2020-05

Donna Zadunajsky grew up in a small town in Ohio named Bristolville, spending her childhood reading, writing, and fishing. In her teens, she read nothing but Stephen King books, and it was then that she told herself she would one day write her own books.
Donna’s writing career began with seven children's books about her daughter and the adventures she went on, but her dream has always been to write mystery/suspense novels.For more information about Donna Zadunajsky and her books, visit her website.
Topics of conversation:
Writing in different genres
Reading Goals
Love of Music
Freelance Writing
Work Ethic and Her Mentor
Elvis Presley Memorabilia

Amanda Yoshida first dreamt of being a children’s book illustrator when she was a mere toddler, growing up in the suburbs surrounding Portland, Oregon.
As a child, she spent countless hours drawing and studying the artwork inside her stacks of colorfully illustrated books. She favored the rhyming words and silly drawings of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein and claimed one day she would be an artist.
Eventually, the pens and pencils that were always in her hand became paint brushes in her exploration of creativity. At the age of fourteen, her original artwork was displayed and sold at her family’s art gallery in Portland’s Pearl District and lead to substantial private commissions.
After graduating from the elite Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles in 2009, she fell in love with the digital canvas and began working solely in this media.
Amanda returned to her beloved hometown of Portland in 2013 and began working as a freelance graphic designer and digital painter. While in the midst of growing her successful business and putting down roots with her husband, the dream of becoming a mother and published author was realized.
Two months before the birth of her first child, she received word that her first children’s book, would be published. Amanda now enjoys reading her debut book, “The Greatest Wish” to her son, Morgan. She is currently working on the next installment of the Everchanging Story Book series.
For more information on Amanda Yoshida and The Greatest Wish, visit her website.
Topics of conversation:
Becoming a Mother and an Award Winning Author
Growing up with a Family of Authors
Her Background as an Artist
Loving Life in Portland, Oregon
Her Passion for Vinyl Records

Joshua Landeros was born in Pomona, CA, but was raised in Perris of Riverside County for years uncountable now.
He comes from a large family in which he is admittedly “the black sheep.” Landeros grew up on Dragon Ball Z, Godzilla films, Batman the Animated Series, and Star Wars. Not to mention an infinite love for dinosaurs and all movie monsters.
He began writing in middle school starting with Godzilla fanfictions. He kept writing and eventually created his own world full of characters. In 2016, the dream was finally realized in his first novel, Reverence. He now attends the University of California, Riverside where he majors in History Admin Studies and minors in English.
For more information on Josh Landeros and his book, visit his website.
Topics of conversation:
Favorite Hobbies: Movies and Comics
Politics
Balancing College Life with the Writer’s Life
His Self-Publishing Experience
Favorite Books and Authors

Buck Marshall taught political science for five years and received his doctorate from Tulane in 1992. After 20 years in the private sector, his reaction to the Occupy Wall Street movement was to write a series of books and establish the non-profit SWIFT Act Alliance. For more information about Buck Marshall and his book visit his website.
Topics of conversation:
What is SWIFT Act
His holistic view of the current economy in the US
Society – Political – Economic Circle and Bipartisanism
How the average Joe can help turn things around
Importance of The Swift Act Petition in the Trump era

Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta—the crazy linguist! In Italian, “matta” means “crazy” or “impassioned”. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European History from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.
Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano” and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.
Dreaming Sophia is Melissa’s first novel. It is a fanciful look at art history and Italian language and culture, but it is also the culmination of personal stories and insights resulting from her experiences living in Italy, as well as her involvement and familiarity with the Italian language, painting, and art history. 
For more information on Melissa Muldoon and her book, visit her website at www.DreamingSophiaBook.com. For more information on her Italian language blog visit studentessamatta.com.
Topics of conversation:
The Studentessa Matta – Her Italian language blog
Her original career plans as an art history teacher
Being a plein air painter and graphic designer
How her passion for Italy comes to life through her book
Italian language immersion program
Meeting Sophia Loren!

