7th Annual Rosemount Writers Festival Takes Place on Saturday, March 18 at The Steeple Center

Local Mystery/Suspense Author Brian Lutterman Will Be the Keynote Speaker

(Rosemount, MN) – The 7th Annual Rosemount Writers Festival takes place on Saturday, March 18, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at The Steeple Center, located at 14375 South Robert Trail in Rosemount.

Mystery/Suspense novelist Brian Lutterman is this year’s Keynote speaker. He will kick the event off right at 9 a.m. Lutterman is the author of eight mystery-thrillers, including Bound to Die, a Minnesota Book Award runner-up, and Poised to Kill, described by the Midwest Book Review as “. . .a masterfully woven tale of tycoons and terrorists.” He is also the creator of the acclaimed Pen Wilkinson thriller series, and several short stories.

In addition to sharing details about his writing career, he also plans to discuss why writers feel compelled to write, and how they can disseminate their stories to others in today’s market.

After the Keynote wraps up, the annual book fair will get underway. This year’s event features 45 authors and vendors, including Lutterman and several other mystery writers. Rob Jung, Carl Brookins, Mark Ristau, Craig MacIntosh, Chris Norbury, and Judy M. Kerr are among the 11 mystery writers who will all have tables at the event.

Other authors participating in the Rosemount Writer’s Festival this year include Connie Anderson, Michael Dardis, Evelyn D. Klein, Carla Pritchett, Paul Simonson, Peter Ross, Tracy Moore, and Jonathan W. Sweet.

There will also be tables at the Book Fair for local writing organizations The Loft Literary Center and the League of Minnesota Poets. Publishing companies planning to participate include Kirk House Publishers, Fuzion Press, Shipwreckt Books, Queen of Swords Press and Sigma’s Bookshelf, a free book publishing company that since its founding in 2016 has published 21 teen authored books.

Three of the young writers plan to sign books at this year’s festival, including company founder Justin M. Anderson, author, Nothing But Trouble and Saving Stripes: A Kitty’s Story. Also signing books at the Sigma’s Bookshelf table this year are Bella Skaja, who has authored a trilogy: Demons Unfolding, Demons Returning and Demons Ending; and Samantha Gibson, author, Hostage.

Holly Jorgensen, author, Enchanted: Reflections from a Joyfully Green and Frugally Rich Life, will be appearing at the festival too. She is also the featured artist at the Steeple Center Art Gallery. Her table will be in the Fireside room at the Steeple Center, near her artwork and poetry installation.

The Rosemount Area Arts Council will have a table at the event as well to promote the original play they are putting on this summer. “Free Air” is an adaption of the novel by Minnesota author Sinclair Lewis and a 1922 movie filmed in Rosemount by the same name.

While the Book Fair is happening downstairs, a series of writing-related workshops will be taking place in the Steeple Center’s upstairs classrooms. There will be 12 classes offered. Several will be taught by publishers. There will also be a literary agent and book publicist leading workshops, along with Loft Literary Center teaching artists.

“The workshops are for all levels of writers—whether already published, or just taking their first steps on their writing journey,” said Festival Chair Sue Stein.

Classes available include Writing Dynamic Scenes, Strategies for Writing Nonfiction, Tips for Increasing Awareness About Your Book, Jumpstart Your Book Marketing: A Publisher’s Perspective and Marketability: How Publishing Professionals Look at Your Manuscript. The complete list of workshops can be found online at Rosemountwritersfestival.com/events--workshops.

Admission to the Book Fair is free. Cost to attend the Keynote is $15. The fee to attend any of the workshops is $15 per class. Register online for the Keynote or Workshops here: Rosemountwritersfestival.com/register-paypal.