I'm Lisa Schmelz, a versatile freelance writer with over a decade of experience.A resident of southern Wisconsin, my stories have appeared in magazines and newspapers throughout the Midwest. You can see some of my work in:

Corporate Report Wisconsin

At The Lake

Experience Wisconsin

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Walworth County Sunday

The Walworth County Gazette,

The Janesville Gazette,

Modern Bliss

Brava.

While I've covered most beats, I am usually writing about the people, places and things that make life interesting. As a regular contributor to Corporate Report Wisconsin, I also cover business.

Before embarking on a freelance career, I was a features writer with a family-owned chain of newspapers in California's Central Valley. 

In the summer of 2009, I became an author.  Check out "Geneva Lake: Stories from the shore," a compelling history of lakefront estates in Lake Geneva, Wis., which I co-wrote with a talented team from Nei Turner Media.

Got a story idea?

 I am always looking for the Wisconsin connection to national stories and trends, as well as anything off-beat and quirky. I also cover entertainers and artists, appearing in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

As a regular contributor to Corporate Report Wisconsin, a monthly statewide business magazine, I am always looking for business stories of interest our readers.

Contact me with your pitch.

2012 Story Spotlight

January: The Allyn Mansion - One of Wisconsin's richest architectural treasures, this Queen Anne would have lost its crown were it not for one couple's labor of love. This story appeared in the winter issue of At The Lake.

February: Herstory - What a difference one vowel makes. They died long ago, but these two Midwestern women are still making an impact. This story will appear in the spring issue of At The Lake.

2011 Story Spotlight

December: Training for the Trades- Filling the job skills gap. This story appeared in Corporate Report Wisconsin. 

 November:Saving Lake Lawn - Iconic resort breathes again. This story appeared in Corporate Report Wisconsin.  

 October: The Big Chill: Superior, Wis., battles frigid winters but its economy is warming faster than many. This story appeared in Corporate Report Wisconsin. 

The Last Word -Is it The End for books? I asked bestselling authors Jane Hamilton and Michael Perry. The Last Word is a regular feature in Corporate Report Wisconsin.

September: The Economy - A Candid Conversation: Join me in a discussion with two top Wisconsin CEO's, and hear what they have to say about the economic news of late. "The Last Word" is a regular feature in Corporate Report Wisconsin. 

Equine Grace - Saddle up in southern Wisconsin and see the countryside the way it was meant to be seen. This story appeared in At The Lake.

Losing Lincoln -When John Edgar Burton's mining fortune came crashing down in the late 1800s, he lost more than money. He lost his nationally renowned collection of Lincoln related artifacts, which he once stored on the third floor of southern Wisconsin mansion.  This story appeared in At The Lake.

August: The State of Lending - How Wisconsin businesses are facing the credit crunch head on. This story appeared in Corporate Report Wisconsin.  .

Little House Awaits: The spirit of Laura  Ingalls and Nellie Oleson lives on at Old World Wisconsin, the world's largest outdoor museum dedicated to rural life. Catch up with Alison Arngrim, the actress who portrayed the prairie bully on the long-running TV series and is now the bestselling author of "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated." This story appeared in The Walworth County Sunday.

July: Chillin' with Craig Culver -, Meet the co-founder and CEO of Culver's Restaurant. This story appeared in Experience Wisconsin.

June: The Summer of '72: A Wisconsin Love Story - This essay appeared in At The Lake. 

The Curtain Rises Again -Historic performance centers come alive again thanks to the dedication of local communities.This story appeared in Wisconsin Arts and Culture.

May: Mysteries of the Mind -A Final Walk with Dr. Francis Brooks. Turn of the  century sanitariums in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, were a place of last resort for many. This story appeared in At The Lake.

The Big Top Lives On - Circus World offers an entertaining slice of the past. This story appeared in Experience Wisconsin.

April: A Wisconsin Original - Bestselling author Jane Hamilton on writing, being a farmer's wife and her favorite place for Friday Night Fish Fry. (They don't serve fish but she says you need to check them out anyway. ) This story appeared in Experience Wisconsin.          

March: Flea Market  Therapy - More than a place to score vintage bargains, a flea market is where the past and present meet. This essay appeared in At The Lake.              

 February: Blizzard Babies -Southern Wisconsin moms deliver in historic blizzard. This story appeared in the Walworth County Sunday. 

January: 11 for 11 -Eleven ways to put more wow in 2011. This story appeared in Weekender.

2010 Story Spotlight

December: Remembering Christmas past - Slain civic leader, Sandra Teichow, honored for founding of Christmas tradition in Sharon, Wis. This story appeared in The Walworth County Sunday. 

 November: Shipbuilding contract could bring 5,000 jobs to Wisconsin - What's fast, flexible and may be heading  toward Wisconsin? This story appeared in Corporate Report Wisconsin.