The Queen of Suspense Novelist, Mary Higgins Clark, Author Biographies

Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins was born in the Bronx on December 24, 1927. She was the only daughter of Irish immigrant, Luke Higgins and wife Nora. Her father died when Mary was only 11 years old.

To help her struggling mother financially, Mary went to secretarial school after she graduated high school. She worked at an advertising agency for three years until she decided she wanted to travel.

In 1949 Mary was a flight attendant for Pan American Airlines. Her run was Europe, Africa and Asia. She says, "I was in a revolution in Syria and on the last flight into Czechoslovakia before the Iron Curtain went down." Of course, back then your were like starlets because Pan Pam was the air line to work for.

After her marriage in1950 to her neighbor, Warren Clark, whom she had know since a teenager, Mary started writing short stories. She sold one of her first stories in 1956 for $100.

Mary and Warren had five children together, but Warren died of a heart attack in 1964. Left raising the children on her own, Mary started writing patriotic radio scripts and books. The first book she wrote was, "Aspire to the Heavens." In 2002, Meredith Press republished this book under a new title, "Mount Vernon Love Story."

Mary went back to college graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Philosophy at Fordham University at Lincoln Center in 1979. Later, asked why philosophy, she said that there is much psychology in philosophy, which helped her become a better writer. Today Mary has thirteen honorary doctorates.

Mary does use much psychology in her novels. Asked about ESP, Mary says that she believes that all writers have an intuitive sense, "I firmly believe in ESP. Sometimes there is thought transference..." However, she does not believe in channelling or reincarnation.

Mary Higgins Clark tackles many controversial subjects in her novels, such as fertility clinics, capital punishment, HMO's, multiple personalities and parapsychology. However, Mary has never used explicit sex or violence in her books. Maybe that is why they appeal to the growing number of young adults reading her novels.

Mary's daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, also a suspense writer, has co-authored several books with her.

In 1996, Mary married John Conheeney. John is the retired chairman and CEO of Merrill-Lynch Futures. They make Saddle River, New Jersey their home.

Although Mary is known as "The Queen of Suspense," she says that she still wants to write a book that is a generational saga.

Books by Mary Higgins Clark:

Series:

Regan Reilly (with Carol Higgins Clark)
Deck the Halls (2000)
The Christmas Thief ((2004)
Santa Cruise (2006)
Dashing Through the Snow (2008)

Stand Alone Novels:

Aspire to the Heavens (1960)
Where are the Children (1975)
A Stranger is Watching? (1977)
The Cradle Will Fall (1980)
A Cry in the Night (1982)
Stillwatch (1984)
Weep No More, My Lady (1987)
While My Pretty One Sleeps (1989)
Loves Music, Loves to Dance (1991)
All Around the Town (1992)
I'll Be Seeing You (1993)
Remember Me (1994)
Pretend You Don't See Her (1994)
Silent Night (1995)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1995)
Moonlight Becomes You (1996)
You Belong to Me (1998)
All Through the Night (1998)
We'll Meet Again (1999)
Before I Say Good-Bye (2000)
He Sees You When You're Sleeping (2001) (With Carol Higgins Clark)
On the Street where You Live (2001)
Daddy's Little Girl (2002)
The Second Time Around (2003)
Nighttime is My Time (2004)
No Place Like Home (2005)
Two Little Girls in Blue (2006)
I Heard That Song Before (2007)
Where Are You Now (2008)
Just Take My Heart (2009)
The Shadow of Your Smile (2010)

Children's Fiction:

Ghost Ship: A Cape Cod Story (2007)

Non Fiction:

Mother (1996) (with Maya Angelou and Amy Tan)
Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir (2001)

Anthologies Edited:

Murder on the Aisle: The 1987 Mystery Writers of America Anthology (1987)
Caribbean Blues (1988)
Women of Mystery (1992) (with Faye Kellerman and Cynthia Manson)
Bad Behavior (1995)
The Plot Thickens (1997)
The Night Awakens (1998)
Great Mystery Series: 11 of the Best Short Stories from Alfred Hitchcock's And Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (2000) (with Lawrence Block and Ralph McInerny)

Collections:

The Anastasia Syndrome: And Other Stories (1989)
That's the Ticket/Voices in the Coal Bin (1990) (with Carol Higgins Clark)
Death on the Cape: and Other Stories (1993)
Stowaway and Milk Run (1993)
The Lottery Winner: Alvirah and Willy Stories (1994)
My Gal Sunday: Henry and Sunday Stories (1996)

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Walking on a Rainbow - How I Became a Children's Book Author

I used to think writing children's books was boring. Writing for those demanding, whining creatures? Are you kidding? Not for me. No thanks.

