 Rosenberg grew up in the U.S. but has lived half his adult life in Australia. At the University of Texas, he started a literary and art magazine before setting off to work in London. He then travelled through Europe and Asia. Once in Sydney, he was accepted as a ‘Writer-in-Residence’ at the National Australian Film and TV School. It was here he began his screenwriting career. Rosenberg has written seven feature films, producing three. He’s worked with Miles Davis, Daniel Radcliffe and Jeremy Irons. An award-winning screenwriter, he’s taught in India, China, the U.S. as well as Australia. Always a writer, avid reader, and adventurer, writing novels has become a new passion. Neil Kyd walks a razor’s edge between moral ambiguity and fierce love. When you crafted him, did you see him first as a father or as an operative—and how do you imagine that duality would play out visually or emotionally on screen? I saw Kyd first as a father. He’s drawn back into the espionage ‘game’ because it’s a chance, a last chance, to save his daughter’s life. I have a daughter, so identifying with Kyd’s desperation and courage, even if it crosses moral boundaries, made it easier to imagine. A parent’s love for their child has no limits. I’ve been a screenwriter for many years and can’t help but see stories through my mind’s eye - cinematically. Economical character description, plot and pace come naturally to me. The father-daughter relationship feels like the heartbeat of the story. If this were ever adapted, do you see that emotional thread taking center stage, or staying subtly woven beneath the espionage tension—similar to slow-burn narratives like The Night Manager or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy? Hopefully, the motivation for Kyd to take the risks he does and return home to his daughter come through strongly enough that a reader won’t need to be reminded that it’s the beating heart of the story. The espionage plot stands on its own and adds the pace and intrigue every tale needs. As with le Carre or Jason Matthews’ “Red Sparrow”, there is always an emotional element that gives the character believable depth. Readers feel the constant pressure chasing Kyd. Was there a particular scene that, in your mind, crystallized the entire tone of the story—something you could picture as the defining moment, whether on the page or on a screen? A scene or moment that sticks out to me is when after all that he’s been through, the things he’s seen and done, Kyd wonders whether he is the same person he was a week earlier, when he left Kansas. He’s murdered someone and questions whether other people will recognize that he’s changed, he’s become someone else. Your description of Moscow reads like a character in itself. Did your travels and global perspective inform that cinematic sense of place, and do you envision a specific atmospheric style—gritty realism, elegant tension, or psychological intimacy—if this world expanded beyond the page? I see locations as a character; they add the context and metaphorical atmosphere that helps a reader (or viewer) to identify with the character’s circumstance. In KYD’S GAME, Moscow is a real city, a location where Kyd can assume certain things – familiar and strange at the same time. The grittiness has to do with my love of film noir movies and books. I wanted to create something as stark and evocative as an Edward Hopper painting. Kyd’s Game sits beautifully between literary espionage and psychological thriller. Were there writers or filmmakers who helped shape that tone for you—whether John le Carré, Patricia Highsmith, or perhaps influences from your own screenwriting career? I’ve always been an avid reader and admire so many authors, but my writing has been most influenced by Patricia Highsmith, Donald Westlake, Ross Thomas, Denis Lehane, Peter Blauner and of course le Carre. I like the sparseness and elegance of their books. I worked with Miles Davis, and I still feel his music and personality influence me. I very much enjoyed the espionage series “The Bureau”, the French production. Redemption versus survival is a powerful theme here. If Kyd’s journey continued, do you see him moving toward healing—or is he a character fated to exist in perpetual motion, always hunted by both enemies and his own past? If Kyd’s journey were to continue, I see him much like Walter White in “Breaking Bad”. He can’t turn back, he’s opened another side of himself that pushes him forward. The world you’ve created hints at deeper layers beyond this mission. Do you see potential for a larger narrative universe—sequels, character spin-outs, or deeper looks into the Agency and his past relationships? I have thought about a sequel for Kyd and have the opening and ending, but the middle is still being worked out. You’ve written for powerful screen talents like Miles Davis, Daniel Radcliffe, and Jeremy Irons. With that background, do you find yourself writing with an internal visual rhythm or structure—even when working purely in prose? One of the tricks I’ve learned through screenwriting is to cast characters in my head. It’s helpful to know how they walk, talk, breathe. All things being equal, I would cast Kyd as Cillian Murphy or Michael Fassbender. I understand enough about filmmaking to know the writer’s wishes are not a top priority. The line “Life and death shadow each other to the last page” feels almost like a thesis statement. What does that mean to you personally, and how would you want that haunting tone preserved in any future interpretation of Kyd’s story? “Life and death shadow each other to last page” was a gift from the author Peter Watt, but it sums up what I wanted the reader to feel. Once Kyd takes on the CIA’s mission, there is no turning back and he continues to become the man he needs to be regardless of the deadly risk. Now that you’ve stepped into the world of novels after a successful screenwriting career, what excites you most about the idea of Kyd as a character who could live in multiple forms—on the page, in readers’ imaginations, and possibly in a visual world one day? I’ve been very encouraged by the reviews I’ve received and most of them see a film or TV series in the book. Kyd is a cinematic character. He’s not someone who can turn a cell phone into a satellite dish, or a martial arts expert, but an everyman, someone a reader or viewer can relate to. The action is cinematic, but the emotional core is personal. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marc.rosenberg.539233/
Twitter: https://x.com/RosenbergM5201 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/244face/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-rosenberg-75086864/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Kyds-Game-Marc-Rosenberg-ebook/dp/B0CXLSZBC2
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 Patricia Leavy, PhD is novelist, sociologist, and arts advocate (formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of Gender Studies and Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology at Stonehill College). She is widely considered the world's most visible proponent of arts-based research, which merges the arts and sciences. Patricia has published over 50 books, nonfiction and fiction, and her work has been translated into numerous languages. She has received over 100 book awards. She has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2016 Mogul, a global women’s empowerment network, named her an “Influencer.” In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the State University of New York at New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In recent years, her passion has turned to penning romance novels. Cinematic Destinies closes out a sweeping trilogy. How did your background as a sociologist and academic shape the way you approached writing such deeply layered characters and themes? To me, the Red Carpet Romance trilogy is about what it means to live a life and to do so well. It’s about the moments that string together ultimately creating the tapestry of our lives and how beauty hides in those seemingly small moments. It’s also very much about love, friendship, family, art, and becoming who we’re meant to be. So there are big themes and yet each book is very character driven. As a sociologist, I’m predisposed to look at both the big picture and the small parts. I think that helped me balance my desire to tell a romantic, sweeping love story and also address the bigger questions of life, hopefully in a poetic way. You’ve often spoken about the intersection of art and research—how do you see this trilogy in regard to your broader creative exploration? My goal has always been to create a philosophy of love and a philosophy of art through my nonfiction and fiction books. The big difference to me is that nonfiction is literal and fiction is poetic. This trilogy is very much a part of my larger desire to explore both love and art. All three novels in the series explore what love is, what it means to love, and what love brings to our lives. We often talk about love as something we say or feel, but it’s something we do. Love is a verb. The characters in this series do love well. The arts are also woven throughout the series. The trilogy begins and ends with film shoots. There’s a narrative about life imitating art and art imitating life. There’s also a narrative about the role of art in our lives, what we need from artists to make sense of our own lives, and what it means to create art. So while at the end of the day the Red Carpet Romance series is very much a romantic and whimsical trilogy with beach read vibes, it’s also a deeper exploration of love and art and that’s at the core of all my writing. Hollywood fairy tales and intellectual life meet in the Forrester family—did you draw on your own experiences balancing scholarship and storytelling when crafting Finn and Ella’s world? Finn and Ella were very much drawn from my imagination. That said, I’ve always enjoyed talking about art and ideas with my friends and colleagues. That started in earnest when I was in high school and never stopped. I think it’s natural for me to put characters together and have them explore creativity and ideas. The Red Carpet Romance trilogy begins with The Location Shoot. In that novel a group is living together in Sweden for three months while they make a film about the meaning of life. They form deep friendships, with Ella and Finn falling in love. Throughout the book they sit around talking about art, philosophy, and life. So these discussions were a part of the series from the start and it’s a natural extension to see more of that in Cinematic Destinies in which we meet Ella and Finn’s three adult children. I must say, writing the family scenes was great fun. I just love the smart and playful way they all talk with one another. And of course, more of those conversations happen in the film set in Iceland and in all the Forrester kids’ relationships. The Forrester children grapple with identity, ambition, and vulnerability in ways that mirror broader social questions. How did you approach their stories? The beauty of having three characters is that each has a different personality and thus different strengths and struggles. They each grapple with things we all deal with in some way. It’s difficult to figure out who we are and to become who we’re meant to be. Identity, career, love—these things are all challenging. I tried to write each of the Forrester kids authentically. My hope was to create resonant storylines for readers who may see bits of themselves in the characters. Between the Forrester children and the other characters in the novel there were so many different personalities. As a writer, that was great fun and I could identify with each of them in some way. Georgia’s story of artistry and self-discovery echoes both her mother’s path and, in some ways, your own. Was she the character who felt closest to your heart? I adore Georgia and in some ways she’s the character I admire the most because of her free spirit