The April 2023 Ladies Night Out at Ford’s Colony Country Club proved to be a delightful evening featuring three unique and talented Ford's Colony authors, Camille Di Maio, Feather Foster, and Maureen Wlodarczyk, who shared their journeys from avid readers and writers to published authors.

Feather Schwartz Foster has published several works on the presidents and first ladies. Her first book, LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities was published in 2003, followed by her novel Garfield’s Train. Her latest book, The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower was published in 2011.

According to Feather, “Writers of all kinds (and we are many) are fortunate to live here in Williamsburg, a town that attracts the creative and the talented like a magnet. Williamsburg itself seems to inspire better thought and achievement than we might have had elsewhere. Perhaps it is because we walk in precious footsteps.”

She has made more than 300 personal appearances, including dozens of radio and television interviews, as well as lectures for The Daughters of the American Revolution chapters and Colonial Williamsburg.  After moving to Ford’s Colony in 2008, she began regularly lecturing about the “old” first ladies at William & Mary Osher Institute. She also conducts similar programs at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. Feather is a former founding member of the New Jersey Writers Society, and is currently a member of the Chesapeake Bay Writers Club, the Virginia Writers Association, and Biographers International Organization.

 

A self-described adventurist, Camille di Maio left an award-winning real estate career to become a full-time writer. Highlights from her travels to four continents include meeting Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II and her musical idol, Paul McCartney! Her myriad adventures continue to inspire her writing and fill her bucket list.

"When I first became a writer, I thought it would be a solitary endeavor. But through my career, the relationships and sisterhood with other writers as well as the interactions and friendships with readers have become my very favorite part of this path," explains Camille.

 

Though she studied political science in college, Camille found working on actual campaigns much more exhilarating. She loves to spend Saturdays at farmers' markets and belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes. She’s game to try just about anything, except for heights, roller skates, or anything illegal. Three of her five books have ranked on the Amazon bestsellers list. Her next novel, Come Fly with Me, will be released this fall.

 

Maureen Wlodarczyk admits she has become a history and genealogy addict. After retiring from a career as a senior vice president and director of operations in commercial real estate and investment banking, Maureen has devoted her time and energy to researching and writing about the stories of actual people and events lost to time. She also has helped many people discover their family histories and provided genealogical research services to the public.

In addition to authoring seven books, Maureen has served as the featured columnist for Garden State Legacy and Irish Lives Remembered e-magazines, presented some 125 programs on various genealogy and history topics and participated in numerous broadcast radio and TV interviews. This year Maureen will present for the William & Mary Osher Institute.

Maureen’s works have received several Excellence-in-Writing awards by the International Society of Family History Writers & Editors.  Her Scarlet Letter Lives was named a National Indie Excellence Award finalist.

Maureen says, “For me, writing is storytelling – something I love to do whether written or spoken. My work as a genealogist involves rediscovering the lives of people lost to time and memory. Those lives, in their historical context, often provide seeds of inspiration for my writing. I have a bracelet inscribed, 'Tell Stories.'  That sums it up for me.”