Midwest Writers Room

Chapter Break with Julie Jacob

BIO:  When Julie A. Jacob was a child, she decided she wanted to be a writer, and she’s been writing ever since. Her professional career has focused on health care communications, but through the years she has kept on writing creatively in her spare time. Her creative non-fiction essays have been published in Midwest Prairie Review, On Wisconsin, Open, Under the Sun, and several editions of the TallGrass Writers Guild annual anthology. Bicentennial Eve is her first novel.  SYNOPSIS: Bicentennial Eve is a gentle, slice-of-life tale of a Wisconsin family gathering for the fireworks on the eve of Independence Day in 1976. As the cast of characters go about their day, each of them struggles with their own dilemma. From Grandma Kitty's quest for some adventure to young Skylar's search for a taste of first love, each member of the family is looking for a little independence of their own against the backdrop of a changing country. LINKS: https://www.julieajacobwriter.ink

Season 4, Ep. 10 - Rebecca Zornow, May 2026

BIO: Rebecca writes science fiction and fantasy for overthinkers and romantics. She is a Hal Prize winner, member of the Wisconsin Writers Association, and full member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.  Rebecca is the CEO of Conquer Books, a book coaching firm for science fiction and fantasy writers. She lives with her family on over an acre of river-adjacent land in her favorite Wisconsin downtown. LINKS: RebeccaMZornow.com [http://rebeccamzornow.com] ConquerBooks.com [http://conquerbooks.com]

Season 4, Ep. 9 - Alicia Boemi, May 2026

BIO: Alicia Boemi calls herself a ‘literary dabbler’, she is the author of the children's books, THE MAILBOAT DOG and THE SAFETY PATROL DOG. Alicia has a poetry chapbook called THE LAKE REMAINS coming out summer of 2026. She is also the owner of two businesses, a bookstore in Lake Geneva called Lakeside Books, and a social media storytelling agency called Izzy Works Media. LINKS: * @alicia.boemi * aliciaboemi.com * @lakesidebookslg * lakesidebookslg.com

Season 4, Ep. 8 - Scott McConnaha - April 2026

BIO: Scott is an Army veteran, former middle school and high teacher, journal editor, and healthcare administrator. He and his wife, Colleen, have four children and two grandchildren. He holds master’s degrees in English and moral theology and an MBA. Scott is a member of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and the Wisconsin Writers Association and is on the board of directors of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra. He is the author of a recently published poetry chapbook titled Without a Prayer, and his work has appeared in Mobius, America, Door is a Jar, New Verse News, and Moss Piglet, among other literary publications.  LINK: https://scottmcconnaha.com/about/

Chapter Break with Debra Hall

BIO: Debra Hall is a Racine poet whose work explores the intersection of love, loss, and the sacred ordinary. She just published her debut chapbook, What the Current Cannot Swallow.  She serves as the current president of the Kenosha/Racine Poet Laureate program and she was Racine Poet Laureate from 2020-2022. Her poems have appeared in Bramble Literary Magazine, Wisconsin Poets Calendar(s), A Wreath of Golden Laurels by Local Gems Press and Moss Piglet SYNOPSIS: Debra and her husband were on dream trip in Rome when a medical emergency changed everything. Brain surgery, navigating a foreign healthcare system in a language not their own, and a dire six-month prognosis—the crisis that followed would test their 35-year marriage. In this intimate chapbook, ancient gods and Catholic icons become unexpected companions through illness and loss. Hall traces her journey from crisis through grief to hard-won transcendence, finding that even in the current's pull toward despair, moments of grace remain. LINKS: https://www.poetdebra.com/