and desire to make life a grand adventure. She definitely lives out loud. In truth, I’m very different from Georgia. I’m a planner and I’m shy. I think the character closest to my heart in some ways is the least likely, Jean Mercier, the filmmaker. While we are wildly different in some obvious ways, he has devoted his life to his art and the search for beauty. He tackles tough topics because he believes that artists must sometimes go dark to help others see the light. I relate to all of that. Albert’s search for identity is particularly poignant. As an academic who has studied human complexity, what do you hope readers take from his journey? It’s okay to be who we are. We are each enough. The best thing we can do for ourselves, and others is to live authentically. Albert is a comic artist and loves creating superheroes. To become the hero in his own life though, he needs to be free to be himself. That’s very hard to do in a world that is often cruel. I hope Albert’s journey with his parents serves as a model to others for how those hard conversations can be made much easier if we lead with love. Ella and Finn are exceptional parents. This trilogy explores the nature of love, fame, and legacy. Looking back, what surprised you most as the story unfolded? I didn’t know it was going to be a trilogy, let alone that it would span over thirty years. I wrote The Location Shoot during the lockdown. Like so many others, I was bored at home, binge watching movies, double fisting potato chips, and filled with existential doom. I wanted to escape to someplace joyful, romantic, and creative. Someplace affectionate where you could hug and kiss people without fear of killing them. Due to the pandemic, I was thinking about the big questions of life, and so I decided to write a novel following a group making a film about the meaning of life and living together in seclusion. Given the topic of the film, Ella was a philosopher. When I finished the book, the vaccine was out and life was returning to something more normal, but I loved the characters so much that I wanted to continue with them. Each book in the trilogy organically inspired the next. The second book, After the Red Carpet, sees Ella and Finn building a life together and starting a family in the shadow of Hollywood. After that, I wanted to explore the lives of those three children when they were grown up. How would the public fascination with their parents’ love story affect them each and their love stories? And whatever happened to Jean Mercier, the filmmaker who started it all? Those questions became the basis for Cinematic Destinies. Your work consistently bridges academia and popular fiction. Do you feel your novels are part of a larger movement toward making scholarship accessible through storytelling? I hope so. At the end of the day, what’s most important to me is that my novels are beautiful works of literature. They are art. Yet there’s nothing that says art can’t also inspire, illuminate, provoke, evoke, and educate. In fact, I think the best art helps us to reflect on our own lives and the larger world in which we live. Literature is accessible to people in a way that traditional scholarship is not. There’s a long line of scholars who espouse their ideas through fiction, including Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Zora Neal Hurston, each of whom wrote plays, short stories, novellas, and novels as well as their traditional scholarly work. I hope to continue that tradition. After closing the door on the Forrester family’s saga, where do you see your creative and academic energies moving next? I have a nonfiction book, part memoir part guidebook, called The Artist Academic coming out in October. It’s the first book I’ve written of this kind, and I’m excited to share it. For years people have asked me how I merged academic and artistic interests and moved from being an academic author to a commercial novelist. This book is my answer. I held nothing back and loaded it with tips in the hope of making it useful to others. My next novel comes out March 24 and it’s called Twinkle of Doubt. It’s the second book in a big series I’ve written called The Celestial Bodies Romances which follows the healing love story of a novelist and federal agent. For people interested in the series, the lead title Shooting Stars Above is available everywhere books are sold. Beyond this, I’m fully immersed in writing fiction and have many romance and women’s fiction novels coming out in upcoming years. Many explore social themes such as identity in the age of social media, violence, and mortality. What role do you believe contemporary romance can play in not only entertaining readers but also in illuminating the complexities of human experience—something you’ve long studied as an academic? Romance novels espouse the hopes, dreams, fantasies, and emotional life of their readers and writers. They take seriously women’s feelings, experiences, and sexuality. Regarding sexuality, bear in mind the sex depicted in romance novels is often written from the perspective of women, something we rarely see in the culture. Moreover, romance novels are about love. Without love, there is no compassion, no humanity. It is at the heart of who we are as human beings. So I can think of no better way to make my contribution to culture and explore what it means to be human. Storytelling is very powerful. It can change the way we see and think. The more immersed we are in the stories, the greater the impact, and there’s actually neuroscience to support that. So being swept away in the whimsy and escapism of romance novels is a tool we can use to communicate powerful ideas. Website: https://patricialeavy.com
Faceboook: www.facebook.com/WomenWhoWrite Instagram: www.instagram.com/patricialeavy X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/PatriciaLeavy Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Cinematic-Destinies-Novel-Carpet-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DWNGNM1Z  What moment or experience first gave you the idea for OPULIS? Was there a specific story or woman that inspired you to start this project? It began with a question that kept me up one night: How will history remember the women who built Microsoft’s future? As the company’s 50th anniversary approached, I realized we had an opportunity and an obligation to contribute something meaningful. Microsoft wasn’t just another corporate partner to us; it was the foundation sponsor that helped give birth to Women in Cloud, the platform that allowed us to dream in billions: billions in access, innovation, in possibility. They had given us the tools to build, and now it was our turn to give something back. So we approached Microsoft’s leadership with a simple idea: “What if we honored the past, celebrated the present, and ignited the AI future?” The idea resonated instantly. Because this was not just about recognition; it was about continuation and contribution. During those early conversations, I learned something that stopped me cold: so many of the women who shaped Microsoft’s most defining transformations, the engineers, strategists, and program leaders, were missing from the official archives. Their work powered billion-dollar breakthroughs, yet their names rarely appeared in the record. The realization crystallized my vision. I knew we needed to create something lasting, a book that captured the untold stories of women and allies behind Microsoft’s moments. The people who built, supported, and believed in progress when there was no blueprint to follow. What makes OPULIS extraordinary, at least to me, is that it doesn’t just celebrate women, it honors the allies, mentors, and champions who stood beside us. Their belief, advocacy, and partnership were essential in shaping the inclusive innovation movement we see today. True progress has always been a shared endeavor, and I wanted that truth at the heart of OPULIS. I often call the stories within OPULIS the “leadership codes of innovation.” Because in so many cases, there wasn’t a manual, these women and allies wrote the playbook. They reshaped systems, designed first-of-their-kind solutions, and redefined what leadership looked like before anyone else dared to try. That’s what gives OPULIS its deeper meaning. It’s not just a book; it’s a leadership accelerator, a living framework that helps our community lead with courage, collaboration, and allyship. Everyone who contributes to or engages with OPULIS grows as a leader because they’re learning how inclusion, innovation, and impact intersect in real time. You’ve probably read about Microsoft’s transformation in business school case studies or Harvard Business Review articles. But OPULIS tells the human story, the lived experiences, the risks, and the relationships that made those transformations possible. I still remember one conversation that left a mark on me. A woman who had led global transformation initiatives at Microsoft once told me, “We contributed to Microsoft’s future, but history won’t remember our names.” That sentence changed everything. It reminded me that OPULIS had to be more than a tribute; it had to be a gift. A gift from the Women in Cloud ecosystem to Microsoft, the company that empowered us to build, belong, and believe in the power of democratized access. To me, OPULIS is a celebration of significance, scholarship, and shared leadership, a blueprint for how we honor the past, celebrate the present, and ignite the AI-powered future together. We created OPULIS to:
“When we think of artifacts preserved in museums, most of us picture ancient manuscripts, fine art, or political documents. Rarely do we think of the stories of women in technology. Yet these stories are every bit as foundational to understanding our world today.” That’s exactly what OPULIS represents to me: a landmark publication chronicling the lives of 50 pioneering women whose ideas, innovations, and advocacy guided Microsoft through the cloud and AI revolutions. This project isn’t just about memory; it’s about legacy. And more than that, it’s about ensuring that when the next generation looks back, they’ll know exactly who built the future they’re now living in. As you curated these stories, which one hit home for you personally — made you stop and think, this is why I’m doing this? When people ask which story in OPULIS hit me the hardest, I think back to why I began this journey in the first place. I’ve always been captivated by history. I can lose hours watching documentaries or wandering through archaeological sites, imagining the lives of those who came before us. I’ve long admired leaders like Cleopatra and others who shaped civilizations centuries before our time. And I often find myself wondering: What did it take for them to create the conditions that allow me, generations later, to sit here and do this work? That’s what OPULIS represents to me, a continuation of that legacy. The women in this book are the modern architects of progress. Their courage, intellect, and resilience built the foundation that allows us to imagine and innovate in this new era of AI. So when I think about the work we do at Women in Cloud, it’s never just about designing programs that democratize access or foster economic mobility. It’s also about preserving the stories of those who made such progress possible. Because someday, when women 20 or 50 years from now go searching for history, I want them to find truth, not just data. We live in an age where AI is democratizing intelligence, but with that comes a risk: truth can be diluted, reinterpreted, or lost entirely. Capturing these lived experiences now is essential. These stories are more than inspiration; they’re cheat codes for navigating systems that weren’t always built for us. They are blueprints of resilience, courage, and strategy. It’s our responsibility to preserve these frameworks so that future generations can not only see themselves in history but also have the confidence and clarity to shape what comes next. That’s when it clicked