Oct
22
7:00 PM19:00
Filtering by: Fiction
Oct
21
5:30 PM17:30
Oct
19
4:00 PM16:00
Oct
19
2:30 PM14:30
Oct
19
1:00 PM13:00
Oct
18
6:00 PM18:00
Oct
17
5:30 PM17:30
Oct
16
4:30 PM16:30
Oct
14
4:00 PM16:00
A Writer’s Journey to Publication: A Conversation with Laura Warrell
Laura Warrell
If you weren’t able to join us for Warrell’s live event or are interested in watching it again, click below to watch the recording.
Writing a novel can be just the beginning—getting it published can be a journey all its own. Laura Warrell had a long, challenging ride to getting her first novel, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm published. Along the way, she learned the ins and outs of the business and developed skills that helped her persevere. In this talk, she shares her story, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing process and tools any aspiring artist can use to stay in the game.
CLICK HERE to buy festival books locally from Dotters Books.
LAURA WARRELL is the author of the novel Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the Golden Poppy Book Award through the California Independent Booksellers Alliance. Named a ‘best’ or ‘must-read’ book by Vanity Fair, People, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Apple Books, The Root, The Millions, Hollywood Reporter, Bustle, Today, Debutiful, and elsewhere, the novel was also chosen as a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, and an Indie Next List Pick.
Learn more about Laura Warrell at laurawarrell.com.
Oct
14
2:30 PM14:30
Oct
13
6:00 PM18:00
Oct
13
10:00 AM10:00
Pizza and Taco: Dare to Be Scared!
Stephen Shaskan
This event is being presented in person only.
Celebrate the release of the newest book in the Pizza and Taco series! Enjoy pizza and an interactive presentation by the author. A book signing and related activities for kids and families will follow.
Author Presentation, Book Sales, and Signing:
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Riverview Room (3rd floor)
Pizza
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Innovation Lab (3rd floor)
Pizza sponsored by Toppers
Graphic Novel Activities
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Youth Services Program Room (1st floor)
Create your own comic, bookmark-making, and graphic novel button-making
STEPHEN SHASKAN is the author and illustrator of several picture books including: Big Choo, Toad on the Road, Max Speed, The Three Triceratops Tuff, A Dog Is a Dog, and the graphic novel series Pizza and Taco. He also illustrated the picture book Punk Skunks and the graphic novel series Q and Ray, both written by his wife Trisha Speed Shaskan. Stephen and Trisha live in Minneapolis, Minnesota and love visiting schools and libraries: reading their stories and inspiring young authors/illustrators.
Learn more about Stephen Shaskan at stephenshaskan.com.
Oct
12
6:30 PM18:30
Oct
12
5:00 PM17:00
Oct
24
7:30 PM19:30
Better than Paradise (In Person & Virtual)
Kawai Strong Washburn
If you weren’t able to join us for Washburn’s live event or are interested in watching it again, click below to watch the recording.
This event is being presented in person and virtually.
Washburn discusses the complex reality of Hawai’i, and magical realism as part of the fictional imagination. Go beyond the stereotypical image created by the tourism industry to gain a more complete understanding of the history of Hawai’i and the context of the novel.
This program will be a view-only opportunity for virtual attendees. There will not be an opportunity to submit questions to the author.
CLICK HERE to buy festival books locally from Dotters Books.
KAWAI STRONG WASHBURN was born and raised on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. His first novel, Sharks in the Time of Saviors, Won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway award for debut novel and the 2021 Minnesota Book Award; it was also longlisted for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the 2021 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. Former President Barack Obama chose it as a favorite novel of 2020, and it was selected as a notable or best book of the year by over a dozen publications, including the New York Times and Boston Globe. It has also been translated into eight languages and counting. Washburn lives with his wife and two daughters in Minneapolis.
Learn more about Kawai Strong Washburn at kawaistrongwashburn.com.
Oct
22
1:00 PM13:00
Writing Love in the Dairy State (In Person)
Amy E. Reichert
If you weren’t able to join us for Reichert’s live event or are interested in watching it again, click below to watch the recording.
This event is being presented in person.
“Write what you know” is a timeless piece of writing advice, which Reichert has taken to heart. She will discuss how setting her novels in Wisconsin offers readers an understanding of her heritage, history, and unique food traditions.
