At the top of Dayton-area writer Tim Waggoner’s website is a quote from Dayton.com that reads: “Stephen King meets Franz Kafka.” To be compared to two literary greats like those is quite an accomplishment, but Tim seems to take it all in stride. I met him once at a LitSalon for the Antioch Writers’ Workshop,…

Ben Berman‘s name first crossed my desk about two years ago when Literary Mama decided to feature him in our Father’s Day issue. At the time, I remember being impressed with his ability to write poetry that spoke to me as well as his experiences traveling, something that’s featured in his work. He’s the author…

Most people in the Dayton writing community have heard or interacted with Rebecca Morean. That’s because she can be found all over the Dayton area. She teaches in the English Department at Sinclair Community College, presents lectures on craft and the business of writing with the Antioch Writers’ Workshop, and coaches writers so they can…

Jeanne Oates Estridge began writing in third grade, when she crafted her first short story about bunnies who named their many children in alphabetical order. That same year, she drew a picture of her future self dressed “in a floor-length, crayon-blue dress, sitting at a typewriter.” It may have taken a bit of time, but…

When Jess Montgomery was six, she wrote one of her earliest stories, “The Fireman,” in which a fireman rescues a kitten from the top of a tree. For those of us who know Jess Montgomery (a pen name for author Sharon Short), the topic of that story is not surprising. Jess is one of the…

C. L. Pauwels is a woman of many talents: author, teacher, editor, writers’ workshop assistant director, literary citizen, mother, grandmother, and wife to name a few. She’s also on a mission to make a positive impact on this world and not just with her writing: Pauwels is passionate about healthcare, equal rights, and climate change…

According to author Laura Laakso, “books and storytelling have always been a big part of her life, be it in the form of writing fanfiction, running tabletop role playing games or, more recently, writing original fiction.” By day, she serves as an accountant, but when not crunching numbers or spending time with her dogs, she…

Fredrick Marion is the person you’d want by your side if the zombie apocalypse ever occurred: he’s imaginative, resourceful, knows his way around computers and the outdoors, will share his food with you, and is the type of person who just “gets things done.” (Those zombies would never stand a chance against him; I’m sure…

Rennie St. James is another author who falls into the category of “person I’ve corresponded with online, but have yet to meet in real life.” And with a tagline like, “Some epic journeys start with a stumble,” for her first book and her website, I knew interviewing her would be interesting. (She’s also owned by…

One of the most exciting parts about this blog series is the variety of authors I get to interview. In today’s spotlight is Cecily Wolfe. I knew when I read her short website bio—”I am a librarian and author living in the Midwest United States. I love cats, reading, and potato chips.”—that she and I…