for me, this is why I’m doing this. To honor the past. To empower the present. And to safeguard the wisdom that will guide the future. Did anything surprise you while gathering these stories — something about women’s leadership you hadn’t seen so clearly before? Absolutely — and it began the moment I started reaching out to tell the women they had been selected as one of the Top 50 to be featured in OPULIS. When I called or emailed them to share the news, their first reaction almost always surprised me. Many of them simply didn’t believe it. They’d ask, “Are you sure? Why me? I wasn’t an executive.” Some even asked if I had reached out to the wrong person. That humility hit me deeply. These were women whose fingerprints were all over Microsoft’s most defining transformations from building the cloud to scaling global markets to advancing accessibility and inclusion, yet they didn’t see themselves as “chosen.” They didn’t have lofty titles or public visibility, but they had built the very foundation that powered Microsoft’s trillion-dollar shift. It reminded me how easy it is for history to overlook those who do the real building. Most people know names like Satya Nadella, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Steve Ballmer, visible figures who led the company from the front. But behind that visibility were hundreds of others: brilliant, humble, determined individuals who were quietly shaping strategy, executing vision, and creating the scaffolding of success. Then another, more unexpected layer emerged. Once word spread about the book, I began hearing from others who were disappointed not to be included. And I understood that emotion deeply, because the desire to be seen, to have your contribution recognized, is profoundly human. But I reminded them this was a nomination-driven process. If someone wasn’t in the book, it wasn’t because they didn’t deserve it; it was because one had nominated them. It became a powerful reminder for all of us: recognition doesn’t happen in silence; it happens when we advocate for each other. For me personally, being part of this group was an incredible honor because it validated something I’ve always believed: you don’t need a corporate vice president title to make a lasting impact. Leadership isn’t defined by hierarchy; it’s defined by contribution. Some of the women in OPULIS were deep technical experts, the ones who literally built the infrastructure that powers Microsoft. Others, like me, came from the product management and licensing side, designing infrastructures, platforms, public-private partnerships, and funding models that turned innovation into impact. Together, these diverse contributions became the engines of Microsoft’s strength. But what truly stood out across every story was a constancy of generosity. These women weren’t just building products; they were building bridges. They mentored, they sponsored, they shared their playbooks freely so others could rise faster. And that generosity, that open-handed leadership, reaffirmed my belief that democratizing access always begins with generosity, with the willingness to share knowledge, time, and visibility. That’s the essence of inclusive leadership. It’s what transforms companies into communities and innovation into belonging. After interviewing and researching these women, what qualities or habits do you think helped them break barriers at Microsoft and beyond? As I listened to their stories, one truth became undeniable: these women were not simply succeeding within the system; they were architecting the system to make it more inclusive and accessible for everyone. They were creating blueprints to democratize computing access long before it became a mainstream conversation. What I saw reflected across every story was the essence of ICONIC Leadership™, a model rooted in Intention, Courage, Optimism, Nurture, Innovation, and Connection. These women didn’t wait for permission; they built pathways that others could walk through. They understood that leadership wasn’t about holding power; it was about sharing it. It’s about democratizing access so that opportunity isn’t a privilege, but a practice.. Underneath their leadership behaviors were six powerful activations — a living blueprint for how democratization truly happens inside a complex global ecosystem like Microsoft:
That’s what helped them break barriers at Microsoft and beyond; they didn’t just lead within systems; they reimagined them. They turned leadership into architecture, one built not for exclusivity, but for access, inclusion, and shared impact. Was there a moment of bravery or risk-taking in one of the stories that really inspired you? Yes, one moment that stands out vividly for me was a conversation I had with Karen Fassio. Her vision stretched far beyond quarterly metrics or business outcomes. She wanted to address societal-level challenges like sustainability and inclusion. That conversation became the spark that eventually led to the creation of BUILD for 2030, an initiative that invited partners and innovators to align their work with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For me, that was a defining moment of bravery, not the kind that comes from taking a personal risk, but the kind that comes from daring to think systemically. Karen wasn’t just asking, “How do we grow revenue?” She was asking, “How do we use this global platform to change the world?” One concrete example that still inspires me: we wanted to elevate innovators contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but there was no internal mechanism to recognize or amplify their work. So, we Built one. We connected the macro system, which is Microsoft’s vast global ecosystem, and the micro system, these are the individuals and partners on the ground doing the hard work of change. That bridge transformed everything. It gave these innovators visibility, credibility, and long-term sustainability. It reminded me that bravery in leadership isn’t always about taking a leap, sometimes, it’s about seeing the system differently and having the courage to rewire it for the collective good. How has this journey changed how you see yourself as a leader and a woman in tech? This project fundamentally changed how I define leadership. When we started OPULIS, there was no budget, no blueprint, and certainly no roadmap. It was an idea born out of conviction that we needed to honor Microsoft’s 50-year legacy and the women who helped shape its trillion-dollar transformation. We quite literally tin-cupped our way through the early stages, reaching out to our networks, asking for support, and unlocking whatever resources, infrastructure, and talent we collectively had. What amazed me was how much we could accomplish when we stopped waiting for permission and simply started building. That’s when I truly understood the power of collective access that innovation doesn’t always need massive funding; it needs shared belief, trust, and alignment. On a personal level, I learned to lead with courage and clarity, especially when navigating ambiguity. There were moments when not everyone was engaged or aligned, and that’s normal in any ambitious project. But I realized that if the vision is clear and the goals are transparent, people will find their way into the journey. Leadership, I discovered, isn’t about forcing participation. It’s about creating reasons for people to want to contribute to help them see how their piece fits into something much bigger. Through OPULIS, I became a more grounded and systems-minded leader. I learned that courage doesn’t mean having all the answers; it means being willing to ask the hard questions, to hold the vision when others can’t see it yet, and to keep moving forward even when the path isn’t paved. As a woman in tech, this journey reminded me that access is our greatest equalizer. When we combine courage, clarity, and community, we can create transformation out of thin air and build legacies that will outlast us all. The book’s message is “You belong. You have an impact.” Why was that message so important to put out into the world now? We are living through one of the most profound transformations in human history the age of democratized intelligence. Artificial Intelligence and technology are reshaping how we work, connect, and create value faster than in any era before. Institutions are being tested, power structures are shifting, and the very definition of leadership is being rewritten in real time. In moments like this, it’s easy for people, especially women, emerging leaders, and those outside traditional circles of influence, to feel small or unseen. To question if they still belong in this next chapter. That’s why this message matters now more than ever. When we say, “You belong. You have an impact,” we’re not just offering encouragement; we’re making a declaration. We believe that every individual has a role in shaping the systems of tomorrow. Whether you’re a coder, creator, policymaker, or parent, you are part of this story of change. As the OPULIS manifesto says, “Intelligence was being democratized. Technology has become a powerful tool for access. For the first time, individuals everywhere could learn, build, lead, and unlock their potential at scale.” That’s what this moment is about: realizing that access and agency are no longer privileges for the few. They are possibilities for everyone. The women in OPULIS embody this truth. They didn’t wait to be chosen; they chose themselves. They didn’t wait for permission; they built pathways for others to walk through. Their courage, generosity, and innovation are living proof that you can make impact from any seat, at any level, in any system. So this message, “You belong. You have an impact,” is a reminder and a call to action. Because belonging is the foundation of innovation, and impact is the measure of purpose. This is our invitation to everyone reading: Step into your ICONIC Leadership zone. Use your access. Share your knowledge. Build with courage. Because the world doesn’t just need technology, it needs you in it. The book funds AI certification scholarships for women. What does that mean to you personally — and what impact do you hope it creates? My vision is for every woman who touches, plays, or creates with AI to have a copy of OPULIS in her hands to read these stories, connect with them, and design her own blueprint for leadership. Imagine a world where every woman, no matter where she begins, has the chance to thrive in the age of AI. That’s the purpose behind our Book-to-Scholarship model. For every ten copies of OPULIS sold, we fund a Microsoft AI Innovator Certification Scholarship, giving women gain the skills, mentorship, and community they need to build economically stable, purpose-driven careers. We’re not just launching a book; we’re igniting a movement to ignite 1,000 AI careers and bring more women into the AI workforce. Because AI isn’t just about automation, it’s about amplification. It mirrors what great teams already do: detect patterns, forecast possibilities, and innovate for impact. When women gain access to AI skills, we don’t just build smarter workplaces; we build a more inclusive economy, one that’s ethical, equitable, and empathetic. Every scholarship is a bridge. Every book is a spark. Together, we’re writing a new chapter where women don’t just adapt to the AI era, they lead it. Since launching #empowHER50, have you heard any stories or feedback from readers that moved you or validated the mission? Yes, and honestly, the response has been overwhelming. Even in our early pre-launch phase, we received over forty messages of early praise from leaders across industries who said OPULIS made them feel seen, inspired, and reconnected to their purpose. Many readers shared that seeing their peers’ stories reminded them that impact doesn’t always wear a title, and that belonging is built through contribution. The feedback validated that OPULIS isn’t just a book; it’s a platform for connection, recognition, and empowerment.
