We know that writing and publishing a book are achievements worthy of celebration, and we're proud to sell books by these and other Nebraska authors at Chapters. Click on the author's name for more books by that author.
Those listed below are only a sampling of the many Nebraska authors, both classic and contemporary, featured at Chapters. We work with more than 100 authors from Nebraska and the Midwest. Check back often as we'll change this list--or stop by Chapters and see the actual books!
If you're an author who would like to place your book in our store, our guidelines for authors are here.
John Achor's writing assignments have appeared in a variety of regional, and national publications, and he sold over two dozen articles to an international magazine. He has also published three mystery novels featuring his female amateur sleuth, as the Casey Fremont series, with an Alex Hilliard thriller nearing publication.
Lucy Adkins' poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has appeared in many journals. She’s also co-authored two books of non-fiction, Writing in Community, recipient of an “Ippy” Award, and The Fire Inside, just released. She’s been a writing workshop leader for many years.
Alan J. Bartels grew up exploring the wildlands of Nebraska. Over breakfast after viewing prairie chickens with Jane Goodall in the Nebraska Sandhills, the idea for this children's book was born. Alan is a lifelong Nebraskan and explores Nebraska today as the editor of Nebraska Life Magazine.
Susan Grady Bristol is a short story writer with stories in numerous anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, 13th Floor and Ordinary Miracles in Nursing. She has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pen. Susan belongs to the Nebraska Writer's Guild, the Omaha Night Writers and My Thoughts Exactly writing group in Fremont.
Susie McMullen Bruning has worked the last twenty years as a cardiovascular ultrasound tech and writes as an Op-Ed contributor for the Lincoln Journal Star and as a travel correspondent. She is building her second career as a pet obituary writer and lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her husband, daughter and two cats. Leave the Keys in the Visor is her first novel.
Faith A. Colburn a fifth-generation Nebraskan, writes about the people of the Great Plains. Her book See Willy See earned the 2020 Nebraska Book Award for Fiction. Previous careers include more than a decade as a public information officer for the Game and Parks Commission, a truck driver, a farmer, and an environmental journalist.
Pat Coldiron is originally from northeast Nebraska and has lived in Seward County for more than 30 years. Her nearly 20 years working with the local Chamber and Economic Development and tourism offices led to a keen interest in Nebraska's and Seward County's wonderful, sometimes epic story, and Pat has told some of that history in her debut publication, Seward County.
Charlotte Endorf has been married to an awesome man, Papa aka Kevin Endorf over 30 years. This is the first book she has co-written with her four-year-old grandson Gunnar Doty. Charlotte was in a bad car accident a few years ago, which gave her the time to begin writing children's books.
Becky Faber, author of One Small Photo, received the 2021 Mildred Bennett Award given by the Nebraska Center for the Book for her exceptional literary contributions. Her poems have been published in a variety of journals and anthologies, including Nebraska Presence, the 2018 One Book One Nebraska selection..
Marie Nolan Fiala resides in Raymond, Nebraska with her husband and two children. A first time author, she has enjoyed previous careers as a news reporter and mental health counselor. Marie merges her love of the written word with spirituality in the hopes of helping those going through difficult times.
Tom Frye has worked for the past 40 years as an advocate for troubled youth. He began his career when still in high school, serving as a street contact for a runaway shelter. It was during his time as a worker at a detention facility for delinquent youth, that he began writing stories for the residents and he knew he had discovered a way to connect with troubled kids.
Gretchen Garrison lives with her husband and four kids on a Milford area acreage. Her blog is Odyssey Through Nebraska. She has also written three books: Detour Nebraska: Historic Destinations and Natural Wonders; A History Lover’s Guide to Lincoln and 100 Things to Do in Lincoln Before You Die.
Tasha Hackett writes historical romance with humor and hope to entertain and encourage women. Most of her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. Read more at: www.TashaHackett.com.
Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator. Her poetry appears in numerous literary journals. Her chapbook, The Geography of Kitchens, was published by Finishing Line Press, 2021. An Otherwise Healthy Woman, a poetry collection was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of University of Nebraska Press, 2022.
Ruth Harper is a self-taught artist from England. She first illustrated the classic The Kissing Hand, then Sassafras, and Happy Mamas, and Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails (2019). Ruth loves to echo nature in her work and believes it brings imagination, creativity, comfort, and sweet love to everyone. She now lives in the roly-poly Iowa hills with an adorable husband, a dog and cat, and six marvelous grown-up kids with lots of grandchildren. She is proud to be represented by Deborah Warren of East West Literary Agency and excitedly working on her next book project.
Shennon Helms is a French and Spanish teacher in a rural Nebraska K-12 school. She also teaches Tai Chi. She has three children. When she is not working or chasing her kids to their activities with her husband, she enjoys reading, writing, and acting in local productions. She writes poetry, short stories, song lyrics, and paranormal and science fiction novels. Her debut novel Lost Daughter of the Stars is coming in 2019.
