Midwest Writers Room

BIO:Alicia Boemi calls herself a ‘literary dabbler’, she is the author of the children's books, THE MAILBOAT DOG and THE SAFETY PATROL DOG. Alicia has a poetry chapbook called THE LAKE REMAINS coming out summer of 2026. She is also the owner of two businesses, a bookstore in Lake Geneva called Lakeside Books, and a social media storytelling agency called Izzy Works Media.LINKS:@[email protected]

BIO:Scott is an Army veteran, former middle school and high teacher, journal editor, and healthcare administrator. He and his wife, Colleen, have four children and two grandchildren. He holds master’s degrees in English and moral theology and an MBA. Scott is a member of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and the Wisconsin Writers Association and is on the board of directors of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra. He is the author of a recently published poetry chapbook titled Without a Prayer, and his work has appeared in Mobius, America, Door is a Jar, New Verse News, and Moss Piglet, among other literary publications. LINK:https://scottmcconnaha.com/about/

BIO:Debra Hall is a Racine poet whose work explores the intersection of love, loss, and the sacred ordinary. She just published her debut chapbook, What the Current Cannot Swallow.  She serves as the current president of the Kenosha/Racine Poet Laureate program and she was Racine Poet Laureate from 2020-2022. Her poems have appeared in Bramble Literary Magazine, Wisconsin Poets Calendar(s), A Wreath of Golden Laurels by Local Gems Press and Moss PigletSYNOPSIS:Debra and her husband were on dream trip in Rome when a medical emergency changed everything. Brain surgery, navigating a foreign healthcare system in a language not their own, and a dire six-month prognosis—the crisis that followed would test their 35-year marriage. In this intimate chapbook, ancient gods and Catholic icons become unexpected companions through illness and loss. Hall traces her journey from crisis through grief to hard-won transcendence, finding that even in the current's pull toward despair, moments of grace remain.LINKS:https://www.poetdebra.com/

BIO:SYNOPSIS:Waves of Shrapnel: A Soldier’s Journey” is a dark, raunchy, and unfiltered memoir from Jason’s time in the Iraq War. It captures the reality of deployment—the absurdity, the fear, and the dark humor that keeps soldiers going. While it doesn’t hold back, at its core the book is about brotherhood, loss, and honoring the men we lost. It’s not a polished war story—it’s the one that actually gets told behind closed doors.LINKS:

BIO:Bruce Landay writes near future military political techno-thrillers. As a former US Air Force officer, he brings an authentic vibe to his military characters, their mission focus, and internal motivation to defend their core principles and their country. He consults with multiple military experts on his books to get the facts right.Landay also writes a weekly Substack column, Future Trends and Science Fiction, where he reviews new technology and how it was portrayed in the past by science fiction books, films, and television.SYNOPSIS:Five years ago, a covert rescue mission at a Chinese military base ended in slaughter. Navy Special Ops pilot Jazmin Hassani was the sole survivor of a live test of a classified directed-energy weapon—left broken, burned, and not expected to live.Now the weapon strikes again. On American soil.Assigned to investigate, Jazmin uncovers a conspiracy powerful enough to bury the truth. When a U.S. Senator shuts down the case and intelligence agencies deny the weapon exists, she goes underground. Teaming with a rogue Cyber Command operative, Jazmin defies orders to expose the truth—while hunted by elite operatives and betrayed by her own government.LINKS:https://brucelanday.com/https://brucelanday.substack.com/https://www.amazon.com/Electromagnetic-Assault-Bruce-Landay-ebook/dp/B0GBLBZLBKhttps://bookshop.org/p/books/electromagnetic-assault-bruce-landay/416f175721b96489?ean=9798993999203&next=t

BIO:Katrina worked as a therapist, professor, and researcher in the field of occupational therapy for over two decades. She started poemwalking after a delightful midlife crisis and ended up hiking the entire 1,200 miles of Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Katrina published a chapbook, First Steps (Brain Mill Press, 2025), that won the Brain Mill Press + Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Chapbook Contest, and a full-length collection of foraged poems, A Thousand Miles of Poetry released this month with WWA Press. Her poems have been featured in a variety of publications including Ploughshares, Blue Heron Review, The Solitary Plover, Scrawl Place, Portage Magazine, and Bramble. LINKS:https://katrinaserwe.com/

BIO:Brad H. Hill is the author of No One Is Normal: Breaking Free from Normal, a collection of raw and honest short stories exploring struggle, identity, and the pressure to live up to society’s idea of “normal.” Drawing from personal experience and real life observations, Brad writes about adversity, resilience, addiction, personal growth, and the complicated paths people take to find themselves. His work resonates with readers who have ever felt like they didn’t quite fit the mold. Brad is also the host of the No One Is Normal Podcast, where he continues the conversation by exploring the deeper stories behind personal transformation and self discovery.SYNOPSIS:No One Is Normal is a powerful collection of short stories that challenge the idea that anyone’s life follows a “normal” path. Through deeply personal experiences and honest reflection, Brad Hill explores themes of adversity, addiction, resilience, identity, and the difficult lessons that shape who we become. Rather than presenting life as a tidy self help formula, the book reveals the messy reality of growth and the strength that can emerge from struggle. Each story invites readers to reflect on their own journey and reminds them that the parts of life that make us feel different may actually be the things that define our strength.LINKS:https://www.bradhhill.com/