AMY E. REICHERT loves to write stories that end well with characters you’d invite to dinner. All based in Wisconsin, her novels include The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, and Once Upon a December (October 2022). Her books have been featured in People, Real Simple, Buzzfeed, Food & Wine, and many more. She serves on her library’s board of directors, is a member of Tall Poppy Writers, and lives in Wisconsin.
Learn more about Amy E. Reichert at amyereichert.com.
Oct
22
10:45 AM10:45
A Community of Characters (In Person)
Allen Eskens
If you weren’t able to join us for Esken’s live event or are interested in watching it again, click below to watch the recording.
This event is being presented in person.
Allen will talk about how his penchant for daydreaming led him to write a collection of literary mysteries that are intertwined. Discover that genre books such as mysteries can also have heart; that a mystery novel is the perfect forum to explore family dynamics, character relationships, and deeper themes.
ALLEN ESKENS is the USA Today best-selling author of eight novels: The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, The Deep Dark Descending, The Shadows We Hide, Nothing More Dangerous, The Stolen Hours, and his most recent, Forsaken Country. His books have won The Barry Award, the Silver Falchion Award, the Rosebud Award (Left Coast Crime), and the Minnesota Book Award. He had been a finalist for The Edgar Award, the Thriller Award, and the Anthony Award. Eskens lives with his wife, Joely, in Greater Minnesota.
Learn more about Allen Eskens at alleneskens.com.
Oct
22
9:30 AM09:30
Differences: The Power to Create Change (In Person)
Jackie Polzin
If you weren’t able to join us for Polzin’s live event or are interested in watching it again, click below to watch the recording.
This event is being presented in person.
Five critical encouragements were passed on to Polzin in the years leading up to the publication of her first novel, Brood. These generous words and actions allowed her to see her dream of publishing a book through to completion. Through the power of encouragement, these five people made a tremendous difference in her life. When we shift away from viewing the world through our differences and into the mindset of making a difference in the lives of others, we enact real and meaningful change.
JACKIE POLZIN’s first novel, Brood, won the Sue Kaufman First Fiction Prize, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, an Indie Next List selection, and was shortlisted for the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Los Angeles Times Book Award, and a Minnesota Book Award. Her writing has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub, and The Idaho Review. Polzin attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and earned an MFA from Boise State University. She currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two children.
Learn more about Jackie Polzin at jackiepolzin.com.
Oct
26
7:30 PM19:30
The Great Believers: Where Fiction Meets History
Rebecca Makkai
This is the 3rd Annual John, Elizabeth and Alison Morris Memorial Event, sponsored by Greg Morris and the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Foundation.
Rebecca Makkai’s novel The Great Believers (a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer in fiction and the 2018 National Book Award) chronicles the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Chicago. In this talk, she will read from the book and discuss its origins, stemming from her own experience growing up in Chicago during the epidemic. Makkai will also delve into the dearth of research on how AIDS affected the Midwest and talk about her approach to gathering personal stories from those who were hit hardest.
TICKETS:
Tickets for this presentation are $10 including taxes/fees.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of The Great Believers available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
REBECCA MAKKAI is the Chicago-based author of the novel The Great Believers, a finalist for a 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction and one of The New York Times’ top ten books for 2018. It was also the winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence from the American Library Association, the Stonewall Award, and the Chicago Review of Books Award, a finalist for the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and a pick for the New York Public Library’s 2018 Best Books. Her other books are the novels The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House, and a short story collection, Music for Wartime. Rebecca is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.
Oct
26
4:00 PM16:00
A Verbal Feast of the Fest, served by ecWIT
ecWIT (Eau Claire Women in Theater)
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
The ecWIT gals are back by popular demand for a reader’s theater performance of adapted excerpts from a sampling of this year’s festival authors. Without costumes or elaborate props, the stripped-down performance is sure to add a whole new dimension to the festival’s characters and stories.
This event is FREE, but a ticket is required.
ecWIT, composed of Debbie Brown, Beverly Olson, Sue Fulkerson, Kathleen Sullivan, Ann Pearson, and Sara Bryan, presents the art form of dramatic reader’s theater, enlivening literature in a variety of genres without sets, costumes, or props. Since the group’s inception in January 2016, they have become a local favorite, having received commissions to perform from Chippewa Valley Learning in Retirement, the Waldemar Ager Association, and the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, to name a few. 2019 will be the third year that ecWIT has participated in the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, providing a unique experience of adapted excerpts from the works of festival authors.
Oct
26
1:00 PM13:00
The Heart of Noir
Mindy Mejia
This event is co-sponsored by L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.
