EVERYONE HAS A STORY -- Thekla Madsen opened with the idea that around Pearl Harbor Day we should think about the stories that WW2 veterans have to tell – and likely were reluctant to tell because of the pain they carry. Thekla started out with a journalism/English degree and had a job with the River Falls Journal as a “jill of all trades”. To pay the bills, had to take secretarial work in St Paul. On the job, she learned about financial issues, and she then moved to a bank serving agricultural co-ops. She left that position because at 37 she wanted to write. Thekla started her own business writing for insurance, banking, agricultural co-ops, and others. Over time, she moved to more technical writing, which was difficult but worth the transition. Click READ MORE for the full story.
Ultimately, Thekla decided it was time to write a book. Through a mutual friend, she connected with retired Cleveland Police Detective Karl Bort, who the bones of a book about an actual criminal whom he dealt with in his work. Thanks to his persistence, Thekla agreed to read the manuscript, which was very rough but in which she saw potential. At first, Bort was paying Thekla as an editor. And from there she transitioned to co-author status for “Bad JuJu in Cleveland”. All interactions were done virtually, and they only met in person when starting book #2.
Many writers fit in writing whenever they can, but Thekla is not one of them. She has another book in her, but hasn’t sat down to write it. She emphasized to us that we all have stories, and that we hear stories every day.
Later Thekla was put in touch with a Beverly Hills restaurateur who wanted to write his memoir. He wanted Thekla to write the book, but she encouraged the man to write the story down and let her structure the story and put the touches on the book. The book is part memoir, part business philosophy, and even includes some recipes. The title is “Saved by a Blonde and a Chicken Pot Pie”.
Ms. Madsen told us that there are a lot of resources for writers out there. She gave away one copy of a resource book with much useful information about what is available.
Thekla’s second joint book with Detective Bort was “Angry Nurse”, coming from Bort’s experience as a psychiatric nurse at the Cleveland Clinic. After his police retirement, Karl had gone back to school, earned an RN, and worked as a nurse for about 15 years. He died suddenly when Angry Nurse was almost done.
About the Speaker: Thekla Madsen is a professional technical, marketing, and business writer with over 25 years of telling stories. Most recently, she teamed with a retired Cleveland police detective to tell some of his stories, resulting in three books in the Detective Nicholas Silvano Crime Thrillers series and two audiobooks. She also worked with a Beverly Hills restaurateur to write his memoir. She will share these stories and provide some direction for Rotarians who might want to tell their stories.
Thekla Madsen is co-author of the Detective Nicholas Silvano Crime Thrillers series along with retired Cleveland, Ohio police officer Karl Bort. Together they have punlished three novels: Bad JuJu in Cleveland, Angry Nurse, and Bad JuJu and the Eye of Oya, two of which are available as audiobooks. Thekla, a native of Roseville, MN and a UWRF graduate in Journalism/English, was a corporate business analyst, technical write, and marketing consultant. She was executive editor, writer, and photographer for a regional women's magazine, and she has published articles in national trade magazines. Thekla is a member of the Twin Cities chapter of Sisters in Crime, Wisconsin Writers Association, and the Gulf Coast Writers Association. Her short story, It Never Ends Well, is published in "Minnesota Not So Nice: Eighteen Tales of Bad Behavior", a Twin Cities Chapter Sisters in Crime anthology. Another short story, A Cozy Deception, is included in the Chapter's 2024 anthology titled It was a Dark and Stormy Night, Doncha Know. Thekla and her husband live in Wisconsin on the family's sequicentenial farm.