BIO:Tammy Borden is sought-after speaker and author of Waltraud: A True Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany, a World War II novel based on her mother’s first-hand accounts as a German girl during one of the darkest chapters in history. As a professional copywriter turned novelist, she also worked in nonprofits for more than 20 years where she helped others tell their stories before pursuing her own creative endeavors. She and her husband live in Wisconsin where they enjoy nature, gardening, and Sunday afternoon naps.SYNOPSIS:Waltraud: A True Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany is a gripping tale of survival and quiet resistance. Inspired by true accounts of the real Waltraud, the author’s mother, the novel shines a rare light on World War II from a German citizen perspective inside Hitler’s Germany, and introduces an unsung heroine who refuses to give in to an ideology of hate. Waltraud is more than a story of war. It is a testament to resilience, unbreakable love, and the strength of the human spirit.LINKS:TammyBorden.com

BIO:Laurie spent 15 years as the books editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune (now called the Minnesota Star Tribune) and is the author of News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist, also published by the University of Minnesota Press and winner of a Minnesota Book Award. She reviews books for the Washington Post and the Boston Globe, and teaches in the MFA in Narrative Nonfiction program at the University of Georgia.SYNOPSIS:Laurie’s new book, “Ghosts of Fourth Street,” is a memoir that takes place in 1965 and 1966 in Duluth. It’s the story of a big complicated family that faces tragedy when the oldest son died, and it is told through the eyes of Laurie as a nine-year-old child. The book examines themes of family and loss, but it is mainly about the power of story—the stories told about the past, the stories families tell about themselves, the stories that little Laurie read In books that gave her solace during a difficult time. And it’s about the stories that families don’t tell, and what that kind of silence means.LINKS:lauriehertzel.net

BIO:Geoff grew up in Southwestern Wisconsin playing both football and the cello. He is the author of nine Young Adult novels, a picture book, and a literary novel. He received the Cybils Award for best YA Fiction, the Minnesota Book Award, and the Burr/Worzalla Award from the Wisconsin Library Association. Geoff’s books have been highlighted by the Junior Library Guild and listed among the year’s best by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association, and the International Literacy Association. In the past, he produced radio comedy shows and toured rock clubs telling weird stories. Geoff teaches creative writing at Minnesota State University, Mankato.LINKS:https://gjherbach.com/

Bio: Jackie Redmer is a family medicine physician who practices geriatrics and palliative care in the Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin. She is also the mother of three school-aged daughters.  She started writing poetry during the pandemic to steady herself during the brief pauses of a busy life.  Over the years this has taken on different forms.  Her writing has been published in the Examined Life Journal, The Intima Journal, Bramble, Pulse, Wisconsin Poets Calendar and Kevin MD Blog. She completed the Columbia University Narrative Medicine CPA Program and pursued creative writing courses through Stanford University Continuing Studies Program. Synopsis: Dissociative EffectDissociative Effect is Dr. Redmer’s debut poetry collection. In this book she reminds us that humans have evolved to "think in stories, to talk in stories, to narrate an unfolding autobiography to ourselves in stories . . ." She reminds us that the narrative process is a template for healing as our narrative lives can be rewritten, retold, restoried. The "dissociative effect" is a reference to the anesthetic ketamine and the distance one can sometimes feel from living an embodied, authentic life. It is also a testimonial to the perspective shifting that is a necessary part of healing and the wisdom that can come from aging. Dr. Redmer uses Dissociative Effect as her own blueprint for healing. She organizes the book in 3 sections - disease (pathos), diagnosis (diagnoses), and treatment (ad sanadum) and exposes lessons learned when one looks deeply at the difficulties encountered in living a life.LINKS:jaquelineredmer.com

BIO:Richard is an award-winning writer and longtime morning radio host. He received his Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to that he studied English Literature and Creative Writing at UW-Stevens Point, winning the English Department Award, the Letters and Science Award, and the Ellen Specht Memorial Award, all while graduating summa cum laude. Richard also hosts a popular morning radio show in central Wisconsin. His decades-long tenure in radio has earned him numerous broadcast awards and significant recognition for his public service. He is also a joke writer for a world-famous comedian.SYNOPSIS:An immortal monster searching for a way to die, and the little girl who gives him reason to live. At its most basic, that describes the heart of the story in ODE: The Scion of Nerikan. And while those two characters and their quest dominate the pages, it’s the friends and foes they meet along the way that truly flesh out their story. This emotional character-driven adventure has been described as a “gateway book” for those who have never read fantasy, and has been praised for its writing style and literary merit, including earning a prestigious “starred review” by Kirkus Reviews.LINKS:www.RichardSweitzer.com

BIO:Kara is an elementary school teacher by day and a literary agent for 3 Seas Literary Agency by mid-afternoon. She is passionate about championing high-interest, accessible stories that celebrate diverse identities and experiences. Having grown up immersed in the publishing world, Kara developed an early appreciation for the journey from manuscript to bookshelf. She is drawn to heartfelt, authentic stories that resonate in both vibrant classrooms and cozy reading corners. LINKS:https://www.threeseasagency.com/

BIO:Sarah, who writes under the pen name, Serra Wildheart, is a multi-genre indie author, speaker, and coach. The Legends of Star Junction series invites readers on an entertaining and insightful journey with captivating characters and mystical allies. She is the managing co-founder of Scribe Hive Publishing, which is a cooperative of indie authors. LINKS:www.serrawildheart.comhttps://www.scribehivepublishing.com/serra-wildheart

BIO:Angie is a former pediatrician, mother, and a Wisconsinite from birth. Her interests run the gamut from genealogy to the obsessive collecting of perennials, from pilates to creative napping. Voices is her second book, the first was a work of nonfiction genealogical mystery titled The Accidental Archivist. She is a member of AllWriters Workplace & Workshop and a member of the Door County Published Authors Collective. She lives between Franklin and Gills Rock, Wisconsin, with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.SYNOPSIS:When Elena moves to small-town Belvedere her junior year, she worries about fitting her high-achieving self into a new small-town school. When she starts hearing voices, the challenges wildly multiply. Told from the points of view of Elena, her mother, and a new frenemy named Kat, Voices explores relationships between women and the stories we tell ourselves--with a dash of magical realism thrown in.LINKS:www.angelabier.com