Emilio Corsetti, III is a professional pilot and author. Emilio has written for both regional and national publications including the Chicago Tribune, Multimedia Producer, and Professional Pilot magazine. Emilio’s first book 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980 tells the true story of an airline ditching in the Caribbean Sea and the efforts to rescue those who survived. Emilio is a graduate of St. Louis University. He and his wife Lynn reside in Dallas, TX.
To learn more about Emilio Corsetti and his book visit his website.
Topics of conversation:
Being a pilot and flying
Writing investigative non-fiction
Factual vs. creative historical writing
What he learned from his research for Scapegoat
Self Publishing vs. Independent Publishing

Dr. Emily Christensen earned her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy and has two Masters Degrees: an M.S. in Professional Counseling and an M.Div. in Pastoral Counseling.
The only thing better than writing, she says, is being married to a writer. Nathan Christensen married Emily in the Oklahoma City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 13 October 2012, and have since fostered more than eighty-five children. In 2015, they adopted the six children who stayed, and are totally and completely and helplessly in love as a family – now sealed together for time and all eternity.
Topics of conversation:
Foster Care
Adopting a Special Needs Child
Informed Patient Care for Foster Parents
Living Your Vocation

Kay Williams always had an inclination to be a professional actress, so, with stars in her eyes, she moved to New York City right after college graduation (she was a theater major). She lived in a rent-controlled apartment with no heat, and lots of rodents, too busy earning money to act (her dad had saved her letters from that time so she recently took a fresh look at those hair-raising and now hilarious adventures).  After 9 months in the Big Apple, Kay slunk back to Ohio, to a safer life, teaching, directing, acting in community theater, and reviewing films and plays.
Her dream didn’t die. She moved to San Francisco, where she played many leading roles until several theaters went bankrupt (an occupational hazard, she discovered).  Acting roles dried up just after she earned her Equity union card.  She left the Bay Area for the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Two years later that theater was too broke to renew her contract. There was only one place left to go, New York City. It still scared her, but this time, she vowed to be victorious.  Kay acted in a number of new off-Broadway plays, finding it more fun than doing a show that had been successfully produced and “set in stone.”  In between acting jobs, she worked as an office temp until she landed a perfect job, “Gal Friday” to an award-winning independent filmmaker, which not only gave her flexible hours to audition, but also an education about film writing, directing, and producing.  She took films she’d helped produce to the Cannes Film Festival and to the Leningrad International Documentary Festival (where Kay and Eileen’s second thriller, The Matryoshka Murders, begins).
 Kay’s eventual move to an apartment in New York’s crime-ridden Hell’s Kitchen became one of the catalysts for Butcher of Dreams, Kay and Eileen’s first thriller (about the theater, of course).
Fearful of spending her retirement as a bag lady begging for money outside Actors Equity, Kay took a “real” job.  A physician she’d worked for as a temp asked her to join him as he set up a Primary Care Residency Track at NYU Medical Center. She did and learned a great deal about good doctoring and academic medicine (and the politics of academe–another book, perhaps). The NYU job was too demanding to take time off to audition so she and Eileen teamed up to write, a move they had been contemplating for several years. Kay discovered that she didn’t miss acting all that much. With fiction writing, she had total control and could play all the characters! Kay and Eileen found they jelled as a writing team. 
To learn more about Kay Williams and her book visit her website.
Topics of conversation:
Her adventures in NYC and San Francisco in the 60s
Being a Gypsy Actor
Working as a “Gal-Friday” for independent film writer, producer, director, Jack O’Connell
Her trip to Russia to the Leningrad International Documentary Festival
How she and her sister finished writing their dad’s romance novel

Jane Alvey Harris has a Humanities degree from Brigham Young University with emphases in Art History, Italian Language, and Studio Art. She’s CRAZY about the visual and performing arts! She enjoys playing classical piano, painting & sketching, singing & acting, and especially writing poetry & prose.
But, her real passion is PEOPLE. She loves to watch and study what makes us tick as human beings. Definitely a dreamer, her favorite thing to do is to weave together sublime settings and stories for characters to live and learn in…herself included.
Jane currently lives in an enchanted fairy-princess castle in Dallas, Texas, with her three often-adorable children and their three seldom-adorable cats.
To learn more about Jane Alvey Harris and her books visit her website.
Topics of conversation:
Being a movie junkie
Books and reading
Travel and trying new things
Musical motivation
Being in love with her cat!

