Monday, May 16, 7 pm, at Boswell

Alvaro Saar Rios’ plays have been performed in New York City, Hawaii, Milwaukee, and all over Texas. His play Luchadora!, now in book format was named one of the 15 best plays of 2014-15 in Milwaukee when it was premiered by First Stage. We're excited to be hosting a talk and dramatic reading of this moving tale of fathers and daughters, secret identities, and the exciting world of lucha libre-Mexican wrestling.
Here's a little more about the story. The discovery of a worn pink wrestling mask prompts Nana Lupita, a Wisconsin grandmother, to share her tale about growing up in 1960s Texas. As her tale unfolds, Lupita’s life as a teen tomboy comes alive-bike riding with her friends Leopold and Liesl, working at her father’s flower stand and lucha libre. When a World Championship match is announced, Lupita anticipates seeing it until she discovers her ailing father is one of the wrestlers. With the help of a magical mask maker, Lupita secretly trains to take her father’s place. She soon finds it difficult keeping her secret from her friends and, most importantly, her father.
From Jim Higgins at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "If you're the parent or abuela of girls, this production is a must. Every female character is presented as either competent or determined or both, from tween Liesl (Miranda Cecsarini), who fixes bicycles, to Lopez-Rios' Mask Maker, a Latina cognate of "The Karate Kid's" Mr. Miyagi, but with better boots and special sopa. But the boys represent themselves well, too. Flores makes a warm, believable father, except that he sings more beautifully than most of our fathers do. He and Mercado have a seemingly natural rapport, especially in a scene where he reveals his secrets to her."
Tuesday, May 17, 7 pm, at Boswell:

This event is cosponsored by Crimespree Magazine.
From the moment her novel The Good Girl was released, Mary Kubica has been hailed as a breakout star of psychological suspense. Her book was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, with Pretty Baby following in its footsteps. Now she's back for Don't You Cry, which Lisa Scottoline calls "Single White Female on steroids.

Mary Kubica's tales of obsession and deception are truly terrifying, but like many thriller writers, the author herself could not be more charming. Come meet her on Tuesday, May 17, 7 pm to celebrate the release (check the pub date, it's launch day) of Don't You Cry, at Boswell.

Jennifer Armentrout, author of The Problem With Forever, and Liza Wiemer, author of Hello?
We've been behind the scenes working with Liza Weimer and her debut YA novel Hello? for close to the year. Wiemer not only had a wonderful launch here, but has been visiting schools all over Wisconsin and even other states in the Midwest.

During the process, Wiemer spoke to me quite a bit, and one source of inspiration that she brought up several times was Jennifer Armentrout, who, like Wiemer, had her first novel published at Spencer Hill Contemporaries. So when Harlequin came to me and offered us an event with Jennifer Armentrout for her new novel, The Problem With Forever, I immediately thought to pair them up. And what's even better, Wiemer thought to ask Jamie and Erin Arkin of Fiction Fair if they could moderate the discussion. And they could!

The Weyenberg Library is just north of Mequon Road on Highway 57, north of Colectivo and south of Fiddleheads, to put it in coffee shop perspective.

Ryan Berg, author of No House to Call My Home: Love, Family, and Other Transgressions.
This event is cosponsored by Manpower Elevate, Pathfinders, Milwaukee Pride
In No House to Call My Home, Lambda Literary Foundation Emerging Writers Fellow Ryan Berg immerses readers in the gritty, dangerous, and shockingly underreported world of homeless LGBTQ teens in New York. As a caseworker in a group home for disowned LGBTQ teenagers, Berg witnessed the struggles, fears, and ambitions of these disconnected youth as they resisted the pull of the street, tottering between destruction and survival.
Manpower Place is located on Riverwalk Way between Vliet and Cherry, on the west bank of the Milwaukee River.

Book club night with Katarina Bivald, author of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.
Swedish week continues with a visit from Katarina Bivald. But before we get started, Jane Glaser and I will be previewing our newest collection of book club recommendations. I'm having someone proof it now! I'll have a separate blog post on that.
We'll also be serving some Swedish treats, such as Anna's cookies (you know, those yummy super crispy ones. Ginger is the best!) and crackers. Alas, I haven't had enough time in the kitchen to make blåbärssoppa.
And here's a recommendation from Jen Steele, the first member of Team Broken Wheel: "Coming to a small town in America may not seem like the ideal vacation for most European tourists. But for Sara, it's an ideal trip. The bookstore where Sara worked has gone out of business. It's the perfect time to leave her home in Sweden and visit her pen-pal and fellow bibliophile, Amy, in Broken Wheel, Iowa. Unfortunately, she arrives in Broken Wheel to find Amy has died and she just missed the funeral. Sara's arrival becomes the talk of the town and her new neighbors take it upon themselves to help her stay any way they can, whether she likes it or not. In return for their kindness, Sara is committed to finding just the right book for everyone in town. The best of intentions quickly lead to misunderstandings, shenanigans and self-discovery. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a book for everyone. It is a charming, light-hearted story. If you're not a booklover already, Sara and the town of Broken Wheel may just turn you into one!"
Friday, May 20, 7 pm, at Boswell:

Last year we cosponsored an event with J.F. (Jan) Riordan at the Milwaukee Public Library for her first novel, North of the Tension Line, a quirky story about a city dweller, Fiona Campbell, who moves to the Door County village of Ephraim, and quickly gets immersed in the complications of small-town life.

Saturday, May 21, 7 pm, at Boswell

When a humorist with a track record that includes such comedic gems as Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler and I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship (that's a collection he edited about dogs and their human companions) comes to a publisher with a gentle series of novels based on family heirlooms, they are likely to make some tweaks to the author bio. And that's why the author on the jacket of his first novel is Viola Shipman.

Adriana Trigiani has said of The Charm Bracelet: “Like a rare jewel that will be passed down one generation to the next, and from one book club member to the next until everyone has read this heartfelt story.”
In addition to writing nonfiction such as At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: Misadventures in Search of the Simple Life, Rouse has written for Entertainment Weekly and Coastal Living. Rouse is currently at work on The Hope Chest, the second novel in the Heirloom Series. He lives in Michigan, except in winters, when he turned out to be living in Palm Springs, next to two Friends of Boswell.

Cari Taylor-Carlson, author of Life on the Loose: My Journey From Suburban Housewife to Outdoor Guide.
Life on the Loose explores Cari Taylor-Carlson’s 32-year adventure with Venture West as she and her customers traveled the world with backpacks, canoes, and kayaks. This was a risky business with an unexpected learning curve - from the first backpacking trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to the final hiking trip in Zion National Park. She experienced the highs and the pits of the outdoor travel world as she navigated the unknown with her trusting customers following behind. Taylor-Carlson holds nothing back in her story as she somehow survived her own occasional negligence. She learned the art of the fake smile when things fell apart as she stuffed her panic because it was her job to set the tone for the group.

In addition to her adventure travel work, Cari Taylor-Carlson is well known in Milwaukee for her local walking and eating guides. It's hard not to be inspired by Taylor-Carlson's story. Please help us celebrate the book's release this Sunday at 3 pm.
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