My guest today is English but emigrated to New Zealand when she was 59. She published her first book just before her 70th birthday and is currently writing book number 8. Having discovered her passion, she now intends to write till she dies! Living well is the best revenge, so they say, and one of her latest books is about Abandoned Wives. Beware ex-husbands of a talented writer! Welcome to Authors Over 50, Pat Backley.

My guest today is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander with 25 years of military service. He holds a Bachelor of Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Now, he has logged over 7,000 hours in his 10 years as a school volunteer. His children’s books have themes of courage, teamwork, and trust. No surprise as those topics describe his own life as an extraordinary public servant. Bravery and honor run deep in his family as he hails from a descendent of a Revolutionary War veteran who served as George Washington’s bodyguard during the Battle of Yorktown. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Darcy Guyant.

My guest today was raised in Texas, but after graduating from Brown University, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria. Her stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, National Public Radio, and the LA Review of Books to name a few. She writes bi-lingual books of short stories in English and Arabic and has a collection of stories about X-patriate life. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Gretchen McCullough.

My guest today always wanted to be a librarian, but when she lost her eyesight, she did the next best thing and became a sweet contemporary Western romance author. And novels aren't the only thing she writes. She has two award-winning short stories and has been known to pen a few lines of poetry. But when she does get a free moment, she's off to the local coffee shops, library, writing workshops, book festivals, spinning vinyl with her hubby, or hanging with her Eagle Scout, their kitten and her retired guide dog. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Chrissy Hartmann.

My guest today was born in Hong Kong, and is a British writer. She has a degree in Spanish and a Masters in Responsible Business Practice and Sustainability. She’s a published nonfiction author who has also worked as an international freelance journalist. Her fiction is inspired by her many years living and working in different countries across Europe, Asia, and Australia. From migration to climate change to acts of terrorism and political unrest to family dynamics, she writes about some of the 21st century's defining topics. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Lucy Weldon.

My guest today writes fiction, essays, and book reviews and reads anything that’s not nailed down. She brings a long career in social justice to her work, covering authors of color and women writers as a critic and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, The Millions, and elsewhere. She also publishes short fiction and essays in a wide variety of outlets, and she’s a member of the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Martha Anne Toll.

My guest today has an MBA in corporate finance and has been self-employed for twenty-five years. The father of three, he and his wife live in Concord, MA, and his book of poems, Where Inches Seem Miles, was selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best independent books. He was born in 1954, the year the Supreme Court mandated school desegregation, but he attended all-white public schools in his hometown of Columbus, GA, through sixth grade. His novel, Never, is a coming-of-age story in the segregated South. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Joel Johnson.

My guest today is a San Antonio-based writer, award-winning child advocate, and retired U.S. Army Major. As a former foster care youth and abuse survivor, she chronicled her journey from childhood trauma to child advocacy in her memoir, Misplaced Childhood: A True Story of Resiliency and Child Advocacy. She donates author profits or royalties to her local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program because she is passionate about their mission of serving abused and neglected children in foster care. She has received many awards for her volunteer efforts for education and advocacy, most notably with CASA. She is also a “DIY” enthusiast and creates custom-painted themed furniture for children leaving foster care and entering their forever families. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Joan Ulsher.

My guest today owns Creative Lakes Media, LLC, a freelance writing and book editing services company. She’s the author of the novel The Moments Between Dreams, five nonfiction educational books, and a short story contributor to the Minnesota Stories anthology. She instructs writing craft and completed the Iowa University Mini-MFA Workshop. She splits her time between California and Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Judith F. Brenner.

My guest today is a poet, fictionist, photographer, Sunday columnist, lawyer, and radio host/commentator. He has a B.A. in journalism / film-making, an M.A. in creative writing from New Mexico State University, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He has also driven a cab in New York City, practiced law for decades in San Francisco, delivered the late-night news (in English) on Taiwan, and wandered through China, Tibet, Perú, and Mexico. He’s crossed the U.S. on motorcycles many times. Welcome to Authors Over 50, Peter P. Goodman.