Sandy Marriott Cook lives in Texas with her husband, Richard, and their furry and feathered “children.” She has been an animal lover ever since her pet turtle was her best friend and confidante. As an artist, Sandy hopes to convey the special places pets hold in our hearts. To see some of her portraits of pets and wildlife, visit www.smarriottcook.com.
Topics of conversation:
Rescuing waterfowl
Painting
Being a big classic movie fan
How A Home for Abigail was a family project
Her new dog, Peaches

“Beyond the Last Horizon” is Mary DeGroat‘s debut as an author. A second book of fiction for women is progressing with plans for publishing early 2017. A concept for her third book is under wraps for the time being though the outline has been completed and the first chapter written.
Mary is an executive-level professional with more than twenty years’ marketing and communications experience within non-profit, marketing/pr agency, corporate and commodity board environments.  She seeks moderate adventure that has taken her to Base Camp on Mt. Everest and on a wild-wide with her son through the jungles from the border of Tibet to Katmandu, Nepal. Those and many more travel experiences in addition to the diversity of industries in which she has worked —professional liability insurance to California strawberries, art and tourism —have fed her desire for expanded horizons.
Mary has studied metaphysics for nearly thirty-five years and met her meditation master from Indian in 1985. That meeting, Mary says, changed her life by opening her heart and steadying her mind.
Most recently, Mary left her position in tourism marketing to accept a part-time position working on behalf of underserved children with no literacy experiences. “It’s the most meaningful work I’ve ever done,” she says. “Week after week, we hear about the differences we’re making by bringing books into young children’s lives as we help prepare the little ones for kindergarten, which sets them on course to succeed in school and in life.”
“Beyond the Last Horizon” was published in December 2015 and has garnered three awards: Feathered Quill Gold for Inspiration and Silver for Best Women’s Fiction and the Reader Views Literary Award. Her second work of fiction, set New York City, tells the story of a wealthy woman who falls in love with a homeless man.  Mary lives on California’s gorgeous Central Coast with her husband, two dogs, and two cats.  She visits her son, who lives in Taipei with his wife and baby boy, as often as possible.
To learn more about Mary DeGroat and her book, visit her website.
Topics of conversation:
The Power of Decision
Writing and Writer’s Block
Writing from the Heart and Emotion
Advice for Others on any Creative Path
The Next Chapter

Roe DePinto grew up in the Bronx and Yonkers, and is mostly Italian, of American descent. From an early age, she was taught the importance of family. and raised her two children with the same values instilling in them the message that love is more important than anything else in this world.
When her children were young Roe decided to take a 3-year course in children’s literature. She also got her Realtor’s license in New York and California and was certified as a notary and a travel agent. She also established her family business office, administrating their fast growing electrical business with her husband. After finishing her literature course, Roe shelved the idea for a children’s book series involving a baby seal pup and a baby orca, since she was so busy with daily living, putting the needs of her family first, hoping that one day she would pick it all up again and bring her characters to life.
Thirty years later, Roe is making her dreams a reality. The first book in the series: The Adventures of Zealy and Whubba: A New Life Begins,  was published in 2015 and Books 2 and 3 are now also in print, with 9 more stories to come. Her retirement project is now a dream come true and Roe is thrilled to have accomplished what she has thus far as a legacy to her husband, children,  grandchildren and all of her family.
Topics of conversation:
Her children and grandchildren
Writing children’s books, poetry, and an autobiography
Gaming
Animations and cartoons

Eben Mishkin is a gentleman and a scholar who has devoted his life to the study of the story and the accumulation of trivia.
He holds many degrees but is most proud of his Masters in the teaching and practice of creative writing from the University of Wales, Cardiff. He enjoys role-playing games and casually wielding forbidden knowledge.
Mishkin is married to a very talented artist who was kind enough to do all the artwork for his debut novel.
Topics of conversation:
Creative Writing
Research
Bending Reality
Role Playing Games

Holly Moulder is a former elementary school teacher who left the classroom in order to write historical fiction for middle-grade students. Her fascination with history has helped her create four award-winning novels: Eyes of the Calusa, A Cord of Three Strands, Crystal City Lights, and A Time To Be Brave.
Moulder has two adult daughters and one granddaughter, Macie. She and her husband, Don, live in Sharpsburg, Georgia.
For more information about Holly Moulder and her books, visit her website.Topics of conversation:
Her favorite authors and books
The decision to write historical novels
Strong Female Characters
The hardest thing about writing a book
 

Cheryl Williams, a registered nurse with a doctor of health education degree, published her doctoral dissertation in ProQuest. She believes that God has entrusted her with spreading the word about His Son’s return in 2017, which birthed her book, “God’s Indemnity.”
For more information about Cheryl Williams and her book, visit her website.
Topics of conversation:
Her Message
Her Passions
The Most Influential Person in her Life

