YOUR NEIGHBOR | Roslyn Schindler

Inspiration has a strange way of showing up when we least expect it. This is especially true in the case of Roslyn Schindler and her children’s book, “Zeon.”

“When my children were young, we had a cabin in upstate New York where we would go skiing,” Schindler said. “On those trips, my husband and I started joking that we were from Zeon and when the kids turned 13, we would take them to the home planet.”

A former Spanish teacher, Schindler always considered herself a creative spirit. Her mother and husband were artists, so she was exposed to visual arts in many aspects of her life. But, in 2011, she decided to try something else she loved: writing. This new outlet produced her first published work, “The Radio Set.”

She mostly wrote it to leave a legacy for her two children, but, by then, she had caught the writing bug.

Earlier this year, Schindler’s second book, “Zeon,” was published. Written and illustrated by Schindler, the children’s story revolves around a family living on Earth and another planet, Zeon, in need of their help. It contains themes that appeal to children’s interest, but not gratuitous violence.

“There’s so much violence in our culture, so the idea was to write something that’s gentler and still has some adventurous elements,” Schindler said.

With her drive and imaginative ways, Schindler hopes to turn “Zeon” into a series.

“I don’t want to give it away, but the way the ending is written, it really leaves the door open to continue the story,” she says.

Neighborhood: Country Club Shores
Your neighbor since: 2005

IN HER OWN WORDS: “In order to be a writer, you really have to write every day.” — Roslyn Schindler

Contact Kelsey Grau at [email protected]