That was a few years ago.

Now, nothing fills me with more joy and excitement than writing a picture book or a novel for tweens. Writing for children is like stepping into a fresh, magical, innocent, marvelous world of color and words. Writing for children is, in fact, like walking on a rainbow.

So how did the change happen?

Easy. I had children.

I recently read an interesting post by another children's author about how in order to write good children's stories, one must know children. Of course, as always, there are exceptions to the rule, but in general, I find this observation to be true. This doesn't necessarily mean that one must have children in order to write great children's stories, but it does mean that one must interact with them, know their fears, fantasies, dreams. In sum, one must have a clear idea of what goes on inside their little heads and hearts.

In my case, having children brought out a tender, gentler part of me to the surface, a part I didn't know I had. Suddenly, as I read to my little daughter every night, picture books, with their beautiful and evocative illustrations, began to appear very appealing to me. I don't remember when the exact moment happened, the moment when I thought, 'I want to write a children's book.' But I do know I went from extreme to extreme: from chilling horror to sweet picture books. Two very different worlds, but I'm able to switch from one to the other without much problem. On the contrary, each one serves as a refreshing break from the other. So I may work on a lovable children's story in the morning, and dive into a disturbing werewolf scene in the afternoon. It's fun, like having split personalities, without the crazy element (or at least, I hope so!).

So far, I've written four picture books. Two have already been published: The Magic Violin and CRASH! The other two are in the illustrating stages and will be released next year. I also have a finished tween novel in the editing stages and another one in progress.

The world of children's book publishing is extremely competitive, to say the least. It takes hard work, dedication, perseverance and commitment to become a published author. I know the stakes, but once you step into that magical rainbow, there's no turning back.

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Interview with Sammy Shu, Author of "There's a Season for All"

Sammy Shu resides in Denver, Colorado with her family. In 1992 she finished her first children’s book, and quickly discovered a love of the genre and has been weaving her fantasies ever since. Sammy writes four hours a day and spends her time dedicated to the whimsies of childhood. She hopes to bring smiles to the faces of children all over the world and her stories are a testament to this. Fairies, dragons, mermaids, centaurs and creatures yet to be discovered are but a few of the fabulous topics of her wonderful books. Sammy has written nine children’s books with more planned for the future.

Juanita: Welcome to Reader Views Sammy, and thanks for the opportunity to talk with you about your wonderful new children’s book “There’s a Season for All.” Sammy, have you always been a writer? Why did you begin writing children’s books?

Sammy: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember being able to hold a pencil. My first stories were related to role-playing. You learn about character development, Finding a reason for things and developing storylines. It’s a great fun way to relax and stretch your imagination muscles. As I grew older I stopped gaming and began really pursuing more fairytale themes in my work. My love of children’s book arrived with my children watching their faces light up as I tell them a story makes a challenging day melt away. That’s good stuff.

Juanita: What is the age range of “There’s a Season for All”? Is this the same for all of your books?

Sammy: This book is for young readers, ages 5 - 9. My next book is for young adults and the ones coming next year are again for the younger reader.

Juanita: Is there anything specific to the 5 - 9 year age group that you keep in mind when writing?

Sammy: I try to remember how amazingly intelligent children are today. I never dumb it down. I use big words and situations that I know they deal with. I want to relate to these children. My writing has a purpose, a goal, and that’s an important factor to my work. I want to create an emotional response, make them think. So far the response has been great.

Juanita: What happens in “There’s a Season for All”?

Sammy: Four fairies sisters inherit the running of Tweenland. They have many responsibilities and soon discover that things are far more difficult than they thought. Running a kingdom is demanding. Soon they are fighting and causing problems for the people. I think this is something that happens with siblings, they fight, they work it out and in the end they remain loving and considerate. This is what happens in the book. But I don’t want to give away how that happens. The ending is pretty cool.

Juanita: Would you tell us about Tweenland, and its metaphoric message?

Sammy: I wanted a land that represented real life situations while remaining true to a child’s fabulous imagination. This is the place in be Tween.

Juanita: What inspired this highly creative storyline?

