Midwest Writers Room

BIO : Marcy McCreary is the author of three published novels. The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon was a finalist for the Silver Falchion award for best investigative mystery. The Murder of Madison Garcia won the prestigious Society of Voice Arts & Sciences (SOVAS) award for best audiobook in the mystery category. The third book in the Ford Family Mystery series, The Summer of Love and Death , w...

Valerie Biel writes books for middle grade to adult audiences--stories inspired by her travels & insatiable curiosity. She's the author of the award-winning, Circle of Nine fantasy series--inspired by the mythology of Ireland, Beyond the Cemetery Gate—a YA mystery suspense novel, and the new book we'll talk about today. When Valerie's away from the computer, you might find her w...

Today we are speaking with Tracey Phillips. Tracey considers herself a serial artist who is an avid gardener, musician, piano teacher, artist, and author. She writes psychological thrillers and romantic suspense. Her debut, BEST KEPT SECRETS (Crooked Lane Books, 2019) won a Hugh Holton Award in 2018. She is a two-time finalist for the Claymore Award for best unpublished novel in ‘22, and ‘23. She...

Valerie Biel writes books for middle grade to adult audiences--stories inspired by her travels & insatiable curiosity. She's the author of the award-winning, Circle of Nine fantasy series--inspired by the mythology of Ireland, Haven—a contemporary middle grade story and the new book we'll talk about today. When Valerie's away from the computer, you might find her wrangling her o...

Mindy Quigley is the author of two lighthearted mystery series. Her latest, the Deep Dish Mysteries (Minotaur-St. Martin's Press) was a Woman’s World book club pick and has been featured in Parade magazine. Mindy's non-writing career is stranger than fiction, having taken her from the US to the UK, where she worked as the personal assistant to the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep and...

Luella is the board president of the Wisconsin Writers Association, and is co-founder & co-host of WWA's podcast, Midwest Writers Room. She writes fiction and essays about culture, democracy, justice, and history. She is the author of the America This Week series on Medium and the creator of Mirror in the Sky, a virtual community that explores the top 100 novels, movies, and albums. Prior...

Bio: Doug is a lifelong Madisonian and has worked as a journalist for more than four decades as a magazine editor, newspaper columnist, freelance writer and book author. He spent 5 years as editor of Madison Magazine and almost 20 years as a daily newspaper columnist, first for The Capital Times, then the Wisconsin State Journal. In that time he was named Madison’s best writer or columnist more th...

Bio:   Bill is a professor of English at UW Oshkosh and the author of many books, including the forthcoming “Robert Bloch and the Psycho Century: American Horror from Lovecraft to King” and “Concept Album,” a verse novel about the music scene in New York City in 1981. His creative and scholarly writing is available in all of the usual places online and in local bookstores in the Fox Valley. He liv...

This Chapter Break episode features Gregory Lee Renz and his latest publication BEYOND THE FLAMES published on 9/1/24. Gregory is an author and retired Milwaukee Hall-of-Fame Fire Captain. When he retired he thought he might like to write a novel based on the deep well of experiences his career provided. After only ten years of creative writing courses, conferences, and workshops, he published his...

Catherine Jagoe is a British American poet, essayist and translator. Her poems have been featured on The Writer’s Almanac and Poetry Daily. Her previous poetry collections include Bloodroot , News from the North , and Casting Off . Bloodroot won the 2016 Settlement House American Poetry Prize, the Council for Wisconsin Writers poetry book award, and the Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Ac...

Kim is the author of the story collections Nothing to Lose and Close Call , both published by Cornerstone Press at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Her work has appeared in many journals including at Midwest Review , Wisconsin People & Ideas, and Pink Panther Magazine . Kim is also Director of Red Oak Writing where she leads critique groups, provides individual manuscript feedback...

Amy Renshaw fell in love with mysteries as a kid, when she discovered Nancy Drew books in her grandmother’s attic. She admires strong women who courageously blaze new trails, both in real life and fiction. Strong Suspicions , the first book in the Sophie Strong Mystery Series, fulfilled her dream to create her own female detective. Amy’s day job is working as Senior Editor for Brilliant Star magaz...

Today we are talking with Laurie Scheer. Often referred to as the Media Goddess, Laurie works with writers and is involved in every aspect of writing - from conception to publication.  A former Entertainment Industry executive, Laurie analyzed manuscripts and scripts as they entered the competitive media marketplace. In her role as Faculty Associate and the Director of UW Madison’s annual Writers’...

