I’m not sure how old I was when I won my first writing award, in a national poetry competition, for a short poem about my (imaginary) horse dying: “I jumped from my bed and I ran to the barn. / I threw myself in the hay. / But I knew from the look in her cold hard eyes / that my mare had gone to stay. / But lying beside her was what I had dreamed / would be mine to love someday. / It stretched out its head to touch my hand. / I’d known it would be this way.” …. Many more years went by before I at last got a real live horse of my own, Coalesce (“come together”). One day I will ride her across Heaven.

Over time, the right side of my brain submitted to the left side that was following hard after its attraction to “the nations” and all things international. Just as some are said to have been “born with a silver spoon in their mouth,” I like to say that I was “born with flags in my mouth.” I also was blessed with a ‘gift’ for languages and won the French prize at my girls’ school for two years running. My answer to “what would you like to be?” became: “I want to be a translator or interpreter in Geneva or Vienna” – to me the epitome of international cities. God overheard this young heart’s desire, and many years later graced me with positions at the United Nations in both of those majestic and historic cities – not as an interpreter but as a linguist and ultimately as an international lawyer and UN diplomat. It was thus international law that became the subject and object of my first noteworthy publications.

In due course, my international law books came to populate major libraries worldwide. My primary fields of expertise are foreign direct investment, the legitimacy of the State of Israel, and non-legal Scriptural themes – including end-time prophecy, a favorite. My faith-based books have also received overwhelmingly positive endorsement and feedback from prominent Christian and political leaders in the U.S. and abroad, as well as the Christian and Jewish communities.

I have had the privilege of travelling widely, engaging in public speaking on nearly all continents (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa). I have lived in both Cambridges (U.S. & U.K.), Paris, Vienna, Geneva, Heidelberg (on the Neckar), Hamburg (on the Elbe), Montreal (on the St. Lawrence), New York (on the Hudson), and Washington D.C. (on the Potomac). Needless to say, both sides of my brain seek out a water view – for both esthetics and inspiration, not to mention simply refreshment for the soul. These history-rich locales also called out the artist in me and gave rise to multiple series of drawings of the most picturesque scenes of Cambridge (UK), Heidelberg, Hamburg, and Washington D.C., all of which mutated into greeting cards that helped finance my other major passion – legal research and writing. Which passion is dominant? Destiny clear: art is my hobby, writing is my life.

Geneva, Switzerland, became my home for over 20 years when ultimately returning there to accept a diplomatic post at the United Nations and staying on afterward, in my Swiss mountainside home outside Geneva, to write my books. It will not surprise you that my wonderful 400-year-old restored Swiss farmhouse looks out over the Lake of Geneva, inviting a panoramic view of the Alps, with their early morning alpine glow, and Mont Blanc – all togther an inspiration in itself for a writer – indeed, for anyone!

I returned to the U.S. in 2012 to care for my then 97-year-old mother in the northern Adirondacks of New York State, on (you guessed it) beautiful Lake Champlain, while maintaining my homes in Geneva and Washington D.C. My mom made it half-way through her 107th year before re-joining my dad, who surely was excitedly pressing against the Gates, in anticipation of her arrival.  

I must say that nothing in my life – neither my lengthy debilitating illness as a child -- which I overcame by the grace of God and a wise and praying mother -- nor my grueling 700-page Cambridge PhD thesis that set a record and instituted a first-ever length limitation on doctoral theses at that age-old university, nor the cancer death of my only sister – has been as challenging as the 10 years I spent caring for my indomitable mom, who was officially celebrated in the halls of the U.S. Congress (in absentia) for her longevity and remarkable life, on the occasion of her 106th birthday.

Fortunately, writing is a ‘movable feast,’ and ‘the pen’ is a portable and powerful tool that never needs to be far away and never loses its irresistible allure.

So, whether situated on 12 peaceful acres in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State, in a mid-1800s stone house; or on the side of the Jura mountains of Switzerland, overlooking the Lake of Geneva, “far from the madding crowd,” I would love to now turn some of my attention to inspiring, igniting and equipping you to reach your goal of birthing the book of your dreams. Let me guide you through your story, with the goal of producing “a work of excellence” and a lasting legacy, of which you will forever be proud.

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Dr. Cynthia D. Wallace has a PhD in international law from Cambridge University and has been granted research fellowships from the Max-Planck Institutes for International Law in Heidelberg and Hamburg. Her over 40 publications have appeared under the leading national and international law journals and book publishers, where she is reputed for the quality of her writing and editorial standard of excellence. Dr. Wallace moved to Geneva from a prominent 'think tank' in Washington D.C. in 1991 to assume a diplomatic post as Senior Advisor to the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Since retirement she has written and edited publications for major international organizations in Geneva on a broad range of subject matter. She is now reaching out to help other aspiring authors on a more personal level, to achieve excellence in their own writing endeavors, while she has not sacrificed her own "pen power." She is currently a Senior Fellow at The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation (thinc.), a think tank of  international lawyers in the Hague – the global capital of international law – focussed on challenging the abuse and misuse of international law to delegitimize the State of Israel and advocating the correct application of international law for peace and security between Israel and her neighbors.

Here are the reasons you can depend on Dr. Cynthia Wallace to help you break through writer’s block and bypass costly pitfalls:

• REPUTABLE – Dr. Cynthia Wallace has been a recognized and respected author and expert in her field and professional community since 1995.
  
• EXPERIENCED – Cynthia’s rich writing and editorial experience covers a wide range of
  content – from law and policy to poetry and prose.
• INTEGRITY – Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose.
  Cynthia doesn’t believe in cutting corners. The foundation of her reputation is
  her commitment to do the right thing at all times, regardless of whether anyone is watching.
• RESOURCES – We offer a variety of development and training programs built on timeless principles that get results.
• CUSTOMIZABLE – All of the resources and curriculum of CDWallace International can be customized to specifically address your individual and organizational needs.