Speaking Bureau

The Bell Cow Speaking Bureau

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Looking for an author for your bookstore, library, book club, festival, classroom, or community event?

Welcome to the Bell Cow Speaking Bureau: a smaller corral of authors from the Bell Cow Cattle-log who are especially interested in connecting with readers through live and virtual events.

The Bell Cow Cattle-log was built to help readers, bookstores, libraries, festivals, book clubs, and literary organizations discover regional authors more easily. The Speaking Bureau takes that one step further by highlighting authors who have specifically told us they are open to readings, panels, workshops, library talks, bookstore events, school visits, book club conversations, craft talks, virtual programs, and other author appearances.

We started with Minnesota and Wisconsin authors, but as Bell Cow continues to expand across the Midwest, we expect the Speaking Bureau to grow with us.

Whether you are planning a mystery night, a local author series, a book club visit, a writing workshop, a library program, a festival panel, or a conversation about craft, we hope this list helps you find the right author for your audience.

Please contact authors directly using the information provided in their profiles. Event format, availability, travel, honoraria, book sales, and other arrangements should be worked out directly between the author and the hosting organization.

Bell Cow is here to help make the connection easier.

Ring the bell. Find the author. Fill the room.

Stanley Trollip

Location: Minnesota / South Africa

Writes: Mystery, thriller, international crime fiction

Why invite him: Stanley Trollip, one half of the Michael Stanley writing team, brings an international perspective to crime fiction, with mysteries rooted in Botswana, South Africa, conservation, culture, and global storytelling.

Good fit for: Library talks, bookstore events, book clubs, mystery events, craft talks, panels, virtual events, and conversations about international settings, collaboration, research, and crime fiction.

Possible event topics:

Writing international crime fiction
Creating Detective Kubu and writing Botswana-set mysteries
Collaboration and co-writing fiction
Research, travel, culture, and crime storytelling
Mystery fiction across borders

Website: https://michaelstanleybooks.com
Contact: Stantrollip@icloud.com
Best way to connect: Email

Christine Husom

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Mystery, police procedural, cozy mystery

Why invite her: Christine Husom is a national bestselling Minnesota mystery author whose work bridges police procedurals, psychological suspense, and cozy mystery, with real-world law enforcement experience informing her fiction.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, workshops, school visits, library talks, book clubs, mystery events, craft talks, keynote-style presentations, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing mystery series readers return to
Cozy mystery versus police procedural
Using law enforcement experience in fiction
Building suspense in familiar communities
The business and craft of long-running mystery series

Website: https://www.christinehusom.com
Contact: christinehusom@aol.com or 763-360-4355
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Mary Seifert

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Cozy mystery

Why invite her: Mary Seifert writes the Katie and Maverick Cozy Mysteries, bringing warmth, puzzles, humor, and a former math teacher’s love of logic to reader-friendly mysteries.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, workshops, school visits, library talks, book clubs, virtual events, in-person events, and events where she can talk books, puzzles, writing, and stepping outside the comfort zone.

Possible event topics:

Cozy mysteries and the joy of the puzzle
Turning logic, clues, and curiosity into story
Writing a mystery series with warmth and humor
Book club conversations with cozy mystery readers
From teaching to writing mysteries

Website: https://maryseifertauthor.com
Contact: maryseifertauthor@gmail.com or 320-212-2384
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Mike Faricy

Location: Minnesota / Wisconsin

Writes: Crime fiction, humorous mystery, detective fiction

Why invite him: Mike Faricy is an award-winning crime fiction author known for fast-moving mysteries, offbeat characters, humor, and multiple long-running series.

Good fit for: Bookstore events, library talks, mystery nights, book clubs, panels, craft talks, virtual events, and conversations about writing crime fiction with humor.

Possible event topics:

Writing crime fiction with comic energy
Building a long-running mystery series
Creating oddball characters readers remember
Independent publishing and sustaining an author career
Private investigators, criminals, and beautiful disasters

Website: https://www.mikefaricybooks.com
Contact: authormjf@gmail.com
Best way to connect: Email

Thekla Fagerlie-Madsen

Location: Wisconsin

Writes: Crime thriller, mystery, suspense

Why invite her: Thekla Fagerlie-Madsen writes crime thrillers with investigative energy, dark twists, and a professional background in journalism, communications, technical writing, and business storytelling.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, workshops, school visits, library talks, book clubs, mystery events, keynote-style presentations, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing crime thrillers with real-world texture
Co-writing with a retired police detective
From journalism and technical writing to fiction
Suspense, research, and procedural detail
Crafting dark mysteries with unusual twists

Website: https://wiwrite.org/Sys/PublicProfile/54924199
Contact: theklamadsenauthor@gmail.com
Best way to connect: Email

Jessie Chandler

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Humorous mystery, caper fiction, LGBTQ+ crime fiction

Why invite her: Jessie Chandler is an award-winning mystery author known for the Shay O’Hanlon Caper Series, fast-paced comic crime fiction, memorable misfit characters, and a generous, energetic approach to connecting with readers and writers.

