Midwest Writers Room

BIO:

To honor the just concluded National Poetry Month, today we are interviewing Brenda Cárdenas, Wisconsin’s newest poet laureate. Brenda has authored Trace (Red Hen Press, 2023), winner of the 2023 Society of Midland Authors Award for Poetry and silver winner of Foreword Review’s Indie Poetry Prize; Boomerang (Bilingual Press); and three chapbooks. Her poems and essays have also appeared in many literary journals and anthologies,...

BIO:

Evelyn Ann Casey writes stories filled with grace and gumption. A love of language and storytelling grew from her Chicago roots in a multi-ethnic neighborhood filled with Irish brogues and pubs, Sicilian music and cannoli, and the Yiddish banter of delis. 

Evelyn’s poetry, essays and flash fiction are published in Midwest Review, Medium.com, Potato Soup Journal and elsewhere. She worked in government relations in Milwaukee and M...

BIO:

Kevin holds a BA in journalism and an MBA from Marquette University.  He’s worked as the outdoor writer for a daily newspaper, taught at the undergraduate and graduate level, and served as the president of an urban safety net hospital and a mental health emergency center.  A Wisconsin native, The Killers’ Terms is his third novel set in the state.  He’s recently been a guest on WTMJ4’s Morning Blend and 620AM’s “What’s On Tap.”...

BIO:

Kristin is the author of two award-winning suspense thrillers, Carpe Diem, Illinois and God on Mayhem Street, and the young adult dystopian Devil Particle Series. She teaches writing workshops, has critiqued manuscripts through the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies, and has helped writers hone their agent pitches at the Division’s Writers’ Institute. As a past Chicago Writers Association board member, she was the managi...

BIO:

Denise Forsythe found writing success with several mystery, horror, and science fiction short stories published in Mystery Magazine, Kings River Life, and Blood Moon Rising as well as several anthologies, including Determined Hearts: A Frankenstein Anthology; Black Buttons Vol. 3: A Family Affair; Buried; Murder of Crows; WhoDunit!; A Warm Mug of Cozy Vol 1 & 2; and Portal: The Inner Circle Writer’s Group Children’s Antholo...

BIO:

Ruth is a dedicated professional, holding a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in library science. Her experience spans various roles in the literary and library fields, including positions at a daily newspaper and a small press. Currently, she serves as the managing librarian at the Oshkosh Public Library, where she plays a key role in promoting literacy and community engagement.

In addition to her lib...

BIO:

Dave grew up on a dairy farm in northwest Wisconsin, and went on to earn a degree in journalism at UW-Eau Claire. He worked at the Rice Lake (WI) newspaper for more than 40 years as sports/outdoors editor, earning 20 first-place awards in the Wisconsin Newspaper Assn. for writing and photography. In retirement, Dave continues to write an outdoors blog, and an outdoors column for three northern Wisconsin newspapers. He lives wit...

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Larissa is a fantasy romance who recently released her debut, A Realm of Lies and Power. When she isn’t in the trenches of being a mom, she can be found in the library–dreaming up new realms and brooding-anti heroes. She wouldn’t give a second thought to striking a deal with a faerie king if the chance presented itself. 

SYNOPSIS:

"I only killed in one of two ways. By the High Lord’s command, or to protect her."

Renwick,...

BIO:

Steven W. Strackbein began writing in his early thirties, during his military training amid the final days of the Iraq War. That time marked the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of storytelling, one that’s driven by a deep interest in human nature. Over the years, he earned degrees in Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, and an MBA—each one providing insights into the complexities of people and their motivations. Writing is an ...

BIO:

 Frank S Joseph's award-winning “Chicago Trilogy” novels -- TO DO JUSTICE, TO WALK HUMBLY and TO LOVE MERCY -- tell a story of lives forever changed by racial turmoil that marked and marred Chicago at mid century, a great city going up in flames.

Frank lived it. As an Associated Press correspondent, he covered the ’60s riots that wracked Chicago’s inner city; the '67 Detroit riot, where 37 died; and the notorious &apos...

BIO:

Born in 1981, at the hospital in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, Sara Hefty (she/her) grew up on a family farm near Pine City, Minnesota, studied at multiple colleges and universities in the Midwest, and later established a home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with her husband Brian. They have two dogs, Bexley Joy and Freyja Sunshine, together known as The Golden Girls. RINGING THE BELLS: SHE’S RECOLLECTING HERSELF NOW is Sara Hefty’s debut p...

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Trotta released his first cheese-based children's book in 2016 titled “Florida Cheese” then his second children's book “Wisconsin Cheese” in 2017, and his third book “California Cheese” in 2019, before unveiling “Minnesota Cheese” in 2025 (after a long Covid break). Trotta, who grew up in Waunakee where his father Dick served as a hall of fame high school football coach, played football under his Dad and later in coll...

BIO:

Writing under the pen name J. Ellis Blaise (blaze), James Salimes has served as Chaplain, Pastor, and Spiritual Counselor for two decades. At an early age, he descended into dungeons with pen and paper in hand. Enchanted by spells and sipping bitter tea warmed by dragon fire, he wrote tales of magical places. The Fullness of Time began as a bedtime story for his children. His wife, a creative genius with the flare and grace of ...

BIO:

Kelly is a children’s book author from the Fox Valley of Wisconsin, who has had a keen interest in true animal stories from the time she was a little girl. 

She credits her years working as a preschool director, then public library marketing coordinator,  for helping her recognize the book themes and subject matter that most captivate young readers’ attention.

She lives with her family, which includes Pug dogs Mabel & ZuZu, a...

BIO:

Carol has an MA in Communication. She freelanced for newspapers and magazines. She did stand-up comedy and wrote and produced children’s plays. Orange Blossom Publishing released her YA Mystery, Early Summer, in 2022. Black Rose Writing published her middle-grade fantasy, Isasnora Snores, in 2019. Rowley Peters and the Lumberjack Ghost is Paur’s third children’s book. Paur is a member of SCBWI, Wisconsin Writers Association, an...

BIO:

Today we are interviewing Samantha Jacquest (jay-quest), owner of Blue House Books in Kenosha WI.  Sam grew up in Kenosha, graduating from the Communications Academy from Indian Trail, and went to college at UW-Whitewater majoring in journalism. After a year working in the newspaper industry, she went on to earn her Master of the Arts degree in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University in the UK. After she returned home, she be...

BIO:

 Author Peggy Joque Williams is a retired elementary school teacher. A Yooper by birth, Peggy grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; but having raised her family in Madison, Wisconsin, she considers herself a Cheesehead by choice.

When not writing, Peggy indulges her passion for genealogy research. She has traced her ancestral roots to 10th century France and England. She is especially proud to be able to have identified over tw...

BIO:

Steven has severe cerebral palsy. Morse code is how he writes using his head since he is unable to use his hands. Steven has a Bachelor of Science with a writing minor from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Liberal Arts degree from Madison College. He is a client of The Purcell Agency. His books, It's A New Life! Mom Is Gone and I Found Love is available on Amazon. Currently, Steven is writing a romance novel...

BIO:

Malcolm McDowell Woods was born in Scotland to Irish parents and spent his childhood on the move, living in Derry, Northern Ireland, before emigrating to Canada and, ultimately, the United States. He is a freelance editor and writer and university lecturer and resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his partner and their two dogs. Woods co-authored the book, Irish Wit and Wisdom, and was a co-founder and managing editor of the fo...