Featured Interview With Author Maria Schmeig

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised on Long Island and now live in New Jersey. I worked as an attorney with the Federal Government for over 37 years. My favorite part of the job was writing. I have three grown children and two grandchildren who are babies. I don't have any pets but I enjoy taking care of my son's Goldendoodle when they go away. He's a sweetheart.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I loved books from the time I was very little. Not just reading but collecting books. My dream was to have a library in my house. I constantly asked for bookshelves from my parents for Christmas and birthdays. I started writing mostly as a lawyer. Then I went through a really rough patch in my personal life (as outlined in my book) and my son suggested I write my story. That was the first time I really got into non-legal writing (other than a creative writing class I took in college).

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don't really have a favorite author but I do love memoirs. I find individual stories of adversity and ultimately triumph to be inspiring. I recently read "Educated" by Tara Westover and "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight and am currently reading "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, "Don't Poke the Bear" is about the life I lived married to an emotional abuser. I was married for twenty-eight years but did not know until the end that he was abusive. I just thought he had a bad temper. After I discovered he was having affairs, things deteriorated quickly. He filed for divorce but initially refused to leave the home and dragged the process out for two years. I have been free of him for a little over a year and have worked hard on my self-healing. It took a long time and a lot of effort but I am finally in a good place. There is peace after getting out of abuse and I hope my readers who are in similar situations will see that and have hope.

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Maria Schmeig’s Website

Maria Schmeig Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Author Vered Neta

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My Name is Vered Neta. I was born in Israel to a family who has been there since the 16th century. But for the last 28 years, I’ve been living all over the world. Today, I live with my husband in Tenerife in the Canary Islands on an off-the-grid farm, creating a sustainable life through permaculture agriculture and a food forest we are building here on our farm. We live in the middle of a pine forest, and the nearest village to us is 3.5 miles up the mountain, so it's basically me, my husband and our chickens, dogs and birds here. We also have a grown-up daughter who lives in London.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I've always been drawn to books. I was a "book nerd" even before that expression existed. However, I started writing only at the ripe age of 57 after having, as I call it, 3 "Past Lives" in this lifetime.
I've been an archaeologist, a top manager in high-tech companies and health institutions and, for nearly 30 years, a personal coach, trainer, and motivational speaker while owning and running the fastest-growing training centre for entrepreneurs in The Netherlands.

But after doing all that, I came to realise that I’m not growing anymore. I still had more things I wanted to learn and develop, which is how I came to challenge myself with a new career as a writer. Being heavily dyslexic, as a non-native English speaker, writing novels or scripts seemed like a Mission Impossible for me. Add to it years of non-supportive beliefs that I’m bad at writing and that I am not creative enough, and that sounded like a good challenge to tackle and grow through.

Since I started on this journey in 2017, I've written 4 movie scripts and 2 novels, and I am now developing a TV series and writing my 3rd novel.

The main reason I am writing is that I want to use this medium of stories, whether novels or movie scripts, to inspire people to live a full life. I believe we all deserve to live up to our potential. I believe that when humankind focuses on fulfilling their potential, we can create a better world. My main purpose in writing is to bring kindness and harmony into the world.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
This is an unfair question. I have so many of them. I used to be a lonely child, and books were my haven. I used to say that people can disappoint and betray you, but books are always there for you, so I surrounded myself with books.
I would go through periods of reading the Classics like Dickens and Jane Austin and the Bronte Sisters, and then expand to Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy and Kafka and, on the other side of the world, authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Paulo Coelho.

Today, my favourite genres are historical fiction, fantasy and women's literature, but I also read many non-fiction books about philosophy, personal development, spirituality and, of course, the craft of writing.

So, as you can see, I have an eclectic influence. What they all inspired me to write about was human nature and human relationships. They inspired me to write stories that would bring light into the world, even during hard and dark times, stories of hope, kindness and love.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The book is called “Full Circle”. It started as a movie script I wrote during the 2020 lockdowns and the George Floyd riots. I wanted to write a script about a friendship between white and black women who are fighting against racism and the connection with freedom. However, I kept getting feedback that it had too much of a “White Saviour” element to it, and a friend recommended that I should focus on the secondary story of the white woman in Prague during the Prague Spring of 1968. That’s how I started writing the novel.

