Author Interviews

I love storytelling and being able to develop characters that are often based on students I’ve taught. The main character in Stranded on Castaway Island, Annie, has her faults—such as bossiness—but the way she struggles to help her orphaned brothers and her lonely father, and then later saves Mirra’s life, makes her a hero. She’s gone through so much—losing her mom and being hurt by Mirra, her best friend. And now, she also needs to survive!

Helen Garraway is the USA Today Bestselling author of the award-winning epic fantasy Sentinals series which was first published in 2020, followed by the first book of the fantasy romance SoulMist series, SoulBreather, released in 2022 as part of the Realm of Darkness boxset.

PATRICIA DIESEL – Certified Professional Empowerment Coach, Leading Organizing Expert, Author, and Founder of Keep It Simple Now!

T.M. DiPietro lives a beautiful life in Alabama. She is a retired Master Teaching Artist, published writer, photographer, and former owner of DiPietro Design Group (ASID member). She worked as a professional artist throughout New England and New York and her murals are displayed in numerous homes and commercial buildings throughout New England. She has been featured on radio and TV and newspapers more than sixty times.

Jill is a collectible artist, published photographer, mother of two, grandmother of a dozen, great-grandmother of who-knows-how-many, kayaker, explorer, learner, pilot, and, as an author—a gymnast of words. Her writing grounds itself in the cultures and world views she’s discovered in her wide-ranging travels. She is a licensed psychologist and former inner city school counselor who received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Michigan State University. During her years of counseling, she and a colleague developed and patented the card game Esteem Architecture to help adolescents develop a greater awareness of themselves and greater respect for others. It has sold several thousand copies over the past twenty years.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, husband of a Dartmouth alumnus, and son of a Brown graduate, Matt Robinson has been steeped in Ivy League culture for most of his life. A professional writer, editor, and educator for over twenty years, Matt has developed a profound curiosity about all things education-related and a knack for remembering and sharing stories about many schools. While much of Matt’s most recent research has gone into his book, Lions, Tigers, and…Bulldogs?, hundreds more pieces can be seen at www.TheRobinsonReporter.com.

B. D’Amato is a psychoanalyst in private practice in NYC. She has written numerous professional papers analyzing the psychic conflicts of literary characters and their authors, i.e., Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. B. D’Amato’s most recent publication considers the lyrics in Bob Dylan’s Murder Most Foul from a hypnogogic perspective. She has written extensively about dreams, adoption, and the curative potential of human interconnection through emotional communication. Triskele is her first work of fiction.

Janine is the Owner/Chief Innovations Officer for Talent Think Innovations, LLC, a multidisciplinary business strategy and management consulting firm. Her career spans eighteen years in HR, Talent Acquisition, and Talent Management that has taken her through the world of pharmaceuticals, the arts, K-12 education, technology, private equity, healthcare, staffing, and R&D, just to name a few sectors she has worked in. Janine is a dynamic speaker, entrepreneur, and an important and respected voice bringing both a human touch and business savvy to the companies and businesses she works with.

Jennifer Sara Widelitz graduated with a BFA in Visual Effects from the Savannah College of Art and Design and worked as a compositor, creating special effects for film and television. She is an artist with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling in a variety of mediums: film, photography, writing, painting, poetry, etc. She likes to view the world as a grand storybook and can’t wait to see what adventures the next chapter brings. Battle Cry is her first poetry collection, although her poetry and photography have appeared in several literary publications. Much of her poetry is based on her personal experience with autoimmunity and chronic invisible illness, writing for the warriors fighting unseen battles and the survivors of the human condition. She is a dog lover and a cat mommy and is rarely seen without a cup of tea or a good book.

JB Blake—student of military history, behavioral science, servant leadership, critical thinking, innovation, and economics. Successful entrepreneur and intrapreneur, corporate executive, and university professor. Every career path has led to interactions with fascinating characters whose traits could be woven into this story. They are like the ingredients that make an amazing recipe! See you on the other side.

Author, life and career coach, Akashic worker, and all-around provocateur Amrita Rose has navigated three major careers, lived in two countries and seven states, and continues to plan her next adventures. She has garnered enthusiastic appreciation for her community-based programs of yoga, meditation, integrated art practices, and Positive Psychology “Positivity Slams,” all of which have enhanced the lives and not depleted the pockets of diverse groups of attendees.

Hidden Shadow is Jennifer’s first novel. Being a vivid dreamer, always intrigued by human behavior and a love for mysteries, sparked her passion for writing. Jennifer lives in Michigan with her family and two golden retrievers. She is a former art and English teacher turned entrepreneur, immersed in interior design, real estate, graphic design, and photography. Jennifer believes in the importance of kindness and the healing power of dogs, humor, and writing. She appreciates creativity, palm trees, and a good margarita.

Cassandra Kildow is a native Texan who lives in a small town in the Texas Panhandle with her five-year-old son, ailing mother, and stepfather. Cassandra picked up writing at the tender age of twelve as a way to cope with middle school bullying. Every fantasy world she created was her way of escaping the difficulties of real life. Fortunately, those troubles gave Cassandra a push in the right direction with her decision to write fiction novels.

George Tymitz was born and raised in Chicago. While he attended the University of Illinois and earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he never spent a single day as an engineer. Instead, he spent forty-five happy, fulfilling years living his dream of flying—rather than designing—airplanes. As a United States Air Force pilot, he flew F4 Phantom and F15 Eagle fighter planes, followed by commercial passenger and freight aircraft with several airlines. Upon retirement in 2011, he started writing his first novel, Key Number 17: A Ukrainian Grandfather’s Odyssey of Courage, to honor his Ukrainian heritage through a fictional tale. It was published in 2023.

Dominic Butler is a qualified journalist, photographer, and illustrator living in Manchester, England. He also works as a manager for an online educational program.

Peter Gibb is the author of the critically acclaimed, multiple-award-winning memoir, King of Doubt (2017), several children’s books, two unpublished novels, and his most recently published non-fiction, Mindful Conversation: Speak Openly, Connect Deeply, Live Joyously (2022).

Jocelyn lives in Colorado where she sleeps under a couple cats, wanders alone in the forest, plays the singing saw with her band, 2 Star Hotel, explores the world with her drummer, and loves, above all, reading with her two children every night.

Kwame Sound Daniels is a traditional and fiber artist based out of Maryland. Xe are an Anaphora Arts Residency Fellow and an MFA candidate for Vermont College of Fine Arts. Xir first collection of poetry, Light Spun, was published in 2022 with Perennial Press. Xir second book, the pause and the breath, was on Lambda Literary’s Most Anticipated for January and came out in 2023 with Atmosphere Press. Kwame learns plant medicine, paints, and makes what can tentatively be called potions in xir spare time.

Ecuadorian-American M.Z. Medenciy was born and raised in the beautiful ocean state of Rhode Island. She thoroughly enjoys adventuring—if there are lands to be discovered, stories to be told, or fun to be had, you can count on her to be there.

I was born in Virginia and grew up in Switzerland. I started Latin at the age of twelve. That is when I fell in love with history more than Latin. I was intrigued by the organization of the Roman Empire and horrified by the absolute power of their emperors. Growing up in a family of theologians I have always been fascinated by the first century where Judaism and Christianity collide with each other and with the Empire.