BIO:Mike Barden wrote From Reactive to Resilient because he lived it. After his 25-year marriage ended, his career in ministry dissolved, and his belief system shifted, he found himself wondering, "Who am I now?" The book emerged from his journey through identity crisis—discovering that beneath all the roles and labels, something steady remained - the core self. Mike currently works in customer support for a software company and performs regularly as keyboardist for Boogie and the Yoyoz out of Appleton. He lives in central Wisconsin with his wife Melony and wrote this book to help others find clarity during life's hardest transitions.SYNOPSIS:From Reactive to Resilient: Practical Awareness for Major Life Changes is a guide for anyone navigating identity crisis during divorce, job loss, crisis of faith, or any other major transitions. When the roles that defined you fall away, who are you underneath? This book introduces the C.A.L.M. Method—a four-step framework (Connect, Allow, Let Go, Move Forward) grounded in mindfulness and psychology research. Through fifteen chapters, practical exercises, and a 30-day action plan, readers learn to distinguish between reactive patterns and conscious responses. Non-dogmatic and evidence-based, it's written for readers who want real tools without spiritual or motivational jargon—a practical companion for life's hardest moments.LINKS:www.ReactiveToResilient.com

BIO:Michael Carr has a background in editing and writing, and represents writers in a variety of genres, with a special emphasis on historical fiction, mystery and suspense, and science fiction and fantasy.Michael works carefully with clients to produce the cleanest, most professional manuscripts and enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He speaks Brazilian Portuguese and Swahili, and before joining Veritas had professions as diverse as programming simulators for nuclear submarines and owning an inn in Vermont.LINKS:Veritasliterary.com 

BIO:Matt Cashion’s fourth book, HOW WE DO THINGS HERE (a finalist in the Flannery O’Connor Award for short fiction) is forthcoming February 17 (Cornerstone Press). His story collection, LAST WORDS OF THE HOLY GHOST won the 2015 Katherine Anne Porter Prize, and his novel, OUR 13th DIVORCE, won the Edna Ferber Prize. Other work appears in The Sun, Cincinnati Review, Willow Springs, Carolina Quarterly, The Writer’s Chronicle, and elsewhere. Born in the North Carolina mountains and raised in Coastal Georgia, he earned an MFA from the University of Oregon and now teaches Creative Writing at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. SYNOPSIS:In Wisconsin and Florida backyards, waiting rooms, boardrooms, and bedrooms, HOW WE DO THINGS HERE exposes the hilarity and heartbreak caused by mess-makers struggling to survive themselves, each other, and the places they’re trying to call home. Gun-toting neighbors offer too much help, dead grandmothers make demands, music professors erupt from noise-pollution, a daughter confronts her estranged father (and his pet vulture) after a hurricane, outcasts humiliate themselves at high school and family reunions, men resolve violent confrontations from their backs, the world’s loudest typewriter threatens sanity, a college student educates his professor in the art of failure, an emergency meeting of the Hospitality Committee adjourns with murder. Inside moments that make us laugh and wince, these slow-learners teach us how to fail and forgive and try again to forge connections in all the troubled spaces we’re so desperate to share.LINKS:https://mattcashion.com/

BIO:Ken Humphrey is the author of nine novels in the genres of middle grade, teen reader and adult thriller. His most recent release, The Breakfast Jury, spawned from a Kenosha, WI, murder trial. He served as jury foreman for a man accused of murdering his wife with antifreeze. The result of this experience was a murder mystery that's part Breakfast Club and part John Grisham thriller. Ken is also the Director of Operations for Wisconsin Writers Association after retiring from a corporate technology career in 2023. He also spends an unjustifiable amount of time keeping his collection of German vehicles in working condition.SYNOPSIS:In 1999, a jury of misfits is thrust into the case of the century. A man stands accused of poisoning his wife with antifreeze and they are charged to deliver judgment. During the longest trial in Wisconsin state history, they unwittingly form bonds stronger than anyone could have predicted and come to realize their differences are not so great after all.One year later, a reunion turns deadly when they fall victim to poison. Is this targeted retribution for their verdict or simply forewarning of something darker to come?Enter disgraced detective Aramis "Arch" White and his penchant for finding trouble. As he digs into the shadows, skepticism plays a third wheel, blurring the line between duty and vendetta. Can he unmask the puppeteer orchestrating this twisted tango? The clock is ticking and as time winds down he finds that vengeance possesses a wicked sense of irony.LINKS:kenhumphrey.com

BIO:Erin has spent the last 29 years in middle school. Yes, by choice. She is a cross categorical teacher specializing in reading, writing, math & social thinking, and an experienced mother of two daughters. She has a master’s degree and is twice National Board certified. Writing has been a lifelong project.  Between the Lines (book one of a three-book series) and Seeing Eye to Eye (book two in the series) were created out of a need observed in classrooms every day. Erin was born, raised, and continues to teach in Wisconsin.  She  loves coffee, card games, and traveling with her family.LINKS:Website - erinminchk.comInstagram - @erinminchk

BIO:Today we are interviewing Maggie Ginsberg. Maggie Ginsberg is the author of the novel Still True, published by the University of Wisconsin Press and winner of the Wisconsin Library Association’s 2023 Literary Award for Fiction. Still True was the honorable mention selection for the 2022 Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award, and is the 2026 inaugural pick for the new Wisconsin Libraries’ statewide Wisconsin Reads digital book club. Maggie is also a nonfiction writer who published hundreds of articles throughout her career, earning numerous honors from the City Regional Magazine Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Milwaukee Press Club, and others. She is the former managing editor at Madison Magazine, and now works full-time as an arts writer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.LINKS:maggieginsberg.com