Heidi Hermanson received the Nebraska Book Award and the Arts Council Fellowship. She aspires to found a library of abandoned towns and learn dialects of 17-year cicadas. Her books are Waking to the Dream (Stephen Austin University Press, 2018) and Cocktails with God (Finishing Line Press). She enjoys rivers and cemeteries.
Lydia Kang Lydia Kang is an Omaha physician and author of fiction and non-fiction. Her books include A Beautiful Poison, Opium and Absinthe, Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, Patient Zero, and the Nebraska Book Award winner, The November Girl. Her newest, The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding, releases May 1, 2022.
Jody Keisner is the author of Under My Bed and Other Essays. Her work has appeared in Fourth Genre, Brevity, The Los Angeles Review of Books and elsewhere. Her essay “Runaway Mother” was a notable Best American Essay 2022. She teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Reach her @JodyKeisner.
Jon Keller was born and raised in Seward, Nebraska, and has always had a keen interest in the history of the town. COVID lockdowns gave Jon the needed motivation to start documenting the rich history of Seward. Jon currently lives and writes in Huntington, Indiana.
Carla Ketner A former elementary school teacher and instructor of college-level children’s literature courses, Carla Ketner now owns and manages Chapters Books & Gifts in Seward, Nebraska. When not reading, writing or connecting readers with books, she is likely to be walking her grand dog, looking up the names of local wildflowers, baking anything that lists chocolate as an ingredient, or traveling with friends and family. She and her husband live in eastern Nebraska and have two grown sons. Her debut picture book, Ted Kooser: More Than a Local Wonder, is forthcoming in fall 2023. https://www.carlaketner.com/
Blaine Kistler writes the kind of stories she finds intriguing and passionate and believes stories are meaningful only if they have an audience. She grew up the oldest of six girls, and while they live widely separated, their love keeps them close in heart. She enjoys reading, swimming, and her pets. As her characters are on a journey of discovery, so too is she.
Lisa Knopp was raised in Burlington, Iowa, and attended Iowa Wesleyan College, Western Illinois University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Since 2005, she’s been a professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where she teaches courses in creative nonfiction, She enjoys mentoring children and adults and lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her two cats, Morwenna and Janko Noam Chomsky.
Bonnie Lacy is the author of fiction, nonfiction, devotionals, and many short stories. She lives with her husband, her certified car consultant, in small town America, where most of her novels take place. She loves the weird things: sink holes, caves, exploring cemeteries, old store basements where you might be glad you are wearing boots.
Sgt. Mark Langan relives his front-row seat working the seamier side of crime during his decorated twenty-six year career with the Omaha Police Department. His book, Busting Bad Guys, delivers a graphic and authentic look at solid policing on the streets of America’s heartland and takes the readers inside high-adrenaline, top secret investigations while trying to outsmart the criminals.
Tosca Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, The Progeny, Firstborn, Iscariot, and other books. She has received the National Book Award and a Nebraska Book Award, among other honors. Tosca received her B.A. from Smith College and lives in Nebraska with her husband, three of four children still at home, and her 160-lb. German Shepherd, Timber.
Jodie Lemmert, author of the Unexpected series, was born and raised in Nebraska. She works in the utility industry by day and writes stories at night. Jodie enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and photography.
Tammy Marshall has published four novels. Her longtime column about books, "Novel Thoughts," now runs in two newspapers. She writes two newsletters, two blogs, and she's hard at work on finishing more novels. When not writing, she's traveling, reading, riding her motorcycle, or watercolor painting.
Devan Martin is a certified Life Coach, Hypnotist and teacher of the Enneagram. She has used her background from the last 20 years studying the Enneagram to help her clients in Personal Development.
Kolleen Meyer-Krikac, M.S. ED. is a former teacher and school counselor and is in private practice as a professional counselor and life coach. She teaches classes for other counselors as well as individuals. She is also the author of How to Create Your Balanced Life.
Mark Miller lives in Genoa, Nebraska. He has been a high school teacher and coach, journalist, business writer and father. And he writes stories. He has published short fiction in a number of journals and magazines, including the University of Nebraska's Prairie Schooner, where a story of his, "Hog Wild" won the Marie Sandoz short Fiction Award.
Charlene Neely's poetry books are: The Lights of Lincoln and The Corn Fairy's Wigs & Other Poems. She co-edited The Guide to More Nebraska Authors with Gerry Cox. A member of Nebraska Writers Guild and Lincoln Chaparral Poets, her poetry has appeared in Naugatuck River Review, Persimmon Tree, and Plainsongs.
Nichole has been a photographer since she was 15 and ventured into poetry in December 2022, although she has been writing longer than that, She didn’t truly appreciate it until her mid twenties. She has combined the two mediums into what she calls "Polaroid Poetry." Her first book is Bone Roots.
