Featured Interview With Maryann Ring Spencer
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My real name is Maryann Zahra and I live on the beautiful islands of Malta. i was born, raised and still live here on these islands, with my husband, son David and our Siberian Husky Suzy and our Barn Owl 🦉
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I loved reading and it was our leisure time too. As kids we didn’t have any technology so flipping through books and reading we discovered an amazing door for knowledge.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Alexander Dumas and George Elliot. I love reading historical fiction genre which is also my genre of writing. I have studied English Literature at school and I believe it’s this subject and the books I have studied at that time that inspired me in my writing.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The book ‘Villa Sans Souci’ is about unleashing the life of Florence Nightingale and Dr. Pisani , a Maltese doctor who worked side by side Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. How they met, where did they travel, their accomplishments in medical facilities, hospitals, training standards, and women’s career rights in UK, Malta 🇲🇹 and India. Their meeting with Queen Victoria at Balmoral. How did they keep in correspondence after the Crimean War, the three visits of Florence Nightingale in Malta and what went on at Villa Sans Souci in its heyday! (Villa Sans Souci is currently in a derelict state. It was the residence of Dr Pisani and is situated in the south of Malta near the village of Marsascirocco where my novel starts)
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