As a young girl growing up in Johnson City, Tenn., Mary Maden heard family legend and lore from her grandparents that included Old World tales of banshees and local history about larger-than-life legend Daniel Boone.
She was later exposed to a wide range of cultures from living in California, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Mississippi as well as abroad in Mallorca, Spain — an eclectic influence that has fueled 15 books, with more on the way.
Maden has won several literary awards for her work, including a first-place award in a national competition from the National Federation of Press Women for her book "A Sea Turtle Story."
Maden's love for the written word began early. She was encouraged to read such books as "Beowulf" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" while still in elementary school. She started writing her own stories in childhood, which she marketed to classmates at 10 cents a copy.
Before becoming a published author, she worked as a Spanish linguist and Air Force cryptologist.
Her stories are designed to entertain while they raise awareness of environmental issues and convey historical and scientific facts. She also visits classrooms and libraries to make presentations on coastal pirates or how to be a "writing wizard" — complete with sword and swashbuckling attire, or wand and glitter.
She lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her husband, Eric, and her big black dog, Tazz, a recurring character in some of her books.