If a young woman in tech picks up OPULIS 20 years from now, what do you hope she feels — and what do you hope she does next? I hope she feels inspired, seen, and empowered. More than that, I hope she takes action: mentors others, drives inclusion, builds responsibly, and shapes technology in ways that open doors for the next generation, just as the women in OPULIS did. I hope she feels seen, capable, and limitless. I hope she realizes that she belongs in every room where technology, leadership, and innovation are being shaped not as a guest, but as a builder. I want her to see OPULIS not just as a collection of stories, but as a playbook for ICONIC Leadership™, a guide to embodying intention, courage, optimism, nurture, innovation, and connection in her own journey. Each story in OPULIS is a mirror, showing her what’s possible when women lead with purpose and design access for others. My wish is that she doesn’t just admire these women, she activates what they started. She creates her own blueprints for democratizing access, whether it’s in AI, policy, entrepreneurship, or education, and uses her platform to open doors for others. I hope she leads with awareness, takes responsibility for lifting others, and measures her success by the contributions she makes. Because real leadership isn’t about being the first or the loudest; it’s about building pathways so others can rise faster. If she can embody that courage, clarity, and community, then OPULIS will have done its job. I hope that, 20 years from now, she doesn’t just read about history, she writes the next chapter of it. Website: https://womenincloud.com/opulis/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womenincloud Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalwic/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/wic-empowerment-chronicles LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaitrav YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@womenincloud Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/OPULIS-Powering-Microsofts-Trillion-Dollar-Shift-Collectors-ebook/dp/B0FXTYNYVJ  After writing hundreds of government reports, Lorelei Brush has stepped into the glorious freedom of fiction. She loves to occupy a comfy coffee house chair and imagine her characters acting out each scene. Her first novel, “Uncovering,” came from her experience managing a large USAID-funded education project in the northwestern part of Pakistan. She was inspired by the strength and resilience of the women on her staff and invented a group of characters working to improve the health of pregnant women and their children as they confronted the severe restrictions of fundamentalist Islam. “Chasing the American Dream” rolled from her pen following a six-month stint in the National Archives researching the role of her father in the Office of Strategic Services in World War II. He’d told his children exciting stories of his feats as a spy behind enemy lines, all of which turned out to be lies. She had to write about his quest to be a hero and how, when the war had not provided the opportunity, he might have used the 1950’s to achieve his goal. Along with two gentle cats, she lives outside of Washington, D.C. in a community of good neighbors, friends, and fellow writers. In her spare time she reads novels, sings with a community chorus, hikes, and works out at the gym. Your father’s tales of wartime heroism turned out to be inventions, something you uncovered only after deep research. When you realized those stories were fabricated, how did that discovery reshape your understanding of him—not just as a soldier, but as your father? And how did it reverberate through your own sense of identity and family history? My father was a very angry man and aimed his strong feelings toward everyone in his orbit. He had few friends. Even television commentators in the 1950s earned a shaking of the fist and harsh words. He claimed to have wanted to be a doctor but was unable to afford it, yearned to be an entrepreneur but couldn’t bring a small engine company out of near-bankruptcy, and had sworn never to have children. I did my best to avoid him as I grew up, and it took a long time for me to feel confident, especially in arguments. The discovery that he was not the hero he had described elicited from me several curses at him and then laughter. He wasn’t this perfect god who must be obeyed but a very human man whose goals were unfulfilled. I was freed to be the person I wanted to be and could forgive him, one adult human to another. Chasing the American Dream was born out of months spent in the National Archives. What was the most startling document or revelation you uncovered while digging into that history? According to my mother, my parents argued about my being named Lorelei. She was against giving me a German name right after World War II; he argued the name “Lorelei” had kept him safe as a spy behind German lines and would also keep me safe. After checking his personnel file for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which contained only two pieces of paper, I dove into the list of code names OSS had given its spies. It was a “startling revelation” to discover no listing for “Lorelei.” My subsequent months of research seconded the idea that he wasn’t a spy with a code name, and he wasn’t ever behind enemy lines. Did he have a training exercise for which he had chosen this code name? Was it a secret wish? I will never know. The book’s 1955 setting is steeped in Cold War tensions and post-war disillusionment. How did you capture that uniquely American mix of optimism and paranoia? The choice of the 1950s time period seemed perfect to show off David’s optimism in his mix of avid patriotism, a hatred of communism, a firm belief he could achieve the American dream through hard work, and an absolute conviction that the Allies against fascism constituted a righteous war. Having missed his chance to be a war hero, David was sure that finding justice for a Nazi war criminal was the chance for him to be a true hero. The paranoia came from the accusation that David was a communist. The Red Scare of the 1950s in which many teachers were accused of being communists supplied an excellent situation to force David to recognize that his country had flaws, and he could not be the superhero of myth. Rather, he had to accept that his quiet successes as an “everyday” man could make him a different but satisfying hero. David goes from serving justice abroad to questioning it at home. What does his story say about the fragility—or resilience—of the American dream itself? The idea of the American dream has evolved over time. In the early 20th century, the dream encompassed a sense of pride in being a part of a country that believed in freedom, justice for all, and that hard work brings rewards. David was a disciple of this version. By the 1950s, the American dream had become more concrete, a sense of a chicken in every pot and a house and a car for each family. I believe this second version is where we are now, and I’m afraid it has led us to anger about not having everything on our list. We would be more resilient as a country if we returned to a debate on how best to realize “freedom and justice for all,” rather than argue that we’ve been deprived of what we are somehow owed by being citizens. In writing about a Nazi war criminal hiding in plain sight, how did you navigate portraying evil without sensationalizing it? I designed Dr. Gerhardt Adler as a man who followed orders, was a well-trained chemist, and was entranced with the idea of being at the forefront of rocketry. These professional qualities have a very positive side, balanced against the facts that the rockets he designed were built by men in a concentration camp and destined to kill large swaths of people. Adler also had a family, which gave him a chance to show off the parenting skills of discipline and love. By seeing the good side of a “villain” as well as the evil, readers can understand the character’s motives although still not agreeing with his actions. David longs to be a hero but is confronted with moral gray zones. Did you struggle personally with how far he should go in his pursuit of justice? Though David is only roughly drawn from my father, this characteristic of taking a belief to an extreme was definitely one of my father’s flaws. He was a man committed to patriotism, who thought he had the correct versions of right and wrong and expected others to agree and live by that code. He didn’t see gray zones. I was sure my character, David, would not give up his quest for justice easily. It took what he viewed as the failure of the justice system and the potential loss of family to stop him! How did your background writing hundreds of government reports shape your approach to David’s “spycraft”—both technically and emotionally? I wrote three sorts of government reports: (1) proposals in which I had to sell my company (and sometimes myself) as the perfect group to carry out a project; (2) reports of data that had to stick to the numbers, no interpretation; and (3) drafts of policies that would improve program structure and performance. I’m happy dealing with statistics but love to dream up multiple scenarios of what data might mean and what policies would encourage the best results. Selling one’s company or oneself also benefits from creative framing. In inventing David’s spycraft, I let my imagination flow, choosing which facts would constrain his behavior and where I’d let him go wild. Having read a good deal about spies in WW II—and watched a slew of movies—I stuck largely to historical events and let David’s risk-taking personality shine. You describe fiction writing as “glorious freedom.” After decades of structured, factual work, what surprised you most about unleashing your imagination? I wrote a good deal of this book long-hand at a coffeehouse, sitting in a club chair in front of a fireplace. I had a clear picture of my characters playing out scenes in my mind—the setting, the emotion, the movement, the language. And sometimes I’d erase the scene and start again, if it didn’t feel right. I’ve enjoyed storytelling like making up adventures for my son, but this writing enterprise unleashed three-dimensional movies in my head each morning. Pretty incredible stuff. Was there a scene or moment in Chasing the American Dream that changed dramatically from your first draft to the final manuscript—and why? I wrote at least four drafts of the ending for the book. For a while, I had David becoming a great lawyer and orator and showed him arguing an important case and winning. I was uncomfortable with that, as I didn’t think it showed nearly enough personal, emotional growth in the character. In the end, I made him a family lawyer, close to beloved by his community. That was the father I would rather have had. Your work intertwines personal family history with collective memory. What do you hope readers reflect on about truth, myth-making, and the stories we tell ourselves as Americans? I listened recently to a webinar by a genealogist who argued that everyone who researched their own family history found elements of mythology in the stories they’d been told. Family stories can be helpful as we work to define who we are, but they can also be harmful as they may set unrealistic expectations of what we should be like, given such a heritage. How much better it can be to understand the reality of who these people were and in their context the story occurred! In describing the context of my father’s war stories and reading reports from others of his experiences, I felt a great release of the anger I had harbored toward him. It was a forgiveness for his lies and a developing respect for who he was and why he felt lying was essential. I hope that readers will take the time to examine their own family stories, including the dreams of their forebears, the challenges they faced, the actions they took and failed to take, and the repercussions. Interviews with family members, use of websites such as ancestry.com, and genealogical research can provide a different framework for our thinking and allow us to clear out myths and come to terms with the truth. All of us also have gleaned myths about ourselves as Americans, with information from our families, the history we learned in school, and what we see and hear from traditional and social media. These bear examination as well. Is the U.S. a “land of opportunity?” For everyone? Is the ideal American a “rugged individualist?” What dream for our country do we all want to live into? Website: https://loreleibrush.