This Chapter Break episode features Robb Grindstaff and his latest publication Bones of Dead Man’s Bluff . Bio : Robb’s journalism career took him from small southern towns to Washington DC, five years in Tokyo, and nine years in Wisconsin. He has five novels and a short story collection published with a small press. Robb is also a fiction editor and teacher, having edited more than 200 books, and...

Bio: Karol Lagodzki, a native of Poland, is an English-language author of fiction. His stories have appeared in numerous journals, and he has won Panel Magazine’s Ruritania Prize for Short Fiction. Controlled Conversations is his debut novel. He holds an MFA in creative writing and buys more books than he can read or afford. Karol’s non-writing careers have ranged from fixing stucco while dangling...

This Chapter Break episode features Lukas Klessig and his latest publication Words With My Father: A Bipolar Journey Through Turbulent Times .  Lukas edits and manages his late father Lowell's intellectual property.  He lives near Stevens Point and looks after the family's investments and real estate. Words With My Father explores how his father's bipolar disorder led to a perilous...

In this episode we touch on: Fear as a core component to writer's block Interviewing characters to appear in your book John DeDakis (de-DAY-kiss) is a novelist, writing coach, manuscript editor, and former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis is the author of six mystery-suspense novels. In his most recent novel, Enemies Domestic, protagonist Lark Cha...

David Nash is an author and singer songwriter from the Driftless Area writing emotionally driven, compelling, page-turning fiction. His novels include “The Man in the Pines” (Ten16 Press, 2020), “In Wells’ Time” (Unsolicited Press, 2024), and a yet-to-be titled dark fiction anthology about Northern Wisconsin and witchcraft (Unsolicited Press, 2026). He is a two-time finalist of the Iron Pen Contes...

Ever wonder what habits may be inhibiting your writing? Too much throat clearing or tautologies? How about filters? If you're not sure what those are, take a listen to this episode. Robb Grindstaff’s career as a journalist and media executive took him from Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Washington DC, five years in Asia, and nine years in Wisconsin. He has five novels and a short story colle...

Charm City Crab Puff - Published April 2024 Pamela Kyel (pronounced Kyle) was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Thanks to the US Air Force, life has taken her from Maryland to Montana to Italy and points in between. As the spouse of a now-retired military member, she had a front-row seat to the military's workings and used that in her Charm City series. Special Agent Laci Duvall, AFOSI,...

Michelle Meyer is a poet and author of The Trouble with Being a Childless Only Child (Cornerstone Press, 2024) and The Book of She (2021), a poetry and visual art collaboration devoted to women. Recent work appears or is forthcoming in ONE ART , Autumn Sky , Tabula Rasa, Under Her Eye: A Blackspot Books Anthology, and Welter Journal among others. In addition, Michelle has written, directed, and pr...

A former professor of neuroscience, Mary writes fiction, memoir, and short stories. “Abbey Girls,” (published in 2015) is a memoir she wrote with her sister, Valerie Behan, about their childhood in Ireland. Her first novel, “A Measured Thread,” (published in 2020) is set in Wisconsin and Ireland, was named a Top 100 Indie Book in 2020, a finalist in the Page Turner Awards, and an eLit medal winner...

TK SHEFFIELD WRITES STORIES FOR READERS TO LAUGH AND ESCAPE. THE BACKYARD MODEL MYSTERIES ARE FUNNY WHODUNNITS, MYSTERIES SERVED WITH A BRANDY OLD FASHIONED AND CHEESE CURDS. THEY FEATURE MEL TOWER, A FORMER FASHION MODEL WHO USES HER SKILL AT SPOTTING “POSERS” TO SOLVE CRIMES. THEY’BE BEEN DESCRIBED AS LIKE “TAKING A WISCONSIN VACATION IN A BOOK.” THEY’VE EARNED AWARDS INCLUDING A KILLER NASHVILL...

Award-winning publisher Kira Henschel founded HenschelHAUS Publishing in 2002 after working as production manager at a small, independent press, preparing textbooks for McGraw Hill, Prentice-Hall, and 16 academic journals. She holds a master's degree in Engineering Management and bachelors' degrees in Geology and International Relations. Kira also taught at Milwaukee School of Engineerin...

Today we’re launching our Chapter Break episode series. These are a short-form version of our normal show and will feature authors speaking on their latest book publication, with insight to the story origin and an excerpt reading.  In this episode we’re talking with Sue Leamy Kies . Sue is a retired high school English teacher who lives in Platteville. After almost thirty years in the classroom at...