Suzanne Ohlmann is a writer and registered nurse. Her first book, Shadow Migration, came out March 1, 2022. Her essays have been published in Texas Monthly, Intima: The Jorunal of Narrative Medicine, and Longreads. She lives in San Antonio with her husband, son and a squadron of rescued pets.
Alison Pearce Stevens has called Lincoln, Nebraska, home for the last decade. Although she’s not originally from Nebraska, she is fascinated with its natural history. Her middle grade book Rhinos in Nebraska tells the tale of the Ashfall Fossil Beds, a paleontological gem hidden right here in the state.
Holly Pelesky writes essays, fiction and poetry. She received her MFA from the University of Nebraska. Her prose can be found in The Normal School, Okay Donkey, and Jellyfish Review, among other places. She works as a librarian and in a college writing center while raising boys in Omaha.
Marje (Smith) Perkins grew up on a small Nebraska farm southeast of Cambridge. She graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University and was an elementary and special education teacher in Nebraska and California. She and her husband Bob are retired and living in Mesa, Arizona.
R.J. Post served in newsrooms as a reporter, editor and manager for more than 30 years and now works as a marketing copywriter. Lion Taming, Dating and Other Dangerous Endeavors, a collection of short stories, is his first book. He lives in Grand Island.
Allie Ray is an author, educator and part-time librarian from Osceola, Nebraska. She earned her BA in English from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska. She is the author of four novels and two plays. Her novel INHERITANCE, drawn from extensive research into Osceola's unique history, was the focus of her keynote speech at the Osceola Q150 Gala in February 2022. She currently lives in her hometown with her daughters.
Jim Reisdorff has had a lifelong passion for trains that he attributes to childhood visits to Omaha Union Station. He received a journalism degree from Creighton University in 1978 and worked for several area newspapers. Jim saw a need to preserve in print the history of railroad stations and branch line trains. His publishing company South Platte Press, established in 1982, has published about 100 books on sundry topics regarding railroads.
Lora Rivers has been writing all her life: newspaper stories, poetry, websites, educational materials, TV commercials, and scripts for documentary films. She holds a bachelor's degree in speech communication and a master's degree in education. She lives outside of Lincoln where she likes to explore nature and play games with her grandchildren.
Rosemary Roenfanz is new to Nebraska and now lives in Seward. Falling in love with the community has been easy to do. Mother of three and Grandmother to four, Rosemary loves gardening, walking, birdwatching, and writing poetry. She often speaks on feminism and is an advocate for equality between sexes, races, and religions. She writes about strong women from all backgrounds in her book, 365 Days of Gutsy Women.
Rhonda Rush was born and raised in Nebraska. She uses her words to paint portraits of scenes and seasons, taking note of the fine details of nature and events. Experience all life's rawness and beauty through her poems.
Marjorie Saiser is the author of eight books. Her most recent is The Track the Whales Make, which is published in Ted Kooser's Contemporary Poetry Series. Marge's awards include the Literary Heritage Award and an Academy of American Poets Award.
Naomi Schmitt lives in Nebraska with her husband, four cats and two dogs. She enjoys reading, drawing, painting, playing piano, board games, and video/computer games. Naomi's writing is set in a fantasy world of her own creation. Her favorite author is R.A. Salvatore. She has one published book, Allur, and is working on a second, Reign of Kaos.
Mary Schwaner writes historical suspense as Bailey Bristol and wartime biographies as Mary Schwaner. She has five books under her belt and more on the way. Family ties, suspense and musical themes permeate her richly told stories. Her books include Courage in a White Coat, Stepping Stones, Love Will Follow, The Samaritan Files, and The Duke's Daring Darling.
Cat Singh is an independent author from Seward, Nebraska, who mainly writes autobiographical poems that explore themes of sexuality, trauma, love, religion, and everyday moments.
Linda Svoboda is a wife and mother, and absolutely loves to write children's books. She has a passion to write books in which kids learn character qualities. Her book, A Precious Day At The Farm, is a book in which children can experience life in the country with a wonderful ending.
Valerie Lee Vierk was born in Kearney, NE and has lived at Ravenna, NE most of her life. She began writing in early childhood. She has published six books as of April 2022 and has two more novels in progress. Valerie also writes poetry, short stories and essays and many of these have been published in various venues. Val also is a photographer and enjoys capturing the beauties of her native Nebraska with her camera.
Kathi Wagner is the author of 13 children's books. She enjoys making children laugh and helping them learn to love to read! Her Ultimate Jokiest Joking Joke Book Ever Written . . . No Joke! Is coming in September.
Debra Kleve White is a first time author; her book is titled, The Spirit of Nebraska: A History of Husker Gameday Traditions. White is a graduate of UNL, where she was a cheerleader for three years. Her interest in Husker athletics and game day pageantry inspired her research for this book.
