Participating Authors

Terri Karsten



Terri Karsten has been a writer and educator all her life. After 
twenty-one years teaching high school English, she now works as a 
writing coach and focuses on writing historcal fiction. Her debut novel, 
A Mistake of Consequence (2015, B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree) takes 
readers into 18th century Colonial America. Her second novel, When Luck 
Runs Out (2017, Bronze Moonbeam Award) is an orphan train story for 
middle grade students. Terri has also published two non-fiction books 
and dozens of articles and short stories in a variety of places, 
including Highlights for Children, The La Crosse Tribune, and An 
Encyclopedia of Women's History. Her latest work is Lost and Found, 
Tales of Things Gone Missing, collection fo short stories and poems by 
59 different authors.

Jerry Peterson




Plus many more!
Jerry Peterson writes crime novels and short stories set in Kansas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
He’s published 19 novels and short story collections, most under his own imprint.
Night Flight, Peterson’s current project, features Rooster Wilhite, a former World War I fighter pilot who flies the night mail for the Post Office, a deadly enterprise in 1927.
Before becoming a writer, Peterson taught speech, English and theater in Wisconsin high schools, then worked in communications for farm organizations for a decade in Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, and Colorado. He followed that with a decade as a reporter, photographer, and editor for newspapers in Colorado, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Peterson now lives and writes in his home state of Wisconsin, the land of dairy cows, craft beer, and really good books, a number of them his.

For more on Peterson and his books, go to his website, http://jerrypetersonbooks.biz

Ashok Patwari

 

Ashok Patwari grew up in India where he completed his medical graduation and specialization in Pediatrics. Apart from teaching Pediatrics in Nigeria and India for over 25 years, he also served as research professor in International Health at Boston University School of Public Health and World Health Organization (Western Pacific Regional Office, Philippines  and India). After retirement he is settled in Menomonee Falls. He is a proud father of two daughters, elder one a practising orthodontist in Milwaukee and the younger one a practising pediatrician in Seattle.

Ashok has been writing short stories in English, Hindi and Urdu for over 30 years. His professional assignments through World Health Organization gave him ample opportunities to travel around the world, particularly to Switzerland, the Maldives, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Jamaica. In his extensive voyage through life and lands his creative mind has immensely been influenced by a wide spectrum of social issues across the continents.  ‘Retreat’ is his third collection of short stories.
Email: shehjaar@gmail.com


Laura Clark Hansen (family)


 

Please Send Hats tells Laura Clark Hansen's moving and often hilarious story of cancer survival. She combines vibrant reflections on her Baby Boomer past as she tells the story about the transformative power that cancer can have as it...Rearranges the present...Evokes memories of the past, and...Forever changes the future.
Please Send Hats emphasizes the importance of early detection, teaches the warning signs of ovarian cancer that we can all be watchful for, while providing hope and inspiration for survivors, their caregivers, and their loved ones.
The overall message is one of hope and healing as it follows her journey to rebuild, reclaim and revitalize a life battered and bruised by illness.

Website Address: lauraclarkhansen.com


Chaplin Kathy Collins

  

The Mystic Chaplain – My Story is a Winner of the 2018 Best Book Award for Spirituality/Inspiration and a Finalist in the 2019 International Book Award for New Age Non-Fiction.
Chaplain Kathy Collins, ASC, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised along the Wisconsin shoreline of Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin and currently lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Her life experiences of working in the business world, being a volunteer hospice caregiver, and surviving her fight with cancer, gave Kathy the tools to fulfill her spiritual journey of transformation to becoming a hospital chaplain at UnityPoint – Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin and becoming a writer, author, and speaker.
Life does not end at retirement. It expands if you let it. Within one year after retiring from the business world, I became a hospital chaplain, and within three years completed my first book. The journey has been exciting, it has been a constant teaching moment, and it brought a village of people into my life to enrich it and make it grow. It taught me the lesson of “oneness” in the world and the need to share the message with all who are here and those who are leaving.
Kathy’s memoir fills you with hope and love, and it is helpful to anyone seeking a life of wholeness and serenity during any difficult time. Kathy continues her mystical journey through the heart by continuing to write, speak, and fulfill her chaplain duties.


