Bell Cow Productions: Podcasts

Bell Cow Productions
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Hosts Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride are rounding up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider literary world—publishers, authors, and more. This is where we shine a light on the people you need to hear from and the process behind their work. Get ready for short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft. We’re ringing the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next good book, maybe even one written in your own backyard. Join the herd, or least give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, follow!

  1. 15h ago

    🐮 Bell Cow Author Round-up: Sherry Roberts (with hosts Rob Jung & Michael MacBride)

    The weekly Bell Cow Herd Podcast, hosted by authors, Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride, rounds up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider publishing world—publishers, authors, editors and more—to shine a light on the people who compose the remarkable Midwestern literary community. With short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft, you’ll get to know, like never before, the people who embellish our lives via the written word. The podcast rings the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next favorite author, maybe even one who writes in your own backyard. Join the herd. Give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, and follow! Today we’re joined by Minnesota author Sherry Roberts, whose writing explores emotional depth, human connection, and the quiet moments that shape our lives. In this episode, Sherry reads from Down Here, a moving work that blends reflection, resilience, and a strong sense of place. Sherry’s storytelling is thoughtful and grounded, inviting readers to slow down and sit with the characters as they navigate loss, love, and the complexities of being human. Learn more at: https://sherry-roberts.com/about-me/Her books can be found wherever books are sold.You can find out more about your hosts: Rob and Michael at their webpages (https://robjungwriter.com/ and https://www.michaelmacbride.com).And, of course, you can find everything about Bell Cow at the official webpage: https://www.bellcowproductions.com (🐮 -- moo!)#bellcow #bellcowproductions #interviews #authors #roundup #bellcowroundup

    33 min
  2. Mystery Conversations: St. Paul Pioneer Press book editor Mary Ann Grossmann in conversation with rising star author S.L. Woeppel

    1d ago

    Mystery Conversations: St. Paul Pioneer Press book editor Mary Ann Grossmann in conversation with rising star author S.L. Woeppel

    Mystery Conversations: A Bell Cow Podcast brings the best of Minnesota Mystery Night to listeners everywhere. These episodes are recorded live, in front of an audience, at the long-running monthly event that pairs top mystery and thriller writers with smart, engaging interviewers for lively, unscripted conversation. Expect craft talk, publishing stories, crime-fiction gossip of the respectable variety, and the kind of audience energy you only get when book people gather in a room together. Minnesota Mystery Night describes itself as a live, meet-the-author event featuring mystery and thriller writers in conversation with intriguing guests, held on the third Monday of each month in Mendota, Minnesota. These Bell Cow encore presentations preserve those live conversations and give them a second life beyond the room. They also connect to Masters of Mystery Radio Hour, the broadcast version of Minnesota Mystery Night, which is recorded live at the event and carried on multiple radio stations in Minnesota and South Dakota, including KRWC-AM, AM950/KTNF, KTOE, KLTF, KCCR, KKBJ, and KWNO. Bell Cow Productions, meanwhile, exists to support writers through podcasts, resources, and behind-the-scenes literary conversation, which makes this series a natural fit for the herd. Originally recorded 3/16/2026: St. Paul Pioneer Press book editor Mary Ann Grossman interviews rising star author S.L. Woeppel for an evening of lively conversation recorded in front of an audience at Minnesota Mystery Night. Expect reflections on books, craft, publishing, and the kind of smart, easy exchange that happens when a seasoned literary interviewer meets an author on the rise in a room full of mystery fans. This conversation was first presented live at Minnesota Mystery Night and now returns as an encore from Bell Cow Productions. It is also part of the larger Masters of Mystery Radio Hour tradition, which brings these live conversations to regional radio audiences. Mary Ann Grossmann is a longtime books critic and editor for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where she covers Minnesota authors and publishers. She has long been one of the region’s best-known literary interviewers and champions of the local book world. https://muckrack.com/mary-grossmann S.L. Woeppel is a Minnesota-based author whose work blends mystery, suspense, and darker psychological elements. Born and raised in Nebraska and now living in Minnesota, she is the author of Flipping the Birdie and The Butcher and the Liar. https://www.slwoeppelbooks.com Bell Cow Productions: https://www.bellcowproductions.com Minnesota Mystery Night: https://www.mnmysterynight.com Masters of Mystery Radio Hour: https://www.mnmysterynight.com/mmrh #MysteryConversations #MinnesotaMysteryNight #SLWoeppel

