Montaha Hide¿, author of Giving Voice to my Silence - My Struggle for Respect from Venezuela to Syria, Dando voz a mi silencio - Mi lucha por el respeto entre Venezuela y Siria and Groping for Truth - My Uphill Struggle for Respect, was born and raised in Venezuela to Syrian immigrants. As a teenager, her family returned to Syria, and as an adult she lived in the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Canada.From an early age, Montaha found comfort in exploring the vivid colours of her tropical surroundings. She began writing during her teen years in Syria as she con¿ded in a diary, while battling with an overwhelming culture shock and waging an ongoing debate to understand the upheaval in her life.Through sheer grit and determination, she overcame huge obstacles to become a well-educated, highly respected businesswoman in her ¿eld. As an internationally recognized colour archeologist, strategic colour trend advisor and colour marketer, she co-authored the ¿rst and second editions of Colour Design Theories and Applications, in 2012 and 2017, edited by Janet West.She has authored numerous articles related to her industry and profession for various trade magazines and websites. She is also an experienced trend panelist and contributed to the creative development of several trend books including NCS Colour Trends in Sweden, MoOD Inspirations in Belgium, and Mix Magazine in the United Kingdom.Montaha has several advance degrees, including an MBA, a masters in international business and a masters in translation. In 1991, her Arabic translation of the French children's book, Badang l'Invincible, Les Contes du Griot, written in 1977 by Claude Duboux-Buquet, was published.Montaha currently resides in Guelph, Ontario, in Canada, with her husband, Michael Richter, a composer, pianist and sound engineer.