Her Story
About Mary Ann
Mary Ann Unger is a Professional Writer and award-winning mystery/thriller novelist based in Henderson, Nevada, best known for her forensic-driven mysteries in the Matti James series and her stand-alone thrillers. Since 2013, she has built a career as a novelist specializing in suspense fiction that blends crime investigation, psychological complexity, and subtle elements of the paranormal. Her writing is distinguished by meticulous research, strong narrative structure, and a commitment to realism drawn from extensive professional and academic experience. Before establishing herself as a full-time writer, she spent approximately 20 years as Head of Publications for economics and demographics for the New Jersey Department of Labor, where she produced and edited high-level economic reports and state publications supporting policy and public communication. Earlier, she taught English, journalism, creative writing, and Shakespeare at the community college level through the University of Miami academic pathway, and later pursued advanced study in British drama at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Wroxton campus in Oxfordshire. Her academic and professional background also includes studies in statistics and computer programming at institutions such as Princeton University, Rutgers University, Rider University, and training with the United States Census Bureau. This combination of literary training, analytical expertise, and government communications experience informs her distinctive approach to storytelling. Unger is the author of 11 books, including several bestsellers, and her body of work has received a national Women in the Arts Recognition Award in literature. Her novel Mermaid, written during the COVID-19 pandemic and set north of the Arctic Circle in Tuktoyaktuk, earned three international gold medals for its fusion of myth and murder. Today, she continues her work as a Professional Writer while also mentoring serious writers, applying the same rigor, discipline, and editorial precision that defined her earlier career in public service and publishing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary Ann
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think my proudest accomplishment is having helped one man get published - Gerald Dennen and his book 'On the Attack' about the Battle of the Bulge. I met him at the M buffet when I overheard him mention the Battle of the Bulge. His daughter said he wrote a book, so I offered to help. When I got his manuscript, it was all historic information like Wikipedia, and I told him, no, this is not what people want to read. I wanted him to tell me from the time he entered the Army what he saw, what he felt - that's what makes the difference for a reader . It resulted in some funny and some very poignant scenes, like when he was on KP duty and kept cutting himself so his blood went into the potatoes and the soldiers loved the result, or when his unit came across American uniforms in the woods where Germans had captured soldiers, made them strip, and took them to be shot. He was able to publish it maybe 2 years before he died. We had a book signing back at the M buffet, and it was fun, but as originally writter, he would have never, ever published that book and his experiences would have been los t. This was really one of my proudest moments, to have helped him. Beyond that, my big thing is to help writers who are serious about having their books reviewed editorially. I look at the layout, the logic - it's not just did you miss a comma, but if the character asked a question and it's never answered, why not? I try to help them get a better idea of the work entailed to write well.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
On one of my manuscripts, I thought I was doing really good work,, and a best-selling author friend looked at me and said, "Toss out the first two chapters, it starts on number 3. "I looked at it and I said, " OK!" I didn't put up an argument, because she knew what she was talking about. That taught me the importance of being willing to accept tough feedback and not being defensive about your writing. Now when I work with other writers, I tell them they should be ready to develop a thick skin, because when people start, they think they're perfect.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The competition is tough. Figure out what sets your work apart. In other words read other books in your genre. Do not hesitate to ask established writers for an honest look at your manuscript. Friends and relatives will love everything you write....mistakes and all.
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