BIO:Sloan Sullivan is a Wisconsin author whose picture book The Blueberries of Life was inspired by real Sunday mornings with her granddaughter Brooklyn and Grandpa Tom and the joy of blueberry pancakes shared around the table. Through her “Blueberry Adventures” series, Sloan celebrates family, gratitude, and the simple traditions that make life sweet. She loves connecting with readers at schools, libraries, and community events across Wisconsin and beyond. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying Lake Geneva sunsets, supporting local shops, or dreaming up new blueberry adventures.   SYNOPSIS: The Blueberries of Life is a heartwarming picture book that celebrates family, love, and the sweet traditions that shape us. When young Brooklyn spends a morning making blueberry pancakes with her Grandpa Tom, she discovers that the “blueberries of life” aren’t just in the bowl — they’re the people and moments that make life meaningful. Blending gentle wisdom with nostalgic charm, this story invites readers to slow down, savor connection, and remember that life’s richest blessings are found around the table. A tender reminder for readers of all ages to celebrate love, gratitude, and togetherness.LINKS:https://www.blueberriesoflife.com/@theblueberriesoflife

BIO:Julianne Lepp has a background in finance, game design, and massage therapy. She lives with rheumatoid arthritis and supports those living with chronic illness in many capacities. She has served as the parish minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, since 2010 and trained with Meadville Lombard Theological School to become a spiritual director.SYNOPSIS:Living with chronic illness has many challenges, and the journey is not just a physical one. Tend to Your Spirit is a companion for this emotional and spiritual journey, offering tools to help readers practice self-compassion and self-care. With candor and vulnerability, spiritual leaders Julianne Lepp and Florence Caplow, themselves living with long-term illness, offer insights and practices that can benefit anyone facing the emotional impact of a new or ongoing condition.Tend to Your Spirit is intended for people at any stage of their journey with chronic illness or chronic pain, to help you live a full, spiritually connected life—a life informed and shaped, but not defeated, by your illness.LINKS:https://www.juliannelepp.com/

BIO:TK Sheffield, MA, writes stories to laugh and escape, including Nellie’s Island, a children’s horse story set in Mackinac Island available at Island Books. Sheffield’s funny cozy mysteries are The Devil Wears Prada meets a Wisconsin supper club, and they’ve earned an IBPA Humor medal, a Claymore, and an IPPY. She also has a new magical romance series releasing in DECEMBER, THE VALENTINE LINES. She’s on the Wisconsin Writers Association’s board, host of the Wispresso Café, an author talk show, and a member of Blackbird Writers, SISTERS IN CRIME, and SCBWI.SYNOPSIS:The Valentine Lines reimagines Cupid—aka Bart McGee—as an underdog ditching the corporate grind of Mt. Olympus, Inc., for small-town life in quaint Mineral Point, Wisconsin. When Bart launches a matchmaking business and falls in love with a local baker, chaos ensues as his meddling Olympus relatives crash the scene. It’s packed with snappy banter, slapstick escapades, mythological mishaps, and thoughtful explorations of love, trust, and self-discovery. It’s "Kate & Leopold" meets "The Holiday,” a modern “Bell, Book, and Candle.” A light, literary escape for readers craving whimsy with emotional resonance. No sex, politics, foul language. Manuscript winner/finalist in CIBA (humor) and Southwest Writers.LINKS:https://tksheffieldwriter.com/

BIO:Steve is the winner of the Rick Bass Montana Prize for Fiction, the Zona Gale Award for Short Fiction, The Great Midwest Writing Contest, the Jade Ring Award, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters Fiction Contest, and the Midwestern Gothic Summer Flash Contest. His fiction has appeared in New Ohio Review, MQR, Whitefish Review, and others.SYNOPSIS:Award-winning writer Steve Fox returns with These Are My People, where some houses are dark, some are bright and smell of busy kitchens, and some have rooms beyond a looking glass. People crash trucks and make snow angels and spill coffee and buy pottery and self-starve and roam basements and day-drink at nursing homes and can smell broken love through brick walls and make apple pies for new neighbors. Whirling and wondrous, these stories show Fox at the peak of his powers.LINKS:https://stevefoxwrites.com/

BIO:Pernille Ipsen was professor of gender and women’s studies and history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for fifteen years and is now a full-time writer. The Danish-language version of this book, Et åbent øjeblik (An open moment), was published in 2020 and was awarded the Montana Prize for literature, one of Denmark’s top literary prizes. She divides her time between Madison and Copenhagen, Denmark.SYNOPSIS:On New Year’s Eve in Copenhagen in 1972, seven women had a child together: one gave birth and six others attended. They had met a year earlier at a feminist women’s camp on a small island and now, with about twenty other women’s liberationists, they occupied three dilapidated apartment buildings in the center of Copenhagen. One became the country’s first Women’s House, the nerve center of the Women’s Movement in Denmark, and the other two were women-only communal living spaces that were Pernille Ipsen’s first home. In this intimate portrait of life during the exhilarating early days of women’s liberation in Scandinavia and dramatic social change around the globe, she tells the stories of these seven women, her seven mothers.LINKS:pernilleipsen.com

BIO:Harvey Araton is a longtime sports journalist, a former New York Times columnist and author of 10 books, including Driving Mr. Yogi, a New York Times best-seller, and When The Garden Was Eden, the same title of an ESPN 30for30 documentary, which he co-produced. Araton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 for his work in media.SYNOPSIS:The Goal of the Game is a middle-grade readers novel that explores the pleasures and pressures of youth sports at a time when for-profit business has developed a major impact on the games children play. The story follows Zane Hamill, known as Z, from early days of rec league soccer to elite club competition and finally to a declaration of the terms by which he is willing to play. LINKS:https://www.harveyaraton.com/