Kathleen Waldvogel

  

Kathleen (K.M.) Waldvogel was born in Illinois and grew up in Wisconsin. She holds a B.S. degree in elementary education and M.S.E. in reading.  Her newly released middle-grade book, Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, and Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution, reveals the heroic acts of little-known women who helped our country gain its independence. Some women spied on the British, some fought in battles, but each woman risked her freedom and her life.Waldvogel is also the author of a Halloween picture book, Three Little Ghosts, which was published in 2017. A visit with her grandchildren and listening to their laughter and giggles inspired this story.She is a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators, Wisconsin Writers Association, and local writing groups in Wisconsin and Arizona. She and her husband reside in Wisconsin but spend many happy months each year in Arizona. No matter the location, Waldvogel finds a way to read, read, and read some more!  Although no website is up and running yet, you can follow Wald   vogel on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/author.KM.Waldvogel/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Geoffrey Carter




Geoff Carter grew up attending public schools in the Milwaukee area, eventually graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in Communication Arts. He has been teaching English in Milwaukee Public Schools for twenty-eight years in both traditional and non-traditional settings, working almost exclusively with at-risk students. Mr. Carter is a proud and active member of the MTEA, the local teachers’ union. The P.S. Wars is his first novel.
He holds a PhD in English and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Mr. Carter lives in Milwaukee. He is married to an extraordinary woman and is the proud father of a remarkable daughter. In his spare time, he enjoys fine wine, sailing, fly-fishing, organic gardening, and reading.
"The P.S. Wars" is a Book Excellence Award finalist.
Geoffreymalcolmcater.com


Carol Paur


Carol L. Paur lives in Wisconsin and has a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin Parkside, and an M.A. in Communication from Marquette University. Some of her writing explores how fear of rejection often prevents us from fully living our lives. Furthermore, does it impact others if we fail to live our mission? She tries to answer this through her novels, Stories and Waves, which follow dead Catharine Zimmer. Catharine must live the consequences of her actions, inactions, and cynical attitude. Paur’s devotional, Praying for the Enemy: Your 911 to Peace, provides an intentional way to look at the negative situations and people in our lives, and instead of agonizing over them, giving them to God. She has freelanced for several newspapers and magazines, more recently for the Lake Geneva Regional News and their magazines: Welcome, Resorter, and Luxury Lake Geneva. This December, her children’s book Isasnora Snores will be published by Black Rose Writing. Screenwriting is another passion, and she has written movie scripts and a television sit-com. She has also written and produced children’s plays for the City of Delavan Park and Rec program, as well as for the Elkhorn, Wisconsin 4H Club. She is a 4H Communication Arts judge, a volunteer for her church, and a choir member  with the Voice of Praise choir. Travel, cooking, reading, and painting are some of her favorite hobbies. Paur lives with her husband and four daughters.


Bev Davis

  
Bev Davis is an avid “observer of life.” After a long career as an interior designer, she followed her call into ministry by attending McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago.
After receiving a master of divinity degree, she took a “leap of faith,” leaving the South Side of Chicago, to pastor a small UCC church in north central Wisconsin, and complete a Clinical Pastoral Education residency at Wausau Aspirus Hospital.
While living in North Central Wisconsin,” she had a dream. This complete dream, became, Great Gray, Exceeding “NO” Expectations.
She now lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband Steve and Fuzzy, their rescue dog.
Bev, a mother of two adult children, Kristen and Gavin Rehfeldt, until recently, served as chaplain in a senior community and will soon release a new book, “Chesterina, the Monarch Butterfly,” due out in November, 2019.
When asked what kind of books she writes? She replies, “children’s books for all ages.”
Namaste, Great Gray, is the third book about the life of Great Gray a little elephant that exceeds “NO” expectations and the effect he has on everyone he meets.
Bev hopes her books will help your child-and-you-realize the possibilities each of your lives hold. 
Namaste!

Pat Hall


    
  
When Pat Hall isn't writing, she's either playing in the dirt in the garden, doing Ukrainian egg art, or off volunteering for the hospital, a theater group or the performing arts center.  Pat is the author of picture books, "Ida May's Borrowed Trouble" and "Beasties", as well as chapter books, "Gloppy", and "Digital Girl and the Greenish Ghosts".  Her newest book, "The Secret of Santa's Naughty-Nice List", recently won a 2019 IPPY Silver award and a First Place Purple Dragonfly award.  Part of the proceeds from this book go to Janesville organizations that offer support services to the homeless.

Terri Sorg

 

Author Terri Sorg grew up shy and insecure. As an adult, she spent her first 20 years searching for what would make her a "better" person, yet something was always missing. Then she discovered teachings about loving self and realized that was what was missing in her life.
Terri has been on a journey of letting go of how she didn't love herself as she opened to loving herself.
Heart Fairy is a children's book written as an invitation to love yourself, no matter what.

Website: heartfair.net

Christine Keleny 

    Rosebloom  A Burnished Rose  Rose From the Ashes  Will the Real Carolyn Keene Please Stand Up The Red Velvet Box   Living in the House of Drugs Intrigue in Istanbul - An Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventure


 Christine is an award-winning author, writer, reader, editor, book designer and publisher. She really enjoys writing and helping others publish the book of their dreams through her publishing company: CKBooks Publishing. She started writing stories in college (a while ago!) and hasn’t stopped since. Two of her books have won awards: Rosebloom and Intrigue in Istanbul. And Will the Real Carolyn Keene Please Stand Up, was a finalist for a Midwest Book AwardYou can see all her books at christinekelenybooks.com. This is also where you can sign up for Christine’s Readers Group.

