2020-05

Mark Gunther has been many things in his life— student, hippie, cook, husband, carpenter, father, dancer, administrator, musician, entrepreneur, athlete. He has worked in staff or board roles in small businesses and nonprofit organizations for forty years.
After his daughter Eva was killed by a drunk driver in 1997, he and his wife started the Eva Gunther Foundation (www.evafoundation.org), to “fuel hope in the heart of a girl.”
Mark received an MFA in Creative Writing in December of 2015 and since then has been published in several literary journals and other publications. Without Jenny is his first novel.
To learn more about Mark Gunther and his debut novel, “Without Jenny” visit his website at www.markgunther.net.
Topics of conversation:
Writing Fiction vs. Memoir
Eva Gunther Foundation (www.evafoundation.org)
Personal Judaism
Long Distance Bicycling and Other Interests
Advice to Aspiring Authors

Sherrill S. Cannon is a former teacher and grandmother of ten and the author of nine published rhymed children’s stories in addition to this newest book of poetry. Her books have received fifty-eight National and International awards. “A Penny for Your Thoughts” is a collection of poetry she has written through the years.
As a teacher, she used poetry to help counsel many troubled teens and friends and has continued this pattern throughout the years.   She is also a playwright with seven published plays for elementary school children, which have been performed internationally in 24 countries. She has also been a professional newspaper sports writer and photographer, a dinner theatre stage manager, and a business administrator.
Sherrill and her husband just celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary this June. They are now retired and travel in their RV from coast to coast each year to spend time with their children and grandchildren.
For more information on Sherrill Cannon and her books, visit her website at www.sherrillcannon.com.
Topics of conversation:
Writing Poetry
Her Children’s Books and Plays
Travel
Poetry Readings from “A Penny for Your Thoughts” Grandfather Clock I Think of You Winter’s Nuptials Frozen Wasteland
Teasers from “A Dime is a Sign” A Dime is a Sign Through Time When I Open My Eyes

Dr. Diane Pomerantz is a clinical psychologist who has been in practice working with children, adolescents, and adults in the Baltimore, Maryland area for over thirty-five years. She has done extensive work in the area of trauma and child abuse, and research in the area of personality development of abused children. She currently runs Healing Through Writing groups in her practice. She is a breast cancer survivor and has two wonderful grown children. She and her shaggy dog, Rug, live amidst tall trees on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland.
For more information on Diane and her book “Lost in the Reflecting Pool” visit her websites at www.dianepomerantz.com and www.drdianepomerantz.com. 
Topics of conversation:
Memoir writing as healing
How becoming a parent enhanced her skills as a therapist
Forgiveness – is it necessary to forgive in order to heal?
Human Connectedness
Narcissism in today’s world

J. Peter (Pete) Hoyer was born and raised in New York State, about 40 miles north of NYC.  He graduated from the Citadel, Military College of SC, then served a 22-year career with the Army. He traveled throughout the United States, Europe, and South Korea. After retiring from the Army, he worked 20 more years as a civilian instructor with the Department of Defense, teaching logistics, transportation, and military tactics.
He has received many military and civilian awards and decorations but is most proud of being awarded the U.S. Army Transportation Corps Distinguished Member of the Regiment award.
Pete holds 2 Masters Degrees from Webster University and Troy State University in the study of Human Relations and Human Resource Management.
Pete is married, with 2 children and 2 grandchildren, and lives in Calabash, NC.  “Characters on the Green” is his first published book.
For more information on Peter Hoyer and his book, “Characters on the Green” visit his website at www.charactersonthegreen.com. 
Topics of conversation:
How his sense of humor comes through in his writing style
Humorous stories about some of the people he’s met on and off the golf course
Life in the Army and meeting interesting characters from all over the world
Marketing, book promotion and his next projects
Advice to aspiring authors

Since childhood, Thomas J. Brodeur has been telling stories. Early efforts included drawing his own comics, a skill he honed from grade school through college. In high school, he composed three graphic novels and wrote his first short story. His first published novel, Regina Silsby’s Secret War (2004), was nominated for the Scott O’Dell award for historical fiction.
Besides writing, Mr. Brodeur managed to graduate college and divert some attention to a multi-faceted career. His corporate experience spans several continents and includes motion picture production, computer-aided design, information technology, management, and customer service.
He spends his spare time building ships-in-bottles and dabbling in calligraphy, cartooning and fine art. Additional activities include laundry, dishwashing, lawn mowing, painting, plumbing, and electrical work as required. He enjoys fixing things, anything from bikes to broken furniture.
Home is Florida, with his bride of several decades.
Faces Behind the Masks was recently honored with two top awards in the 2017-2018 Reader Views Literary Awards, taking home First Place in the Teen Category for Kids ages 12-16 and the Reader Views Kids Award for Best Teen/YA Book of the Year.
For more information on Thomas J. Brodeur and his books visit his website at http://thomasjbrodeur.org.
Topics of conversation:
Writing from the perspective of a Teen/YA
Everything is a field for possible use in writing
Developing your Characters
Using an Outline
Hobbies – Building Ships in Bottles, Fixing and Building Things, etc.

Fidelis O. Mkparu was born in Onitsha Nigeria. He is a Harvard-trained cardiologist who has written medical articles for both scientific and lay audiences. His previous novel, Love’s Affliction, was a 2016 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner for Fiction, a Reader Views Literary Award Winner for 2015/2016, and a finalist for the 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award for Multicultural Fiction. He lives in Canton, Ohio USA.
For more information about Fidelis Mkparu and his books visit his website at www.fidelismkparu.com.
Topics of conversation:
Passion for Writing
Spirituality in Life and in Writing
The Greatest Gift
Upcoming Projects
Advice to New Authors

Melissa Muldoon is an artist, graphic designer, and award-winning author of the Studentessa Matta Website, a dual language blog, where she promotes the Italian language and culture. Through the Matta Website, she organizes small group language immersion programs in Italy twice a year, in collaboration with Italian schools as well as private Italian language homestay vacations, with teachers all over Italy.
Waking Isabella follows Melissa’s debut novel Dreaming Sophia, published in 2016. In this new book set in Arezzo, Italy, readers are taken on another art history adventure. Waking Isabella weaves together several loves stories as well as a few mysteries, as Nora, the protagonist begins to resolve the puzzle of a painting, which has been missing for decades of Isabella de’ Medici — the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband.
For more information on Melissa Muldoon and her books, visit her website at www.melissamuldoon.com.
Topics of conversation:
Isabella de Medici
Research for the book in Arezzo, Italy
Giostra del Saracino – Annual Jousting Festival held in Arezzo
Suppression of Artists and Hitler’s Obsession during WWII
Melissa’s Writing Process
Her Award Winning Italian Language Blog and Immersion Trips to Italy
Most Rewarding Experience as an Author

Dr. Iyabo Ojikutu is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She received her medical degree at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. She has been practicing medicine since she was 22 years old, and currently owns, and runs her practice in Atlanta, Georgia, where she lives with her two daughters. Permanent Happiness is her first book. Her writing began in December 2015, after her dear father passed.
For more information on Dr. Iyabo and her book visit her website at www.driyabo.com.
Topics of conversation:
Her inspiration to start writing
Pediatrics as a career
Finding balance in a busy world
Learning about life from living in 3 different continents
United Nations SDG Media Zone event
Her writing process and publishing experience