Support local storytelling! At this free open house, mingle with Wisconsin authors. Each author will have exhibit space for the public to meet and mingle, with opportunities to purchase their books.
For Children
Lynn Bradley, Oregon
Join a fun-loving red sports car on adventures visiting the mountains, an ice cream shop, the zoo, a park and more!
John Kruse, Sun Prairie
Pudge Amazon and the Ugly Ostrich, $10 each or $27 for all 3 cash, check, credit card, Venmo, or Paypal
Fun-loving fifth grader Pudge Amazon never shies away from a harmless prank. But when the principal unjustly accuses him of vandalizing the school’s beloved Ostrich statue, Pudge is determined to hunt down the real culprit to clear his name and escape months of detention.
Pudge Amazon and the Death Spiral, $10 each or $27 for all 3 cash, check, credit card, Venmo, or Paypal
Thrill-seeker Pudge Amazon has one goal at the town carnival—to brave the Death Spiral, the scariest ride ever. But when a classmate goes missing, he must search the nearby woods to find her and get back to the carnival before it shuts down for the year.
Pudge Amazon and the Unfair Science Fair, $10 each or $27 for all 3 cash, check, credit card, Venmo, or Paypal
Spunky fifth grader Pudge Amazon knows he will win the school science fair. Everybody raves over an experiment only Pudge could dream up. But when he is disqualified, and his archrival takes home the first-place trophy, Pudge suspects foul play.
Eileen Schnabel, Oregon
One if By Land, Two if by Submarine, $10.00 cash, check, or Venmo
When Paul Revere is kidnapped by a time traveler determined to change the outcome of the American Revolution, thirteen-year-old Kep Westguard is sent to Boston, 1775, to take his famous midnight ride.
The Great Escape, $10.00 cash, check, or Venmo
Kep Westguard and his band of teenage time-travelers are catapulted two centuries back to the Revolutionary War, just before the explosive Battle of Saratoga. Their urgent mission? Sneak into a heavily guarded British camp to save an ancestor from execution.
Poetry
Jess Parker, Fitchburg
In her contest-winning poetry collection, Star Things, Jess Parker pulls down the cosmos as if a blanket, hangs the firmament itself as if a string of festive lights to illuminate the magic in the worldly mundane. These sixty-one brief yet powerful poems work in a broad array of forms, at once playful and serious, taking risks, toying with readers' expectations and delivering seemingly effortless coups de grâce with a sly wink.
Fiction
Tim Ahrens, Oregon
A Grand Game of Dark Creatures has Begun! Three new Gods join the Janus’s in the madness that has become a Grand Game of Dark Creatures. Circe, Goddess of magic, Apophis, God of chaos, and I Am, Eder God of nightmares, add their human pawns to the game table that has become Millten, Wisconsin.
Kerry Ames, Nekoosa
There is a star, a remarkable and unusual star, captivating men from the East who believe there is order in the heavens that can be studied for messages and meaning. The star's unprecedented appearance demands investigation, so they plan a journey, confident their efforts will be rewarded. The kings depart on a dangerous, inspiring mission, emboldened only by their confidence, not knowing where the star's light might terminate.
Sue Berg, Viroqua
Jim Higgins Driftless Mystery Series
Driftless Gold, $20.00 cash or check
Driftless Treasure, $20.00 cash or check
Driftless Deceit, $$20.00 cash or check
Driftless Desperation, $23.00 cash or check
Driftless Insurrection, $23.00 cash or check
Driftless Identity, $20.00 cash or check
At the heart of the series is Lt. Jim Higgins, a seasoned detective with grit, guts, and a loyal team that doesn't shy away from danger. Together, they take on puzzling crimes and small-town secrets that simmer beneath the surface of the serene Mississippi River Valley.
Death and the Dentist, $19.00 cash or check
From the author of the award-winning Driftless Mystery series comes Sonja Hovland, a sharp new sleuth with a mop in one hand and a murder case in the other. Smart, sassy, and packed with heart, this blue-collar series brings small-town grit, big-time stakes, and plenty of surprises.
Christine DeSmet, Fitchburg
Fudge Shop Mystery Series
First-Degree Fudge, $7 cash or check
Hot Fudge Frame-Up, $7 cash or check
Five-Alarm Fudge, $7 cash or check
Deadly Fudge Divas, $7 cash or check
Undercover Fudge, $7 cash or check
Holly Jolly Fudge Folly, $7 cash or check
In Door County, Wisconsin near Peninsula State Park, Ava Oosterling & Grandpa Gil run a fishing tackle & candy shop. Add kindergarten teacher Pauline & mischievous dog for felonious fun…
Mischief in Moonstone Series
When Rudolph Was Kidnapped, $5 cash or check
Misbehavin’ in Moonstone, $5 cash or check
Mrs. Claus and the Moonstone Murder, $5 cash or check
When the Dead People Brought a Dish-to-Pass, $5 cash or check
A Moonstone Wedding, $5 cash or check
The Moonstone Fire, $5 cash or check
On beautiful Lake Superior’s shoreline, enjoy short mysteries with sweet romance, northern Wisconsin fish fries, cocktails, casseroles, and neighbors who care.
Anne Keller, Madison
Joe McDowell steals coins from his mother’s change purse. Why? Because he wants things that a poor farm boy can never have. And from his point of view, it gets worse. Not only does Joe’s older brother, Ted, go to fight in World War II, but it also looks as if Joe will have to become the fourth generation McDowell man to run the farm. He must make an irrevocable choice between his personal desires and his family’s needs during a great transition in the American story.
