The overall story. Mary, a freelance writer, novelist, and nature-lover, lives in central-Texas. Her work includes dozens of articles on topics including travel, family, nature, conservation, education, and pieces that appeal to general audiences. Mary is the creator of the middle-grade bilingual children’s series, “Los Gemelos Jiménez” (under the nom de plume Mary Orozco). In addition, she’s just about to complete work on her Southern lite-lit novel, "Kaylee, Texas" (under the nom de plume Mary Odessa). With Gail Hoffman, Mary co-wrote "Images for Conservation - Book Three: Borderlands of Laredo, Texas Edition." She's also contributed to three other non-fiction books.
My life experiences run the gamut. That’s why you’ll find that my clips run the gamut. I love lifting rocks, uncovering ordinary nuance, undressing the sky. Give me a topic and I’ll pursue it. Give me an audience and I’ll communicate. Give me a genre and I’ll pull at its threads.
I love being involved in life. With writing as my spine I remain participatory. To stay limber I stay engaged. I purr or growl or lunge, depending upon which vertebrae needs stretching. I travel frequently, rarely a stranger in strange lands, particularly those of México and Central America. You'll often find me camping tentless, diving S.C.U.B.A., and exploring nature with my husband, Jeff Parker, a professional wildlife photographer. In my earlier days, my path led me toward photojournalism (until motherhood led me elsewhere) and part of me longs to roam when I'm the one holding the camera. [To wit: The 2009 coup in Honduras...I've posted just a few photos in this website.]
I love words. When they play well together it satisfies something deeper than air. I stay amazed at how the simplicity of letters all-in-a-row has the power to shift worlds. I've always loved words, especially when written. At 5-years-old, I made “magazines” and gave them as gifts. I created my first real short story at eight. As a 10-year-old I somehow coerced my whole 6th-grade class into using a script I'd written to perform a school play.
My life experiences run the gamut. That’s why you’ll find that my clips run the gamut. I love lifting rocks, uncovering ordinary nuance, undressing the sky. Give me a topic and I’ll pursue it. Give me an audience and I’ll communicate. Give me a genre and I’ll pull at its threads.
I love being involved in life. With writing as my spine I remain participatory. To stay limber I stay engaged. I purr or growl or lunge, depending upon which vertebrae needs stretching. I travel frequently, rarely a stranger in strange lands, particularly those of México and Central America. You'll often find me camping tentless, diving S.C.U.B.A., and exploring nature with my husband, Jeff Parker, a professional wildlife photographer. In my earlier days, my path led me toward photojournalism (until motherhood led me elsewhere) and part of me longs to roam when I'm the one holding the camera. [To wit: The 2009 coup in Honduras...I've posted just a few photos in this website.]
I love words. When they play well together it satisfies something deeper than air. I stay amazed at how the simplicity of letters all-in-a-row has the power to shift worlds. I've always loved words, especially when written. At 5-years-old, I made “magazines” and gave them as gifts. I created my first real short story at eight. As a 10-year-old I somehow coerced my whole 6th-grade class into using a script I'd written to perform a school play.