Resources / Writing
Because TANGLED DARKNESS includes themes of severe mental illness, alcoholism and opioid addiction, the Resources section provides information about these issues, including access to treatment and getting help.
In the Writing section, I’ll blog about my writing journey and where it takes me.
Check out Mary’s latest drama, a psychological thriller short story — BETRAYAL IN THE BALANCE.
Unpacking LGBTQ Characters in Thriller Fiction
As an LGBTQ author with a queer-lead psychological thriller novel debuting soon—TANGLED DARKNESS (July 2025)—I’m grateful to have a role in the progression of authentic, nuanced LGBTQ characterization in popular thriller fiction. I’ve recently looked back on the history of LGBTQ representation in thrillers since the 1960s. Mind you, this isn’t an exhaustive review nor…
Making Some Progess
I’m thrilled to share that the revisions I made earlier this year to TANGLED DARKNESS might be propelling me closer to publication. In all honesty, I hadn’t anticipated the domino effect that would result from a professional manuscript edit. The process entailed several thorough read-throughs of the entire story, but it didn’t stop there. Every…
ADDICTION AND CORRUPTION IN Tangled Darkness
Addiction is a chronic, recurring condition defined by compulsive behavior, such as the persistent seeking and use of alcohol in the case of alcoholism, despite the negative repercussions. In my work, TANGLED DARKNESS, addiction is a prevalent theme, with various characters grappling with different forms of addiction, including pathological gambling, severe opiate use disorder, alcoholism,…
The Road to Redemption
Thoughts on Themes from Tangled Darkness In TANGLED DARKNESS, an 87,000-word psychological thriller, various characters grapple with challenging pasts. These include early losses that shape their inner narratives, early exposure to authority figures marred by narcissism and corruption, and the impact of parental substance abuse on child development. Numerous factors contribute to shaping an individual’s…
Polish Your Pitch
Twitter may be a controversial platform lately, but it’s still a place where numerous pitch eventsoccur — opportunities to try your hand at gaining an agent or editor’s attention. There are several Pitch events happening on the internet, and I recently learned not all of them are onTwitter.Checkout this site: https://savvyauthors.com/community/classes/2023-autumn-pitchfest.1987/ Right — from October…
The Story Arc; SinC Class
I’ve been a member of Sisters in Crime for nearly three years. It’s a national organization withmany local chapters. Their mission is “to promote the advancement, recognition, andprofessional development of women crime writers.” They’ve been so useful, generous, andhelpful in my ‘learning to write’ effort. It’s difficult to cover all the benefits of membership.Recently, I…