Welcome to Quixotic Heights, where voices rise, stories inspire, and creativity takes center stage. I’m thrilled to welcome a guest whose voice resonates far beyond the opera stage.

Shirley Wang is not only an acclaimed opera singer but also a dynamic speaker, best-selling author, and dedicated educator. She moves hearts with her music, empowers minds through her words, and uplifts others with her mission-driven work.

In this episode, we explore the intersections of art and identity, performance and purpose, and how Shirley found her voice — and helps others find theirs. Whether you’re a fan of opera, a lover of stories, or a seeker of inspiration, this conversation is for you.

Shirley Wang is an award-winning operatic soprano, pianist,conductor, international bestselling author, entrepreneur, host, expert instructor, illustrator, and children's Chinese curriculum creator. She has performed across the US, including Carnegie Hall. In 2020, she launched an interview series, All Around Classical, featuring performing artists, composers, writers, dancers, actors, directors, and others who bring the world more color. It is rapidly gaining viewership and critical acclaim. You can find it on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and as a podcast on all major podcastdistribution platforms. It is rapidly gaining viewership and critical acclaim.

In addition, she founded Simple Gifts Music Studio, Brillante Music Institute and Oxygen Strategic Partners, offering musical performances, education programs, keynote concerts and musical consultation services.

A native of Taipei, Taiwan, Shirley Xiao-Ling Wang is a graduate of the University of Southern California. She was a semi-finalist in the Premier International Opera Competition in New York (2022) and was a finalist in the International Opera Singer’s Competition of Chinese Heritage. She was a soloist in the Chinese Rising Stars Concert at Carnegie Hall.

As an operatic soprano, Ms. Wang has performed with Nickel City Opera West, Orlando Opera, Orlando Philharmonic, Central Florida Lyric Opera, First Coast Opera, Celestial Opera, Intimate Opera, and USC Opera Studio. Her operatic roles include Cio-Cio San, Aida, the Countess, Fiordiligi, Mrs. Alice Ford, Violetta, Mimi, Tosca, Liu, Nedda, Marguerite, Gretel, and Laetitia.

As a recitalist, Ms. Wang has been heard in California, Washington, Idaho, Boston, Long Island, and Florida. Notably, since 2016, she has created over 30 multi-media storytelling-based concerts in Central Florida and New York City.

She is currently on the roster of George Martynuk, Artist Management of New York.

https://linktr.ee/ShirleyWang

Today’s Quixote is someone who embodies courage, humor, and raw honesty—Shelley Malicote Stutchman, the author of the powerful and hilariously titled book, Peek-a-Boob: Uncovering Breast Cancer.

Shelley will take us on her deeply personal journey through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery—but she does it with a disarming sense of humor and a fierce refusal to let cancer steal her joy. Her story is not only about surviving, but about reclaiming identity, body image, and voice.

Whether you’ve faced breast cancer, know someone who has, or just need a reminder of the resilience of thehuman spirit, this conversation will move you—and maybe even make you laugh.

Shelley Malicote Stutchman, the author of the acclaimed,award-winning book PEEK-A-BOOB: Surviving Breast Cancer, is not just a survivor but also a passionate advocate.

She contributes regularly to CAREGIVER Magazine and is a Board-Certified Patient Advocate. Shelley also reports for the Edmond Way and Guthrie News Leader newspapers.

Before her writing career, Shelley was a marketing director for Epworth at Home, Home Health, and Hospice. Her book, published in October 2024, has received the prestigious National Gold Non-Fiction Writers’ Association Award, the Quill Hawk Publishing Best Indie Choice Award, and several local accolades. In recognition of her journey, Shelley was honored with The Honorable Eileen Echols Inspired Award for 2025 in Oklahoma City. A firm believer in the power of romance at any age, Shelley married her husband at sixty-seven years old while going through breast cancer treatments and surgeries. Her husband, known as Cameraman, was also recognized with the Susan G. Komen Pink Tie Guy Award in 2023. As an author, speaker, and devoted wife, Shelley embodies her motto: “Cancer Teaches You How to Live” and “Life Begins at Seventy.”

https://shelleymalicotestutchman.localservicebiz.com/home

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Today on Quixotic Heights, we welcome Mark McCraw—a proud Oklahoman, internationally published children’s book author, and a disabled veteran of the United States Air Force. With a life marked by service, imagination, and resilience, Mark brings powerful stories to young readers worldwide.

Mark McCraw is a former Elementary School Teacher, Air Force and Air Force Reserve Disabled Veteran, Adjunct Professor, Day Care Teacher, Pastor, Migrant Head Start Teacher, Corrections Officer, and Non-Profit Executive. His favorite hobbies are writing children’s books, genealogy, and traveling.

His education includes an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and two years of Doctoral work in Education.

Mark has written 12+ award-winning children’s books with more in the works. He has spoken at conferences, schools, and events all over the world.

