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My Books
I always dreamed of writing, especially after I received an A+ on my short story in the third grade. Unfortunately, for the next nearly fifty decades, I only wrote and edited nonfiction and that was as a function of my work in higher education.
ll those years, I told myself and others that I didn't write because, "Life got me by the neck!"
In 2015, when I began traveling the world as a solo nomad, I was free from all constraints. I said to myself and others, "What's your excuse now, big talker?"
I got down to business and wrote "Just a Girl," published in 2017.
That was just the beginning of my deep passion for learning the writing craft and creating more novels.
"What Lies Beneath the Willow"
A sequel to "Claim Denied"
In this thriller novel, "What Lies Beneath the Willow," Margot Hart has a clandestine and shameful past as an international spy. Encouraged by her Aunt Evelyn's invitation to come live with her, Margot embraces this opportunity to escape her past and finds solace in her aunt’s tranquil town of Selby on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She quickly settles into her new life, enamored with the tight-knit community, particularly Zoe, Evelyn's spirited granddaughter.
However, Margot's newfound peace shatters when she stumbles upon a perplexing tragedy that compels her to pursue the truth. In her quest, she unravels a web of secrecy, deceit, abuse, and death that taints the very core of Selby. It becomes clear that the town harbors an insidious international ring of corruption, which Margot must confront head-on.
As Margot delves deeper into Selby's dark underbelly, she encounters danger at every turn, uncovering shocking revelations and life-threatening challenges that test her resilience and determination.
The stakes are high, and Margot must rely on her wit, resourcefulness, and the support of unlikely allies to expose the corrupt network and save herself and those she holds dear.
Will Margot's determination be enough to expose the malevolent forces lurking beneath Selby's seemingly idyllic facade?
This is what a reader says about
"What Lies Beneath the Willow"
Great thriller that deals with the topic of human trafficking.
"This is the author's 3rd book - I have read them all and this one is the best. She makes you want to know what has happened to several people in the story The theme of human trafficking is the undercurrent that drives the criminal behavior. Great read!"
"Claim Denied"
Feisty and outspoken Margot Evelyn Hart and her fiancé, the charming and wealthy activist Andrey Orlov Stephen leave Minneapolis to launch an exciting new life abroad. Their plan: he’ll work for the State Department, and she’ll teach English. Together, they’ll make a difference in peoples’ lives throughout the world, one country at a time, starting in Kosovo.
Within days of their arrival in the capital city, Prishtina, her world crashes. Margot learns someone killed Andy with a single gunshot to the back of his head. She refuses to believe it until a vicious stranger bangs on her apartment door. Now, she can no longer deny the facts: Andy is dead, and she is prey.
Margot knows one person in all of Kosovo, Andy’s good friend, Grey Valentin. She loathes the rotund and awkward know-it-all, but realizes he is her only hope of solving Andy’s murder.
Even before she and Grey can grieve, they face a tangled web of deceit. Each step closer to the truth reveals complicated secrets, and a threat to the lives of thousands of innocent people.
Can Margot and Grey decode the clues in time?
Will she survive?
Bookish 5.0 out of 5 stars
"Great who done it set in an intriguing location of Kosovo. Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2021
"I needed a good read and stumbled upon Claim Denied. I'm glad I purchased it. The story line is well paced, and the characters are interesting to say the least. The main character, Margot, is the enduring lover who refuses to quit investigating the death of someone dear. I learned a lot about Kosovo from this story, and I don't think I'd like living there.
If you would like to read a well-written thriller, you will enjoy Claim Denied."
George 5.0 out of 5 stars This one is a WIN
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2021
"I love this book. I am a huge Michael Connelly and John Sanford fan, and have read everything they have both written. Diann Schindler's latest thriller has me on the edge of my reading chair. I am loving this book. It is quite a page turner. If anyone is listening to me, I say buy this book. Reading is good, and this is a good read. I can't wait for her follow up to this one."