BIO:Sarah Jane Peters is a peace and love teacher in Green Bay, WI, licensed counselor, storyteller, musician, and mother of three. Through her practice, she helps families navigate the digital world with presence, emotional connection, and care. SYNOPSIS:Written with busy caregivers in mind, it offers quick-access tools, age-specific strategies, and reflective prompts that deepen your understanding of how to meet your child’s emotional needs in a fast-paced, tech-saturated world.Through nervous system awareness, creative analogies, and gentle encouragement, Sarah Jane invites you to return to presence, nurture your relationship with your child, and explore how healing your own story transforms the parenting journey.Ideal for parents, educators, and cycle-breakers ready to foster conscious connection and emotional clarity—without shame, rigidity, or overwhelm.LINKS:Peaceful-practicellc.com

BIO: Dennis McBride is Mayor of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a master’s degree in public administration from Princeton University, and a law degree from New York University. He practiced law for 35 years for Boston and Milwaukee law firms and the U.S. government.  A two-time marathon champion, he is a member of the UW-Milwaukee and Wauwatosa East High School Athletics Halls of Fame. He is the author of A City on the Edge: Pandemic, Protest, and Polarization and co-author, with his twin brother Patrick, of The Luckiest Boy in the World. SYNOPSIS:As a pandemic convulsed America in 2020, mass shootings soared and the murder of George Floyd touched off international protests. Churning in the background were a bitter presidential campaign and counterprotests opposing health measures and the election result. Every mayor struggled with some of these challenges, but Dennis McBride, the new mayor of a mostly-white suburb bordered by Milwaukee, faced them all. His city was a microcosm of a troubled nation. A City on the Edge tells how mayors have steered our hometowns through a storm of personal and political divisions, and how those events are still affecting America today. 

BIO:Michael holds a BA in English Literature and an MA and PhD in Communication Science, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Michael purchased Orange Hat from founder Shannon Ishizaki in 2024. Before that, he worked in academic research and evaluation positions at the University of Illinois and the Medical College of Wisconsin. When not running Orange Hat, Michael is also an adjunct professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he teaches writing. Michael is a Wisconsin native. He grew up in Algoma, WI, just south of Door County.  LINKS:https://www.orangehatpublishing.com/

BIO:James is a New York City–born Puerto Rican writer now living just across the Mississippi in Winona, Minnesota. He was born with congenital cataracts and has never had sight in his left eye. At age nine, he lost much of his remaining sight in the right eye due to a racial assault. A decade later a medical breakthrough restored the sight to his right eye. Because of his experiences his memoir follows his entry into the early disability rights movement which helped ground his work as a community organizer and, later as a nationally recognized social justice educator and environmentalist.SYNOPSIS:After a classmate hurled a horseshoe at his face James became legally blind. At home, too, he feared physical violence, experiencing the unpredictable outbursts of a single mother suffering from mental illness. Searching for relief and inspiration, he discovered an unexpected solace in the natural world, spiritual encounters with Mother Earth that led him toward both personal healing and advocacy. An Eye for an I presents both James and his aggressors with refreshing nuance and humility, inviting readers to empathize, be inspired, and consider their own potential to be of service in a broken, yet beautiful, world. LINKS:https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517919146/an-eye-for-an-i/

BIO:Thomas Cannon was raised on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. In 2021, he was named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Oshkosh. He has written an eclectic collection of books and has many poems and short stories published in journals. Thomas and his wife have raised three children and have three grandchildren.SYNOPSIS:A troubled life has led spirited Auburn Halverson to make every mistake that came her way. At twenty-three, she has finally created a stable life for her two children. However, when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating, the trauma of her childhood tells her to fall back into her destructive patterns. She must learn that choosing the pain she knows is not a sign of weakness, but a symptom of staying strong too long.Her journey of healing begins, but she must give herself permission to stop calling the girl in the mirror ugly or face losing everything.LINKS:https://thomascannonauthor.com/Author Showcase of Oshkosh > https://www.youtube.com/@authorshowcaseofoshkoshwi

BIO:Nora is a syndicate author for Thrill Ride eZine and The Butchered Writers. She is an editor for Baynam Books Press and also is a freelance narrator and editor. For the Sake of Brigid, her first novelette, came out on May 24, 2024, from Baynam Books Press, and her first short story collection, Cemetery Tacos on Wednesday and Other Delights, will be published in November of 2025 from JournalStone. Her debut novel, Flesh-Eating Turtles! was published in June of 2025 by The Evil Cookie Publishing She also reads scripts for The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.SYNOPSIS: Agne Labs is researching the effects of altering turtles. Little do they know their work will have dire consequences for Morgandale and the surrounding areas. When two foolish lovers steal some of the turtles, all hell breaks loose. Those specimens bite other species, including humans, triggering wild hybrid transformations. Don’t worry though, The Supe Unit is on the case, as are the lab researchers and friends, Louisa and Renuka. Throughout the madness, bloodshed, and mayhem, new bonds are forged, missteps are made, and weirdness abounds. Will this group of misfits save the day or see Turtlepocalypse change the planet forever?LINKS:Nora B. Peevy (@biteycat.bsky.social) — Bluesky, (6) Nora B. Peevy (@nora_b._peevy) • Threads, Say more, (2) Nora B. Peevy (@NoraBPeevy) / X, (1) Nora B. Peevy | Substack, Nora B. Peevy (@[email protected]) - Mastodon, (1) Instagram, (1) Facebook, https://www.slasher.tv/Nora1976/about, NoraBPeevy1976 (@norapeevy1976) | TikTok

