

2026 Featured Authors
Originally from Washington, D.C. with a BFA from the Jordan College of Music (at Butler University), Chicago area author Mim Eichmann has found that her creative journey has taken her down many exciting, interwoven pathways as an award-winning published lyricist and songwriter, professional musician, choreographer, former journalist for The South Bend Tribune and on staff at the Cooperative Dept. of Speech and Drama at University of Notre Dame/St. Mary's College and fiction author.
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Featured book: A Sparrow Alone
Mim Eichmann
(Historical Fiction
book author)
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​Mim Eichmann will be signing books on Saturday,
June 13th, 2026
from 11:00 am
to 1:00 pm
in the author's booth #33


Meathead is one of only 40 living Barbecue Hall of Famers. He is the publisher of AmazingRibs.com, named Best BBQ website by the National BBQ & Grilling Association and called "By far the leading resource for BBQ and grilling information" by Forbes. He is the author of the book “Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling.” It was a New York Times bestseller, named “One of the 100 Best Cookbooks of All Time” by Southern Living Magazine, and called an “indispensable guide” by The New Yorker.
His second book “The Meathead Method” was called “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need” by Alton Brown of the Food Network and it introduces new cooking methods and takes barbecue and grilling out of the box. He is known as a culinary science geek and mythbuster.


Meathead
(BBQ cookbook author)
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​Meathead will be signing books on Saturday,
June 13th, 2026
from 11:00 am
to 1:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
Sandra Jackson-Opoku is the author of three award-winning novels: The River Where Blood is Born, Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him, and Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes. Her fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works are widely published and produced.
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Professional recognition includes a a James Baldwin Fellowship at MacDowell Arts, the American Library Association Black Caucus Literary Award, a Chicago Esteemed Artist Award, and the Malice Minotaur Award for Best Mystery Novel.
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
(Mystery novel author)
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​Sandra Jackson-Opoku will be signing books on Saturday,
June 13th, 2026
from 11:00 am
to 1:00 pm
in the author's booth #33



Writer & Editor
Author of The Sleepers (Regal House Publishers, September 2026)
Copyeditor, American Academy of Pediatrics
University of Chicago Editing Program (2019)
PhD Philosophy, DePaul (2009)
Molly Sturdevant
(Historical Fiction book author)
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​Molly Sturdevant will be signing books on Saturday, June 13th, 2026
from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
in the author's booth #33
Yanet Platt is the author of Young Adult novel, Forbidden Fairytale: The Complete Trilogy, and the Adult novels, Dimensional Jumper, Destines’ of Lancaster, and the forthcoming The Baker and the Art Thief. When she is not typing at local coffee shops, or browsing the bookstores with latte in hand, she is enjoying life reading, watching K-dramas or Anime, and spending time laughing with family and friends.


Yanet Platt
(Fantasy / Young Adult book author)
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​Yanet Platt will be signing books
on Saturday,
June 13th, 2026
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
Amy is an award-winning children's book author, independent bookseller, and founder of Red Birds Publishing. Whether behind the camera or behind the page, storytelling has always been at the heart of everything she does.
She owns a Little Bookshop, operates a Little Free Library, and teaches writing and publishing workshops — because for Amy, books aren't just what she writes, they're how she lives.


Amy Skala Tishmann
(Children's book author)
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Amy Skala Tishmann will be signing books on Saturday,
June 13th, 2026
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
AND
June 14th, 2026
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
KARLA CLARK writes fiction for adults and children. She’s the author of 17 books, including four novels and eight children's picture books. She lives in Rockford, Illinois, with her husband, son, and Shih Poo puppy. When she’s not writing, she creates paper collages and digital art that she sells at art fairs.

Karla Clark
(Children's book author)
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Karla Clark will be signing books
on Saturday, June 13th, 2026
from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
in the author's booth #33


Karen Doornebos lived in Riverside for 16 years to raise her kids and now, lives back in Chicago with her husband. She’s an internationally published fiction author at Penguin Random House with the novels Definitely Not Mr. Darcy and Undressing Mr. Darcy. Karen's Tiny Love Story about her Ukrainian grandmother was published in The New York Times. The Plucky Ukrainian Sunflower, her first children’s picture book, received a “Get It” accolade from Kirkus Reviews, and all profits are donated to Save Ukraine, a charity dedicated to helping Ukrainian children affected by war. Her mother Judie Anderson illustrated the book and her son Remy did the graphic design while Samantha took the author-illustrator photo.
Karen Doornebos
(Children's &
Fiction book author)
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​Karen Doornebos
will be signing books
on Saturday, June 13th, 2026
from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
Roberta Hartling Gates is the author of Number 12 rue Sainte-Catherine and Other Stories, a collection of short fiction which won the 2025 Friends of American Writers award for the best debut fiction by a Midwestern author. In addition, she was the 2021 winner of The Dogwood Literary Prize in Fiction and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, also in 2021. She has been published in Confrontation, Fourth Genre, the Beloit Fiction Journal, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a reader for The Examined Life Journal.


