April 11 is Local Author Day at Rodman Public Library.
On that Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., six local authors – Laura Ball, Amber Cole, Winnifred Holly, Marianne May, Kristen Kerns, and Havelah McLat – will greet patrons inside the Main Auditorium. Most will have copies of their books for sale and will sign them for readers.
Here’s a look at the authors:
LAURA BALL
An Ohio native, Laura Ball has been passionate about writing since a young age, with her love for storytelling sparked from reading young adult mysteries. Laura is the author of the cozy mysteries Whiskers in Trouble, The Whiskered Witness, and Whiskers of Suspicion. She is also the author of the children’s picture book, The Adventures of Hank the Hamster, and the award-winning children's book series Albert the Donkey Meets a New Friend, Albert the Donkey Finds a Treasure, and Albert the Donkey Solves a Mystery, which are heartwarming tales filled with valuable life lessons.
Her hope is to bring to life characters that are relatable and storylines that keep your attention and stay in your thoughts long after the last chapter ends.
AMBER COLE
Amber Cole is an author who truly embodies the spirit of perpetual motion, successfully balancing a deep love for literature and learning with the joyful chaos of family life.
Since 2016, Amber has dedicated herself to shaping young minds as a middle-level education teacher and holds a master's degree in curriculum and instruction and is currently pursuing her second master's degree. Even amidst her busy schedule, she manages to devour an impressive 100 books a year.
When she’s not reading or teaching, Amber is navigating life as a wife to her best friend, Nick, and a devoted mother to three teenagers fully immersed in sports and extracurriculars.
Amber decided on a whim to start writing in the fall of 2025 after doing some beta reading for other authors and decided to give it a whirl. Written under the name Amber Cole is Rotten Roots of the Family Business as well as Zero Tolerance, set for release April 1. Those books were written with all ages of readers in mind. Meanwhile, she has also published Love Me Not under the pseudonym Amber Lee, which contains more mature content and was written for an adult audience.
WINNIFRED HOLLY
Winnifred Holly is a 20-year-old from Salem. A college student, she attends Kent State-Salem and is majoring in public health with a concentration in community outreach.
Holly, whose favorite author is V. C. Andrews, has written three books, including One Call Away, Grapes, and Pass It On!! She is currently working on a fourth book.
KRISTEN KERNS
Kristen Kerns, a lifelong resident of Alliance, loves bringing words, food, paint, and pictures to life. She is the author of Pieces of Me In the Dark, a book full of short stories containing many of her real life circumstances. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live someone else’s life, check her book out.
MARIANNE MAY
Creativity has lived in the heart and mind of Alliance native Marianne (Roesti) May as far back as she can remember with poetic thoughts and stories being a consistent part of her life. As an artist of diversity, she enjoys many artistic mediums, including all forms of paint, sculpture, natural material, fabric, chalk, and more. She is married with three grown children and several grandchildren.
Her published books include The Story of Mr. B and Miss D, which she wrote and illustrated for children struggling with the differences between the letters, B, D, P, and Q. The other is a compilation of poetry titled Drink Deep Fly High.
HAVELAH McLAT
Havelah McLat grew up on a small farm in rural Ohio. As a child, she spent hours drawing and then crafting short stories to go along with her illustrations. As she got older, her passion grew to write stories about the world, faith, and topics that matter the most to her. She has written several short fictions that have been featured in different anthologies and has independently published four books. When she isn’t writing, she reads books, draws, and spends time with her family.
McLat’s books include A Forever Summer, When You Returned, Dust and Crown, and The Silent Journey. She will only have the latter two available on Local Author Day.