Lisle Lit Fest

Wayne Turmel is originally from the small town of Mission, British Columbia, Canada, and now lives in Lisle. He's a former stand-up comic whose communication skills paved the way to a second career in professional training and development. His latest books have crossed over into the realm of Historical Fiction, with The Count of the Sahara, based on the life of Byron Khun de Prorok, and Acre's Bastard, set during the Crusades.

Rita Chhablani is an author, UNICEF advocate, and yoga teacher who splits her time between India and the States. She previously authored The Joys of Yoga, and her short story collection, Despite Odds: Tales of Choices explores the culture of India, particularly on the challenges that culture presents to women. Her Writers Group's forthcoming book is Colour Me a Rainbow.

Mike MacDonald’s mission is to educate people about the natural wonders of the Chicago area, which he conveys time and time again in his photography collections and his book, My Journey Into the Wilds of Chicago: A Celebration of Chicagoland’s Startling Natural Wonders. In addition to his photography work, he is a public speaker, teacher, and storyteller.

Julie Oleszek grew up the ninth child of ten. She graduated with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Education from NIU and National-Louis University. Julie taught elementary students for eighteen years before making the decision to write full time. She and her husband live in Chicago’s western suburbs. Just Like Ziggy is her second novel, building on the story in The Fifth Floor.

Luisa Buehler writes the Grace Marsden series, which features an amateur obsessive-compulsive sleuth who is drawn to cold cases by the spirits of the deceased. Meanwhile, her retired MI6 husband and police officer ex-lover struggle to keep her safe. Her stories are 'whodunits' with equal parts mystery, romance, and the supernatural. Luisa and her husband Gerry (not MI6) live in Lisle.

Paul Ciolino is a Homicide Investigation expert and seven year Army veteran sergeant who served in the combat arms and military police. His long and decorated career as an Investigator led to several books on the subject, as well as the biography Dead in Six Minutes, the story of Dr. Stanley M. Jydlo Jr. and the founding of the modern Emergency Medical System and Paramedic program.