Roberta Gates
(Historical Fiction book author)
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​Roberta Gates will
be signing books
on Saturday, June 13th, 2026
from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
in the author's booth #33


Hi! I’m S.P. Lowe! For me, writing is a matter of the heart; I write whatever moves me, whether that’s the cadence of a poem, the whimsy of a children’s story, or the grit of an urban fantasy world.
My journey didn't start with a degree or a formal program. It started in an English classroom in high school, thanks to a teacher who believed in my voice before I even knew I had one. That connection sparked a lifelong obsession with storytelling that has led me to publish four children's picture books and, most recently, dive into the darker waters of my upcoming novel, The King of Wicked Monsters.
When I’m not exploring the city with the little ones I care for, you can usually find me in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. If I’m not at my desk, I’m likely leading my guild, Do More Damage, in The Elder Scrolls Online or hanging out with my cat. For me, whether it's on the page or in a game, it’s all about the community we build and the stories we tell together.
S.P. (Shyreen) Lowe
(Children's & Fiction book author)
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S. P. Shyreen Lowe will be signing books on Saturday,
June 13th, 2026
from 3:30 pm
to 5:30 pm in the author's booth #33
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Caroline Woods lives in Riverside with her husband and two daughters. She is the author of the novels The Mesmerist (a 2024 NPR Book of the Year), The Lunar Housewife, and Fräulein M. She holds an MFA from Boston University and has taught fiction writing at Loyola University Chicago, Boston University, and the Boston Conservatory.


Caroline Woods
(Historical Fiction book author)
​​
Caroline Woods will be signing books
on Sunday,
June 14th, 2026
from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
in the author's booth #33

Laura Bityou Beriau is driven to make a positive and lasting impact on others. As a first-generation Assyrian American, Laura learned an invaluable lesson from her parents: education is the only thing no one can take from you. This lesson resonated with Laura and ignited her passion for reading, writing, and equity in education.
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Before writing children’s books, Laura dedicated her life to education as a teacher and school administrator. Now, she is a mother of two who is continuously inspired by the love of her children and husband and fueled by the relationships with her family and friends.
Laura Bityou Beriau
(Children's book author)
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​Laura Bityou Beriau
will be signing books
on Sunday,
June 14th, 2026
from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
Sara’s debut middle grade novel, Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign, is everything Sara loves—a heartfelt friendship tale, a scientific exploration, and a call for compassion. Sara also writes picture books, as well as magazine articles and educational nonfiction for kids. A former classroom teacher, she currently tutors kindergarteners through high schoolers. Sara is a passionate volunteer and works to turn the tide on climate change and political polarization.


Sara F. Shacter
(Children's book author)
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​Sara F. Shacter will be signing books
on Sunday,
June 14th, 2026
from 11:30 am
to 1:30 pm
in the author's booth #33
Dale Kaczmarek is an investigator and President of the Ghost Research Society since it's founding in 1977 and author of "Windy City Ghosts", "Windy City Ghosts II", "A Field Guide to Spirit Photography", "Illuminating the Darkness: The Mystery of Spooklights", "Field Guide to
Ghost Hunting Techniques" and "Field Guide to Haunted Highways and Bridges" Ghost Research Society http://www.ghostresearch.org Homepage of the Ghost Research Society Press; publishing books on the paranormal and mysterious phenomena since 2004.
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In 2023, Dale Kaczmarek was awarded a 50 year Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the paranormal field.
Dale Kaczmarek
(Paranormal
book author)
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​Dale Kaczmarek will be signing books on Sunday,
June 14th, 2026
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
Allison Buccola writes psychological suspense. Her books have been praised by the Washington Post, the Seattle Times, and Katie Couric Media, and her latest thriller, The Ascent, was recently optioned for television. She lives in La Grange Park with her husband and two children.
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Allison's book:

Allison Buccola
(Thriller book author)
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​Allison Buccola will
be signing books
on Sunday, June 14th, 2026
from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
in the author's booth #33
Grace Daly (she/her) is a Bram Stoker Award-nominated disabled author with multiple invisible chronic illnesses. She lives near Chicago and spends most of her free time with her dog, who is a very good boy. Her debut horror comedy novel, “The Scald-Crow”, is currently available and her fantasy novella, “The Star of Kilnaely”, is forthcoming in 2026. She has also been published in anthologies by Ghost Orchid Press and Sliced Up Press, as well as the podcast Tales to Terrify, among others.
Grace Daly
(Young Adult Thriller/Mystery book author)
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​Grace Daly will be signing books
on Sunday, June 14th, 2026
from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
in the author's booth #33
Chris Kauzlarich is the author of the horror short story collection Menagerie in the Dark and the novellas LAZARUS and Moody Road. A member of the Horror Writers Association, the International Thriller Writers, the Authors Guild, AWP, and the Chicago Writers Association, he writes dark fiction that unsettles precisely because it lives so close to home.
A graduate of Purdue University, Chris lives with his husband and daughter between Chicago, IL, and Naples, FL — or somewhere on the open road in their RV, where the best and worst ideas tend to find him.



Chris Kauzlarich
(Horror book author)
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​Chris Kauzlarich will be signing books
on Sunday,
June 14th, 2026
from 3:00 pm
to 5:00 pm
in the author's
booth #33

WOMAN-OWNED BROOKFIELD BOOKTIQUE BOOKSTORE that features diverse books & curated small business pairings, themed book boxes, unique reading gifts, book club hosting & bookish events for ALL AGES - from babies & kids to young adults, teens & grown-ups!
Address: 3741 Prairie Ave,
Brookfield, IL 60513
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Phone: (708) 255-5301
New Book Joy
is the newest member of the community and RAW would like to give them a shout out as they will be at RAW in the author's tent assisting the authors with distribution of the their books. We appreciate their help in recruiting and presentation.