Peggy Joque Williams, Madison
Courting the Sun, $19.95 cash, credit card, Venmo, or Paypal
France, 1670. On her sixteenth birthday, Sylvienne d’Aubert thinks her dream has come true. She holds in her hands an invitation from King Louis XIV to attend his royal court. However, her mother harbors a longtime secret she's kept from both her daughter and the monarch, a secret that could upend Sylvienne’s life.
On the Road to Death's Door, $14.95 cash, credit card, Venmo, or Paypal
Emily and Stan Remington’s maiden voyage in their newly inherited, second-hand RV goes awry when a body falls off the top of their vehicle. The retired small town police officer and her husband, a retired history professor, find themselves at the center of a murder investigation involving a politician, a corporate executive, and a hippie priest.
On the Road to Where the Bells Toll, $14.95 cash, credit card, Venmo, or Paypal
In this second book in the On the Road mystery series, Stan and Emily pack up the RV and head to Boston for some R & R with the grandkids and a chance to immerse themselves in colonial history. But their Fourth of July celebration comes to an abrupt halt when they stumble over a body on the Boston Esplanade and then another hanging in the tower of the Old North Church.
Non-Fiction
Christa Bruhn, Fitchburg
Christa’s journey of curiosity to Jerusalem and Gaza while studying abroad in her father’s homeland of Germany at the tail end of the Cold War opens up a world of joy and heartache that transforms into a lifetime pursuit to make a difference in a land two peoples call home.
Joe Fahey, Verona
Joe Fahey invites readers on an unforgettable ride through decades of global adventures. This engaging and lighthearted collection of short stories combines humor, history and cultural insights as it relates his experiences from far-off places. The anecdotal stories capture the essence of travel -- the thrill of discovery, the wonder of diverse cultures as well as the emotions associated with things not going as planned.
Gwen Hutchins, Stoughton
Get ready to wince, shudder, and even laugh. Critical Air will transport you to the world of patient care in some of the most challenging regions on earth. Gwen uses gripping narratives and raw details — at times injected with a dose of humor, one of the tools in her survival kit. Throughout her career as a flight nurse, she boldly went where most of us would never dream of going. You won’t soon forget her incredible story!
Julie Tallard Johnson, Mount Horeb
Spiritual Journaling: Writing Your Way to Independence, $?.00 cash, check, or Venmo
Most teens and young adults search for ways to express their individuality and to discover who they are, without being judged. In Spiritual Journaling Julie Tallard Johnson shows that journaling is an informative and supportive outlet for the joys, frustrations, and questions that arise for those making the transition toward their own independent ideas and lives--and a powerful tool for awakening creative potential.
Wheel of Initiation, $?.00 cash, check, or Venmo
Julie Tallard Johnson shows how to become initiated into an authentic life through practices of thought transformation, cultivating attention, journaling, storytelling, and rituals found in the four directions of the universal mandala.
Zero Point Agreement, $?.00 cash, check, or Venmo
Everyone wants to experience purpose and inspiration in their lives, but the search for meaning often leaves a seeker in the hands of fate. Offering a different approach to self-discovery, one where we create our meaning from within rather than seek it from the outside world, Julie Tallard Johnson shows there is a science behind personal spiritual experiences and creativity. She reveals simple evidence-based methods that can be applied to any situation to generate enthusiasm, inspiration, and direct spiritual experience and transform the inner and outer landscapes of your life.
The Clue of the Red Thread, $?.00 cash, check, or Venmo
The Clue of the Red Thread gives readers a rich analogy for the wisdom passed on to us from generations of spiritual teachers, and this wisdom guides us through our labyrinths. Johnson offers numerous practices and strategies for navigating what she calls the greatest adventure of our lifetime: going inward to discover who we truly are, then returning outward to blossom into a fearless and compassionate citizen, living with integrity while both keeping hold of the red thread in our own lives and moving forward to pass it on to others.
Marggie Moertl, Oregon
Sally: A Memoir, $15.00 check or Venmo
Sally: A Memoir is the story of my mother’s journey through aging and finally her death in hospice care. I find the end-of-life a very sacred time with people, as they begin to explore their mortality and delve deeply within themselves. I was privileged to help my own mother during her illness, and especially to spend her last night on earth with her. She allowed me to hold sacred space for her as she transitioned from this life to the next. It was a gift that I will treasure forever.
Life as a Prayer, $15.00 check or Venmo
Life as a Prayer is the story of Marggie Hatala’s spiritual transformation during her many years as a hospice nurse. Using her daily spiritual practice of meditative journaling, she reflects honestly on the many authentic life lessons that the dying and their loved ones demonstrated. Life as a Prayer shares many glimpses into her interaction with these life mentors and her co-workers within hospice, followed by her reflection on the life lesson that each provides.
Meetra Nahavandi, Madison
Meetra Nahavandi grew up in Madison, Wisconsin in a loving home. She went to school, played with her friends, and never thought of herself as being any different than her peers; until the bullying began. From navigating school, independent living, experiencing her first love, and finally to rising above challenges as a disabled adult in our society, Meetra's powerful memoir sheds light on an incredible life living with a physical disability in a world that was not equipped to see her thrive.
Rick Pfeifer, East Troy
A new paperback book written by the guys that were in bands back in the 60s. Featuring hilarious insights, stories and irreplaceable pictures. Take a trip through these magical times and hear about their gigs in the oft played towns, bars, and teen events that are recounted in depth. Comes complete with a dvd of the bands concerts, then and now, as well as interviews with the band members.
Luann Smith, Oregon
This woman's story begins in small-town U.S.A. in the 1950s and threads its way through life and death at the turn of the twenty-first century. It's partly a story about the deep passion of this couple's young love, interspersed with a lifetime of aviation and midget auto racing. The spark of romance that began while tap dancing as children blossomed into true love. With the birth of their first child in Okinawa during the raging Vietnam war, the adventure began in earnest.