    47 min

  3. Jun 9

    🐮 Bell Cow Author Round-up: Mike Faricy (with hosts Rob Jung & Michael MacBride)

    The weekly Bell Cow Herd Podcast, hosted by authors, Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride, rounds up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider publishing world—publishers, authors, editors and more—to shine a light on the people who compose the remarkable Midwestern literary community. With short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft, you’ll get to know, like never before, the people who embellish our lives via the written word. The podcast rings the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next favorite author, maybe even one who writes in your own backyard. Join the herd. Give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, and follow! Today we’re joined by prolific Minnesota author Mike Faricy, best known for his long-running Dev Haskell series, a sharp, fast-paced collection of mysteries packed with humor, trouble, and one very unlucky private investigator. In this episode, Mike reads from Winning Hand, bringing listeners into Dev Haskell’s world of bad decisions, worse timing, and mysteries that never stay simple. Mike’s writing blends classic PI storytelling with wit and momentum, making his books perfect for readers who like their crime fiction smart, funny, and impossible to put down. Learn more at: https://www.mikefaricybooks.com/His mysteries are available wherever books are sold — and Minnesota mystery fans can also find his work at Once Upon a Crime: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/You can find out more about your hosts: Rob and Michael at their webpages (https://robjungwriter.com/ and https://www.michaelmacbride.com).And, of course, you can find everything about Bell Cow at the official webpage: https://www.bellcowproductions.com (🐮 -- moo!)#bellcow #bellcowproductions #interviews #authors #roundup #bellcowroundup

    31 min

  4. Jun 2

    🐮 Bell Cow Author Round-up: Terri Karsten (with hosts Rob Jung & Michael MacBride)

    The weekly Bell Cow Herd Podcast, hosted by authors, Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride, rounds up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider publishing world—publishers, authors, editors and more—to shine a light on the people who compose the remarkable Midwestern literary community. With short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft, you’ll get to know, like never before, the people who embellish our lives via the written word. The podcast rings the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next favorite author, maybe even one who writes in your own backyard. Join the herd. Give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, and follow! Today we’re joined by Minnesota author Terri Karsten, whose writing spans cozy mystery and historical fiction, blending careful research with engaging, character-driven storytelling. Her latest novel, A Necessary Death (2025), explores moral complexity, buried truths, and the ripple effects of violence within close-knit communities. Terri’s work balances thoughtful pacing with emotional depth, making her mysteries as reflective as they are compelling. Learn more at: https://terrikarsten.com/ Her books are available wherever books are sold — and mystery readers can also find her work at Once Upon a Crime, a longtime supporter of crime fiction: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/ You can find out more about your hosts: Rob and Michael at their webpages (https://robjungwriter.com/ and https://www.michaelmacbride.com). And, of course, you can find everything about Bell Cow at the official webpage: https://www.bellcowproductions.com (🐮 -- moo!) #bellcow #bellcowproductions #interviews #authors #roundup #bellcowroundup

    29 min

  5. May 26

    🐮 Bell Cow Author Round-up: Christine Husom (with hosts Rob Jung & Michael MacBride)

    The weekly Bell Cow Herd Podcast, hosted by authors, Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride, rounds up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider publishing world—publishers, authors, editors and more—to shine a light on the people who compose the remarkable Midwestern literary community. With short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft, you’ll get to know, like never before, the people who embellish our lives via the written word. The podcast rings the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next favorite author, maybe even one who writes in your own backyard. Join the herd. Give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, and follow! Today we’re joined by Minnesota author Christine Husom, whose crime fiction blends the steady pulse of police procedurals with the comfort and cleverness of cozy mystery. Her novel Buried in the House (2024) delivers layered suspense, sharp character work, and the kind of secrets that refuse to stay buried. Christine’s writing is grounded in realism and driven by curiosity about what people hide—and why. Learn more at: https://www.christinehusom.com/ Her mysteries can be found wherever books are sold — and local readers can also find her work at Minnesota’s beloved mystery bookstore, Once Upon a Crime: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/ You can find out more about your hosts: Rob and Michael at their webpages (https://robjungwriter.com/ and https://www.michaelmacbride.com). And, of course, you can find everything about Bell Cow at the official webpage: https://www.bellcowproductions.com (🐮 -- moo!) #bellcow #bellcowproductions #interviews #authors #roundup #bellcowroundup