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063715616610 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorelei-brush-657743a Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-American-Dream-Lorelei-Brush-ebook/dp/B08VQDSL2F  Christine Stringer is a former MGM assistant who was investigated by the FBI for piracy of a film starring The Rock. So yeah, she does find herself in little snafus from time to time. She has a BFA from the University of Victoria where she studied theatre and English. As a screenwriter and novelist, she strives to brighten people’s days, writing stories based on her film career, love life, and general mishaps. She lives in beautiful Vancouver, BC, with her husband and two young children who bring her joy every day, even though they have banned her from singing in the car. Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous: A Novel by Christine Stringer Bridget Jones fans are said to “fall hard” for your story. What compelled you to write a behind-the-scenes tale of Hollywood, and how much of it draws upon your own lived experiences? This book, while fun and lighthearted, is my way of taking the power back in my life after losing it. In my early twenties, I got hired to work at MGM. I thought my Hollywood dreams were coming true—until they weren’t. Through a bizarre chain of events, I found myself under FBI investigation for piracy of a huge MGM blockbuster film, starring The Rock. Quickly, I became a pariah at MGM, I was told my film career was over, and my car died - emptying my already pathetic bank account. I was devastated. Years later, with hindsight and maturity, I revisited this awful time with the intention of making it a book. By fictionalizing the worst part of my career I crafted a book filled with heart, fun, and suspense, making Charity Trickett a lovable and relatable character in the not so glamorous world of Hollywood. Hollywood in the 1990s was both glittering and unforgiving. What struck you most about the reality behind the red carpets, and how did you want to capture that tension on the page? In the 1990’s movie stars were the epitome of celebrity and our fascination for them was insatiable. This was before social media, so our images of them were limited to Entertainment Tonight and magazines. Movie stars were glamorous and out of reach. Until I worked in film I believed in Hollywood glamor. In reality, making movies is a shlep. The hours are long, the work can be tedious and tiring, and the competition in fierce. This book shows the not so glamorous work off the red carpet. Charity Trickett is both ambitious and tender-hearted—a combination that makes her feel deeply human. In what ways does she mirror your own journey, and in what ways did she take on a life of her own as a character? Charity is who I wish I was, when I worked at MGM. She’s smarter, more savvy, and more empathetic. When I was under FBI investigation for piracy, I was in my early 20s, and like most 20-year-olds, I was pretty self-involved. I only thought about how this mess impacted me. Now that I’m older, I see the stress and potential damage that I caused for the people I worked with. Because of my mistake, grown men with mortgages, and kids to put through college, could have lost their jobs and potentially their careers because of me. I never thought about any of that, but Charity does. As her life spins out of control, she empathises with people who are not supporting her through her hardship, because she recognises the significant pressure they are under. This makes her a more well-rounded and likable character than I was, when my life was spinning out of control. Your novel weaves together comedy, heartbreak, and moments of high-stakes drama—such as FBI investigations and costly mistakes. How did you balance truth, memory, and fiction in shaping this narrative? Being interrogated by the FBI was terrifying. But when I look back, I can see the absurdity. I mean, I was interrogated at a Coffee Bean in Beverly Hills—the agent even bought me a green tea! That’s where the comedy comes in. In terms of balancing truth, memory, and fiction; when you look at your past, and strip away all the dialogue, (because we can never truly remember, exactly what anyone said fifteen years ago) all we’re left with are feelings. All the feels I felt at that time, are delivered to the reader through Charity. Everything else is smoke and mirrors. At its core, your book seems to be about perseverance, the redemptive power of friendship, and the resilience required to pursue a dream. What do you hope readers carry with them after turning the final page? Time is precious time. So, when someone tells me they read my book, I truly appreciate them using their time to read my book. So, I hope I entertained them. I hope I made them laugh and forget about the problems in their complicated world for a little bit. And I hope that after the final page, they want more, because there’s another one on the way! As a young woman striving to become a screenwriter and producer in the 1990s, what barriers did you encounter, and how did those experiences shape your artistic voice? At the time I was at MGM they had never had a female executive or board member. That, in itself, defined the environment for women. MGM certainly wasn’t the only company in America who were under-representing women at that time. Throughout my film career, not limited to MGM, this male dominated environment didn’t want to hear young, fresh, female voices. While frustrating, that didn’t impact my creative voice. I knew I was being dismissed by old white guys who were out of touch. They were dinosaurs in my world. The entertainment industry has undergone seismic changes since the late ’90s. From your perspective, has it truly become more accessible for women and emerging writers, or do the same obstacles still remain—albeit in new forms? With the creation of HD, streaming TV and social media, there are more avenues to create and distribute stories outside the studio system, which gives everyone more opportunity to create. In the 90’s you had maybe twenty channels on the TV, and a handful of films in the cinema to choose from. Now, you can access hundreds of thousands of different creative content in various forms at any time from the phone in your pocket. As for women in the industry, I’m sure sexual harassment has diminished thanks to the #Metoo movement. And sure, there are more women in positions of power. But in my opinion, if women are going to be at equal footing as men in film production, the workday needs to be reduced from the typical 12-14 hour day, to an 8-9 hour workday. Long workdays are challenging to parents and while equality in the household may be improving, the reality is that women carry more childcare responsibilities. Myself, and a lot of my female friends in the film industry couldn’t continue working in film production once we had kids. With film and TV now being produced by corporations such as Apple and Amazon, companies worth trillions, it’s not too much to ask for a workday on set to be more comparable to a workday at Apple or Amazon with similar paygrades. For most crew members, that would dictate an 8 hour workday. Looking back on those formative years, what enduring lessons did Hollywood teach you about resilience, creativity, and navigating ambition? Hollywood taught me that resilience is everything. Projects fall apart, scripts don’t sell, rejection is constant. The people who lasted weren’t always the most talented—they were the ambitious ones who kept going. Creatively, the fast pace in film and TV taught me to make decisions quickly. With the distance of time, how do you view your years in Hollywood now—through the lens of nostalgia, as a cautionary tale, or perhaps as a crucible that shaped who you are today? I’m grateful for my Hollywood experience. Without it, I would never have created Charity and the cast of characters in her world. They bring me so much joy. I absolutely love spending time with them. Beyond this novel, where has your creative path led you? Can you share what excites you most about your current work, and how your voice as a writer has evolved since those early Hollywood days? Right now, I’m working on the next book in the Charity Trickett series, The Fame Game. Charity and her friends have hit success and are navigated the tricky world of stardom. I’m also adapting Not So Glamorous into a screenplay, which feels like coming full circle. My voice has solidified since those Hollywood days. I’m embracing who I am as a writer and not trying to be what I think others want. It’s exciting to see that people love the book and are eager for more, because this book is 100% me. Website: https://christinestringer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinestringerauthor/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Charity-Trickett-Not-So-Glamorous/dp/1684633168  Shelly Snow Pordea is a dynamic figure, renowned as a speaker, publishing consultant, and author of the captivating Tracing Time trilogy. This trilogy, a compelling narrative of women navigating the complexities of life while endeavoring to protect themselves and their loved ones, has consistently ranked among the top one hundred Time Travel Romance books on Amazon Kindle, attesting to its widespread popularity. Amanda’s love of flying is such a central part of her character. What inspired you to make aviation—and the idea of being a “flight risk”—the foundation of her story? I had the chance to be in the cockpit during a short flight for the first time when I was fifteen. The pilot let me hold the control wheel for part of the flight, teaching me different terms of his occupation, and from that moment, I was hooked on the adventure. I never pursued it as a profession, but aviation has always struck me as a kind of metaphor for life itself, and I’ve