Locations of Events
GENERAL ADMISSION
Medina Convention Center
735 Lafayette Rd
Medina, OH 44256
MAIN STAGE
Williams on the Lake
787 Lafayette Rd
Medina, OH 44256
BLACK CAT BOOKS
420 S Court St
119 Lafayette St
Medina, OH 44256
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A General Admission Badge is Required to Attend Any Part of the Big Ohio Book Con. Park your car at this facility and ride the shuttle to other locations.
Main Stage Panels are Optional Add-Ons to Your Badge. Main Stage ticket holders are guaranteed not to be cut off in post-panel signing lines
Two shuttle buses will take attendees back and forth from all three locations. Must have Big Ohio Book Con badge to ride the shuttle.
PANELS & EVENTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED EVENT
Pre-Con Cocktail Party
Enjoy a themed cocktail and refreshment hour. Attend two exclusive panels with featured headlining authors. Then, join authors for a meet & greet, book sale, and book signing.
Ticket required to attend.
Schedule
4:30-5:30 p.m.: Themed Cocktail Hour
5:30-6:15 p.m.: Love in a World on Fire: The Rise of Romantasy
6:15-7:50 p.m.: Romantasy Book Sale & Signing
8-8:30 p.m.: Headlining Authors In Conversation
8:30-9:30 p.m.: Headliner Book Sale & Signing
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
Author Lineup
Love in a World on Fire: The Rise of Romantasy
Mai Corland
Verity Guild
Broken Blades series
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Jade Presley
The Never List
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Author
Headlining Author In Conversation
Author
Author
PANELS & EVENTS
SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2026
DOORS OPEN
INCLUDED IN GENERAL ADMISSION
Doors Open | 9:30 a.m.
Grab your badge if you haven't yet & get settled in! Need your badge? You can buy one at the door! Explore your surroundings at the Convention Center and discover over 100 indie authors and over 100 bookish vendors!
Location: General Admission / Medina Convention Center
ACTIVITY
INCLUDED IN GENERAL ADMISSION
Book Swap Mixer | 10-11 a.m.
Do any of the books on your shelf need a new home? Bring them to the Book Swap Mixer! Maybe the one you put down or pick up from the table leads you to your new bookish bestie!
Location: General Admission / Medina Convention Center
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED PANEL
Spells & Small Towns: The Ultimate Cozy Fiction Panel
Calling all lovers of witchy vibes, warm mugs, and small-town magic! Step into a world of enchanted bookshops, charming familiars, and mysteries by moonlight. This panel brings together your favorite authors who write cozy, magical fiction that feel like a hug. Whether you're into potion-brewing heroines, haunted teahouses, or low-stakes adventures with heart, come celebrate the stories that make magic feel right at home.
10-10:45 a.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
10:45-11:45 a.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Author Lineup
Sarah Beth Durst
The Spellshop
The Enchanted Greenhouse
The Faraway Inn
Ashley Poston
The Seven Year Slip
A Novel Love Story
Sounds Like Love
Erin Sterling
aka Rachel Hawkins
The Ex Hex
The Wedding Witch
Molly Harper
Moderator
Starfall Point trilogy
A Proposal to Die For
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED PANEL
Beyond the Binary: Writing Authentic LGBTQIA+ Stories
From queer romances to genre-bending adventures, LGBTQIA+ stories are as vast and vibrant as the community itself. Join a panel of authors as they discuss the power of authentic representation, the joy of writing beyond the binary, and how identity shapes story and voice. Whether you're looking to see yourself on the page or discover new perspectives, this conversation is a celebration of love, complexity, and the freedom to write (and read) our truest selves.
11-11:45 a.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
Author Lineup
Andie Burke
Fly with Me
Fall For Him
With Stars in Here Eyes
Page Powars
And They Were Roommates
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club
Author
BREAKOUT AREA
INCLUDED IN GENERAL ADMISSION
First-come, First-served seating & Standing Room
Book Launch with Kalynn Applewhite: A Song of Spells & Sorrows
A Song of Spells & Sorrows is the first in The Ballad of Fate. The series is a blend of sweet & spicy romance and epic adventure heavily inspired by classic fantasy RPG. Though each of the five books will focus on a separate couple, the overarching story centers around an adventuring party called the Blades of Fates. Book One follows a second chance at love story that asks: How far would you go to get back to the one you love?
11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Author Chat and Q&A
12-12:30 p.m.: Book Sale & Signing (plus meet Kalynn at her table any time during the Con!)
Location: Breakout Area / Medina Convention Center
Author Lineup
Kalynn Applewhite
Kalynn Applewhite is a writer at heart with a lifetime love of fantasy. Through her books she pursues her passion for exploring feminist themes through fiction. Kalynn loves playing games, taking hikes, and eating super dark chocolate. She lives in Ohio with her husband and their menagerie of children, cats, chickens, and houseplants.