BIO:Wade Walker is the author of the Code Name: LoneWolf action-horror spy series, blending classic pulp, supernatural suspense, and action thrills. His novels—Bite of the Wolf, Operation Frankenstein, and the newest release, the short story special Night of the Pumpkin Man—mix monsters, espionage, and dark humor in the spirit of Ian Fleming, Hammer Horror, and 1960s Eurospy cinema. He is also the author of the upcoming poetry collection Dead Love: Apocalyptic Pop Sonnets, releasing October 13. True to the top-secret subjects he writes about, he resides in an undisclosed location in the wilds of Wisconsin.SYNOPSIS:In the tiny hamlet of Gallows End, fearful whispers warn of the legendary Pumpkin Man and his harvest of death. Into this haunted village comes secret agent—and werewolf—Val West, Code Name: LoneWolf, who discovers the legend, and the fear behind it, conceal a deadly truth. A barmaid with suspicions of her own becomes his lone ally in a mission where ever darker dangers lurk behind every shadow. Espionage and supernatural horror collide in a pulp Halloween special of claws, sickles, and sinister secrets.LINKS:www.codenamelonewolf.com

BIO:Maxine Rosaler is the author of the novel-in-stories Queen for a Day (Delphinium Books, 2018), which was nominated for the Kirkus Prize. The Jewish Book Council selected it as one of ten recommended fiction books in 2021. Her work has appeared in Prairie Schooner, Tikkun, The Southern Review, Glimmer Train, Witness, Fifth Wednesday, and other literary journals. Her stories have been cited in Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays. Her latest collection, The Missing Kidney and Other Stories, received a starred Kirkus Review and was named one of Oprah Daily’s "Best Summer Reads of 2025."SYNOPSIS:The Missing Kidney and Other Stories is set in New York City during the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. The collection vividly captures the city’s sidewalks, streets, and subways, with cameo appearances by the people Maxine’s characters encounter in the course of their days and nights.LINKS:www.maxinerosaler.com

BIO:Steve is the winner of the Rick Bass Montana Prize for Fiction, the Zona Gale Award for Short Fiction, The Great Midwest Writing Contest, the Jade Ring Award, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters Fiction Contest, and the Midwestern Gothic Summer Flash Contest. His fiction has appeared in New Ohio Review, MQR, Whitefish Review, and others.His short-story collection, Sometimes Creek, was published by Cornerstone Press in January 2023 and received the 2023 American Book Fest Best Book Award, was a finalist for the Chicago Writers Association 2023 Book of the Year Award, and long-listed for the Edna Ferber Award. His next story collection, These Are My People (Cornerstone Press), publishes December 2025. Steve lives in Wisconsin with his wife, three boys, and one dog.LINKS:stevefoxwrites.com@stevefoxwrites

BIO:Scott Eveloff MD is a pulmonary physician with thirty years’ experience of treating seriously ill patients. He has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, ABC’s 20/20, and Inside Edition. His insider’s knowledge of the many ways to harm patients in today’s hospitals as there are to heal them prompted this debut novel.Dr. Eveloff is an exercise fanatic, but loves evenings out on the deck with a good whiskey as well. He loves to travel but hates cruises, and can often be found attending concerts of his favorite (aging) musicians. He is enjoying retirement with his supportive physician wife. Spending time resuscitating plot lines instead of patients, he remains motivated by the comforting recollections of an uplifting childhood and by his late son Andrew, whose boundless enthusiasm lives forever like the characters he inspired.SYNOPSIS:Overworked intern DR. HARRY LINDMARK is suspected of a nefarious role when a young patient under his care dies unexpectedly, grotesquely. Visions of long-dead patients plague him, led by the specter of SYLVESTER MORROW, a brilliant but soulless physician who had died in that same hospital from a terrible medical mistake. Harry confronts an inconceivable reality –forces from beyond death are exacting revenge on the living. He eventually uncovers the real reason behind the unholy turmoil. The dead don’t mean to kill the living – they mean to escape the afterlife limbo they have been thrust into. Disguised as tragic medical errors, each Code Blue is an attempt to reclaim life by stealing into patients at the moment of death, when a body lies vulnerable after its soul departs. The most evil of the dead, Dr. Morrow, gives an ultimatum after Harry foils previous attempts on his patients:  Harry will provide his own body for Morrow’s escape from eternity, or more patients and everyone Harry cares about will die. Harry resolves to sacrifice himself, with hidden purpose.LINKS:

BIO:Silvia Acevedo writes stories for kids and adults who want magic and mystery in their world.She stirred up monster hijinks in her latest title, MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS: CRASH COURSE. And she called up a Wisconsin ghost in the spooky anthology, THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA. Before that, she barely escaped the gods’ wrath in her mythological GOD AWFUL series.Silvia’s worked in New York publishing, led the Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and served on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Writers Association.SYNOPSIS:A 10-year-old boy desperate for a new best friend orders monsters from an ad at the back of an old comic book.Marco Torres needs a new bestie. His best friend isn’t talking to him, and he’s suddenly got a bully—the twin of his crush. So when Marco spots an ad in the back of a comic book for mail-order monsters, he’s in. Unleashing their magic unleashes trouble. And when his ex-bestie challenges him to settle their score, it’s Marco’s monsters against his robot in a remote control truck race through the neighborhood junk yard. But Marco soon wonders what exactly he’s fighting for.LINKS:Website: www.SilviaAcevedo.comFacebook: /SilviaAcevedoAuthorBluesky: /silviaacevedo.com

