From young adult to traditional regency romance, Mary Morrow writes across genres. The writing bug bit Mary when she was nine years old in the fourth grade, and she attempted to bring a contemporary twist to Cinderella.
She finished her first Young Adult romance just as "the market switched to more angst in young readers' books." She admits that angst isn't her style, and says that switch in the market was what led her to write something else.
As an avid reader of traditional Regency Romance, Mary decided to try writing her own. Dedicated to her craft, she says she "got up at 5:00 a.m. to write" before heading off for her day job.
She wrote The Reluctant Viscount, which she says has "a lot of romance but not much plot." It was rejected by Jessica Lichtenstein at Harper, but led to a request for other manuscripts. Mary delivered, and within a week, she'd sold her first novel, An Innocent Ruse.
For Mary, it was a dream come true. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after she sold her first book that Mary says, "the regency market all but disappeared."
"I sold a traditional Regency Romance, An Innocent Ruse..." she says. "And then I didn't sell a second."
But that didn't stop her from writing, and multiple finished manuscripts later, Mary had done what she'd always been told not to do-she'd written many different types of books in many different genres and subgenres. She ended up with two Regency manuscripts, two contemporary sweet romances, and one teen chicklit story with two more Young Adult novels already planned out.
Although she admits that "for a time, I simply stopped submitting," Mary never lost her drive to write, and eventually, she found a critique partner who encouraged her to continue to reach for her dream.
Currently, Mary is working on a three book Young Adult series about three best friends and the hazards of high school.
Someday soon, I imagine, we'll see Mary's name on the spine of another book, and it just might be one of these.
Mary says, "The competition out there is fierce. But quit? Never."
Words to live by, certainly.
Mary's Books
When orphaned Madeline Smythe returned to England and a home she had never seen, her mother's family had high hopes of using her as a pawn in an arranged marriage. But while Madeline might be from the wilds of Canada, she was not the pliable, rustic provincial they expected.
All was not right in her family's home, and Madeline vowed to discover why. If that meant pretending to be engaged, it seemed an innocent enough ruse. Until Madeline realized that her heart leaned in a not-so-innocent direction-toward her supposed fiancé's brother, Captain Titus Rhodes.
Mary's completed but unpublished projects include:
The Queen Of Standing On The Sidelines
Jan Madison spent her whole summer secluded in a backyard gazebo having luscious fun with great-looking Marve Ellis. Will they ever have a date date? Marve is definitely willing; he's just waiting on Jan to send him vibes. Add to that a Saturday job, The Pink Shoelace Thief, two multi-talented best friends, a Total Magnet, and an ex-best friend with a snooty attitude.
Her Last Indiscretion
Free-spirited heiress Alexandria Brock-Rowe falls maddeningly in love with Ross Kirkleton, adventurous merchant. But he is the sort of wandering gentleman merchant she vowed at an early age not to marry. Because she's never known her parents, she fears she could be the infant in a "found" letter. She vows to search for the truth.
Ross tries to resist Alexandria. Instead, he becomes obsessed with her. Together they launch an outrageous romance. He intends to offer for her, but first he wants revenge of the reprobate gambler who stripped him of his meager inheritance.
Moonlight And Riley
At long last, Widow Maggie Garrett has found the perfect gentleman. Radford Fremont is a gorgeous viscount a.k.a. British spy, and they seem the perfect match. But as luck would have it, their fathers feuded for years. Would Maggie and Radford end up in each other's arms...or at each other's throat?
Island Rendezvous
Sabotage plagues Talbot Lodge and Campground, and Elena Talbot is committed to finding the person responsible. She can't help but notice that the more involved she becomes with the irresistible Troy Coldier, the more it seems someone is out to get her.
More Than Show
Rima Meyer doesn't want to build a fashion empire, she merely wants to make a living doing what she loves best-creating costumes for fashion-conscious customers. Del Franklin wants her to relinquish her business location so he can go ahead with his plans to develop an upscale subdivision. Del pursues her and she falls in love with him. Has he fallen for her? Or is he merely trying to sway her to his way of thinking?
Mary Morrow's book can be purchased at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, or abebooks.com.
