Born in France, Vijaya Schartz started writing at age six. As early as sixteen, she studied unexplained phenomena, secret societies and UFO sightings in Europe. Later, she traveled the world and lived in a monastery in India, where she translated spiritual texts from English into French for limited publication. Daredevil since a young age, she became a gymnast in France, a surfer and a martial artist in Hawaii, a climber in the Himalayas, a rough water rider on the Colorado River, and a skydiver in Eloy, Arizona. She traveled extensively and while writing many novels, she published articles and short stories in various Magazines, in England and in America. Now Vijaya writes novels and screenplays and she lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and a calicot cat.

Vijaya's latest release, Anaz-voohri, was nominated for the 2006 Reviewers Choice Award at Cataromance and finaled in the Golden Quill Awards. Vijaya's novels RELICS also finaled in the Golden Quill Awards. Previously, Vijaya Schartz won second place in the 2001 Independent Publishers awards in visionary fiction for "Ashes for the Elephant God." 2001 Writer's Digest Literary Awards in mainstream fiction for "Ashes for the Elephant God," and Writer's Digest Literary Awards in genre fiction for "Archangel Crusader." Her books are being recorded into audiobooks and her novel about India, Ashes for the Elephant God, is becoming a feature film.

Her most recent novels also received a slew of five star reviews from professional reviewers worldwide.

From Beauty Queen to international gymnast and martial artist, from exhibiting her paintings to a successful acting career in France, Vijaya Schartz has won it all. She speaks several languages, assumed the presidency of the prestigious ARIZONA AUTHORS ASSOCIATION for seven years and won an award for outstanding service to this non-profit organization. She also hosted Authors' Secrets Radio for four years, and this show won best talk show on BCRN in 2002. She is a fiction reviewer for various magazines, and has been editor in chief of the Arizona Literary Magazine.
In 2006, Vijaya received the Desert Rose Award for outstanding contributions toward furthering the growth of the Romance Writers of America, Phoenix Chapter, giving unselfishly of her time and knowledge to fellow members, and her continuing encouragement in helping them achieve the realization of their dreams.
in 2005 Vijaya received an outstanding servide award for her work as President of the Arizona Authors Association for seven years.

Vijaya is also a closet medievalist. Besides the action romance and sci-fi she writes for her publishers, she is working on a medieval saga based on authentic legends.

Vijaya Schartz
visit my website, find out where you can meet me at a book signing, enter my contest to win a book, read a short story or an excerpt of one of my novels, or see what I'm working on now. Link to other websites for writers and a writer's calendar for the Phoenix area.

Sapphire Blue Publishing - Desperado
Get my latest ebook here, A DESPERADO FOR CHRISTMAS, just in time for the holidays, only $3.50 for the download.

My upcoming books
See what I'm up to, and what's coming in 2009.

A medieval fantasy series in the works
The Curse of the Lost Isle - Celtic ladies spreading chaos in Scotland, Luxembourg, France, Spain and the middle east, from the Viking invasions to the crusades. An accurate historical saga including authentic post-arthurian legends.