BIO:Roy Behrens is an Iowa-based writer, designer and artist, who taught for 46 years at art schools and universities throughout the country. The author of eight books, he is known for his writings about about art, design and camouflage, and for his illustrations, including the cover of Jerzy Kosinski’s The Painted Bird, and the short stories of Guy Davenport and other well-known writers. He was art director of the North American Review for many years; contributing editor of the New York newstand magazine PRINT; and founding editor of Ballast Quarterly Review. Hehas been a recipient of the Pushcart Prize; was nominated for the Smithsonian’s National Design Awards; and was praised in Communication Arts magazine as “one of the most original thinkers in design.”SYNOPSIS:This book of twenty-five essays will be of heightened interest to anyone who is eager to know about neglected people and events in the history of Iowa and the Midwest. The essays recount the adventures of extraordinary people who tend to be omitted from the standard accounts of Hollywood stars, politicians, and sports heroes—and are of course eclipsed by such memorable films as Field of Dreams. In an effort to scratch beneath the top soil, the author revisits the colorful lives of those who are often forgotten, including those who were born in Iowa, or lived in Iowa—or perhaps only stopped by to visit.LINKS:https://northerniowa.academia.edu/RoyBehrens

BIO: Andrew Patrie teaches English language, literature, and creative writing in West Central Wisconsin where he lives with his family. He has self-published two previous collections of poems: Nights, Grace (2006) and Half-Life (2016). His work has appeared most recently in Barstow and Grand, Sky Island Journal, Twig, and on Wisconsin Public Radio. He is a contributor to Volume One magazine and the underground Polish heavy metal ‘zine Burning Abyss. Clumsy Love is his first nonfiction book.SYNOPSIS:Clumsy Love tells the story of one father’s evolving, imperfect, and deeply genuine efforts to raise his transgender child. As Simone transitions and enters adolescence, her father grapples with increasingly complex questions: How can he fully support her without being consumed by worry for her safety? What should be done with family photos that capture a version of Simone that no longer exists? And how can he mourn the son he thought he had while wholeheartedly embracing the daughter he now loves?As Simone grows into the person she’s always known herself to be, her father embarks on a parallel journey―learning, day by day, what it truly means to love the unexpected child who changed his world.

BIO: Joe is the author of the Youtopia technothriller series; the third installment, Youtopia Infinity, is scheduled for release this December. He is also author of Roads without Houses, a collection of short stories set in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He is currently a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, a health nut, and the father of four exhausting but rewarding children. LINKS:https://josephrein.com/

BIO:Rebecca grew up in Wisconsin, only leaving the state for two years to join the U.S. Peace Corps. Her debut novel, It’s Over or It’s Eden, is a first contact novel set in the Rocky Mountains. Her space opera series, The Displacement Duology, includes Dangerous to Heal and Negotiated Fate, and tells the story of a woman who has the ability to heal others and the intergalactic corporation that wants to monetize her. Rebecca co-founded the book coaching firm Conquer Books and has been recognized as a Door County Hal Prize winner, an Appleton sidewalk poet, and is a full member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. She’s here today to share about her upcoming fantasy romance, Landsome Roads.SYNOPSIS:Real life doesn’t compare to an imaginary one fueled by Dottie’s favorite book series, Landsome Roads. After her obsession gets her in trouble at work, Dottie escapes to the library only to find she’s read all the romantic fantasy on the shelves. Dottie wanders into a wing she’s never seen before and finds herself drawn to a new book. When she opens the cover, she finds herself hand in hand with Sorrel, who says she’s Dottie's Fairy Bookmother. Sorrel is testing a new division of fantasy and promises she can send Dottie directly into the world of Landsome Roads to meet the handsome male lead, but only if Dottie agrees to help solve a late-series plot problem. Dottie says Sorrel’s crazy, but in true Fairy Bookmother fashion, Sorrel sends her anyway…LINKS:https://rebeccamzornow.com/

BIO:Terri Blair is a non-fiction writer, artist, amateur genealogist, and business owner. She has over 40 years of psychic training, including studying at the Edgar Cayce Association for Enlightenment and Research (A.R.E.) and with other accomplished teachers of psychic studies and mediumship. She has written feature articles for Psychic News Magazine in the UK, The Edge Magazine and posts articles regularly on Substack.Terri lives in Shorewood, Wisconsin with her partner Joe, in a lovely 100-year-old home, with an urban backyard garden, the neighbors call “The farm.”SYNOPSIS:A uniquely thrilling first-person account of what happens when psychic skills and ancestry research merge. Remarkable things begin to occur as ancestor mysteries are uncovered and solved using research and spirit communication. Surprising twists and turns ensue along the way. It begins as Terri steps into a labyrinth and hears a whisper from beyond the grave.Terri’s life has been full of paranormal events, and her psychic skills push the boundaries of what is possible in ancestry research. Honest, heartfelt, and inspiring, this tale may spark your interest in discovering your roots and exploring your own psychic potential.LINKS:www.terriblairauthor.comFacebook: terriblairauthorInstagram: @terriblairauthorBluesky: @terriblair.bsky

BIO:Rodney grew up in Sheboygan County, inspired by comic artist Steve Ditko’s Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, and painter James Bama’s Doc Savage covers. After seven years teaching middle school science in North Dakota, he launched a 22-year career in information technology while pursuing a parallel path in writing and publishing.  In 2009, he began reporting for The Random Lake Sounder, later joining The Plymouth Review as reporter, layout editor, and editor of The Plymouth Review Current. With WWA Press, he edited A Wisconsin Harvest Vol. II and published the comic Human Interest Stuff. Today, he designs and publishes books and serves as editor of The Current.LINKS:www.facebook.com/groups/plymrevcurrenthttps://www.plymouth-review.com/pageview/viewer/Current

BIO:Erica is the founder and CEO of Lake Literary Center, a literary arts hub in Fond du Lac offering writing workshops, book clubs, author readings, literary events, and open mics, plus more programming coming soon. She holds an MFA in creative writing (fiction) from Antioch University Los Angeles and a bachelor's degree in journalism & mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A former magazine editor-in-chief and marketing director for Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, her writing appears in Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Lunch Ticket, BusinessWeek, and several nonfiction books. She has worked in writing, editorial, communications, and marketing since 2010. Floyd is currently writing a second novel, essays, and translations. Floyd lives in rural Fond du Lac County, where she co-owns Gourmet’s Delight Mushrooms, a second-generation family-owned, certified organic mushroom farm.

