Rosemount Area Arts Council
Meet the Author - Fall 2026
"Meet The Author" is held at the Robert Trail Library, 14395 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount, MN 55068. This program is co-sponsored by RAAC and the Library. (Some events will be at the Steeple Center when the library is busy).
Each event runs from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. The program begins with an author presentation about their self, their book and writing style, followed by Q&A and book selling and autographing by the author.
Cookies and water are furnished. FREE Event!
AUTHOR:
Bonnie Bley
BOOK:
"Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County"
October 15, 2026
Bonnie Bley
Bonnie is an award-winning author whose work explores the intersections of identity, place, and justice in the American West. A native of Wyoming and raised in the border reservation town of Hardin, Montana, Bley brings a deep personal lens to the stories she tells—often rooted in the overlooked and underrepresented communities of her youth.
Her educational journey took her through South Dakota and Minnesota, where she honed her skills as both a writer and a researcher. Since the late 1980s, she has made Minnesota her home, yet her creative and emotional connections to Montana and Wyoming continue to deeply influence her work.
Beyond her writing, Bley is passionately dedicated to advocacy and community service. She volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, offering mentorship and guidance to youth; supports The Wildcat Sanctuary by helping care for rescued big cats; and contributes to Feed My Starving Children by actively participating in meal packaging to fight global hunger. Additionally, she writes letters to elderly individuals through Letters Against Isolation, bringing connection and comfort.
SYNOPSIS:
"Stolen Voices: Missing and Murdered in Big Horn County," offers a powerful and deeply personal account of the missing and murdered Indigenous people in the region where she grew up. Through this work, Bley sheds light on a national crisis while honoring the lives, voices, and resilience of a community too often left in the shadows.
The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Big Horn County is not just a statistic; it’s a human tragedy. Behind every number is a life, a family, and a community struggling for answers. Bonnie’s mission was clear: to shed light on these stories, amplify voices that have been ignored, and spark conversations that lead to action. This book isn’t just a narrative; it’s a call for awareness and accountability.
AUTHOR:
Mary Seifert
BOOK:
Maverick, Movies & Murder
November 19, 2026
Mary Seifert
Mary Seifert is the IMPACT award-winning author of the Katie and Maverick Cozy Mysteries, must-reads for cozy fans with curious minds and a love for uncovering the truth. When she's not penning her next mystery, you’ll find her with a book in one hand, a glass of wine in the other, and a bite of chocolate never too far away. She enjoys walking her energetic dog and humorously claims to delete all references to crime from her browser history while awaiting a scrumptious dinner prepared by her live-in husband-chef, John.
SYNOPSIS:
Maverick, Movies, & Murder
After losing everything, recently widowed Katie Wilk is starting life over in Columbia, Minnesota, with a new career—giving up cryptanalysis in favor of teaching school—and a canine companion, Maverick, a black Labrador retriever. But on one of their first outings, Katie and Maverick discover a dead body in a nearby marshland. Doctor Pete Erickson enters her life. As the county coroner, he’s one of the first on the scene; as the doctor that day in the ER, he’s the one who stitches up Katie’s head; as the son of the police chief, Pete is also in on the investigation. Katie finds herself in the midst of it all, and doesn’t know anyone in town well enough to know who she can trust.
Meet the Author - 2027
"Meet The Author" is held at the Robert Trail Library, 14395 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount, MN 55068. This program is co-sponsored by RAAC and the Library. (Some events will be at the Steeple Center when the library is busy).
Each event runs from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. The program begins with an author presentation about their self, their book and writing style, followed by Q&A and book selling and autographing by the author.
Cookies and water are furnished. FREE Event!
2027 Authors
Jan 21, Mary Walerak, “Finding Alineade”
Feb 18, Judy Kerr, “Postmarked Castle Cove”
March 18, John Harrigan, “Goodbye Demons”
April 15, MT Clark, “Ghost in the Pine, Devil in the wire…”
May 20, Brian Lutterman, Rob Jung, Julie Homes, Chris Norbury…etc. “The Kill Code Collective.”
