Book Recommendations | Readers Authors Connecting Place

Edinaldo do Espirito Santo

Author

Edinaldo do Espírito Santo was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and has lived in London since 2000.

From an early age, he developed a deep love of reading, drawing, and languages — passions that would later shape both his career and his writing.

He holds a degree in Languages and has built an international career as a teacher, translator, and interpreter.

In 2011, he founded London Lessons Ltd, where he teaches Brazilian Portuguese to English and international students.

As a novelist, Edinaldo draws on his multicultural experience to explore themes of faith, identity, justice, and belonging.

His work blends social reflection with spiritual inquiry and subtle satire, giving voice to characters who challenge systems — earthly and otherwise.

When not writing, he dedicates his time to teaching, drawing, trying to play the guitar, and continually exploring the connection between language, creativity, and technology.

Janus Nowak is an author and journalistic blogger with more than three decades of political experience. For many years, he was politically active at municipal, regional, and state level in Germany, including ten years as a district councillor. His roles included press spokesperson, state executive director, regional chairman, and most recently state chairman in Baden-Württemberg of the NPD (National Democratic Party of Germany), now known as Die Heimat.

During this time, he experienced firsthand how public reality is created: through language, repetition, moral attribution—and through looking away. Early on, he learned how quickly individuals can be turned into public figures, and how rapidly judgment can replace personal encounter.

His professional path followed no conventional career trajectory. After completing vocational training in a skilled trade, he worked in a party headquarters in Stuttgart, in quality assurance within the automotive industry, and as a salaried restaurant manager. For many years, he was predominantly self-employed, working among other things as a software developer, web designer, graphic designer, courier driver, and in network marketing.

This multi-layered background—spanning skilled labor, self-employment, politics, and the public sphere—forms the foundation of his writing.

JANUS – When a Name Catches Fire: Between Defamation and Return is his literary debut. Situated within the field of literary nonfiction, the book combines autobiographical experience with an examination of how public perception is formed—and what happens when a name becomes more important than the person behind it.

Janus Nowak lives and works in Germany.

Steve R Hartwig

Author

Steve R. Hartwig began writing children’s stories later in life, discovering that age brings not only wisdom but a deeper appreciation for the small moments that shape us.

Drawn to the quiet spaces where family, culture, and kindness meet, his stories celebrate courage, belonging, and the beauty found in everyday life. Meals prepared with love, lessons shared across generations, and the simple joy of learning together often lie at the heart of his work.

The Little Chef was inspired by a deep respect for tradition, community, and the power of food to connect people across cultures. Written with warmth and sincerity, it reminds young readers—and those who read with them—that love, hope, and resilience can be found wherever life takes them.

Rolando Huerta

Author

Rolando Tin Huerta Jr. writes from the faultlines between the sacred and the shattered. A poet of memory and myth, his stories are forged in the fires of abandonment, abuse, visionary insight, and hard-won healing. Rolando began dreaming up the world of Star Keep as a teenager searching for meaning in a broken world; a boy burdened by expectations no one should carry, trying to name himself through the storm.

His work blends cosmic science fiction with spiritual archetype, exploring how souls break and how they slowly, painfully mend. Educated in elite spaces but never quite at home, Rolando walked between identities, systems, and beliefs while seeking not just escape, but transformation. Star Keep: The Ark is the result of years of metaphysical struggle, rewritten again and again as his inner world began to mend. It’s more than a story, it’s a coded message to his younger self and to anyone who’s ever felt unseen, scapegoated, or silenced.

He writes for the strange, the seeking, and the ones who wonder if their pain still has meaning

Jody Weiner

Author

Jody Weiner, attorney, writer and producer, wrote the acclaimed novel Prisoners of Truth (National IPPY award for mystery/suspense, Council Oak Books 2004, pb 2006). Along with Dr. Jane Goodall, Dave Soldier, William Shatner and other animal activists, Weiner co-authored Kinship with Animals (COB 2007), an anthology of true interspecies encounters, where he writes about serving as attorney to Koko the signing gorilla accused of sexual harassment. Weiner co-authored Peoplescapes, My Story from Purging to Painting, an illustrated memoir by Nancy Calef with Jody Weiner (Babu Books 2014). Weiner was a consulting producer and wrote additional dialogue for the animated feature film Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs Evil (TWC and Kanbar Ent. 2011); was consulting producer and counsel for the Genesis award-winning documentary A Conversation with Koko (1999); was writer/director of the animated music video "Lost My Mind Again" (2005). Weiner also penned the original comedy screenplay, Heck No! (adapted for streaming series in 2023). His new novel Raise Your Other Right Hand was released in March 2025 by Speaking Volumes, LLC.

Shreya Mukherjee

Author

Hey all,

I'm Shreya, an indie author from West Bengal, India. Recently published my debut novella: Some Connections Are Only Meant to Heal. If you enjoy gentle, introspective reads, you may like this one.

Claude Hanhart

Author

Claude Hanhart is a Product Strategist and Agile Coach with 10+ years of leadership experience in driving groundbreaking product strategies and agile transformations. His approach centers on fostering innovation rooted in business objectives, customer experience, and market leadership through tools such as Generative AI, OKRs, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).

Claude's unique academic background - with an MA in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages from the University of Berne in Switzerland and an MA in Geography from the University of Minnesota - brings an interdisciplinary perspective to modern product challenges. His multilingual abilities in German, Swiss German, and French have proven invaluable in international collaborations.

Structured Conversations represents Claude's commitment to bridging strategic thinking with practical implementation. Currently based in New Jersey with his wife, Claude finds that their three energetic dogs serve as daily reminders about the importance of clear communication and patient guidance - principles that translate beautifully into his professional coaching work.

Rebecca Koehler

Author

I am the author of four books, including What He Didn’t Break, When Love Is Not Enough, Choosing Life After Loss, and The Weight of Silence. My work speaks to survivors, parents, educators, and anyone searching for language, clarity, and hope in the aftermath of difficult experiences. I write for readers who are navigating complex emotional landscapes and learning how to move forward without erasing what they've lived through. My goal is to help others through my writing.

When I’m not writing, I work in educational leadership, where I focus on building systems that support students, families, and educators in underserved communities. I believe in honest storytelling, compassion without judgment, and the power of naming truth as a step toward healing.

Kalasindura

Author

Novelist, artist, philosopher, symbol specialist, runic specialist, path-seeker.