BIO:Described by MKE Lifestyle magazine as “Indiana Jones with a camera,” Jeannée Sacken is a photojournalist who travels to the ends of the earth, documenting the lives of women and children. She also photographs wildlife and is deeply committed to the conservation of endangered species. Jeannee has fictionalized many of her experiences while on assignment in her multiple award-winning Annie Hawkins Series. Her new novel, The Women Who Stand Between, releases September 16, 2025.  SYNOPSIS:Julia Wilde is one of the best cinematographers in the business. While on location in southern Africa, she is unfairly blamed for an accident that leaves several crew members dead. Blacklisted by Hollywood, she takes a job in the film department at a Midwestern university only to discover that tenure depends on her making a movie.With several filmmaking friends in tow, Julia heads to Zimbabwe to make a documentary about the Mambas, a fierce all-female anti-poaching unit who risk their lives to protect endangered species. But as Julia soon learns, being behind the lens is no protection from poachers who are determined to keep this movie from seeing the light of day.LINKS:jeanneesacken.com

BIO:DJ Slater is a Milwaukee native with a love for sharing stories. He wrote his first in third grade followed by several more during his school years, mostly about dinosaurs and an ambitious detective. His passion for writing took him on an appropriate career path – journalism, magazines and marketing. He has a BA in Journalism and History from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.When not writing, he loves acting, singing, movies, his family, friends and (not surprisingly) haunted house attractions. A special shoutout to his late Grandma Barb, who told him to write his stories down.SYNOPSIS:Soon-to-be college graduate Seth McCartney finds his love for his favorite October pastime – visiting haunted house attractions – fading. His best friend and fellow horror enthusiast, Peyton Fischer, has already moved on from this tradition and wants to help Seth do the same, but not without one final hurrah. He suggests they find a fabled, traveling haunted house attraction that’s said to be too extreme and scary to finish.Intrigued, Seth and his friends follow a lead to the elusive haunt’s doorstep. But there’s a reason this locale has a frightening reputation, especially when its hallways contain the depths of true terror.LINKS:www.djslaterauthor.com

BIO:A six-generation farmer, Corey Geiger is the author of two award-winning books - On A Wisconsin Family Farm and The Wisconsin Farm They Built - that have won four national writing awards and sold copies in all 50 U.S. states. A unique and adventurous individual, Corey and his wife Krista have won their division as an amateur couple at the Fred Astaire National Finals and appeared on Family Feud with Steve Harvey.After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in agricultural economics and dairy science, Corey embarked on a 28-year editorial career at Hoard’s Dairyman, an international business-to-business magazine published in English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese. These days, Corey is the Lead Dairy Economist for CoBank, one of the largest providers of credit to U.S. agriculture. LINKS:https://www.coreygeiger.com/

BIO:Originally from Michigan, Michael MacBride now calls Minnesota home. He has delivered newspapers, worked for UPS, delivered pizzas, worked collections at a bank, was a roadie for a country band, was a grant-writer and funder-researcher for non-profits, taught English, Literature, and Humanities courses at universities and colleges in the Midwest, and held a few other jobs in between. Now, he writes; helps others publish their books with Salty Books Publishing; host, edits, and produces the "Veritas Views" podcast; and has a "regular" job, too. He thoroughly enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and their two boys.SYNOPSIS:At the Wake is a gripping portrait of Achiel Van Slyck—a veteran whose violent act in 1975 left a legacy of trauma, silence, and generational scars. Told through the voices of family and victims alike, this novel unravels the truth behind a man shaped by war and rage. As relatives confront the past and each other, they struggle to reconcile love with betrayal. Set in a small town over decades, Michael David MacBride’s haunting story examines how families endure, the pain of unspoken histories, and whether we can ever outrun the damage passed down to us.LINKS:https://www.michaelmacbride.com/Home

BIO:James is a Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin author of contemporary fiction. James began his career in television production and moved on to all forms of marketing and advertising, always with a writing and creative focus. He also avidly pursued music. Between 2003 and 2007, he and his wife left careers, sold their home, and focused on music, performing across Wisconsin. During this time, James wrote two novels, Shrugging and Turntable. His third novel, Fortune Falls, was released in 2024.He has been published in collegiate literary journals, and most recently in the Midwest literary magazine, Barstow and Grand. SYNOPSIS:The Dancer and the Swan is the story of Pauline Swanson, a recovering alcoholic, who volunteers for a hospice program. She’s assigned to Deborah “DeeDee” Deneaux, a 76-year-old Creole woman in the final stages of pulmonary sarcoidosis. A bond develops between them as Pauline learns about DeeDee’s sprawling life story—her childhood in 1960's New Orleans, her provocative adventures in 1970's San Francisco, and her success in 1980's Chicago. But Pauline is plagued by the shame of her past, and haunted by an early childhood trauma. The Dancer and the Swan is a historical drama against the backdrop of urban renewal and social change, as well as an exploration of survival and forgiveness in the lives of two strong, unique women.LINKS:https://www.jameslpeters.com/