FAQs

While Mary gets lots of mail asking different questions,
there are several that appear more often than others.
Mary thought she would answer a few of them here,
but that does not mean she wants you to stop writing
to her!

How do I get published?
I receive this question a lot, from people who have written, or
want to write books. When I began writing, I didn't know
anything about the publishing world and sometimes that
makes taking the first steps easier. For me it included finding
out what was being published, reading lots of books in a
number of different genres – mysteries, romance, suspense,
sci-fi, historicals and both fiction and non-fiction. Though my
first published book was non-fiction – a travel guide – I
narrowed the scope of my writing down to two issues that
were most important to me. The first involved relationships.
My initial books deal with the relationship between men and
women – what works, how does it work, why is it such a
challenge. Later books will go more in-depth with other types
of relationships – families, friends, even enemies. After all, I
feel the interaction between people, day in and day out, is
what makes the world such a fascinating, ever-changing
place. The second issue I wanted to explore more deeply was
the core endurance required to keep on going, to keep
reaching for impossible goals in the face of what seems are
insurmountable obstacles. The portrayal of this goal, and
achievement, is what separates commercial fiction from
literary fiction [not literature] and why I choose to write
commercial fiction. It’s important to discover for yourself, what
drives the types of books you want to write before you go
very far in this business.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
I always have lots of advice – especially since they say an
expert is someone who has made every mistake once. I’m
well on my way to being an expert and have no problem
sharing my hard-won lessons with others. First off, be aware
that writing is both a craft and a business. You can be
capable of writing the best book ever written, but no one will
read it if you don’t understand the business of getting it
published. Be aware that once your manuscript leaves your
hands it becomes a product – not your soul, your child, your
heart. Its merits are based solely on whether a particular
editor or agent believes it will sell in the current marketplace.
It does no good for a farmer to grow oats if only wheat is
being sold. That said, be also aware that the market is
constantly changing. You and you alone, must believe in
your book before anyone else will. If you are like most
published authors, you will face plenty of rejection before
succeeding. This is all part of the process and the process
has its ups and downs.

Are your characters like you?
I wish I could say the best parts are like me – especially when
they are brilliant, funny and heroic. The truth is that every
author pours a little of herself into every character and vice a
versa – she learns a little from every character. There’s
nothing quite so eye opening as having a character spout
some bit of wisdom or insight that smacks you up the side of
the head and has you saying – I didn’t know that!

How can I get my book signed?
Whenever a new book of mine is published I try to get out on
the road to visit as many bookstores, libraries, writer’s groups
and book clubs as possible. The rest of the year I conduct on-
line workshops and make random appearances as time, and
the writing of the next book(s) permits. You can always visit
my website to get a complete listing of my upcoming events. If
I am not appearing near your home anytime soon you can
always email me and I will gladly send you a personalized
bookplate. (For more information, click here.)

How long does it take you to write a book?
It always takes twice as long as I planned, but I can usually
write a 300 page book in several months, start to finish. For
non-writers this may sound reasonable, but I know other
writers will shake their heads in disbelief. My secret I believe
is that when I first started writing I still had five children at
home under the age of eight. Thinking time, much less writing
time, was always at a premium. My solution was to train
myself to pre-write in my head – whole pages of dialogue,
character development and action scenes. What this means
is that by the time I ever sit down in front of the computer I am
very familiar with the characters, the story line, the conflicts,
then it becomes a matter of opening up and letting the
characters tell their own story.

How do you write?
I write my entire book on the computer but I use two different
computers for the process. The first is a laptop I can use
sitting on the bed. Not very comfortable after a few hours, but
it was the only place I could write relatively uninterrupted for
years and it’s become a habit that works. Also, since this
computer is not hooked up to the internet I’m never tempted
to delay writing by reading e-mails, doing research or, when I
really want to procrastinate, playing web games. The second
computer is in my office, where I do my editing. To me that’s
a left brain function and requires sitting up straight in a hard
backed chair. Must be all the years of Catholic school coming
back to haunt me!

What is your favorite part about writing?
Finding out what the characters are going to do next. Truly, I’
m often as surprised, or more so, at the situations they find
themselves in. It’s like being a parent – sometimes you’re the
last to know! Being a writer and being a published author
are, in my mind, two different sides of the coin. I know many,
many writers who never get their words down on paper
because it always sounds better in their heads. Then, if they
do technically write the book, can’t find the way to have it
read, and judged, by total strangers. It’s enough to petrify
most sane, private people. One author friend of mine always
maintained it was easy. To be a writer all you have to do is sit
down at the computer, and open your veins.
My ultimate goal as a writer is to entertain people, to let them
slip into another world, another reality, for a short period of
time, and return refreshed and renewed. It’s a gift to me
when I hear I’ve done this for readers. I also really enjoy
going on the road and meeting people. People are
fascinating, and I never stop learning from my readers.

How do you come up with your ideas?
I wish I knew. Mostly it’s a matter of letting go of the best
intentions and plans and paying attention to the world around
me. There are ideas everywhere - from regular life, TV, the
movies. Then it becomes a matter of seeing a snippet of an
event or conversation or even a gesture that raises a
question in my mind – why did he do that, or what would
happen if - and extrapolating it back and forward until it
becomes as familiar as well-chewed gum. Some stories will
pop full-grown into your mind from the smallest seed. Others
require years of revisiting and nurturing to bring to bloom

What are you writing next?
There’s always a book in the process of being written or
plotted or discussed with my editor and agent. Currently I’m
working on two projects simultaneously, which makes for a bit
of a chaotic mind. I’ll remember where my character placed
her gun, but not when my dentist appointment is next. At this
time I'm not ready to reveal anything else about the books
until I have more details pinned down, but when I'm ready, I
will post the first chapter on this website, so check back often.