Our Authors

Nichole Schmidt

Nichole Schmidt is the mother of Gabby Petito, whose tragic death in 2021 captured international attention. Out of the deepest pain, Nichole found a calling to use her voice and experience to help others. As president of the Gabby Petito Foundation, she has transformed grief into action, advocating for domestic violence awareness, missing persons, and victims’ rights. Her passion comes from love for her daughter and the belief that even through tragedy, change is possible.

Books by Nichole Schmidt

Jim Schmidt

Jim Schmidt is a nationally certified fire officer and instructor originally from Long Island, New York, with over 25 years of experience in fire service, EMS, dispatch, hazmat, technical rescue, and leadership roles. Jim’s family faced unimaginable loss when their daughter, Gabby Petito, was murdered by her partner. Since then, his family has dedicated their lives to advocating for missing persons and survivors of domestic violence. Jim now focuses on bridging gaps in prevention and bringing domestic violence training to first responders, because together, we can be the change.

Books by Jim Schmidt

John Schmitt

John F. Schmitt was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Marines after graduating from Northwestern University in June 1981. He spent four years as an infantry commander in the Second Marine Division in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In 1986, he was assigned to the Doctrine Center in Quantico, Virginia, where he wrote the keystone Marine Corps doctrinal manuals Ground Combat Operations, Warfighting, and Campaigning. He left active duty in 1993 and is self-employed as a military consultant and writer. He resides in Champaign, Illinois, with his wife and three children.

Gary G. Schoeniger

Gary G. Schoeniger is a globally recognized thought leader in entrepreneurial mindset education. His first book, Who Owns the Ice House?, which he co-authored with Pulitzer nominee Clifton Taulbert, has become an international bestseller. As the founder and CEO of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI), Schoeniger also led the development of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Programs. With his focus on the entrepreneurial mindset, Schoeniger’s message has influenced a diverse audience ranging from academic, economic, and workforce development organizations to governments, corporate, and nonprofit leaders worldwide including the South African Department of Education, the Columbian Ministry of Education, the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute, the European Commission, and the US State Department.

Books by Gary G. Schoeniger

Michelle Schoffro Cook

Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook is an international bestselling book author and a popular natural health blogger. Her health articles have appeared on Yahoo, WebMD, Reviews.com, Yahoo Shine, Yahoo Green, Discovery’s Planet Green, DivineCaroline, Huffington Post, and many other popular sites. She is a board-certified doctor of natural medicine, doctor of acupuncture, registered nutritionist, certified herbalist, and aromatherapist with over 25 years experience in these and many other forms of natural medicine. Thousands of people in over 100 countries subscribe to her popular e-news World’s Healthiest News, available for a free subscription on her website DrMichelleCook.com.

Books by Michelle Schoffro Cook

Ken Scholes

Ken Scholes is the critically acclaimed author of three novels and over thirty short stories. His series The Psalms of Isaak is being published both at home and abroad to award nominations and rave reviews. Publishers Weekly hails the series as a “towering storytelling tour de force” in starred reviews of the first three volumes. Ken lives in Saint Helens, Oregon, with his wife, Jen West Scholes, and his twin daughters, Lizzy and Rae. He invites readers to look him up at www.kenscholes.com and follow his antics on Facebook.

Cathy Schottenstein

Cathy Schottenstein is a writer and English teacher originally from Columbus, OH. She received her BA in English from Emory University in 2004 and her MA from New York University in 2006. She is the co-executive producer of the HBO Max untitled Schottenstein project, a scripted limited series currently in development based on Beverley’s War. She has written for Bloomberg Businessweek, and she has worked the writing desk at CNN. A strong and comfortable speaker, she has been quoted in major outlets including NPR, Forbes, Bloomberg News, The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Monthly, Financial Planning, and dozens of podcasts such as Criminal, Friends Talk Money, A Life’s Story, and Psychology of Aging. Beverley’s War is her first book.

Matthew Schrier

Matthew Schrier is from Deer Park, New York, and a graduate of Hofstra University, where he studied film production and English. In 2013, he became the first Westerner to ever escape from Al Qaeda. His story has been covered by 60 Minutes, the New York Times, and CNN, and since his return home, Matthew has devoted himself to working with the US Military, using his experience in Syria to educate American troops about survival after capture by extremists. The Dawn Prayer is his first book.

Books by Matthew Schrier

Read M. Schuchardt

Read Mercer Schuchardt is an assistant professor of communication arts at Marymount Manhattan College. He is the cofounder of Cleave: The Counter Agency, the cofounder and publisher of Metaphilm, and a contributing editor for The New Pantagruel. He is the author of The Disappearance of Women: Technology, Pornography, and the Obsolescence of Gender and Metaphilm: Seers of the Silver Screen. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicago Tribune, Utne Reader and the Washington Times. He lives in Jersey City, N.J.

Books edited by Read M. Schuchardt

You Do Not Talk About Fight ClubYou Do Not Talk About Fight Club