- Welcome Message and select excerpts of our first year blog
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- Tid bits-travel advice from our readers in 100 words or less
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- Guidelines for travel agents
- Autisticals-a personal view of autistic travel
- US 10 best in
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- The best 10 of Hilton Head,South Carolina
- The 10 best of New York
- The 10 best of Alaska
- The 10 best of Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- The 10 best of Santa Fe and the surroundings
- The 10 best of Arizone-Grand Canyon
- The 10 best of Colonial Williamsburg,Jamestown and surroundinds
- The 10 best of Washington D.C.
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- International 10 best
- Mini autisticals- the darnest travel stories you'll hear
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- Recommended products
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- Monthly news roundup
- Interviews
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Q&A with Tal managing director of ALUTEVA-autistic hotel in Israel
- Eva Bronstein-Greenwald-special needs travel agent and founder of We Belong
- Q&A with Trip it's
- Q&A with David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
- Keri Bowers- film producer of 'Normal people scare me'
- Jamie Grover-Autism on the seas
- Peter Shears
- Clive-guide dog extraordinaire
- John Brown of 'Devyn and Dad' -an inspirational adventure across the United States
- Rose Niehaus Olsen Morris inventor of the safety sleeper bed
- Annette White,counselor for Camp Autism
- Colin Brennan-Canada's new singing sensation
- Dennis Debbaudt-autism safety expert
- Gisela Sedlmayer- author of 'Talon'
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Inspirational travel stories by our guest writers
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- Brian R. King-Meltdown at the airport
- Joy's visit to the Aquarium
- Denise Klipsic-An incredible encounter with Princess Tiana
- Tanya Savko- Hope on a river
- Tiffany Robison-Great Wolf Lodge
- Fiona Westner Ramsay -Making-room-for-autism-in-your-canoe
- Laura Shumacher-Traveling with autism: a true story
- Phyllis Fanzo Lombardi-s -Vacation Time with Joey
- Kristina Chew-18 Miles On the Bikes At the Beach
- Jeff Katz-Chicago
- Margaret Ann Franklin's visit to the Great Northern Carousel in Helena Montana
- Claire Sarcone-Chessington the aspie way
- Elaine Hall-Tips for summer vacation
- Steve LHeureux -Autism "Outings" need to be planned and appropriate
- Kelly Green-The Gardens of Gilroy
- Wolfie Blue-Tips I learnt by traveling with my family
- Gluten free Disney cruise experience
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
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- Hawaii's big island with a glimpse of Pearl Harbor
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- New York-NYC
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- Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
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- Caribbean-Bahamas- the Atlantis resort
- Caribbean-Castaway Cay-Disney's bahamian paradise
- Caribbean-Roatan,Honduras>
- Caribbean-Grand Caymans-Hell,Turtles,Wild Hens and Stingrays>
- Mexico-Cabo San Lucas(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Puerta Vallarta (Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Acapulco and Manzanillo
- Mexico-Mazatlan(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Playa del Carmen's Xcaret eco park>
- Mexico-Tulum and XelHa Eco Park
- Yucatan,Mexico- Chichen Itza,Cozumel's Paradise Beach
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Europe,Asia,Australia and New Zealand,Cruise ships-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Austria-Salzburg
- Belgium-Antwerp ,Brussels
- Canary Islands-Lazarote
- Croatia-the walled town of Dubrovnik
- Denmark-Copenhagen
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- France- Cannes,Nice,Eze
- France-Paris
- Finland,Helsinki
- Germany-Munich,Dachau
- Germany-Romantic Road
- Ireland-Dublin
- Ireland -Cork,Blarney,Kinsale>
- N. Ireland-Belfast>
- N. Ireland's Giant Causeway
- N.Ireland-Carrick -a -Rede-rope bridge>
- Italy-Venice,Pompeii,Rome
- Italy-Florence,Messina and Taoramina
- Israel-Jerusalem>