Preorder the book for pickup at The Big Ohio Book Con here.
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED PANEL
Passion & Peril: Why We Crave Suspenseful Romance OR Meet Cute to HEA Panel
What is it about danger and desire that makes our hearts race? Join a thrilling panel of bestselling authors as they dive into the irresistible allure of romantic suspense. From stolen glances in the shadows to life-or-death stakes, these storytellers reveal how they balance passion and peril to keep you turning pages late into the night. Whether you're drawn to dark secrets, high-stakes action, or the chemistry that sparks under pressure, this panel will explore why romance on the dark side continues to captivate.
1-1:45 p.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Author Lineup
Author
Author
Author
Book1
Book2
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED PANEL
Fright Club: Fear, Suspense & the Art of the Scare
What makes a story truly terrifying? How do authors build suspense, manipulate fear, and craft moments that make readers sleep with the lights on? Join a chilling panel of horror and thriller writers as they pull back the curtain on the techniques, inspirations, and dark delights behind their most unsettling work. Whether it’s slow-burning dread, shocking twists, or the supernatural unknown, this conversation dives deep into the psychology of fear and the thrill of scaring readers senseless.
2-2:45 p.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
Author Lineup
Jason Rekulak
Hidden Pictures
The Last One at the Wedding
Neena Viel
Listen to Your Sister
I'll Watch Your Baby
Carter Wilson
Tell Me What You Did
The New Neighbor
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED PANEL
From Fairytale to Fear: A Descent into Dark Fantasy
Magic, monsters, and quests are familiar elements of fantasy. But let's twist them through a darker lens. This panel explores the strange and unsettling side of the genre, where classic tropes meet the uncanny, and the fantastical becomes just a little… off. These authors blend wonder with unease, drawing on horror, surrealism, and the bizarre to reshape what fantasy can be. Expect eerie landscapes, haunted heroes, and narratives that defy expectations. If you like your dragons with a touch of dread, your magic laced with menace, and your worldbuilding just this side of nightmarish, this is your portal to the dark.
3-3:45 p.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Author Lineup
Author
Author
Author
Book1
Book2
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
MAIN STAGE
TICKETED PANEL
Strange Love: Romancing Beasts, Monsters, and Aliens, Oh My!
Love gets weird (and wonderfully so) in this panel celebrating romances that defy the limits of species, biology, and sometimes reality itself. From tender monsters to irresistible aliens and morally complex beasts, these authors dig into why readers are drawn to the inhuman and the otherworldly. But beneath the claws, scales, and exoskeletons lie stories full of heart, vulnerability, and connection. What do these strange loves reveal about desire, acceptance, and what it means to truly see and be seen?
4-4:45 p.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Author Lineup
Author
Author
Author
Book1
Book2
Location: Main Stage / Williams on the Lake
PANELS & EVENTS
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026
DOORS OPEN
INCLUDED IN GENERAL ADMISSION
Doors Open | 8:30 a.m.
Grab your badge if you haven't yet & get settled in! Need your badge? You can buy one at the door! Explore your surroundings at the Convention Center and discover over 100 indie authors and over 100 bookish vendors!
Location: General Admission / Medina Convention Center
ACTIVITY
INCLUDED IN GENERAL ADMISSION
Banned Book Swap Mixer | 9-10 a.m.
Bans off our books! Do a little research before you head to the Con. Find your favorite banned book, write a note inside on a reason you discovered it's been banned, and bring it to this special Book Swap!
Location: General Admission / Medina Convention Center
BREAKOUT AREA
INCLUDED IN GENERAL ADMISSION
First-come, First-served seating & Standing Room
Black Cat Chat with Alex Erickson (& Real-Life Black Cats!)
Curl up for a purr-fectly cozy conversation with mystery author Alex Erickson, known for his charming whodunits featuring a clever black cat. But that’s not all! Joining Alex is a local cat rescue bringing real-life black cats looking for their forever homes! Hear how feline friends inspire fiction, get the inside scoop on writing cozy mysteries, and maybe even fall in love with a furry sidekick of your own.
10-10:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion on the Main Stage
10:30-11:30 a.m.: Book Sale & Signing
Location: Breakout Area / Medina Convention Center
Author Lineup
Alex Erickson
Cute Cats
Alex Erickson is the author of the Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series, the Furever Pets Mysteries, and the Cat Yoga Mystery Series. He lives in Ohio with his family and resident felines, who provide endless amounts of inspiration. When he's not writing, he enjoys spending his time gaming or playing music. Visit him online at AlexEricksonBoooks.com.