Good fit for: Readings, workshops, writing talks, library programs, bookstore events, panels, book clubs, collaborative events, mystery events, LGBTQ+ literary programming, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing humorous mystery and caper fiction
Building a mystery series around memorable characters
LGBTQ+ representation in crime fiction
From idea to manuscript: practical writing craft
Collaboration, community, and keeping writing fun

Website: http://www.jessiechandler.com
Contact: jchandlerauthor@gmail.com or 612-508-5366
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Frank F. Weber

Location: Minnesota

Writes: True crime-inspired thrillers, crime fiction, forensic suspense

Why invite him: Frank F. Weber is a Minnesota true crime author and forensic psychologist whose presentations draw on his professional background in homicide, sexual assault, domestic abuse, offender psychology, victim trauma, expert testimony, and real Minnesota cases.

Good fit for: Presentations, book signings, library programs, bookstore events, true crime events, forensic psychology talks, crime writing programs, mystery events, panels, and in-person author events.

Possible event topics:

Forensic psychology and true crime writing
How real criminal cases inspire fiction
Online predators and victim grooming
Profiling, trauma, and the psychology of offenders
Turning difficult subject matter into compelling suspense

Website: https://www.frankweberauthor.com
Contact: Frankw@coretreatment.com
Best way to connect: Email

Chris Norbury

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Mystery-thriller, adventure fiction, middle-grade adventure

Why invite him: Chris Norbury is an award-winning author whose work includes mystery-thrillers and adventure fiction, with interests that connect music, wilderness, suspense, mentorship, and the craft of building a compelling story.

Good fit for: Panels, workshops, library talks, craft talks, mystery events, writing programs, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing mystery-thrillers with strong regional texture
Building suspense through ordinary people in extraordinary situations
Wilderness, music, and character in fiction
Writing for both adult and younger readers
Crafting a series readers want to follow

Website: https://chrisnorbury.com
Contact: chrisnorburywriter@gmail.com
Best way to connect: Email

Cary J. Griffith

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Minnesota-set fiction and nonfiction, wilderness nonfiction, outdoor mystery, environmental suspense

Why invite him: Cary J. Griffith is an award-winning Minnesota author whose fiction and nonfiction explore wild places, wilderness danger, environmental conflict, crime, survival, and the borderlands between civilization and the natural world.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, workshops, school visits, library talks, book clubs, mystery events, keynote-style presentations, virtual events, in-person events, bookstore programs, and community literary events.

Possible event topics:

Minnesota wilderness, survival, and storytelling
Boundary Waters history, fire, blowdowns, and wild places
Writing nonfiction that reads like a thriller
Using the natural world in mystery and suspense
Turning regional history and environmental events into compelling books

Website: http://www.carygriffith.com
Contact: caryjgriffith@yahoo.com or 612-237-7307
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Scott R. Welvaert

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Middle-grade fiction, young adult fiction, adult fiction, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, mystery

Why invite him: Scott R. Welvaert is a Minnesota author with a wide-ranging body of work across middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction, including adventure, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and poetry. His range makes him a strong fit for events with young readers, adult readers, writers, and mixed-age audiences.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, workshops, school visits, library talks, book clubs, mystery events, craft talks, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing across age categories and genres
Building adventure, mystery, fantasy, and science-fiction worlds
Writing for young readers and adult audiences
From poetry to fiction: developing a flexible writing life
Creating stories with imagination, momentum, and heart

Website: https://scottwelvaert.com
Contact: srwelvaert@gmail.com or 952-297-5608
Best way to connect: Email or phone

JJ Harrigan

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Historical thrillers, historical fiction, political suspense

Why invite him: JJ Harrigan is a historical thriller author, former Cold War soldier, U.S. Foreign Service Officer, and political science professor whose fiction draws on twentieth-century history, international crisis, diplomacy, war, politics, and the human stories behind major world events.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, library talks, book clubs, mystery events, keynote-style presentations, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing historical thrillers rooted in real events
Cold War history, diplomacy, and political suspense
Turning twentieth-century crises into fiction
The Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam era, RFK, and the Iranian Hostage Crisis
How research, memory, and imagination shape historical fiction

Website: https://jjharrigan.com
Contact: jj@jjharrigan.com or 651-410-7392
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Skye Smith

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Mystery-thriller, historical mystery, suspense

Why invite him: Skye Smith is a Minnesota mystery-thriller author whose background in mechanical engineering, CAD design, and history gives his fiction a distinctive mix of structure, visualization, research, and intricate plotting.

Good fit for: Library talks, bookstore events, book clubs, mystery events, writing-group conversations, craft talks, panels, and discussions of research, plotting, and writing mystery-thrillers.