long been fascinated by the women who carve out space for themselves in that world. So, a couple years ago, when a friend’s daughter completed flight school and began sharing her own photos and stories, the pieces of Amanda’s character finally aligned in my imagination. Her love of flying—and the idea of being a “flight risk”—became the perfect way to capture both the danger and the beauty of chasing your own path. Amanda transitions from pilot to flight attendant and then to undercover spy. How did you approach writing about these very different roles, and what kind of research did you do to capture them authentically? I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit, and having friends who are both pilots and flight attendants gave me a solid window into that world. The spy side is trickier—I don’t have firsthand experience there—but I’m a history buff, and digging into how power and politics really operate can be a bit of an obsession for me. I may not know all the secrets, but I like to think my theories are pretty plausible! Romance plays against the backdrop of high-stakes espionage. How do you balance the tension of a spy thriller with the emotional pull of a love story without one overshadowing the other? For me, the balance comes from weaving together questions that haunt me with truths that ground me. I’ve long been fascinated by shadows of the Cold War and the lingering realities of espionage, and those threads naturally pull me into darker, high-stakes storytelling. At the same time, my own life is anchored in love—quiet moments with a devoted spouse, a meaningful family life, and the belief that tenderness can exist alongside chaos. I wanted Amanda’s journey to reflect that same coexistence: the danger is real, but so is the love. And at the end of the day, I hold to the conviction I try to live by: life is messy, but love has the power to endure and, perhaps, to conquer all. So, love, love, love. The series takes Amanda across Rome, Tokyo, and beyond. How important was it to you to weave real-world travel and culture into the novels, and do you have a personal connection to these settings? I do! It’s been so important to me. Every title and setting in the series carries personal meaning. Some are places where I experienced major life events, others are where I lived for an extended time (like Romania), and some hold a deep sentimental connection from my travels. Long before I ever dreamed up this series, I knew I wanted to capture the way travel shapes us—how landscapes and cultures leave their imprint. When Amanda’s story began to take shape in my mind, it became clear this was how I could finally bring those journeys to life. Beyond the action and intrigue, what do you hope readers will take away about Amanda as a person and her journey of self-discovery? Amanda is a complex, intelligent, and strong woman, but she’s also forgotten how to embrace her softer, nurturing side. I think many women can relate to that—we’re often expected to carry more than we should, and strength becomes a survival skill. For Amanda, that strength sometimes turns into a mask, a way of covering insecurities she hasn’t fully faced. As the mask slips away, I hope readers recognize the beauty in her vulnerability and see reflections of their own journeys in this deeply flawed and profoundly human woman. Each book in the series peels back another layer of Amanda’s life. Without giving spoilers, what can readers expect as her “one secret” threatens to be exposed? The heart of Amanda’s secret is revealed early in the series, but the deeper truth—the reasons it has shaped her so profoundly—unfolds across all four books. What readers will discover is that the very secret Amanda fears will undo her may ultimately be the source of her greatest strength. At its core, her journey reflects a truth I believe deeply: no matter how dark, truth has the power to set us free. You’ve lined up four releases in one year—a rare and exciting pace! What challenges and joys come with writing and releasing such a fast-moving series? I truly love my readers, and pieces of this story have been living in my writing folders for years. When the idea struck me to shape it into a series, I knew I wanted to bring it to life quickly—and readers do love a series they can binge! The greatest joy has been delivering the story in a way that lets people stay immersed without long waits between books. The challenge, of course, has been keeping pace with pressing deadlines while balancing everything else in life. Thankfully, my editor was fully on board, and together we hit the ground running. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. That said, I doubt I’ll ever attempt such a whirlwind release schedule again! Website: https://www.shellysnowpordea.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shellysnowpordea/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shellysnowpordea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-snow-pordea-427b22158/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Night-We-Met-Flight-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DYF6XS1W/  Jean Price is an empowering voice in the literary world, dedicated to helping individuals heal and reclaim their personal narratives. Through her latest work, If These Walls Could Speak, she offers a raw and inspiring journey from silence to strength, encouraging readers to confront and overcome their past traumas. With a compassionate approach, Price provides real strategies to process the past without becoming trapped by it, reminding readers that healing doesn't have a deadline and that every step forward, no matter how small, is progress. Her mission is to empower, advocate, and elevate the voices of women everywhere, striving to create a world where every woman has the opportunity to achieve her full potential, free from discrimination, inequality, and violence. Price's work resonates with those seeking courage and inspiration to rewrite their own stories and embrace the possibilities of a brighter future.Your book opens with the vivid metaphor of trauma being like shoving everything into a closet until it bursts open. How did that metaphor come to you, and what does it reveal about your personal healing journey? The metaphor came to me as I was trying to describe the overwhelming and often invisible nature of unprocessed trauma. For a long time, I felt like I was functioning on the outside, going to work, maintaining relationships, but internally, I was stuffing painful memories, emotions, and experiences into a mental closet, hoping they would stay hidden. Trauma trauma doesn’t work that way. Eventually, the door will burst open. You emphasize that “healing doesn’t have a deadline” and that it’s okay to start over. How can someone who feels stuck or “too late” begin to take their very first step toward healing? I truly believe that healing doesn’t follow a schedule, and it does not come with a deadline. It’s never too late for someone to get through trauma. Feeling stuck is part of the process, and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed it means you’re human. I would tell someone to give yourself grace and begin where you are right now. Healing is not always loud; sometimes it's in the quiet moments. The book encourages readers to “release the weight of past mistakes and failures.” What practical strategies do you share for letting go of self-blame and finding self-compassion? Let’s be honest here, letting go of self-blame and embracing self-compassion is hard but attainable and also transformative. In the book, I share several practical strategies that helped me and that I hope can help others, too. First, I encourage readers to separate who they are from what they’ve been through. So many of us internalize our mistakes or traumas as reflections of our worth, but the truth is, our experiences don’t define us. Second, I introduce the idea of talking to yourself like you would a friend. We often say the harshest things to ourselves instead of criticism; say something positive. It's uncomfortable in the beginning, but it's necessary. Another practical tool is writing a letter to yourself. I am able to express those feelings that sometimes are hard to share, like guilt, regret, or. Lastly, I talk about the importance of therapy, support groups, or a trusted community. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Sometimes we need someone else to remind us of our humanity when we forget. Releasing the weight of past mistakes isn’t about pretending they didn’t happen, it’s about choosing not to punish yourself forever. You write that we are the authors of our own next chapter. How did embracing this mindset change your own life, and how do you guide others to claim that power? Realizing that I was the author of my own next chapter was a turning point in my healing journey. For a long time, I felt like life was just happening to me, like I was stuck in a story someone else wrote, shaped by pain, trauma, and patterns I didn’t choose. When I guide others, I remind them that authorship doesn’t mean control over every detail; it means ownership. You get to choose what you carry forward, what you leave behind, and what kind of story you want to tell from here on out. There are days when moving forward feels impossible, as you acknowledge in the book. What advice do you offer for those tough days when progress feels invisible or too slow? Tough days are real, and they’re heavy. I wrote about them because I’ve lived them, and I know how lonely they can feel. Sometimes progress is so quiet, so internal, that it feels like nothing is changing at all. But I want to remind readers: just because progress isn’t visible doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Some days, progress might look like getting out of bed. Other days, it might just be navigating through your emotions and not shutting down. One strategy I share is putting words around you to remind you of who you are, to set a stage for what to aim towards. Healing doesn’t have a finish line; it’s a life-long process of returning to yourself over and over again. The fact that you’re still here, still trying, still holding on, that is victory. Resilience and courage are recurring themes in your message. Can you share a pivotal moment in your life when you realized just how resilient you truly were? Absolutely. Resilience isn’t something I always recognized in myself, especially during the darkest seasons of my life. But one pivotal moment stands out. There was a time when everything felt like it had fallen apart emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I was carrying the weight of unresolved trauma, self-doubt, and a deep sense of brokenness. I remember being in my car, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, convinced that I had nothing left to give. At that moment, there was no applause, no immediate transformation, but I finally saw that my resilience wasn’t about being strong in the traditional sense; it was about continuing. It was about refusing to give up on myself, even when I didn’t fully believe I deserved healing. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjeanprice/
Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/If-These-Walls-Could-Speak/dp/1938205855  Paula Price is a mother, wife, daughter, fixer of things, recovering perfectionist, voiceover actress, and certified happiness coach. She received a BA in Communications:Radio/TV and a Business Minor from Xavier University and has done everything from running a corporate video studio to producing her own films. Each day in sunny Los Angeles brings about new blessings and challenges but Paula has learned to take everything in stride with a sense of humor and fiery drive. Her goal is to help others find and use their own light to live in their true purpose.Your book’s title makes a bold statement: The Choice Is Yours. What was the moment in your life when you first realized happiness was a choice? That is a really great question. I feel like I realized happiness was a choice early on during Covid and how it changed the world. Since then, many things like world events have, I feel, sped up making people fill themselves with anxiety and fear. These are all choices because the reality is our life is short, so on the daily, we have the choice to decide if we’re going to let other emotions take over or we are going to ground ourselves and choose happiness. We get so caught up in the drama of things that if we sit back, take a breath and choose to move on we can invite things that make us happy back into our lives. We may not be able to control our circumstances, but we can control the way we deal with our circumstances. In The Quest for Happiness, you share practices like journaling, writing thank-you notes, and spending time in nature. Which of these has been most transformative for you? The practices I share like journaling writing thank you notes and spending time in nature are all elements to the bigger picture. I wouldn’t say that just one of those things has shaped my personal happiness journey. I feel like each one of them is an important step in finding out what makes you happy and serves others to help with your gratitude journey. You describe yourself as a “recovering perfectionist.” How has letting go of perfection played a role in your own happiness journey? When you are a perfectionist you can stress yourself out and get caught up in the mundane. I am still finding myself gravitating towards wanting to check things off a list, and wanting to do things perfectly, but I am more cognizant of making time to enjoy myself and letting go of having to be perfect or right all the time. It’s the moments of messiness that can sometimes bring about the most happiness. Many people struggle to find happiness during challenging circumstances. What advice do you give to someone who feels stuck in a difficult season? When someone is dealing with a difficult season, you absolutely need to allow yourself time to feel the emotions you are feeling. Feelings of anger, resentment, fear, trauma… Whatever it is that is bringing about this difficult season. These emotions absolutely need to be felt first before they can be let go. The key is to give yourself moments of joy within the storm. So if you’re finding yourself in a difficult situation while you are dealing with that situation, choose gratitude by looking around you and taking the time to be grateful. You can also sit in nature, phone a friend, do an activity of something that you enjoy… Definitely make time for these moments of joy so that eventually you can get back on track Each chapter in your book ends with a poem. Why did you decide to include poetry, and how do you think it deepens the reader’s experience? I have always gravitated towards poetry, and it’s something that has allowed me to express my feelings since childhood. I felt like by summarizing the chapter in a poem, it would give even more clarity to what I spoke about in the chapter and also showed my own creativity (since I speak about creativity creating happiness) As a certified happiness coach, what is the most common misconception people have about what it takes to be happy? I think there are many people that don’t even realize they are not choosing happiness on a daily basis. I think most people get caught up in the day-to-day and “I have to’s” instead of the “I get to’s” and they just choose to be miserable rather than realizing that they’re even choosing that. For example, saying I get to go to work every day instead of saying, I have to go to work every day is just a simple switch of mindset. We have to take a look at our life and be responsible for our happiness, but that means that we have to really want it because a lot of times when people aren’t happy it’s because victimhood or their trauma is serving them more than they think happiness would. Your background spans corporate video, film production, and voiceover acting. How have these creative outlets influenced your perspective on happiness? Being in the creative fields for so long has really led me to realize how much happiness creativity can bring into someone’s life. Even if you enjoy knitting, or gardening or interior design, doing these things, even for yourself not even for a business allows your soul to shine. I think it’s really important for people to embrace their inner creativity to create joy. It’s hard for me to not see creativity as an outlet for happiness because I’ve been doing some sort of performance or entertainment since I was a very young child. Gratitude is a recurring theme in your book. How can someone turn gratitude into a daily habit without it feeling forced or repetitive? Have you noticed that when you’re angry or in a bad mood that everything around you just keeps getting worse? By switching your mindset to one of gratitude you are taking the heaviness off of yourself and allowing yourself to focus on something bigger than just yourself. I always tell people think of three things at the end of the day that you were grateful for… Sometimes when you’re in a really dark place, you may only be able to say things like a roof over your head or food to eat, but realizing that some people actually don’t have those things can create a more grateful heart. When you have the mindset of gratitude, and you share it with others, you open up the energy to be more positive and positivity will follow you. (so instead of that anger making everything worse. You’re being grateful making everything lighter.) You’ve said happiness isn’t dependent on location. How do you help clients create joy no matter where they live? Happiness is such a personal thing. It shouldn’t really matter where you live because you can choose it in any situation or place. If you are not living in a place you enjoy, find a space nearby that you can go to to spend some quiet time each day. In other words, find your sanctuary, no matter where you are, so that you can take time to listen to yourself and allow yourself a moment of healing time. Perhaps you live in a space that’s too noisy or your roommates don’t get along with you etc., it can be trying and that’s why you need to find a place that can be your happy place. Beyond your book, what’s next for you in your mission to help others find and use their own light—and can you tell us about the puppies you’re helping to get adopted? Ahhh the puppies… Yes, my dog had seven puppies. We decided to keep two and find homes for five of them. It was definitely a growth experience for myself and my family. I think the hardest thing to do was actually give them up because you feel like you’re letting them down, but they definitely taught me Patience, and that when you love someone sometimes the best thing you can do is set them free. (lessons I was definitely not expecting to learn on this journey.) Besides The Quest for Happiness, I have a children’s book called Happiness is for Everyone that is coming out November 13. (On all digital platforms or your favorite bookstore) My hope is to work with adults and children in finding their own paths to happiness. Also, in the not too distant future, I will be having Retreats that will encompass all of my course, which is also available on my website, called Your Quest for Happiness (a recorded workshop that offers a deeper dive than my book into working on yourself and your happiness journey) plus the retreat will also have all kinds of healing modalities, like, tapping, sound bowls, etc and will have lots of fun activities like crafts and sports… Basically it will be a three day camp happy. (giving you all the tools you’ll need to create a daily happiness practice, and life.) Website: https://anchorheartbooks.com/the-quest-for-happiness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulasworld1/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anchorheart_books/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actorpaulaprice/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-price-0a30489 Purchase the book here: https://books2read.com/the-quest  Christine Williams is a 7-figure entrepreneur, bestselling author, Featured FORBES coach, and soulful business mentor for women coaches and holistic entrepreneurs who challenges the outdated rules of business. She built multiple thriving businesses from scratch while raising a family of five, and now empowers women to create financial freedom, authentic influence, and lasting legacy—without sacrificing their well-being or values. You talk about helping heart-centered entrepreneurs move from survival mode to sustainable abundance—what was your own turning point that inspired the Soulful Abundance System®? My turning point was that the health and wellness certifications did not teach how to actually attract clients and sell my programs. The only tactic I was taught was to book a discovery session and give a free coaching to sell my program. This felt like a bait and switch to me and out of alignment with how I would have wanted to be treated. Plus, I found that many people needed to have TRUST with you before giving you 1 hour of their time. I quickly realized that without the nurturing required to build trust and safety with a potential client, cold leads don’t buy. So I created a more relationship driven method to serve first, develop trust and safety and lead with value BEFORE inviting someone into a conversation to explore working with me. Many holistic practitioners struggle with visibility and marketing. How does your approach to “Sacred Visibility” help them show up authentically without burning out? Creating Sacred Visibility is not about being on in ALL the places or platforms. It’s about picking the ones where your ideal client spends the most amount of time. We start there with ONE social media platform and ONE email list to build and grow your audience and create a community of people who are interested in the problem you help solve. Burnout happens when there is lack of clarity on where your ideal client is. It’s trying to do too much too soon. So we simplify this process to focus on these 2 places first, before we add on any other visibility levers. Your book promises a business model that’s both values-driven and profitable. What’s one myth about making money in the wellness space that you aim to debunk? The biggest myth I would LOVE to debunk is that as a wellness practitioner, you should not charge for your services. So many wellness coaches