Council for Wisconsin Writers

Supporting Wisconsin writers from 1964 to 2022

Christine DeSmet

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"Fudge" Series Author in Door County

For all interested mystery writers — or any writers who might be in the northeast corner of Wisconsin on Sunday and would like to meet and talk writing with an oft-published writer, here’s a note from Christine DeSmet, author of The Fudge Shop Mysteries series (set in Door County):

“I was invited to the Namur kermis in Door County this Sunday, Aug. 30. I’ll be selling books and available to anyone who wants to talk about writing a series or novel writing or screenwriting.

Please stop by if you’re in the area.

A kermis (also kermiss) is a Belgian harvest festival and there are several in Door, Kewaunee, and Brown Counties in the fall.

The kermis features lots of good Belgian food including booyah, Belgian pies, and ice cream made with a John Deere tractor.

Live music by the Mad Cats.

It’s 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Belgian Heritage Center in Namur, 1255 Hwy. DK, and just west of Brussels.

The Center grounds include a historic church called St. Mary of the Snows, a large historic rural school that was once run by nuns who lived upstairs, a roadside chapel, and a historic collection of gravestones.

It’s a living museum and all of it is featured in my latest Fudge Shop Mystery series novel,Five-Alarm Fudge (Penguin Random House). I did extensive research and interviews with the Belgian Foundation members there and got the tour of everything when I was working on the book. You can walk in the footsteps of my characters and see where the murder took place. And of course you have to figure out how it was done!”

You can visit Christine at her website, https://christinedesmet.wordpress.com/

Also, please drop by the Council for Wisconsin Writers website at www.wiswriters.org.

The Council for Wisconsin Writers is a non-profit, tax-exempt, membership organization dedicated to promoting local, state, and national awareness of Wisconsin’s great literary heritage and to encourage excellence among today’s Wisconsin writers. Please visit us at http://www.wiswriters.org.

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Mystery Writer's Foodie Book Review is Divine

You never know where a review of your book might show up. Here’s one in Kings River Life Magazine of five “foodie mysteries” that includes Wisconsin author  Christine DeSmet’s Five-Alarm Fudge, published by Penguin. http://kingsriverlife.com/05/16/a-bunch-of-may-food-mysteries-from-penguin/.

Christine DeSmetChristine DeSmet

The review, by Cynthia Chow, opens with, “Few can doubt the appeal of divinity candy, but who would have thought it was actually divine? Local lore in Door County, Wisconsin has it that in the 1860s Sister Adele Brise created a foolproof recipe for divinity, one that she shared along with her vision of the Blessed Mother of God. The recent discovery of an antique cup has linked the Oosterling family to royals in Belgium, so this–and the rumored recipe–has Belgian prince Arnaud Van Damme and his mother Princess Amandine planning a visit to their American sister city of Namur. In order to promote both Namur, Wisconsin and Namur, Belgium, the prince hopes to exhibit the priceless recipe and attract countless tourists to both cities. Now all Ava Oosterling has to do is find the recipe!”

Chris teaches fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting at UW-Madison and blogs at https://christinedesmet.wordpress.com/

Five-Alarm Fudge is part of Christine’s The  Fudge Shop Mystery Series, set in Door County. Congratulations to Chris for the publication of this book  and the great review.

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Wisconsin Writer is One of 50 for 50

Christine DeSmet, whose First-Degree Fudge spent 10 weeks as a Barnes & Noble mystery best seller, is being featured this week at “50 States, 50 Authors.” Today’s post, titled Illinois’s Quad Cities: Belgian Influence = Fun, Fabulous Food and Christine DeSmet, begins:

“The first Belgian sleuth since Hercule Poirot—Ava Oosterling, is the main character in my new Fudge Shop Mystery Series.talking about my birthplace of Moline, Illinois, and its connections to chocolates and my Fudge Shop Mystery Series. Book 2, Hot Fudge Frame-Up, debuts June 3.”