Julius Bailey, Ph.D., Christian Existentialist, teaches in the Department of Philosophy at Wittenberg University. He is a philosopher, cultural critic, social theorist, and diversity lecturer. As a socially conscious academic, Dr. Bailey has been interviewed on CNN, Fox, B.E.T, and ABC Nightline. A guest on numerous radio shows as a social critic and education advisor, he is often sought to speak at colleges, prisons, and community organizations across America.
Publications include “The Cultural Impact of Kanye West” (ed. Palgrave-McMillan, March 2014), “Philosophy and Hip-hop: Ruminations on Hip-Hop as Postmodern Cultural Form” (Palgrave,-McMillan, July 2014) and “Jay-Z: Essays on Hip Hop’s Philosopher King” (McFarland, 2011). He has also authored a host of articles on Hip-Hop Pedagogy and Social Justice issues. He holds Masters Degrees from Howard and Harvard Universities and a Doctorate from the University of Illinois.
For more information about Julius Bailey and his book, visit his website.
Topics of conversation:
Christian Existentialism
Hip Hop and Philosophy
American Politics and Racial Issues
Today’s Culture and Diversity
Is Cultural Harmony Achievable?

Derek Berry is a poet & novelist. They are the author of the novel Heathens & Liar of Lickskillet County (PRA, 2016) & the poetry chapbook Skinny Dipping with Strangers (2013).
 
Their poems & short stories can be found in Beloit Poetry Journal, ANMLY, Raleigh Review, Jet Fuel Review, Longleaf Review, Barely South Review, Landfill, The Water This Time: Anthology on Sea Level Rise in Charleston, BOAAT Journal, Pidgeonholes, Yemassee, The Broken Plate, Gigantic Sequins, Longleaf Review, Open Minds Quarterly, Jet Fuel Review, Running with Water Anthology, Blue Mountain Review, Glint Journal, museum of americana, Taco Bell Quarterly, Ki'n, Kakalak, Fall Lines, Lemonstar Magazine, armarolla, Rabid Oak, The Comet Poems Series, The Southern Tablet, Cattywampus, Charleston Currents, Illuminations, RiverSedge, Miscellany, and other journals. They are the 2018 recipient of the Patricia & Emmett Robinson Prize from the Poetry Society of South Carolina. They are also the recipient of the 2018 KAKALAK Poetry Prize & 2018 Emrys Poetry Prize. They have worked as a photographer’s assistant, busboy, and bookseller. They currently work at a curation facility for Cold War History.
For more information about Derek Berry visit their website at: https://derekberrywriter.com/
Topics of conversation:
Creativity –  Habits vs. Muse
International Politics – Refugee Policies
Balancing Being a Writer with Being a College Student
Growing Up in the South
Work as a Spoken Word Poet

Born and raised in Venezuela of Italian immigrants, Susan Violante completed a BA in Political Science and Business Administration before moving to the US . Although she built a career as a Business Analyst/Accountant, she also kept herself active as a freelance writer in the US; publishing articles, poetry, children's stories, and illustrations since 1996. She published her first book in 2009, and released her revised edition: Innocent War: Behind An Immigrant's Past - Book 1 in 2011. Her picture book: Tuma: The Tribe's Little Princess was published in early 2013 under her own label. Currently, Susan Violante is the Managing Editor/CEO Partner of I Have Something to Say Press and Book By Book Publicity/Author/Reviewer/Publicist and Publisher. She resides in Austin, TX with her husband (Michel), and her three dogs (Peggy, Canela and Nutela). Susan is mother of two adult daughters and a caregiver to her elderly parents. She enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, painting, writing, gardening, and any outdoor activity. 
For more information about Susan Violante and her books, visit her website at www.susanviolante.com.
Topics of conversation:
Teaching Children about Nature and People
Being a Book Reviewer and an Author
Writing Different Genres
Becoming an Illustrator
Balancing Act of Living Life and Writing
 

Imowen Lodestone  was inspired to write “Seasons of Pain” in large part because of his admiration for the creative genius of fellow writer H.P. Lovecraft. He has always wanted to write a novel dominated by supernatural characters that showed readers that these individuals, although endowed with special abilities and keen senses, still get scared and make assumptions. As a result of these failings, they sometimes make mistakes. His goal is to reveal to the reader how supernatural beings experience fear while telling an action-packed tale that does not stop with a scary monster but embraces all brands of fear.
Topics of conversation:
Vampires Vs. Supernatural
Taking Horror to a new level
Three Dimensional Characters
Aggressive writing style
Message to writers embarking on a book project