- Israel-Masada and the Dead Sea>
- Israel-Tel Aviv>
- Morocco-Casablanca
- New Zealand-Rotarua
- New Zealand-Fjord Park,Dunedin,Christchurch
- New Zealand - Auckland and sheep farm
- The Netherlands-Amsterdam,Delft,The Hague,Rotterdam,Madurodam
- Sweden-Stockholm and the Archipelago
- Russia-St Petersburg's Palaces
- Scotland-Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
- Scotland-Edinburgh>
- Scotland-Inverness>
- Scotland-Loch Lommond,Luss,Sottish sheep show>
- Spain-Barcelona
- Spain-Cadiz and Seville
- Spain-The Alhambra Palace,view of Malaga
- Tasmania-Hobart
- UK-Liverpool and the Beatles>
- UK-London>
- UK-Stonehenge,Bath,Warwick Castle,Stratford on Avon,Oxford
- UK-Guernsey>
- Carnival -Legend
- Aboard the Carnival Legend
- Carnival -Ecstasy
- Carnival- Fascination
- Carnival Spirit
- Celebrity-Century
- Crown Princess>
- Sapphire Princess
- Royal Caribbean-Brilliance of the Seas
- Royal Caribbean-Mariner of the Seas (parades)
- Royal Caribbean- Mariner of the Seas
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Monthly guest's -Travel videos and pictures
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Q&A with Gisela Sedlmayer, author of 'Talon'
![Picture](/uploads/4/4/4/8/4448415/9428566.jpg)
http://www.writersportal.org/Gigi
Gisela Sedlmayer is an author, originally from Munich Germany who is currently living on Australia's Gold Coast .She has written 'Talon' the first book of a five book series about Matika a special needs little girl living with her missionary parents in Peru.
AG: What made you choose a special needs person as the main character in your story?
Gisela:I love birds, so I wanted to write a story about a girl who flies on birds. However, the girl had to be small enough to fly, so she had to be a special needs girl.
We adopted twin girls from Fiji as special needs children when we lived in New Zealand. They are not handicapped, but they are schooled as special needs because they can’t be separated. I understand the hardships a special needs child suffers – I myself was bullied in school because I needed glasses at a very early age – and I wanted to bring that out in my book.
AG:As an author from Europe now living in Australia, what made you choose South America as the background for your story?
Gisela: I have always loved condors, and they have fascinated me for a very long time. They are also one of the only birds large enough for Matica – the main character – to ride. Peru was the best location because of the condors.
AG:Will your hero/heroine be travelling to other countries or continents in the sequels?
Gisela: Yes, in the course of my five books Matica will travel. She will go to Australia to see her relatives on holiday where she will receive treatment to grow taller. When she comes back, she will be too big to fly on Talon, the condor, anymore. However, Matica will find out that she loves music, and learns the mouth organ in Australia. She will also go on a church trip to India for a year to relieve another missionary and there she will encounter tigers and befriend one, as she did with the condors.
AG: How do you think your book will encourage special needs people to travel
Gisela: Special needs children are not sick, so they can't be cured. They are people like you and me. They have to learn to cope with what they have and to live like normal people do. My book is about gaining self-esteem and not thinking of special needs as an affliction. It’s about being bigger than your problems, looking past them and being normal. The condors gave Matica the encouragement to be someone in life. She was rejected in the beginning by the Peruvians because they didn't know better, but soon they learn that she is a person too. They begin to respect and love her, and her parents encourage her to live like a normal person . In the second book there is an episode from another village, where there is a boy with the same condition as Matica, and his parents and brother have to deal with the natives’ request that they kill him. It's a heartwarming story in addition to a girl flying on birds.
AG:Do you have any plans to make your book available as a book on tape or as a read along for those readers who cannot read a regular printed version
Gisela: My publisher is producing my book as an e-book for kindle. I hope it will be soon available; however it is not on tape yet.