Born in France, award-winning author Vijaya Schartz never conformed to anything and could never refuse a challenge. She likes action and exotic settings, in life and on the page. She traveled the world and claims she must be a time traveler, since she writes with the same ease about the far past and the far future. With over twenty titles published, Vijaya Schartz writes action adventure laced with sensuality and suspense, in exotic, medieval, and futuristic settings. Her books collected many five star reviews and literary awards. She makes you believe you actually lived these extraordinary adventures among her characters. Her stories have been compared to Indiana Jones with sizzling romance. So, go ahead, dare to experience the magic, and she will keep you entranced, turning the pages until the last line.

Aikido demonstration
in Hawaii

Vijaya Schartz did it all.  Before becoming a professional writer, Vijaya acted on Stage and Television in Paris, France, 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.

In her spare time over the years, Vijaya was on the French National gymnastics team, a surfer and an Aikido black belt in Hawaii. She is still a thrill-seeker and likes to jump off perfectly good planes or battle the river wild.  She now resides in sunny Arizona with her husband and three lovable cats, Jasmine, Spunky and Bandit.

One hot July recently, she braved the white waters of the Colorado through the Grand Canyon in a raft (left).  Later, she rests in calmer waters, that's her in the left bottom picture, center back of the raft, with the white hat.

Right: She even jumped from a high cliff into the chilly waters (it's really high - the scale is lost on the picture) Did I mention Vijaya is deathly afraid of heights? That's what makes these stunts such a thrill. She was screaming all the way down.

GLOBETROTTER

Vijaya lived in France, India, Hawaii, Florida, and Philadelphia, before settling in 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.  Last, she visited Luxembourg, Germany, Aragon, Forez and Brittany, to glean information related to her medieval fantasy series in progress.

 

INDIA - A SPECIAL PLACE

In India, Vijaya participated in the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage (it's her front and center on the right) where she lived in an ashram (Hindu monastery) for many months. She even had a traditional Indian wedding (left), like in her novel Ashes for the Elephant God
 

During a recent trip to Thailand, Vijaya did some parasailing, rode elephants (they sweat behind the ears) and got acquainted with her first live tiger, up close and personal (right). Good thing she loves cats. This one had to be placated to stand still for the picture. The arm is actually resting on the back of the beast.

PHILOSOPHER:

Vijaya studied Cashmere Shivaism and Siddha Yoga in an Ashram near Mumbai (old Bombay), India, where she translated spiritual texts from English into French. She once belonged to the 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 early published articles dealt with philosophical and spiritual topics.

RADIO PERSONALITY

From 2001 to 2004, Vijaya was the radio talk show host of AUTHORS SECRETS RADIO, first on KFNX1100AM radio in Arizona, then on BOOK CRAZY RADIO NETWORK (BCRN) worldwide on the internet, six times every Wednesday.  Her show was rated BEST TALK SHOW on BCRN for 2002 for excellence. On that show, Vijaya interviewed some of the greatest authors of our times (below with the great and delightful  nkDiana Gabaldon).

TEACHER OF WRITING

Vijaya is the founder of the WRITE PATH SEMINARS where she shares her extended knowledge of the craft with small groups of dedicated writers. 

She also teaches workshops on the business of writing as well as author promotion, and everything concerning the writing life, at writers meetings and at national conferences throughout the country.

DESERT ROSE
ROMANCE WRITERS

VALLEY OF THE SUN
ROMANCE WRITERS

ROMANCE WRITERS
OF AMERICA

CHAIRPERSON - ACTIVE MEMBER :

Vijaya Schartz was the President of the ARIZONA AUTHORS ASSOCIATION for seven years, from 1998 to December 2005, and she still serves as the webmistress of this organization. She also held the presidency of the VALLEY OF THE SUN ROMANCE WRITERS Chapter and of the DESERT ROSE ROMANCE WRITERS Chapter.  She was Editor in chief of the ARIZONA LITERARY MAGAZINE until 2007.  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, futuristic, or medieval settings, Vijaya belongs to the ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA and is active in their local chapters.