So this is a secret a few months in the making… I’m teaming up with a friend to write a book and we have agent representation!
In February, I was contacted by Kate Leibfried, a good friend from college (we both attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter). Kate owns a Minneapolis-based writing company that specializes in ghostwriting. She has published more than 90 books and is a Minnesota Book Awards finalist! Kate approached me with an idea: together, we would write a book about what people moving to Minnesota need to know before they make the move. She said: “It’d be an inclusive guide to help people settle in, figure out how to navigate things like Minnesota nice, the weather, etc. Give them tips on things to do….” Kate thought to partner with me to write this book and I said absolutely!
During the winter and spring, we composed a proposal, complete with themed chapters, ideas for what we would include, and a robust marketing plan. We met Saturday mornings and would chip away at writing and composing our ideas.
In April, we sent our proposal off to our first agent. Lucky for us, we got a response. She was leaving for a trip to Scotland. But she would get back to us.
Then in June, out of the blue, that first agent got back to us: “I really enjoyed this idea! Maybe wanna chat this up next week?” Wow. Seriously? Some people wait years to hear back from agents.
We met with Dawn from Red Sofa Literary Agency over the summer and signed on with her team! We’re now finalizing two chapters that will be shopped around to publishers. Those are nearly complete!
Our book is currently called The Minnesota Welcome Guide. Here’s a message from us:
How you can join Kate + Mike
Stay tuned to get updates!
About once or twice a month, we send out newsletters with updates on where we’re at in the writing process, what it’s like working with an agent, and share a fascinating nugget we learned while researching for the book. Keep scrolling to read past newsletters and to receive future posts, fill out this form:
We’re still writing and want to hear your voice!
Kate and I are still in the writing process. We are particularly interested in collecting interviews from transplants who moved to Minnesota as adults. If you’re interested in giving us your time and perspective, please fill out this form below. If you prefer to conduct an interview over the phone or in-person, you can email mike@givemethemike.com.
December 12, 2025 newsletter
Publishers take a break with the holidays upon us, but that doesn’t stop us from continuing to write The Minnesota Welcome Guide! Kate is doing a fantastic job keeping us on track. Keep scrolling to learn more about Mike’s trip to Christmas markets in Germany and Austria and his annual holiday lights guide, which is in its 9th year!
We hope you have a great end to 2025, and here’s to a fantastic 2026!
Kate + Mike
Minnesota Spotlight
In every newsletter, we share something about Minnesota we plan on highlighting in the book.
CAIR Minnesota
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Minnesota was established in 2007 in response to rising Islamophobia, racial profiling, and post-9/11 civil liberty violations. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region is home to the country’s largest population of people of Somali decent, most of whom are United States citizens. However, in the news as of late, Minnesota’s Somali population as a whole is being targeted by ICE officials and President Trump.
Incidents of profiling can be reporting on CAIR’s website. The organization is also looking for volunteers and donations.
Mike’s trip to Christmas markets in Germany and Austria
Over Thanksgiving, Mike and his partner, Cody, traveled to Germany and Austria to visit Christmas markets which turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip! They were gone eight nights, visiting Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna. Mike’s favorite part of the trip was Vienna, which is stunning during the holiday season. The city is incredibly lit, with big chandeliers on the pedestrian malls and huge Christmas trees glowing with lights. They also headed into the Alps to visit markets in smaller villages, which were adorable. Mike and Cody are already planning another trip to Austria. If a Christmas markets trip isn’t already on your bucket list, you should definitely consider it! Mike posted daily blogs and photos from his trip on his Facebook page.
November 7, 2025 newsletter
Hi everyone! We can’t believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! In the last month, we worked with our agent to polish two chapters, along with our marketing plan, which are now completely done. Now we wait for our agent to do what she does best and the publishers to give us a call! In the meantime, we continue interviews and writing.
Happy holidays!
Kate + Mike
Minnesota Spotlight
In every newsletter, we share a part about Minnesota we discovered while writing the book!
Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum
Between 1886 and 1945, 10,635 kids who were orphaned, abandoned, or abused were sent to Owatonna, Minnesota, one hour south of the Twin Cities, to the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children.