Possible event topics:

Writing mystery-thrillers with complex plots
Using engineering-style visualization in fiction
Research, history, and suspense
From writers group to finished manuscript
Creating tension through structure, clues, and consequence

Website: https://www.skyesmith-author.com
Contact: ssmith69.author@gmail.com
Best way to connect: Email

Michael Allan Mallory

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Mystery, detective fiction, crime fiction, short fiction

Why invite him: Michael Allan Mallory is an award-winning mystery author whose work includes The Lost Dragon Murder, featuring Detective Henry Lau, as well as novels co-created around Lavender “Snake” Jones, mystery’s first zoologist sleuth. His short fiction has also appeared in numerous mystery anthologies and publications.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, school visits, library talks, book clubs, mystery events, bookstore programs, and author conversations.

Possible event topics:

Writing detective fiction with memorable sleuths
Creating unusual mystery protagonists
Mystery short stories and anthology writing
Twin Cities crime fiction and local mystery settings
Building clues, suspects, and reader engagement

Website: https://www.snakejones.com
Contact: michael7mallory@gmail.com or 612-987-5443
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Craig MacIntosh

Location: Minnesota

Writes: Historical fiction, mystery, adventure, World War II fiction

Why invite him: Craig MacIntosh is a Minnesota author, former political cartoonist, illustrator, and syndicated comic strip artist whose fiction draws on history, military experience, mystery, adventure, and the visual storytelling instincts of a long creative career.

Good fit for: Library talks, book clubs, virtual events, workshops, panels, bookstore events, historical fiction programs, mystery events, and community conversations.

Possible event topics:

Writing historical fiction with mystery and adventure
World War II, the Greatest Generation, and storytelling
From political cartooning to fiction writing
Visual storytelling, illustration, and narrative structure
Military experience, memory, and fiction

Website: https://www.cjmacintosh.com
Contact: craigjmac@gmail.com
Best way to connect: Email

Gary R. Bush

Location: Minnesota, Minneapolis / Twin Cities area

Writes: Fiction for adults, young adults, and children; mystery; historical adventure; graphic novel

Why invite him: Gary R. Bush is a Minnesota author and historian by training whose work ranges across adult fiction, young adult fiction, children’s fiction, mystery anthologies, and historical adventure. His range makes him a strong fit for libraries, schools, book clubs, and mixed-age audiences.

Good fit for: School visits, library talks, book clubs, readings, panels, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing for adults, young adults, and children
Historical fiction and adventure storytelling
Mystery anthologies and short fiction
Writing for young readers
Turning research and history into engaging stories

Website: https://www.threeoceanpress.com/authors/gary-bush
Contact: garyrbush@gmail.com or 952-929-2076
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Beth M. James

Location: Wisconsin

Writes: Romantic suspense, fantasy romance, contemporary romance, action/adventure fiction

Why invite her: Beth M. James is a Wisconsin author who writes character-driven stories with elements of romance, suspense, fantasy, crime, and the unexpected. Her novel The Orb Lady: Cali’s Story blends romantic suspense, action, survival, family secrets, and the fight to reclaim one’s life.

Good fit for: Book events, signings, panels, workshops, conferences, readings, Q&A discussions, book clubs, craft talks, business-of-writing presentations, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing character-driven romantic suspense
Blending romance, danger, family secrets, and survival
Craft and business lessons from an indie author career
Building stories around strong characters and hard choices
Book club conversations about The Orb Lady

Website: https://www.bethmjames.com
Contact: bmjames@bethmjames.com
Best way to connect: Email

John Heckenlaible

Location: Minnesota / Arizona

Writes: Literary fiction, coming-of-age fiction, small-town fiction

Why invite him: John Heckenlaible writes warm, funny, and emotionally grounded fiction shaped by small-town Minnesota, community, memory, resilience, and the difficult work of finding one’s way forward. His debut novel, No Better Place: A Hometown Tale, is set in southern Minnesota in the early 1980s and blends nostalgia, humor, heartbreak, and coming-of-age drama.

Good fit for: Readings, panels, library talks, book clubs, virtual events, and in-person events.

Possible event topics:

Writing small-town Minnesota with humor and heart
Nostalgia, memory, and coming-of-age storytelling
Building a fictional hometown from real regional experience
Writing through grief, change, and personal reinvention
Moving from marketing and nonfiction writing into fiction

Website: https://jjheckenlaible.com
Contact: heckphx@cox.net or 602-840-4353
Best way to connect: Email or phone

Peggy Scholberg

Location: Minnesota

Writes: World War II historical fiction, women’s history, military history

Why invite her: Peggy Scholberg writes about World War II through the experiences of young women whose lives were shaped by service, danger, loss, resilience, and hope. Her book Girls in a World at War brings women’s wartime experiences to life, making her a strong fit for audiences interested in WWII, women’s history, veterans’ stories, and historical fiction.

Good fit for: School visits, library talks, keynote events, readings, veterans’ groups, history programs, women’s history events, book clubs, and community conversations.

Possible event topics:

Women’s experiences during World War II
WWII service, sacrifice, and resilience
Telling family and historical stories through fiction
Veterans, memory, and the human side of war
Bringing women’s wartime history to contemporary readers

Website: https://www.authorpeggyscholberg.com
Contact: p.scholb@gmail.com or 952-250-3924
Best way to connect: Email or phone

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