When I finished the first draft, I wasn’t sure about it. Still, then Russia invaded Ukraine, and it all became so real and relevant as it resembled what had been done to the Czech Republic, which wished for more freedom from Moscow during the period of Dunbcek in 1968 and ended up being invaded by the Soviets. Ana’s story became so relevant, and I wanted to remind us all about a period that somehow is between history and current events and tends to be forgotten. It was a period when the word freedom had consequences. We got used to taking our freedoms for granted.

"Full Circle" explores an age-old dilemma: the struggle between unwavering principles and the harsh embrace of survival. In the face of imminent peril, it challenges the core of our beliefs, prompting us to redefine freedom, bravery, and strength.

In the blaze of revolution, Ana's dreams ignited her defiance – and sealed her fate.
1968, student protests are everywhere. But in Prague, behind the Iron Curtain, Ana dreams of becoming a doctor. Nothing would distract her from that path until she reconnects with her childhood friend, Jan, who gets her involved in the demand for freedom that sweeps the country.
Helen, Ana’s mother, haunted by the Holocaust, knows the dreadful cost of subjugation and tries to persuade her not to get involved, but Ana is determined to fight for her beliefs in freedom.

As Soviet tanks invade Prague, Ana and Jan find themselves at the frontline of a protest that will forever change their fates. Amidst the chaos, a single act seals Ana's fate, and her own government is now hunting her. She knows that her only chance to fulfil her dream is to find a way to escape beyond the Iron Curtain.

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Vered Neta’s Website

Vered Neta Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Author Alicia Villasenor

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Southern California with my husband, two kids, and two dogs. I love to read and write, of course. I love gardening and growing my own vegetables.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Probably when I was a teen, after diving into Greek mythology. I loved Homer and Ann Rice so I'd say they were my early inspirations. I wrote my first story in high school, although I never finished it. I wrote it in a notebook because in those days, computers were too expensive for us to afford one.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading many different genres including nonfiction but my heart is in fantasy because that is also the genre I write. Favorite authors include Brandon Sanderson, Carrie Ann Noble, Jessica Payne, Kat Kinney, Casie Aufenthie, Kristin Hannah, Erik Larson to name a few. For inspiration, I'd say I get pieces and bits from many authors and their writings.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
If you like urban fantasy with warring gods, a little horror, 2004 pop culture and a 'end of the world' scenario, then my book, The Shoes that Charlotte Wore is for you! Here's a short blurb:
Ballerina Jessica Lavigne is envious of Charlotte for all things Charlotte is, that Jessica is not. Hitting rock bottom is a new low for Jessica who becomes a witness-turned-suspect in a murder case with a sinking dance career. To make matters worse, her hometown is invaded by monsters and her secret crush continues to shun her. That is until a demigod named Nimai walks into her life and makes all her ballet dreams come true. But there’s a deadly connection between the murders, the monsters, and the benevolent demigod.

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Alicia Villasenor’s Website

Alicia Villasenor Twitter Account

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Featured Interview With Author David Neitz

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was a Systems Architect/Programmer/Database Administrator in my former life before I retired several years ago. My wife made me agree to stay busy and out of her way if I wished to have a long and happy retirement. I spent 40+ years in the computer industry and had no desire to do that anymore. I have always known that everyone has a story to tell. The question for me was what story I could tell.

I have some hobbies such as golf, hiking, reading, genealogy, history, and just lying around and being a bum. So, I looked hard at my hobbies and what I could write about. Being a bum was out of the question because of my agreement with my wife, but I have my moments. I’m a terrible golfer, and my broken-down body limits how far I should hike. I love reading and am always happy to recommend a good book. I have spent hours researching my family’s history. This is where some of my love of history comes from. I decided to combine genealogy and history by selecting an ancestor and writing about their life.