Sept 16, DeEtta Miller, “Talk Me From the Ledge”
Oct 21, David Bruns & J.R. Olson, (Title to be decided)
Nov 18 Lee Burtman, “Waiting in the Wings”, Arming the Bomb in A World Gone M.A.D.
AUTHOR:
Mary Walerak
BOOK:
"Finding Alineade"
January 21, 2027
Mary Walerak
Mary has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Human Development. Her first love and focus has always been on positive psychology and performance enhancement. She was fortunate to become involved in the coaching movement early on and has been trained in various forms of coaching, working as both a life coach and a health coach for over 15 years.
As she entered retirement and during the pandemic, she took on the challenge of putting some of her well-earned wisdom into a whimsical story of magic and empowerment. This story, originally meant as a grandmother’s loving guide for her grandchildren, can hopefully be a helpful guide for others as well.
SYNOPSIS:
"Finding Alineade" is the curious tale of a young girl named Charlie, who has left childhood behind and entered the confusing, sometimes intimidating world of middle school. Blending fantasy, a cast of unusual friends, and a formidable nemesis, the story follows Charlie as she discovers who she truly is. She learns to tap into the power within herself to become the person she has always dreamed of being. By trusting her instincts, believing in her abilities, and listening to that quiet nudge of intuition, she finds the courage to follow her own unique path.
Young readers will love this book for its sense of adventure, relatable challenges, and the magical world that feels both exciting and inspiring. Charlie’s journey shows that even the most ordinary moments can lead to extraordinary discoveries.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all step into the magical world of Alineade? Maybe, in some way, we can.
AUTHOR:
Judy Kerr
BOOK:
"Postmarked Castle Cove"
February 18, 2027
Judy Kerr
Judy lives and writes in Minnesota. She writes the MC McCall series featuring a female US Postal Inspector protagonist, published by Launch Point Press. The third book in the series, Postmarked Castle Cove released in July 2025. A number of Judy's short stories have also been published in various anthologies. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and is currently serving on the board for the Twin Cities Chapter of Sisters in Crime.
SYNOPSIS:
"Postmarked Castle Cove" - Book 3 in MC McCall Novels of Suspense
Back on the job after a stint in rehab, US Postal Inspector MC McCall is assigned to mentor an unseasoned young inspector while trying to tune out her demons. The challenge is to stay sober and deal with the Columbo-loving newbie. Then MC is sent to Castle Cove, Minnesota, to investigate a post office robbery, which turns into something much worse. McCall must navigate the grief and guilt of her personal loss while fighting furiously to reel in degenerates preying on children and profiting from peddling illegal images. Will MC succeed in taking down the twisted predators without taking a nosedive back into the bottle? A firm believer in never giving up, MC must persist while learning how to let others in if she wants to survive.
"Black Friday": Book One
"Silent Service": Book Two
AUTHOR:
John Harrigan
BOOK:
"Goodbye Demons"
March 18, 2027
John Harrigan
John is a retired Professor of Political Science from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, who also served as a Cultural Affairs Officer in the U.S. Foreign Service. In his retirement, he turned to writing fiction, drawing on his deep background in political and international affairs. His other books in the series include Goodbye Cuba and Goodbye Bobby.
SYNOPSIS:
"Goodbye Demons"
When injuries cut short the figure skating career of Angie Fernandez Parnell, she joins the Peace Corps. She is assigned to Tunis where she finds her soulmate, U.S. diplomat James Whitcomb. At the conclusion of their tours of duty, they marry, and within weeks of the wedding, he is taken captive in the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-81.
James, held hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Teheran, endures the same demons that afflicted the real-life hostages during the actual crisis 45 years ago. Deprivation, bad treatment, political manipulation, and above all the uncertainty of whether or when it would all end.
Angie, biting her nails at home, endures her own demons. How can she support him? Should she join efforts that pressure the president to negotiate a release? Or even a rescue? A take-charge person by nature, she follows a path that will reap huge benefits if it works. Or destroy her life if it fails.