George - 5.0 out of 5 stars This man loved "Just A Girl"
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2017
"My normal reading pattern is mostly detective crime fiction and yet from the moment I started reading Just A Girl I found it difficult to put down. I was intrigued from the very first page. This is rare for me. I just had to keep reading and reading, being drawn to everything Paula was going through and not able to wait to see what her life brought her next. Both emotional and exciting. I can now say that this book comes highly recommend by me."
"Just A Girl"
Ranked "6th Coming-of-Age Fiction" by Amazon in 2017.
Even as a young child, before she has the words, Paula knows she is not like her family and would never act like them. Why is her sister mad at her all the time?
Her mother whimpers and cries, but Paula knows she isn’t sad, really. Why does her daddy grin when he dangles her sister over the Greater Miami River?
As she grows up, rather than rebelling, Paula separates herself and becomes an observer of the antagonistic melee. At 17, eager to escape a suppressive environment, Paula leaves her home in Ohio and moves to Washington D.C. to work for the FBI.
She is confident she will not be like her family and make stupid, emotional choices and poor life decisions. Or, so she thinks.
“Just A Girl” is a girl-to-woman story steeped in emotional highs and lows, secrets, and suspense, and is meant for those who have struggled to overcome challenging childhoods, only to face a new set of adversities created by their own doing.
Lisa - 5.0 out of 5 stars a tale of love, loss , romance , deceit all interwoven in an emotional turmoil
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017
"I really enjoyed "Just A Girl" a story of growing up in a conflicted household where the protagonist isn't sure she belongs. It is a tale of love, loss , romance , deceit all interwoven in an emotional turmoil. Dr. Schindler weaves her tale using the background of the beginning of the feminist movement (when women finally had a chance to be something beyond wife and mother) and the politics of the higher education field where she moved through the system at breakneck speed.
One feels that you know the characters and "what makes them tick" but the book isn't without a couple of surprises - one particular shocking revelation -- no fair peeking.
Particularly enjoyable was her descriptions of people and places..not just the romantic vista but the everyday. .. “she.. was lining up the thirty large terracottta pots overflowing with delicate pink geraniums on the light colored hardwood floor all along the base of the massive windows. It was like a set of a romantic movie with natural light flooding the living room, showcasing a plush black and rose Turkish rug framing the tailored white canvas sofa, dotted with happy red and pink striped throw pillows.”
"The Essential Guide to a Life of Travel:
The ABC's of International Travel."
What is “The Essential Guide to a Life of Travel”?
First, let me begin by explaining what “The Essential Guide to a Life of Travel” is not.
• It is not a book about how to travel on a shoestring. While I discuss costs and fees, the guide does not focus on the finance of travel.
• It is not a book about trips or tours, such as what you find in a travel agency book. • It is not a book about travel in the United States.
Rather, “The Essential Guide of a Life of Travel” attempts to provide everything you need to know to travel abroad, outside the United States.
PBS - 5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2019 - Verified Purchase
"Thorough and easy to read; the author is well traveled and presents advice, procedures and tips in a handy format to use. As an international traveler myself since 2002, I read the book with interest but also a bit of skepticism that I might disagree with some suggestions. I did not! Novice travelers would do well to read and follow this guide."
5.0 out of 5 stars ... Schindler I found the “ABC’s of International Travel” the perfect guide to help you plan your future vacations and ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2018
'I found the “ABC’s of International Travel” the perfect guide to help you plan your future vacations and get the most value for your money.
If you would like to know the insights of travel and far more than your travel agent will tell you (actually more than he or she even knows about travel to certain areas of the world) then this is the perfect guide for you. Her guide to international travel is more than a complete guide as she includes many vignettes of her personal experiences which are absolutely enchanting. For those of you who have travelled internationally you know that meeting the people and learning about their culture is what makes travel so fascinating. She brings you the magic of visiting those places..
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