Christine lives with her husband and pets (the kids have moved away) in the country in southcentral Wisconsin. 
Here books are the Rose Series: Rosebloom, A Burnished Rose, Rose From the Ashes;  Will the Real Carolyn Keene Please Stand Up,  Living in the House of Drugs,  The Red Velvet Box, Her first middle grade novel published just this year Intrigue in Istanbul: An Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventure has garnered 5 stars from Readers' Favorite, is a Moombeam Beam Children's Book Award and Midwest Book Award-Winner! 

Sandy Colbert


Kristen A. Oakley

Kristin A. Oakley's debut novel, Carpe Diem, Illinois, won the 2014 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award for non-traditionally published fiction, was a finalist in the Independent Author Network 2015 Book of the Year, and a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition. Its sequel, God on Mayhem Street, was a finalist in the 2018 Winning Writers North Street Book Prize. The audio versions of both books were released in 2018. Kristin is a Chicago Writers Association board member, the managing editor of The Write City Magazine and The Write City Review and a UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies adjunct writing instructor. 

 Nicholas L. Chiarkas

 
I grew up in the Al Smith housing projects in the Two Bridges neighborhood on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. When I was in the fourth grade my mother was told by the principal of PS-1 that, “Nick was unlikely to ever complete high school, so you must steer him toward a simple and secure vocation.”  Instead, I became a writer, with a few stops along the way: a New York City Police Officer; the Deputy Chief Counsel for the President’s Commission on Organized Crime; and the Director of the Wisconsin State Public Defender Agency. On the way I picked up a Doctorate from Columbia University; a Law Degree from Temple University; and was a Pickett Fellow at Harvard. How many mothers are told their child is hopeless? How many kids with potential simply surrender to desperation? That’s why I wrote “Weepers”—for them.
Author of Weepers, an award-winning mystery/suspense set in 1957 NYC
Website: http://nickchiarkas.com/  Email: nick.chiarkas@gmail.com  Also visit Nick's: Amazon Author Page and Goodreads Author Page
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/NicholasChiarkasAuthor/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Awards for Weepers:
Best Mystery Novel for 2017 the John E Weaver Excellent Reads Award by Earthshine.
Third Place Winner - Best Novel of 2016 by the Public Safety Writers Association(PSWA).
Finalist for Best Book Award by Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA).
Finalist for Best Young Adult Novel for 2016 by Bookvana.

Finalist for Best Crossover (Mystery & Young Adult) Best Books Award for 2017

Kenneth Farmer


Kenneth Farmer began his thirty-four year legal career as a public defender in Louisville, Kentucky, before moving back to his native Wisconsin, where he served as a prosecutor until he retired in 2011. During this time, he has defended or prosecuted thousands of cases, including everything from the mundane traffic matter to the not-so-routine capital murder charge.
He has lived and traveled extensively in France, speaks French fluently, and has studied the French criminal justice with the assistance of lawyers and prosecutors native to that country.
He has published two novels to date: Real Lawyers, the story of a newbie public defender who proves himself to be a real lawyer, and now Chez Betty.

Nicholas Sweedo

 
Nicholas Sweedo is a Wisconsin resident whose book, The Nightingale Moon, is a work of Civil War-era historical fiction that includes a character from New Glarus! 

Greg Renz

Fire Captain Gregory Lee Renz was involved in a dramatic rescue of two little boys from their burning basement bedroom. He received a series of awards for this rescue including induction into the Wisconsin Fire and Police Hall of Fame in 2006. When he was asked to share the dramatic rescue at several awards banquets, he was moved by the emotional responses he received and was struck by the power of his storytelling. Gregory has always been an avid reader and thought maybe he could craft a compelling novel if he could learn how to get these stories on the page. How hard could that be? He would soon learn.
In 2008 Captain Renz retired, exchanging his turnout gear for a writing desk to pursue his passion, storytellingAfter numerous creative writing courses through the University of Wisconsin and countless workshops, conferences, and revisions, he finally typed The End to BENEATH THE FLAMES which was inspired by two adorable little girls, around eight and five years of age, who lived across from an inner-city firehouse he was stationed at for three years. Those two girls stayed in his thoughts over the years, demanding he tell their story. They are two of the main characters in the novel. He hopes he did them justice.
After serving the citizens of Milwaukee for twenty-eight years as a firefighter, Gregory Lee Renz retired to Lake Mills, Wisconsin with his wife, Paula.
His website is: glrenz.com

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