I have been known to enhance a story to make it sound more interesting, so fictional history is what I decided to write about with a personal twist.

I have published a series that contains four books on Amazon titled “Civil Conversation.” It took me two and a half years to complete the series.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been an avid reader. I decided to start writing just before my retirement two years ago.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Steven King, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, and W. Bruce Cameron are some of my favorites.
I’ll read any genre.
Nobody inspires me. I want to try and write whatever style comes out of me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is the fourth and final one in the “Civil Conversation” series, subtitled the “Dinner Party.”

I have spent my adult life writing technical specifications. Let’s be real, this does not lend itself to creative writing. My writing is very to the point and lacks the finesse to draw a picture in someone’s mind. While researching my first book, I concluded that the ancestor I was working on may have read the book series “The Civil Conversation” by Stefano Guazzo and translated by George Pettie and Bartholomew Young. I ordered a 1925 reprint of the four books which were written in Tudor English. I thoroughly enjoyed this series, but Tudor English is not for the faint of heart. Words are spelled phonetically. “i and j” and “u and v” are interchangeable because there were only 24 letters in the alphabet in the 16th century. They didn’t have hard-set rules for grammar, and run-on sentences went for what seemed forever at times.

“The Civil Conversation” has a message still pertinent to today’s society. It is disappointing to say, but most people have lost the ability to be civil and kind to one another and listen to differing points of opinion. An idea started to form, so I decided to revive this series by adapting it to modern English. Therefore, this project would be my reintroduction to creative writing that I learned in college. Little did I know I would spend two and a half years working on it. All four books in the series have been published on Amazon, with the fourth book scheduled for release on November 13, 2023. The titles are:

• Civil Conversation: Book I – The rewards that can be reaped from conversation and teaching how to get to know good company from bad.
• Civil Conversation: Book II – The manner of conversation that is suitable for all people in public and the particular points to be observed.
• Civil Conversation: Book III – The manner of conversation to be observed all within the home.
• Civil Conversation: Book IV – The Dinner Party

The fourth book is my favorite of the series and is the icing on the cake. I truly felt like I was collaborating with Stefano on this one. Bartholomew Young's translation was a bit harder to decipher, so I translated the entire original Italian into English.

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David Neitz’s Website

David Neitz Facebook Page

David Neitz Twitter Account

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Featured Interview With Author Elizabeth Salo

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and lived there until I was in my mid-20's, including going to college at the University of Michigan. I finally took the chance and moved out of Michigan in 2008 and since then have lived in six other states before finally moving back to my home state in 2022. We love animals in our house, and currently have two giant dogs, three cats, a lizard, and assorted farm animals.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I've never not loved books. I remember when I was a kid, I used to make my dad read me Black Beauty over and over again. He would get to the end and I'd ask him to start at the beginning again. I can't remember the first time I wrote a short story, but it was probably in elementary school. However, I didn't seriously start writing until college. I still remember telling an English professor during office hours once that I might want to be a writer and she scoffed at me and said, "Writers write." My first thought was, "And how do you know I don't?" That was pretty much the start of it for me and I've been writing ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
That's a hard one! I read a ton of romance books but also enjoy Urban fantasy and some suspense. My tastes have changed over the years, but to pick a few authors I would say Nora Roberts, Jim Butcher, Rick Riordan, and Lucy Lennox. I often think of Dan Brown's books while I write my own, so he's definitely been a source of inspiration.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Amazon in Exile is the culmination of five years of effort and love. I've always been adamant that women can be heroes just as well as men and I try to embody that in my writing. This particular book was inspired by watching the Wonder Woman movie starring Gal Gadot. I also happen to have a love of Greek mythology, so it seemed like a no brainier to combine those two into a book series. These ladies can do anything they want to and I hope my readers will believe that about themselves too!

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Elizabeth Salo’s Website

Elizabeth Salo Facebook Page

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