Maria E. Schneider

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I gathered up pen, paper, highlighters, computer, memory cards (because you definitely want to back this stuff up!), dictionary, thesarus and started along.

It’s a slow journey, one with pitfalls, cliffs, boulders and every now and then a peaceful meadow with a clear brook. Surprisingly, the peaceful meadows aren’t publishing credits, they are just moments where I’m doing what I want to do, where the writing is clicking, where my characters are fascinating and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I chose to name my website and blog something other than my name because I wanted it to be a place where people could find lots of things–all written, of course, but things other than just a book or two: recipes, travels, blogs, gardening and what have you.

All that said, here’s a few things I’ve accomplished so far:

In 2007 I signed with agent Meredith Hays at Fine Print Literary Management . (Meredith is currently on maternity leave. For any questions, you are welcome to contact me directly.)

Fiction

TBA - Aberrant Dreams has accepted Year of the Mountain Lion for publication in their online magazine. It will also be included in their year-end anthology.

2008 — One of my favorite stories–Toil, Trouble and Rot, a great little sword and sorcery story dealing with gardening and grandmothers–was published in June 2008 at Coyote Wild Magazine.

2008 — Around the Bend was published in Jan 2008 at Coyote Wild Magazine. This story is also available in an anthology over at www.AnthologyBuilder.com. You can purchase it here: Dragon Wings. You can purchase the anthology as is, or add/delete short stories before purchase. A podcast version of Around the Bend will be available from www.DuneSteef.com soon!

2007 — Haunting Clues was published by www.TheTownDrunk.org on March 1, 2007. For anyone wanting a print copy, Haunting Clues is available over at www.AnthologyBuilder.com in the anthology Clues, Haunts and Mystical Madness. You can purchase the anthology as is or add/delete short stories before purchase. www.Clonepod.org has produced Haunting Clues in audio! Wrong World will be doing a special release of Haunting Clues for their Halloween 2008 release!

December 2004, Palo Duro Vacation: Two Engineers and a Dad received honorable mention in the Writer Works contest.

2003 — Secrets in the Sand a short story mystery won fourth place in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition.

Soul of the Desert, a novel about an adopted child on the run, was short-listed by the Crime Writers’ Association for the Debut Dagger Competition (unpublished novel competition).

Non-Fiction:

My red and green chile recipes were published in “Chile Pepper Magazine” December 2004.

If you wish to view an excerpt, receive a synopsis or chapters from any of the works on my pages, please use the email link to request them!

Many people helped with this project and I am very grateful for their advice and expertise. Who else but my husband could come up with a hobby as interesting as home coffee roasting? Besides, he is my best friend and my hero.

Many thanks for suggestions and encouragement from Renee, Holly, Paula, Don–your self-published book was an inspiration, Tom, Cousin John, Cathey,–and mom, who refused to be biased even though I told her she ought to be.

Amer, you’re a gentleman and a scholar. Marty, well, you’re just a font of useful information and wit.

Special thanks to Kay Mitchell and Michael Jecks; both wonderful authors. Meredith Blevins, J.A. Konrath, Janet Evanovich, Jim Hines, and Tim Cockey all took time out of their schedules to answer questions. If these authors are doing a book signing in your area, it’s worth a trip to meet them and the characters they write about!

Thanks to the entire team at the Cedar Park Public Library for scouring the countryside for books that I needed for research.

Any mistakes are my own. Many inspirations and eureka moments weren’t!