and entrepreneurs have a hard time charging for their services because they want to help people. But what they don’t realize is that when they charge for their services, that investment made by the client is part of the accountability they need to show up, have skin in the game to make the changes so that they actually get results. And, there is a difference between being a philanthropist and a business owner. If you want to be a philanthropist and have money to share, you have to have a profitable business. Or you get to decide to be a charity. But a business needs paying clients. How does “Heart-Led Sales” differ from traditional sales strategies, and why is this shift so important for intuitive entrepreneurs? Heart-led Sales is completely different from the traditional sales strategies of trying to convert cold leads to buyers. Instead, we SERVE FIRST, give value, and create a relationship with the potential client before inviting them into a consultation. When this occurs, there is no need to convince, persuade or overcome objections as they are prevented BEFORE the actual sales call. This takes the pressure off the practitioner of needing the “close the deal” and instead shifts it to helping the potential client make an empowered choice in what is the best fit for them. This feels so much better for both parties as the energy is clean and supportive instead of “needing” to get this client- which ends up feeling salesy to the potential client. Which of the six stages in your framework tends to be the biggest breakthrough moment for your clients—and why? Honestly, they all work together. The breakthrough is individual to the client depending on where their struggle is. If they struggle to charge for their services, their breakthrough may come in the ALIGN step where they step into the identity of an empowered business owner who confidently charges for their services and makes a soulful exchange. But they also may have a breakthrough when they realize that making sales doesn’t require aggressive tactics or so the Nurture and Invite steps might serve them the best. Other clients may have a breakthrough when they finally design a freedom schedule that serves their life and business. So it really depends on what my client needs that determines the breakthrough. You emphasize building a business that aligns with your soul. What advice do you have for someone who’s afraid that scaling their business might mean losing touch with their purpose? Scaling doesn’t mean working harder or more hours. Scaling means leveraging your time and getting clear on a business model that is flexible for the way they want to serve. That could look like shifting from 1:1 clients into group programs so you can serve more people in less time. Or a hybrid of both 1:1 and group. It could also mean automating systems that take things off your plate, or hiring out a part time VA to take care of some of the admin. tasks. The key is deciding first on what your energetic capacity is, and then creating a business model to support that. That way you can spend your time doing the things that feel fulfilling and in alignment with your purpose and have time spaciousness in your life. Scaling also doesn't mean you have to turn into a manager of a team. You get to decide as the CEO of your business what parts you want to keep and what parts you want to delegate. And how big or small you want your business to be. Website: https://shineabundancenow.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineSahliWilliams Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinewilliamscoaching/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/activateabundance/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Soulful-Abundance-System-Christine-Williams/dp/1967703043  Kathryn Starke is a national literacy consultant, CEO, reading specialist, author, and former inner-city elementary school teacher. She has previously written books for children, teachers, and Hallmark movie fans. Starke is the creator of the 9th annual Tackle Reading event supported by the National Football League. She founded Creative Minds Publications to help authors bring their books to life.Twenty years is an incredible milestone. What inspired you to start Creative Minds Publications, and how has your mission evolved over the past two decades? In 2025, I initially started Creative Minds Publications to publish and market my first children’s book, Amy’s Travels. I was an elementary school teacher at the time and never imagined that I would become a published author and now the founder and CEO of an award-winning publishing company. Since my expertise and background is in literacy and education, our mission has always focused on children and teachers and to teach the world to read. Today, we help even more authors bring their books to life As both a publisher and a bestselling author of six books, how do you balance the creative process with the business of publishing? I’ve been fortunate to create a business that thrives on creativity. Personally, I only write books and articles when I am inspired or have an important story to tell. We specifically choose books and authors that I believe our company can creatively market, publicize, or develop book campaigns around to reach new readers. My previous position as a literacy leader in schools prepared me to implement and execute strategic timelines and projects that yield results. I’ve always been organized, disciplined, and resourceful, there attributes that support me in business. What’s one lesson from your journey that you wish you had known when you first launched Creative Minds Publications? I was hesitant of social media in the beginning, and Facebook was the only platform at the time. I didn’t feel comfortable talking about myself or posting the honors, media, and accomplishments I received along the way. I’ve learned, however, that no one is going to know your story or share your story if you don’t do it yourself. Today, I have a company page on Instagram and LinkedIn to let our supporters, friends, and readers celebrate our good news. Your books have made a lasting impact on readers and educators alike. Which book are you most proud of—and why? Thank you for saying that. My goal has always been to provide motivational, educational, and inspirational books for students, families, teachers, and readers of all ages. What I love about children’s books is that they are timeless. There is always a new reader to introduce a book to, and there is always someone who reads a favorite book over and over again. Amy’s Travels is used in elementary school classrooms every school year and is in over 26 countries on 6 continents. My book, A Touchdown in Reading: An Educator’s Guide to Literacy Instruction, was voted among the “best books to teach kids to read” and has helped over 200 schools achieve literacy success. What’s next for you and Creative Minds Publications in this new chapter? Any new projects or dreams on the horizon? To celebrate our 20 years, we are publishing 20 books this year. We are currently taking submissions (no agent required) to be considered one of the twenty new titles while we continue to build our catalogue and expand our imprint. Our goal is to increase the reviews, awards, and publicity for our authors, books, and company. We are committed to helping teach the world to read. What was your inspiration for your first children’s book, Amy’s Travels? I was teaching second grade looking for one children’s picture book to teach all seven continents. When I couldn’t find one, I decided to tell the story of my friend Amy who grew up traveling around the world and lived on five of the seven continents. My students were captivated, and I knew that this educational true story would support students and teachers around the globe. No matter where you live, you learn about the seven continents. What have been some of your greatest moments on your publishing journey? I’ve been grateful for everything on this journey. Amy’s Travels was selected by the California Department of Education for their multicultural book list and was turned into a musical by the Latin Ballet of Virginia. My book, Tackle Reading, launched a philanthropic initiative supported by the National Football League. The 10th annual Tackle Reading event kicks off March 2, 2026. This past spring, I was selected to share my work and introduce Creative Minds Publications on a global stage as a speaker at the World Literacy Summit at Oxford University. How do you decide which books your company publishes? Our company began because of a children’s book, so we love selecting engaging and educational children’s books we feel can make the difference in the life a young reader. We also select creative, talented authors who are committed to helping their book be successful. Recently, we have started curating a line of inspirational Christian books based on the submissions we receive and how popular the titles are among many groups of readers. What partnerships and initiatives have made an impact in your company’s impact? We believe in publishing for a purpose. We use our titles to increase awareness in important platforms including literacy, travel, cultural awareness and environmental issues. We have partnered with a variety of nonprofits, companies, and educational conferences to make this happen. Our greatest partnership to date is with the National Football League to promote a love of literacy with a passion for football. Each March, we kick off Tackle Reading events around the country with NFL teams, NFL Legends, and Hall of Fame players, who all donate their time to read to elementary school students. For the last three years, we have received sponsorship from Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books to give the gift of reading in various ways to deserving schools coast to coast. What is your vision for the next 20 years? I’m excited to welcome debut authors, illustrators, and new titles to the Creative Minds Publications family. We are excited to expand our reach and become a premiere publisher in children’s book publishing. We also plan to partner with producers and talent in the entertainment industry to turn some of our popular titles into children’s series and exceptional movies. Website: https://creativemindspublications.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathrynstarke/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativemindspublications/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeMindsPublications/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-minds-publications/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Amys-Travels-Kathryn-Starke/dp/0976973731 |
AuthorJane Ubell-Meyer founded Bedside Reading in 2017. Prior to that she was a TV and Film producer. She has spent the last five years promoting, marketing and talking to authors and others who are experts in the field. Archives
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Bedside Reading, LLC , 700 Canal Street, Stamford CT 06902
For more information contact: [email protected] 917 848 3353
Media
Privacy Policy
Terms & Refund Policy
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Bedside Reading® is a Registered Trademark
