I’m a graduate of Bryant & Stratton College at Buffalo, NY. I’ve worked for many years in the banking field in Retail Banking, Corporate Trust, and Personal Trust as an Administrative Assistant. I moved to Florida in 1982 and lived in Jacksonville, FL and years later, Central FL near Orlando. I began writing poetry seventeen years ago and children’s stories eight years ago. Now I concentrate mostly on writing children’s stories for picture books and chapter books.

I’ve published a poetry chapbook with Writer’s Ink Press (Daytona Beach) in 2013 titled, PRUNING. In 2016, I’ve published, LUCKY AND HAPPY, with Kids Imagination Train, an e-zine. In 2017, I’ve published, AN ELM LEAF FACES HIS FEAR, with Bumples Magazine. This year, LUCKY’S VIOLIN, will be published in the May/June issue of Kids Imagination Train, an e-zine.

I’m married to my husband, Stephen. We’ve retired to Fort Myers, FL in June 2018.

Because my father was a career Air Force officer, I grew up on or near to military bases nearly all of my life. We moved frequently, at least every two years. I went to school in Florida, Ohio, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Texas. After graduating from college, I joined the Air Force myself, and continued the  nomadic lifestyle for many years. I began writing before I had even completed officer candidate school.

My white paper on the role of the military in South American governments was selected to be read – by myself – in front of an audience composed of…South American colonels and generals. I was scared to death! I continued to write technical papers and documents, first for the Air Force, and later for my employers. My first adventure in non-fiction was an historical novel. This was followed by short stories, memoirs, and essays. Some have been published, most have not.

I am now retired and spend a great deal of my time writing, drawing from my many adventures and the places where I have lived.

Writer, author, nature enthusiast, peace promoter and energy worker with a focus on harnessing the power of words, love, joy, non-digital human connection and nature to restore optimum health.  My passion lies in assisting others through writing to recognize their strengths, attributes and dreams and to offer the hope and encouragement necessary to achieve them.  My mission is to eradicate the Western cultural consensus concept of mental illness.

I divide most of my time between the beautiful settings and people of western New York and the Gulf Coast of Florida.  My books, Giddy as Charged and Reconciliation of the Heart are available on Amazon.

My current project, I Beg Your Pardon, but I’m not the Least Bit Disordered, is a combination of history and light-hearted personal experience of what it means (or doesn’t) to be labeled mentally ill in the United States.

Quote that I live by:  “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.” – Hafez of Shiraz

Visit her website at: http://capturelifewriting.com

Mary’s books