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Today on the Quixotic Heights show, we’re joined by a true storytelling chameleon—Susan Kite. With thirteen books under her belt, she’s mastered genres from science fiction to whimsical children’s tall tales and even penned stories in the world of Zorro. Whether she’s crafting distant galaxies, playful animal adventures, or historical sword fights, Susan brings imagination, heart, and a deep love for storytelling to everything she writes. In this conversation, we’ll explorewhat it means to write across genres, how she keeps the creative spark alive, and what she’s learned from a lifetime of literary adventures. Get ready to be inspired!Susan Kite has been writing for over thirty years, beginning with fan-fiction. A visit to the Mission San Luis Rey in 2001 became the catalyst to write her first novel, My House of Dreams. She has written science fiction, fantasy, tall tales, and historical fiction. Bold Venture Press published the author’s three Zorro novels: The Outward Journey, The Forbidden Country, and The Deadly Homecoming, along with several Zorro short stories. Voyage of the Sea Dragon; Into the Dream World is the author’s entry into sea-based science fiction.

She worked in school libraries for 35 years. Now retired, Ms. Kite lives in Yukon, Oklahoma.

https://bookscape.net/

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https://www.youtube.com/@susankite2842

https://firstbookscape.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Quixotic Heights, where dreams take flight.

Today, we step through the veiled gates of imagination and into the rich, spellbinding world of The City of the Magicians—a series that blends political intrigue, ancient power, and the deeply human cost of wielding magic.

Joining us is Peter Gribble, the brilliant mind behind this immersive fantasy saga. A master world-builder and philosophical weaver of myth and morality, Peter crafts tales that challenge the boundaries between control and chaos, light and shadow.

Whether you’re a devoted fantasy reader or a curious creative, this conversation is for anyone who’s ever wondered what it truly means to create magic on the page.

Peter Gribble is a writer and a lifelong student of history whose work explores the intersections of knowledge, power, and the human condition. His fantasy series, “The City of the Magicians,” is set in a civilization that rejects traditional warfare. The series examines how intellect, psychologicalstrategy, and telepathic abilities can be both a society’s greatest strength and its most dangerous vulnerability. Influenced by his childhood in postwar France—where silence about the war was as pervasive as its lingeringshadows—Gribble crafts stories that explore the dangers of complacency and the consequences of pacifism and brutality colliding.

Gribble studied art at Sheridan College School of Design,experimental psychology at the University of Toronto, and education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. He has written for NUVO and various British Columbia publications, including gardening columns for two journalsover a decade. His time working in bookstores reinforced his belief in the power of books to inspire, challenge, and transform. Learn more at PeterGribble.com.

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20904184.Peter_Gribble

https://petergribble.com

Welcome to Quixotic Heights, where dreams take flight—a show where we dive deep into the minds behind the storiesthat move us. I’m your host, Amy M. Le, and today I’m thrilled to be joined by a very special guest—Michelle Dutch, the author of three compelling and emotionally rich novels: Mary McKenzie, Broken Dolls, and Nana Banana.

Michelle’s writing explores resilience, identity, and the complexity of human relationships, all delivered with a distinct voice and unforgettable characters. Whether you’re already a fan or just discovering her work, you’rein for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation.

Michelle Dutch is a resident of the Pacific Northwest and has been writing for over 50 years. Born and raised in California, Michelle has written fifteen books of poetry, three plays, and two children’s books. A woman of faith, missionary, grandmother, sister, daughter, Tia, and cousin, she is a world traveler and a graduate of Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts. Mary McKenzie is the first book in a series of thirteen. All books can be found on Amazon. https://a.co/d/aezxxNK

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Today’s guest is someone who bridges two fascinating worlds — the precision of architecture and the imagination of speculative fiction. Paul Vecchiet is a successful architect and the author of The Disclosure Paradox, a thought-provoking novel that explores what happens when truth, secrecy, and discovery collide on a cosmic scale.

In this episode, we talk about the paradox at the heart of his book, how architecture and storytelling overlap, and why science fiction isn’t just about the future — it’s about understanding ourselves.

Paul G. Vecchiet is an author whose speculative fiction explores the intersection of U.S. government cover-ups, extraterrestrial phenomena, spirituality, and the future of humanity. Through his writing, Paul encourages readers to explore hidden truths and imagine new realities. A U.S. government civilian and former U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Officer, Paul draws from real-life experiences in his novel, The Disclosure Paradox.

Inspired by transformative meditation experiences in 2009, the novel incorporates elements of Paul’s personal journey, including the discovery of a hidden underground space at a large secure military facility, into his storytelling. The Disclosure Paradox has garnered high praise on Amazon and Goodreads, with its revised February 2025 edition offering readers a thought-provoking exploration of discovery and intrigue.

Born in Italy, Paul immigrated to the United States as a child, where a rich blend of cultural influences and professional accomplishments shaped his life. After earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago, he served as a Civil Engineering Officer in the United States Air Force. His assignments across Washington, the Azores, Ohio, and Japan informed both his professional expertise and his globally reflective perspective.

For more information about Paul G. Vecchiet and The Disclosure Paradox, visit www.thedisclosureparadox.com.

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https://www.facebook.com/paul.vecchiet.2025/

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