2020-05

Britta Stromeyer Esmail is a writer and a mom passionate about raising resilient girls to find their own voice. The mother of two girls lives in Northern California. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, horseback riding and reading with her daughters Maya and Anya.To learn more about Britta Stromeyer Esmail and her book, “Raina’s (Un)happy Birthday, visit www.rainasunhappybirthday.com.
Topics of Conversation:
Writing to show kids they have a voice
Relatable Characters
Working with an illustrator
About the publishing journey
Writing and upcoming projects
Advice for emerging picture book authors

Geza Tatrallyay is the author of ten published books in the genres of thrillers, memoirs, poetry and children’s books.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Geza escaped with his family in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution, immigrating to Canada the same year. He grew up in Toronto, attending the University of Toronto Schools, where he was school captain and graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Human Ecology. Geza was selected as a Rhodes Scholar from Ontario, attending Oxford University and graduating with a BA/MA in Human Sciences. He completed his studies with a MSc in Economics from London School of Economics and Politics. Geza represented Canada as an epée fencer in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
Geza’s professional experience has included stints in government, international organizations, finance and environmental entrepreneurship. Since 2004, he has been semi-retired, managing a few investments mainly in the clean energy sector and devoting himself to his family and his writing. Geza is a citizen of Canada and Hungary, and currently divides his time between Vermont and San Francisco.
To learn more about Geza Tatrallyay and his books visit his website: www.gezatatrallyay.com
Topics of Conversation:
The art of writing
Writing in different genres: Poetry, Memoir, Thriller, Children’s Books
His experience as an Olympian
Research and Russia
Poetry readings from his new collection, Extinction

Michelle Burke is a highly respected and sought-after Communication, Team and leadership Coach, Consultant, and Speaker. She is Founder and President of Energy Catalyst Group, a consulting, training and coaching company for well-being. Burke has devoted her 20-year career to helping leaders, their teams and organizations thrive by increasing self-awareness, accountability and shifting negative attitudes and behaviors that get in the way of an energized life and workplace. Her deep experience and knowledge consulting with Fortune 100 and 500 companies established her as a leading expert in bridging communication, team and gender gaps. Burke developed hundreds of team, leadership and energy boosting training programs which continually garner rave reviews from clients. As a coach, she works with executives and managers to adapt a mindfulness approach to their leadership capabilities and achieved great success in empowering women into leadership roles. Her work consistently results in higher productivity, stronger employee engagement, and more energized and inclusive workplaces. Some clients include Microsoft, Visa, Ernst & Young, Intel, Hewlett Packard, McDonald’s, Cobra Golf, Cisco Systems, Blue Shield, Disney, Sony Electronics, HTC, Genentech, Snap Inc., Stanford University and Sony PlayStation.
Michelle is also author of the highly acclaimed book, The Valuable Office Professional, endorsed by Ken Blanchard and was featured in Business Week, LA Times, SF Chronicle, and Wall Street Journal. Her articles appeared in Training, HR, and Chief Learning Officer, Huffington Post. She is a member of Forbes Coaches Council and participated in UCLA’s MARC intensive year-long mindfulness Program. Admired for her positive spirit, empathy, warmth and creativity, Michelle finds joy by giving back, fun adventures, reading, cooking, is a sports enthusiast and practices pausing every day.
For more information about Michelle Burke, Lilamani de Silva, and “15 Minute Pause” visit www.15minutepause.com or www.energycatalystgroup.com.
Topics of Conversation
Why it’s so important to take a 15 minute pause
How can we re-energize?
Life Energy Inventory
The Meddler vs. The Player
Feet on the Ground Challenge
Personalogy Games

Don Ake is a funny guy. His humor writing is clever, witty, and totally entertaining. Instead of telling jokes, he paints funny pictures inside your head. You will smile, then snicker, and finally laugh out loud. Often you will laugh with him, sometimes you will laugh at him, but you will laugh and laugh a lot.
Don takes simple everyday things and situations and makes them hilarious. His perspective on life is unique, sometimes even bizarre.  His humor writing has been compared to the television show “Seinfeld” because the topics are so basic, but the humor so funny.
He started writing humor columns in college and began writing his popular Ake’s Pains blog in 2011. He released his first humor book, “Just Make Me A Sammich” in 2015 and followed it up with “Will There Be Free Appetizers” in 2018.
Don works as an analyst/economist in the trucking industry and has an MBA degree from the University of Akron. He resides in Northeast Ohio.
To learn more about Don Ake and his books visit his website at www.donake.net.
Topics of conversation:
 