Crime fiction readers, particularly readers of heartland noir, know that something lies beneath the typical “Midwestern nice” facade. Some of the most seemingly innocent scenes can be rife with suspense; whether it is a blinding blizzard, peaceful pasture, or wandering woods, there is often no one around to hear you scream. Mindy Mejia will tell the tale of her journey into crime fiction, the inspiration for her books, and why she writes heartland noir.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Leave No Trace available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
MINDY MEJIA’s internationally-acclaimed heartland noir novels have been translated into over twenty languages. She’s the author of The Dragon Keeper and Everything You Want Me to Be, which was a People’s Best New Books Pick and listed in The Wall Street Journal’s Best New Mysteries. Her latest novel, Leave No Trace, was nominated for the Barry Award and was a finalist for the 2019 Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. A graduate of the Hamline University MFA program, she lives and works in the Twin Cities.
Oct
26
10:30 AM10:30
Ballrooms and POW Camps
Loretta Ellsworth
This event is co-sponsored by L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.
Behind every tall tale is a little bit of fact. Many fiction authors find their work is influenced by history or their knowledge of a “real” place. Loretta Ellsworth, author of several young adult novels, will share the true history behind her first adult historical novel, Stars Over Clear Lake, which takes place at both the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, and the prisoner of war camp in Algona, Iowa.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Stars Over Clear Lake available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
LORETTA ELLSWORTH grew up in Iowa and is a former teacher and a graduate of Hamline University with an MFA in Writing for Children. She is the author of four novels for younger readers, including In Search of Mockingbird, which won the 2007 Midwest Bookseller’s Choice Honor Award in Children’s Literature, and was named to the 2008 New York Library’s Best Books for Teens list. Ellsworth’s first adult historical novel, Stars Over Clear Lake, is set in Clear Lake, Iowa during World War II. She currently resides in Lakeville, Minnesota.
Oct
23
7:30 PM19:30
Barstow & Grand: Issue #3 Release Reading
This event is co-sponsored by Lazy Monk Brewing and L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.
Barstow & Grand seeks to fulfill a humble mission—to support the writers of the Chippewa Valley by offering an outlet for their creative writing, and to help them grow and professionalize their craft through the process of submission.
Issue #3 offers as broad and impressive a mix as Issues #1 and #2 did, with novice and professional writers, folks who have lived in the Chippewa Valley their entire lives and those who have joined our community from afar. The release party for Issue #3 will feature readings from the journal, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, as well as commentary from the editors on the publication process and how the journal has grown in its third year. Stop down to hear some incredible writing, pick up an issue, enjoy a locally crafted beer (cash bar), and connect with the Chippewa Valley’s community of writers.
Oct
23
7:00 PM19:00
The Optimist at Midnight
Leif Enger
This event is co-sponsored by Friends of the Chippewa Falls Public Library and the Heyde Center for the Arts
Storytelling is by nature a hopeful endeavor, and never more so than in times of division and anxiety. Using texts from novelists, poets, and screenwriters, Enger will discuss the Midwestern imagination, the magic of kite-flying, and the power of stories to inspire change.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Virgil Wander available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
LEIF ENGER was raised in Osakis, Minnesota, and worked as a reporter and producer for Minnesota Public Radio before writing his best-selling debut novel, Peace Like a River, which won the Independent Publisher Book Award and was one of Los Angeles Times’s and Time Magazine’s Best Books of the Year. His second novel, So Brave, Young, and Handsome, was also a national best seller and a Midwest Booksellers’ Choice Award Honor Book for Fiction. His newest novel, Virgil Wander, was published in 2018. He and his wife Robin live in Minnesota.
Oct
21
7:00 PM19:00
Mrs. Bond: The True Role of Female Spies During the First World War
Anna Lee Huber
This event is co-sponsored by Altoona Public Library.
When someone mentions female spies, especially during the era of World War I, often the only names they can recall are either the notorious femme fatale Mata Hari or the saintly nurse Edith Cavell. However, the real role of women in espionage was far more varied and prevalent. These real unsung heroes of the Great War formed the basis for Anna Lee Huber’s fictional heroine—Verity Kent—and parts of their tales and exploits have found their way onto the page in her adventures. Huber will explore the fact and fiction behind these female secret agents, explore the spy rings with which they worked behind enemy lines, and examine their lives after the guns fell silent.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Treacherous Is the Night available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
ANNA LEE HUBER, winner of the 2018 Daphne du Maurier Award, is author of the national best-selling Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, and the Gothic Myths series, as well as the forthcoming anthology The Deadly Hours. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology.