    39 min

  6. May 21 ·  Bonus

    🐮 Bell Cow StoryLab: Writing Across Genres: The Joy (and Chaos) of Being Unpigeonholeable (with four authors)

    Bell Cow StoryLab is our monthly author panel series, hosted by authors Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride. Each episode brings multiple writers into one craft-focused conversation, spotlighting how books actually get built. Scene by scene, choice by choice. In Writing Across Genres: The Joy (and Chaos) of Being Unpigeonholeable, we talk about what happens when your imagination refuses to stay in one lane. Some writers stick to a single genre forever. Others genre-hop like they are stepping stones across a creek. We dig into what pulls an author into new territory, what stays constant across wildly different kinds of stories, how to manage reader expectations without sanding off your weirdness, and how to experiment without turning your author brand into a yard sale of mixed signals. We also get into questions like: What genre surprised you when you tried it? Do your readers follow you from genre to genre? Is genre-blending freedom, or headache? Today’s panelists (bios + links) Beth M James: A romance author who writes contemporary and fantasy-leaning love stories with strong characters, emotional grit, and a sense of adventure. https://www.bethmjames.com/ Catherine Friend: A genre-fluid Minnesota writer of adult and children’s books, spanning nonfiction, fiction, and big-hearted storytelling with a sharp, playful voice. https://catherinefriend.com/ Frank Weber: A Minnesota author and forensic psychologist who channels real-world insight into crime-focused storytelling shaped by high-stakes human behavior. https://www.frankweberauthor.com/ M.A. Monnin: An Agatha Award nominated mystery author whose work blends traditional whodunits with travel, history, and a touch of romance. https://www.mamonnin.com/ Connect with the hosts Rob Jung: https://robjungwriter.com/ Michael David MacBride: https://www.michaelmacbride.com/ Everything Bell Cow: https://www.bellcowproductions.com/ #BellCow #BellCowProductions #BellCowStoryLab #StoryLab #Villains #Antagonists #WritingCraft #AmWriting #FictionWriting #MysteryWriters #CrimeFiction #ThrillerWriters #CharacterDevelopment #PageTurners

    44 min

  7. May 19

    🐮 Bell Cow Author Round-up: A.W. Powers & C.N. Buchholz (with hosts Rob Jung & Michael MacBride)

    The weekly Bell Cow Herd Podcast, hosted by authors, Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride, rounds up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider publishing world—publishers, authors, editors and more—to shine a light on the people who compose the remarkable Midwestern literary community. With short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft, you’ll get to know, like never before, the people who embellish our lives via the written word. The podcast rings the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next favorite author, maybe even one who writes in your own backyard. Join the herd. Give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, and follow! Today we’re joined by two Minnesota authors bringing very different—and equally compelling—flavors of dark fiction to the table: A.W. Powers and C.N. Buchholz. A.W. Powers is the author of Uncontrolled Variables, a paranormal thriller that blends scientific curiosity with haunting supernatural twists. Powers writes stories where the boundaries between logic and the inexplicable blur, creating narratives that keep readers questioning what is real and what lies just beyond our understanding. A longtime writer with a background steeped in speculative storytelling, Powers weaves tension and emotion together with precision. You can learn more about A.W. at: https://wmjanderson.com/ C.N. Buchholz joins us with The Devil You Know, a chilling mix of mystery, horror, and psychological tension. Buchholz excels at crafting dread—stories where danger presses in at the edges and characters must confront the terrors lurking within and without. Her work examines fear, resilience, and the complicated alchemy of trauma and survival. Learn more at: https://cnbuchholz.com/ Both authors’ books are available wherever books are sold, and Minnesota readers can also find them at Once Upon a Crime: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/ In this special episode, Powers and Buchholz join the herd to talk about fear, the supernatural, the allure of dark storytelling, and why readers love to be unsettled. You can find out more about your hosts: Rob and Michael at their webpages (https://robjungwriter.com/ and https://www.michaelmacbride.com). And, of course, you can find everything about Bell Cow at the official webpage: https://www.bellcowproductions.com (🐮 -- moo!) #bellcow #bellcowproductions #interviews #authors #roundup #bellcowroundup

    33 min
  8. 🐮📚 Five Minnesota mystery authors. One collaborative thriller. A whole lot of ways this could have gone off the rails.