Writing Humor
How to make even the most mundane topics funny
Humor that’s relatable and diverse
Making people laugh out loud
Who makes Don laugh?
Evolving and growing as a writer
Advice to aspiring authors

Anna Dopico never imaged herself as a writer but felt compelled to write the story of Phil White and Gerard Vroomen, co-founders of Cervélo Cycles. Married to Phil, she had an insider’s view of their story from when Phil and Gerard met to when they sold their company. Anna was not only Phil’s wife but a business person, as well, with financing experience that proved useful after Phil and Gerard started their company. She provided a home for Cervélo in the early years, became a business advisor to the company, and in the later years, went to work for the company. She spent three years writing the Cervélo story and released the book in May 2018.
To learn more about Anna Dopico and her book visit her website at www.tomakeridersfaster.com.
Topics of conversation:
On becoming a writer and the writing process
A company built on determination and excellence
Marketing
CAN Fund www.canadianathletesnow.ca
Hobbies and Interests
Endeavour Volunteer Consulting www.endeavourvolunteer.ca
Advice to aspiring authors

Betty Jean Craige retired from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia in 2011, after thirty-eight happy years. During this time, she published books in the fields of literature, poetry translation (from Spanish), history of ideas, ecology, and art. She curated two museum exhibitions of the art of Alvar Suñol and produced a documentary about him titled Alvar: His Vision and His Art, which won first place in its category in the Indie Gathering Film Festival. Her non-academic books are Conversations with Cosmo: At Home with an African Grey Parrot (2010); three Witherston Murder Mysteries: Downstream (2014), Fairfield’s Auction (2016), and Dam Witherston (2017), published by Black Opal Books; and Aldo (2018), a thriller, also published by Black Opal Books. Fairfield’s Auction won first place in the category of Murder and Mayhem in the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards. Dam Witherston received Honorable Mention in the Mysteries category of the 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards and Distinguished Favorite in Mystery in the 2018 Independent Press Awards.
To learn more about Betty Jean Craige and her books visit her website at www.bettyjeancraigebooks.weebly.com.
 
Topics of conversation:
Writing murder mysteries
Cosmo – her African Grey Parrot  – we’ll hear some of Cosmo’s thoughts as well!
Hobbies and Interests
Writing what you want to learn about

A Chinese American and son of Chinese immigrants who escaped from the Communist takeover of China in 1949, Stanley Chao grew up in California in a very traditional Chinese family: living with three generations under one roof, speaking only Chinese until grade school, and learning that anything less than an A grade was unacceptable, and that working hard was the only way to get ahead in life. Chao holds a BSEE degree from Columbia University, an MSEE from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Business. His professional career includes stints at Philips Lighting in California, and China; Kingston Technology in California and Japan; SoftBank in Japan; and Merrill Lynch in New York and Japan. He speaks fluent English, Mandarin, and Japanese and currently resides in Los Angeles. Chao is the Managing Director of All In Consulting, a Los Angeles based consulting firm assisting Western companies in their Asia and China business developments. Chao’s clients include: Intel, Emerson Electric, SPX, Kingston Technology, Baxter Healthcare, and dozens of small and medium-sized companies. Chao and his team have conducted over 200 projects in China covering more than 12 different vertical markets including the aviation, automotive, medical, information technology, manufacturing and environmental engineering industries.
To learn more about Stanley Chao and his book, “Selling to China” visit his website at www.allinconsult.com.
Topics of conversation:
The Sino-US trade war
What will happen over the coming months?
Is China running out of bullets?
What should American companies do?
Intellectual property theft
The most difficult aspects about doing business in China
Predictions about China
Hobbies and Interests
Personal story about travels to China

Desirée Calderón de Fawaz is a writer and illustrator specializing in stories about children from different cultural and religious backgrounds; stories that have universal appeal and hidden wisdom. Born and raised in Mexico City, Desirée’s earliest memories are of painting with oils and writing poems, both natural activities in a family where writers like Jose Vasconcelos and painters like Frida Kahlo flourished. In 2015, Desirée traveled to Lebanon in search of the perfect town that would set the stage for her new story and found that the cities of Saida and Biblos epitomized the diverse and vibrant Mediterranean culture she was looking for. Two years and many teas later, Tata’s Earrings was ready to launch with the hope that it would sow a small seed of love, compassion, and understanding. Desirée lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and three children. When not writing, she practices yoga, learns herbology, and enjoys cuddling up on her couch with a good book.
To learn more about Desiree and her books visit her website at www.desireecalderondefawaz.com.
Topics of conversation:
Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books
Research and Travel for the Perfect Setting
Representation of Arab Women and Children in Literature
Frida Khalo
Hobbies and Interests
Campaign of Giving