Today, you can relive history through artifacts, personal stories, and photographs at the Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum. The grounds include an audio tour guide, with visits to a Children’s cemetery and Rock Garden.
Admission is free. KSTP’s Minnesota Live toured the museum. You can watch that segment here.
Kate went viral!
It started with a terrible passport photo. When Kate received her digital passport picture from Walgreens, she was annoyed at first. Why was it so zoomed out? And why were there party hats and birthday candles in the background?? But then she saw the humor in the situation and decided to post the picture on social media (Threads). The post took off beyond her wildest dreams, gaining (to date) 3.6 million views, 108K likes, and thousands of comments. Then Newsweek asked for an interview. Soon, people were posting their own terrible passport photos and doctoring her picture using all kinds of ridiculous backgrounds and frames.
Though Kate is still a bit puzzled about the photo’s instant rise to fame, she’s happy she was able to give people a laugh!
October 10, 2025 newsletter
Happy October! The Minnesota Welcome Guide is now with our agent as they shop it around to publishers. Included in that pitch are two chapters which are completely done, along with a marketing plan for how we’ll publicize the book once it’s published. As we wait, we will continue interviewing (contact us if you’d like to participate) and writing the remaining 10 chapters. Kate also recently spent time overseas on an epic vacation to Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia!
Thank you for following along with us!
All the best,
Kate + Mike
Minnesota Spotlight
In every newsletter, we’re going to share a fun part about Minnesota we stumbled upon while writing the book!
North Shore Scenic Railroad
Starting at the Duluth Depot and stretching 28 miles up along Lake Superior to Two Harbors, the North Shore Scenic Railroad is a fantastic way to see fall colors in Minnesota. Fall colors tours run through October 23 this year, and the six-hour day includes a stop for lunch and time for shopping. They also host a Great Pumpkin Train during MEA weekend and have a special Terror Train before Halloween. Leading up to Christmas, they also host special holiday trains. To see their events calendar, click here.
Kate’s European Adventure
For two weeks, Kate and her husband Eric traveled around Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia with two close friends. They started their adventure in Munich with Oktoberfest celebrations (wearing traditional garb, of course!). Then, they took a train through Austria and into Slovenia, where Kate reconnected with family members (cousins of her dad’s). That was a special experience, and one of the highlights was learning how to make a traditional soup from her dad’s cousin Marija. After that, the group continued to Croatia where they enjoyed the dramatic cliffs, cerulean ocean, and Medieval walled cities (Dubrovnik, Split, and Trogir), where part of Game of Thrones was filmed.
It was a wonderful trip, and it helped to re-energize Kate to continue her writing work.
September 19, 2025 newsletter
Thank you for your support!
The flood of congratulations and support after our announcement on September 4 was overwhelming! We would like to thank you for all the encouragement and suggestions as we continue the process of writing the Minnesota Welcome Guide. We consider you our insiders as you took the extra step to subscribe to our newsletter! Thank you so much. We’ll use this space to keep you posted about the writing process, where we stand with agents and publishers, and share what we learn about Minnesota!
With gratitude,
Kate + Mike
How you can help
We are currently looking for people, in particular those who are transplants to Minnesota, who are interested in being interviewed for our book. The questionnaire, which can be done in person on online, includes your thoughts on making friends in Minnesota, the cultural activities you enjoy, preparing for weather in Minnesota, and more. Your feedback is crucial in helping us create a book with diverse voices.
If you would like to fill out the form online, click here. If you would like to schedule a time to chat with one of us over the phone or by video chat, email mike@givemethemike.com.
Minnesota Spotlight
In every newsletter, we’re going to share a fun part about Minnesota we stumbled upon while writing the book!
Minnesota Loons Underwater Hockey Club
Did you know that Minnesota has had an underwater hockey team since 1975? They’re the Minnesota Loons. What once was known as octopush, underwater hockey is played with a weighed puck at the bottom of a swimming pool. They play with 6 people on a team (no goalie) with 15 minute halves. Special snorkeling gear is worn, along with a polo cap, mouthguard, and glove for protection. They use a short, one-handed stick to push, pull, and flick the puck.
Throughout the fall, the Loons have scrimmages on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights at the University of Minnesota, Brooklyn Center, and Hopkins. To learn more or to join, click here.