    May 18

    🐮📚 Five Minnesota mystery authors. One collaborative thriller. A whole lot of ways this could have gone off the rails.

    🚨 Welcome to Fresh Off the Stack, the Bell Cow Productions podcast where Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride sit down with authors to talk about brand-new books just as they arrive in the world. This series is all about new releases, the stories behind them, and the conversations that happen when a book is still fresh in readers’ hands. 🖊️ In each episode, we talk with authors about inspiration, process, research, surprises, and what readers can expect when they open the cover. Some conversations focus on craft, some on publication, and some on the real-world ideas behind the story, but every episode begins with a new book and a chance to give it a proper welcome. 🐮 This episode digs into The Kill Code Collective by five Minnesota mystery and thriller authors: Brian Lutterman, Rob Jung, John Baird Rogers, Chris Norbury, and Julie Holmes. Written by members of Midwest Mystery Works, the novel brings together five writers, multiple thriller traditions, and one collaborative story involving medical technology, unexplained cardiac device failures, and a mystery big enough to require a collective response. In this conversation, we talk about how five authors managed to write one cohesive thriller, how they handled voice, plot, research, continuity, and collaboration, and what happens when a group of novelists tries to share the steering wheel without driving into a ditch. 📚 Featured authors: Brian Lutterman is a Minnesota mystery and thriller author, a former trial lawyer and corporate attorney, and the author of Incel, Bound to Die, and the Pen Wilkinson series. https://brianlutterman.com John Baird Rogers writes thrillers shaped by his background in finance, technology, and biotech. He is the author of the Mayfield-Napolitani thriller series. https://johnbairdrogers.com Chris Norbury is the award-winning author of the Matt Lanier mystery-thriller series, including Straight River, Castle Danger, and Dangerous Straits. https://chrisnorbury.com Julie Holmes writes mystery and suspense, including Murder in Plane Sight, and brings experience as a former aircraft mechanic and technical writer to her fiction. https://julieholmesauthor.com Rob Jung is an author, publisher, producer, former newspaper writer, former lawyer, and Michael’s partner in Bell Cow Productions. His novels include The Reaper, The Sower, Cloud Warriors, and Judgment Day. https://robjungwriter.com 📖 Buy a copy anywhere books are sold, and if you're looking for a great independent bookstore to support, here's a link to buy a copy from Once Upon A Crime: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/book/9781736610879 📍 Key book launch and signing events: May 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM Official Launch Party at Minnesota Mystery Night Lucky’s 13 Pub, Mendota, MN May 21, 2026 at 10:10 AM Book Club Radio Show KRWC-AM 1360, Buffalo, MN May 21, 2026 from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM Signing at Book Nook Delano, MN May 23, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Signing at Once Upon a Crime Minneapolis, MN May 30, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Sweet Read Books Austin, MN July 12, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Twin Cities Sisters in Crime Wine and Crime Book Fair Next Chapter Winery, New Prague, MN 🐮 Learn more about Bell Cow Productions at: https://www.bellcowproductions.com #FreshOffTheStack #BellCowProductions #BookTube #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #BrianLutterman #RobJung #JohnBairdRogers #ChrisNorbury #JulieHolmes #TheKillCodeCollective #MysteryBooks #ThrillerBooks #NewBookRelease #ReadersOfYouTube #BellCow

    39 min
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About

Hosts Rob Jung and Michael David MacBride are rounding up the best voices from the Bell Cow Cattle-log and the wider literary world—publishers, authors, and more. This is where we shine a light on the people you need to hear from and the process behind their work. Get ready for short, punchy chats, exclusive author readings, and deep dives into their background and craft. We’re ringing the bell loud and clear, guiding you straight to your next good book, maybe even one written in your own backyard. Join the herd, or least give the round-up a listen: subscribe, like, follow!

Information

  • Creator
    Bell Cow Productions
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Bell Cow Productions
  • Show Website
    Bell Cow Productions: Podcasts