Local author Jane Schmidt will launch her latest book at the Viroqua City Hall Community Room on Saturday, April, 29 from 2:15 p.m – 2:45 p.m.

Schmidt owns and operates Fitness Choices from her home in rural Viola, Wis. The focus of her work is to help women overcome obstacles to maintain healthy habits for life. Her award-winning column, “Jane’s World,” appears weekly in the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout newspaper. Schmidt’s other books include an essay collection, Not a Perfect Fit and a series of books for children written in collaboration with her rat terrier mix, Finnegan. Thunderstorms & Tiny Turtles is her latest book of essays and Schmidt would be reading from it at the book festival.

“I’m thrilled to have my old neighbor and friend Roger Martin, who I think is one of the greatest storytellers ever, introduce me,” said Schmidt. “And after that I’ll be reading a few excerpts from my book. I would be honored if people would join me at the book launch.”

The book launch is part of the Ridges & Rivers Book Festival, which will be held April 28-30. The Book Festival is a collaboration between the McIntosh Memorial Library and the Driftless Writing Center. The Book Fair runs from 9:00 am to 4:30 on Saturday and Sunday, and the event will include over 18 authors that fest organizers say will have something for everyone.

“We have the full range of genres and interests,” said McIntosh Memorial Library Trina Erickson. “From fiction and nonfiction, to poetry and genealogy.” Organizers say they made it a focus of the event to be out into the community itself. Lisa Henner is one the founders of the Driftless Writing Center in Viroqua.

“We really wanted this event to bring books to people where they are,” said Henner “Both in interest but also where they are in the community. We contacted businesses early and had the idea to have our venues, that we are calling “Book Gardens”, actually in the business and that is exactly what we are doing. Businesses in town really jumped on the idea early and we will have gardens throughout Main St. on Saturday.”

The festival will kick off at the Historic Temple Theater in Viroqua on Friday with a show by former Wisconsin Poet Laurette Dasha Kelly Hamilton called “Makin’ Cake”. The performance is billed as Hamilton cutting into a cake, revealing what its history and ingredients can teach us about race, class and equity in America.

Henner and Erickson said all the events are free with the exception of two writing workshops and that is possible because the event has received grants and donations from a numerous sources including local businesses , Arts Midwest Gig Fund grant, The National Endowment for the Arts and The Wisconsin Arts Board. The group also got help with marketing from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.