Sammy: I have daughters and of course they love all things fairy tale. Seasons are very important to me. I grew up in Florida where there really weren’t many changes, that part was inspired by Colorado and all of its beauty and variety. Sometimes I forget that I came from a place that didn’t have that. It’s so beautiful here and I draw a lot of my inspiration from that. all of the rest comes from the children. They’re so open and so fascinated by it all. I remember that and I miss the innocence. I’m inspired to keep that alive.

Juanita: The four fairy sisters in this story represent the four seasons, who struggle to assert their power. This really is a fascinating way to connect children with the environment, while teaching personal responsibility and working with others. Would you elaborate on these characters - the four fairy sisters, and the magic they hold in this story?

Sammy: The great thing about this story for me is each character represents a child in my life so they are all very special to me. They have such power to control their own environment and you can see how competent and successful they are by the end of the story. Girls need to know that they are powerful and capable I love that my girls feel that and I hope this book can put those ideas out there for other girls.

Juanita: What is the take home message in “There’s a Season for All”?

Sammy: Every person has something to offer in the big picture. We’re all so different and if we could just learn to work together we could achieve anything.

Juanita: Sammy, have you always been interested in fairy tales and mystical themes?

Sammy: Yes, as a child I wrote about magical bunnies and a land where you could sip chocolate milk from streams. I also played some role-playing games. I love fantastic themes. It’s so wonderful to be able to write about the places in my dreams and know that I can share that with the world.

Juanita: Even in this modern-day, why do you think fairies, dragons, mermaids, and elfin creatures provide such timeless fascination for children?

Sammy: It’s the belief that magic is real. I think as children are growing they are frustrated by their lack of control on their lives. In fairy tales they can use their imagination to create situations that they enjoy and have some control over.

Juanita: I know that imagination is a significant theme in your books, as well as in your personal and professional life. Would you comment on your desire to spark children’s imagination as well as inspiring your own?

Sammy: Life can be so demanding. We all need a place to go and recharge our batteries. The imagination is abundant and you can make it anything you want. For me it’s writing and my hope for the children is that they enjoy my stories, come away feeling refreshed and ready to take on all of life’s challenges.

Juanita: Sammy, would you tell us about Carl Cone, the illustrator for “There’s a Season for All,” as well as the collaboration process?

Sammy: Carl is my best friend. We’ve worked together for years and I’m sure we will continue to do so. He’s amazing. All of my work comes to life because of his astounding talent. I give him a story and he usually shows me sketches. We talk about possibilities and then he’s off and running. He’s always right on with his great ideas. I’m lucky to have such talent surrounding me. He has a site for people in need of an artist in different mediums. It is http://www.myspace.com/carltheartbug.

Juanita: Are you working on any other books/projects at this time?

Sammy:“The Legend of the Vampire Fairies” is the next book coming out. It’s a darker fairy tale for teens and young adults. The art is primarily my photography with some sketches and detail work by Carl. We’re very excited about it. I’ve also written several books that are about the Land of Imagination (where the fairy queen goes to rest in the first book) in that book the main character is a centaur boy learning the responsibilities of adulthood. Both project hold a special place in my heart and I cant wait to share them.
They will all be coming out as soon as the art is done.

Juanita: How can readers find out about you and your books?

Sammy: You can buy my books at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Tattered Cover, Amazon.com any retail store should have them or be able to get them. My web site is [http://www.Sammyshu.com] .

I also have several other sites that are linked to that one. If you go to Youtube.com you can put in Vampire Fairies and watch a book trailer of my upcoming book.

Juanita: Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us today Sammy. We encourage readers to look for “There’s a Season for All” at local and online bookstores, as well as stay posted to your website for future releases. Before we depart, do you have any final thoughts for your readers?

Sammy: I’d like to mention that a portion of the proceeds of my book sales go to a foundation I started called AFFECT (artists function for enhancing children’s tomorrow) The purpose of the foundation is to give children in need the opportunities that the rest of them have, Good books, entertainment, Art. We go to children’s homes and hospitals we read to them, do short skits, teach them fun safe choreographed combat techniques. Drawing classes, and anything else our members are willing to provide. We are always looking for people who are willing to donate their talents for the lost children of this world; hopefully through my writing I can make a difference. Thank you for this opportunity to get my message to more people.

To find out more about our cause go to makeanaffect.com and keep reading!

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