry/"><span style='color:blue'>Doug Ramspeck</span></a>, <a href="http://smithdocs.net/bird_dog_publishing_books"><span style='color:blue'>Robert A. Reynolds</span></a>, <a href="http://www.museummystery.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Joyce Richardson</span></a>, <a href="http://www.joshrolnick.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Josh Rolnick</span></a>, <a href="http://chroniclesofclaudette.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Rafael Rosado</span></a>, <a href="http://www.dollarapalooza.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Gregg Sapp</span></a>, <a href="http://www.hrdpress.com/Lifes-Journey-LJ"><span style='color:blue'>Rose D. Sloat</span></a>, <a href="http://smithdocs.net/LarrySmithHomepage.html"><span style='color:blue'>Larry Smith</span></a>, <a href="http://www.sff.net/people/lucy-snyder/"><span style='color:blue'>Lucy A. Snyder</span></a>, <a href="http://www.rfwp.com/book/in-shermans-path"><span style='color:blue'>Jeffrey F. Spieles</span></a>, <a href="http://www.triciaspringstubb.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Tricia Springstubb</span></a>, <a href="http://www.uakron.edu/uapress/browse-books/author-detail/index.dot?author_id=1470154"><span style='color:blue'>Catherine St. John</span></a>, <a href="http://hiddenmarietta.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Lynne Sturtevant</span></a>, <a href="http://mariloususzko.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Marilou K. Suszko</span></a>, <a href="http://www.janeturzillo.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Jane Ann Turzillo</span></a>, <a href="http://deniseverricowriter.webs.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Denise C. Verrico</span></a>, <a href="http://www.christinawald.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Christina Wald</span></a>, <a href="http://lauramaylenewalter.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Laura Maylene Walter</span></a>, <a href="http://www.ohioswallow.com/author/Andrew+Welsh-Huggins"><span style='color:blue'>Andrew Welsh-Huggins</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=2596"><span style='color:blue'>Jack Wilson</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=2596"><span style='color:blue'>Angene Wilson</span></a>, <a href="http://www.maryannwinkowski.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Mary Ann Winkowski</span></a>, <a href="http://www.ericwittenberg.com/"><span style='color:blue'>Eric J. Wittenberg</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2011/out-and-about-with-winsor-french/"><span style='color:blue'>James M. Wood</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.ohioswallow.com/author/Katherine+Ziff"><span style='color:blue'>Katherine Ziff</span></a>. The list of authors is subject to change. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Additional festival activities will include a children’s room with programs designed to entertain young readers. The line-up for youth was created and is managed by the Kent State University Library and Information Science students and faculty, along with local librarians. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Food will be provided by popular Columbus food carts and local musicians will entertain during the lunch break. The most recent books published by the festival authors will be available at the on-site Barnes and Noble Bookstore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>For photos and interviews, contact Linda Hengst at the Ohioana Library. Detailed festival information can be found at <a href="http://www.ohioanabookfestival.org/"><span style='color:blue'>www.OhioanaBookFestival.org</span></a> .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The festival is presented by the Ohioana Library Association with major funding provided by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, State Library of Ohio, the Reinberger Foundation, the Ohio Humanities Council, the Ohio Arts Council, and Honda of America Mfg., Inc. The children’s space and activities are sponsored by Huntington Bank, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Margaret Wong & Associates. Our media sponsors are WCBE, <i>Ohio Magazine</i>, and PDG Communications. Along with the Kent State Library Science program, twenty-one local and statewide partners and contributors are helping to make the festival program possible including the Toledo Public Library, Public Library of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Columbus Public Library, Ohio Center for the Book, and the VoiceCorp numerous local organizations. The full list can be found on the Ohioana Book Festival web site. <a href="http://www.ohioanabookfestival.org/"><span style='color:blue'>www.OhioanaBookFestival.org</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Ohio’s libraries are the best in the country. With great collections and high circulation rates, is it any wonder that Ohio is the home of some of the country’s best writers?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Ohioana’s mission is to: recognize and encourage the creative accomplishments of Ohioans, preserve and expand a permanent archive of books, manuscripts, and other materials by Ohioans and about Ohio, and disseminate information about the work of Ohio writers, musicians, and other artists to researchers, schools, and the general public<i>. </i> Ohioana is a 501-C-(3) not for profit organization supported by memberships, subscription, gifts, grants, and a subsidy from the State of Ohio. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>###</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Janet Ingraham Dwyer</span></b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <br><b>Library Consultant</b> <br><b>State Library of Ohio</b> <br><a href="mailto:jdwyer@library.ohio.gov"><span style='color:blue'>jdwyer@library.ohio.gov</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>614.644.6910 <br><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/"><span style='color:blue'>http://library.ohio.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/youthservices" title="blocked::http://library.ohio.gov/youthservices"><span style='color:blue'>http://library.ohio.gov/youthservices</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>The State Library of Ohio provides services and resources to assist state government and libraries in providing the best service to all.</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>