Author Joan Schweighardt Named As One Of 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading In 2016 Book Awards

    WILMINGTON, NC, January 13, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Joan Schweighardt has been chosen as a winner in the 2016 '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' Book Awards. Schweighardt follows her bliss when it comes to choosing genres for her novels. Her two most recent novels include a historical fiction with a touch of fantasy ('The Last Wife of Attila the Hun') and a literary novel infused with humor and magical realism ('The Accidental Art Thief').

Says Schweighardt, "People ask me if it's easy to move from genre to genre. It is, I think, because of the training I've had working as a ghostwriter. When I'm writing someone else's story, I have to step out of my literary comfort zone and almost become another person. I've brought that skill to my own work."

'The Last Wife of Attila the Hun' (Five Directions Press, 2016) combines historical fiction and fantasy to tell the story of a Burgundian noblewoman who must enter the City of Attila to give its ruler what she hopes is a cursed sword. The novel is based on both the true history of the Germanic, Roman and Hun tribes who lived during the reign of Attila and the same Nordic legends that inspired Wagner's Ring Cycle, the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien, and more. 'The Last Wife of Attila the Hun,' which the Historical Novel Society calls a "perfect mix of quasi-fantasy and gritty history," is the winner of Independent Publisher magazine and ForeWord magazine awards and has been translated into other languages.

'The Accidental Art Thief' (Twilight Times Books, 2015) employs humor, a collection of offbeat characters, and a touch of magical realism to tell the story of Zinc, a reclusive 45-year-old woman who is forced to reinvent herself, quickly, after her employer's sudden demise. The novel, which Blog Critics says, "Fans of Alice Hoffman, Sue Monk Kid, and J.K. Rowling ('The Casual Vacancy') will surely enjoy," was a ForeWord Reviewers Choice selection for 2015 and a "staff pick" in Shelf Unbound magazine.

Says Schweighardt of the recent honor bestowed on her by the Authors Show, "I'm very excited to be one of the Authors Show's '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading.' The essay I sent in to compete in their contest described how writing and publishing have changed over the years. I think a lot of younger writers are not aware that things were not always the way they are now. I got a lot of great feedback."

Joan Schweighardt is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at schweighardtjoan@gmail. All of her books are available at online book retailers. More information is available at her website at http://www.joanschweighardt.com.

Joan Schweighardt is the author of five novels, with a sixth well on the way and notes for number seven. In addition to her own writing projects, she writes, ghostwrites, and edits for individuals and corporations.

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