Sounds to me like a delicious read.

Chris is one of more than 300 writers from Wisconsin and the Midwest who have signed up to attend the 25th anniversary Writers’ Institute Conference, April 4-6, at the Madison Concourse Hotel. Details are at http://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/conferences/writers-institute/.

Also, please visit the Council for Wisconsin Writers website at www.wiswriters.org.

 

 

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Southwest WI Book Festival to Feature 25 Regional Writers

Jerry Apps, Jenny Fiore, Mary Potter Kenyon, Christine DeSmet, Laurie Scheer, Erin Hart and Scott Klug.

Those are some of the 25 authors being featured at the Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival on Sept. 14 in Mineral Point.

Here’s a news release with more information and a link to the festival website, which provides even more details.

For Immediate Release

Date: August 1, 2013
Contact: Kristin Mitchell, 608.987.3370, info@swwibookfestival.com
Book Signing Featuring Over 25 Regional Authors at the
Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival
Mineral Point, Wisc. – Authors from Wisconsin and neighboring states have been selected to participate in the book signing event at the third annual Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival, September 14, 2013 in Mineral Point. The Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival is a non-profit festival striving to educate, unite, and inspire those drawn to the written word and its imagery. Participating authors this year include: Jerry Apps, Jenny Fiore, Mary Potter Kenyon, Christine DeSmet, Laurie Scheer, Erin Hart and Scott Klug. For a complete list of authors visit www.swwibookfestival.com.
Hosted by Little Creek Press, the book signing event, part of a full day of activities, will be held at the historic Walker House in Mineral Point from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The book signing will showcase a wide range of book genres including children’s books, fiction, non-fiction, poetry and short stories.
The 2013 event starts with 12 engaging morning workshops held in downtown Mineral Point that span a range of literary topics. The day continues with the book signing in the afternoon at the Walker House. The day will be capped off with a networking event. Sponsorship opportunities for the festival are currently available, visit www.swwibookfestival.com for more details.
Event Details:
Informational and Educational Workshops • Mineral Point Public Library & Opera House
Session A: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Session B: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session C: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Book Signing • Walker House, Mineral Point

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Networking • Tony’s Tap, Mineral Point

4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
For up to the minute information follow the Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information contact Kristin Mitchell by phone at 608.987.3370 or by email at
info@swwibookfestival.com
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Amy Gevelinger, Support Specialist

Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival
Kristin Mitchell Design
Little Creek Press
5341 Sunny Ridge Road
Mineral Point, WI  53565
608.987.3370 | 608.553.1953 cell
www.swwibookfestival.com

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"Fudge" Series Author is Featured on Blog

Mystery writer and Wisconsin Sisters in Crime sister reports that she’s featured this week at a blog called Fifty Authors From Fifty States. Here’s what she says:

Fifty Authors From Fifty States is “a very fun blog that takes you traveling throughout the U.S. each week throughout the year with a new author as your guide.

I talk about Door County, the home of one of the biggest enclaves of Belgians in the U.S. and the setting for my new Fudge Shop Mystery Series, starring the female version of Poirot (a Belgian), Ava Oosterling (another Belgian). My series debuts in September with FIRST-DEGREE FUDGE. 

Belgians are about beer and booyah…and more tasty fun in Door County, as the blog features in my mini-tour. Enjoy!”

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Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival deadline is May 17

Christine DeSmet, UW-Madison, has the following information about the Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival:
May 17 is the deadline for submission for authors to participate in the Sept. 14 Southwest Wisconsin Book Festival in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
 
 
This is their third year and they seem to be growing, and Mineral Point is a gorgeous area to visit. Kristin Mitchell, local publisher there, had a wonderful array of quality books at the publisher/author book fair at the recent Writers’ Institute conference in Madison. She runs the festival.
 
I’m on a panel for “Wisconsin books,” and that panel needs more authors who have written books set in Wisconsin.
 
This will be my first time at this festival, so maybe others can weigh in if they know more about it.