Oct
21
6:30 PM18:30
CANCELLED: Making the Unseen, Seen
Neel Patel
>> Due to a family emergency, this event has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for understanding.
This event is co-sponsored by the University of Wisconsin–Stout.
This program will discuss the importance of turning peripheral characters into primary ones, both its challenges and delights. Gain a better understanding of the impact literature, television, and film have on shaping the identities of people from different walks of life.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
NEEL PATEL is an author and screenwriter who grew up in Champaign, Illinois. His writing has appeared in ELLE India, on Buzzfeed, and other publications. His first book, If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice pick and an NPR Best Book of 2018. He lives in Los Angeles, where he is developing a television series and writing a novel.
Oct
15
6:00 PM18:00
Meet the School Authors: Book Sale & Signing
This event is co-sponsored by Dotters Books.
Students, parents and the entire community are invited to create lasting memories by meeting award winning authors presenting in area schools during the Chippewa Valley Book Festival. Begin a collection of personally autographed books for yourself or a young person you love. They will be treasured for a lifetime! And don’t forget your cameras!
6:00 p.m. - Book sales begin (10% of the sales will be donated to the Authors in the Schools program)
6:30 p.m. - Author introductions, comments, and autographing session
Visit Eau Claire's Experience Center is located in the heart of downtown Eau Claire on the first floor of Pablo Center at the corner of Gibson and Graham avenues.
The following books will be available for purchase and signing at the event:
Sarah Aronson
Just Like Rube Goldberg
The Wish List: The Worst Fairy
Godmother Ever
Judy Dodge Cummings
Rebels & Revolutions
Great Escapes
Maureen Fergus
Reptile Club
Buddy & Earl
Buddy & Earl: Go to School
Kelly Jensen
(Don't) Call Me Crazy
Susan Latta
Bold Women of Medicine: 21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgeries, and Healing Breakthroughs
Baptiste Paul
The Field
Adventures to School
Miranda Paul
I Am Farmer
Nine Months
J.S. Puller
Captain Superlative
Kurtis Scaletta
Rooting for Rafael Rosales
Trailblazers: Jackie Robinson
Tonya Lee Stone
Elizabeth Leads the Way
Girl Rising
Jamie A. Swenson
Meet Woof & Quack
Woof & Quack in Winter
Fall Ball for All
Oct
25
7:00 PM19:00
From Where I Stand: Point of View in Novel Writing
Molly Patterson
This event is co-sponsored by the Menomonie Public Library.
Going beyond simple distinctions of first- and third-person and using the author’s novel Rebellion as an example, this talk will illuminate the benefits of employing diverse perspectives in novel writing.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Rebellion available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
MOLLY PATTERSON was born in St. Louis and lived in China for several years. Her work has appeared in several magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly and The Iowa Review. She was the 2012-2013 Writer-in-Residence at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., and is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Her debut novel, Rebellion, was published by Harper (HarperCollins) in 2017.
Oct
24
7:00 PM19:00
The Transformative Power of Stories
William Kent Krueger
This event is co-sponsored by the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.
Join William Kent Krueger for a consideration of the importance of stories, how they shape our understanding of the world and inspire us to become the people we want to be.
WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER is the author of the New York Times best-selling Cork O’Connor mystery series, set in the great Northwoods of Minnesota. His work has received numerous awards, including the Edgar Award for Best Novel for his 2013 release, Ordinary Grace. He lives in Saint Paul, a city he dearly loves, and does all his creative writing in local, author-friendly coffee shops.
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Desolation Mountain available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
Oct
22
7:00 PM19:00
The Enduring Appeal of the Flawed Protagonist
Patricia Skalka
This event is co-sponsored by the Altoona Public Library.
When a character evolves from curmudgeon to hero, how do readers respond, and why?
>> Our book sales committee will have copies of Death Rides the Ferry available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation.
PATRICIA SKALKA won the Edna Ferber Fiction Award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers for Death in Cold Water, the third of her Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries. The series began with Death Stalks Door County, and continued with Death at Gills Rock, and, most recently, Death Rides the Ferry.
A former Reader’s Digest staff writer, Skalka is also the author of several nonfiction books. She is a member of The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Wisconsin Writers Association, and Society of Midland Authors. She lives in Chicago and Door County.
