Born and
raised in France, Vijaya lived in India, Hawaii, Florida, and Philadelphia,
before settling in sunny Arizona. She traveled throughout England,
Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway,
Spain, Thailand, the Himalayas, Japan, and saw the Sphinx and the Pyramids.
She returns to Europe regularly to visit her family and do book research.
Recently, she visited Luxembourg, Germany, Aragon, Forez and Brittany, to glean
information related to her
medieval fantasy series in progress.
Award winning author Vijaya Schartz did it
all. From theater to television, to hosting Authors Secrets Radio,
where she interviewed some of the greatest authors. With eight novels
in print and electronic format,
Vijaya Schartz writes action adventure laced with sensuality and suspense, in exotic and
futuristic settings. Her novel Ashes for the Elephant God is in the process
of becoming a feature film in India (although it's taking a long time). Archangel Crusader
is now available as an audiobook. She also co-writes science-fiction
screenplays for television.
Vijaya Schartz
was the president of
the Arizona Authors Association for seven years, the talk show host of Authors' Secrets
Radio for three years, and a book reviewer for several magazines.
She speaks regularly to groups of readers, and at national writers' conferences.
In her spare time over the years, Vijaya was
a gymnast, a surfer and an Aikido black belt. She still likes to
jump off perfectly good planes or battle the white waters of the wild Colorado River.
Born in France, she traveled the world and lived at length in exotic places like
India and Hawaii. She now resides in Arizona with her husband and
a new kitten by the name of Jasmine. In July 2000, she braved the
rough waters of
the Colorado through the Grand Canyon in a raft. Later, she rests in calmer waters,
that's her on the picture, center back of the raft, with the white hat. She even jumped from a high
cliff into the chilly waters (see small person at bottom right for scale)
Did I mention Vijaya is deathly afraid of heights? That's what makes it
such a thrill.
 - 
Vijaya participated in the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage
in India (left)
where she lived in an ashram (Hindu monastery)
for many months.
She even had a traditional Indian wedding
(right),
like in her novel
Ashes for the Elephant
God
Live tigers, now, that's a rush!
Yeah, it's a real one, and it was a challenge
to keep it calm long enough to take the picture
Vijaya throwing her opponent in a self-defense
demonstration
at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii
(Black Belt in Aikido, Vijaya also studied
Judo and Karate)
Vijaya once belonged to the French National
Gymnastics Team
and represented her country in various international
competitions
in Western and Eastern Europe
ARTIST:
Before becoming a professional
writer,
Vijaya
acted on Stage
and Television in Paris and on tours throughout Europe. She sang
in Rive Gauche cabarets and studied voice
and modern ballet.
Her paintings
were also shown in several French exhibits.
PHILOSOPHER:
Vijaya studied Cashmere
Shivaism and Siddha
Yoga in an Ashram near Bombay, India, where
she translated spiritual texts
from English into French. She once belonged to the AMORC
Rosicrucian Order, the Order
of the Knights Templar, as well as the Martinist
Order. She studied paranormal phenomena,
near death experiences, reincarnation, past life regression, UFO sightings,
Alchemy, Tibetan wisdom, Zen Buddhism, and Shinto philosophies. Many
of her published articles deal in philosophical subjects.
RADIO PERSONALITY - BOOK REVIEWER
Vijaya
was the radio talk
show host of
AUTHORS
SECRETS RADIO, frist on KFNX1100AM radio in Arizona,
then on BOOK CRAZY RADIO NETWORK (BCRN) worldwide on the internet, six times
every Wednesday, from 2001 to 2004. Vijaya also wrote a booklet on writing,
12
Secrets for Writing Compelling Fiction, sharing her many secrets and
those learned from best-selling authors she interviewed on her show.
Vijaya also reviews popular fiction for several magazines.
CHAIRPERSON - ACTIVE MEMBER :
Vijaya Schartz
was the President
of the
ARIZONA AUTHORS
ASSOCIATION from 1998 to December 2005
and also held the presidency of the
VALLEY
OF THE SUN ROMANCE WRITERS Chapter in 1998. She is the
current Editor of the
ARIZONA
LITERARY MAGAZINE. She hosted her
own radio show about writing for over three years (Authors Secrets Radio).
As a writer of Romantic suspense and adventure, in exotic or futuristic settings, Vijaya belongs to the
ROMANCE
WRITERS OF AMERICA and is an active Member of
DESERT
ROSE ROMANCE WRITERS and
VALLEY OF THE SUN ROMANCE WRITERS. She often speaks at writers'
workshops, seminars, and conferences. Her critique group,
AUTHORS'
EXCHANGE, meets once a week. To report a problem with
this site, request a link, or make suggestions, please send a message
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Tandem Jump from 13,000 feet, in Eloy, Arizona
Jasmine,
Vijaya's new kitten, quickly becoming the queen of the house
Geisha,
Vijaya's
all times favorite cat who passed away in late February 2007
at age 17
Braving the Colorado
Cliff Jumping
Parasailing
in Thailand
Riding elephants
(They sweat behind the ears)
Surfing came naturally to Vijaya in Hawaii.
Waterskiing in Northern California
Hosting Authors Secrets Radio
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Vijaya Schartz,