Maryrose Wood
A confirmed theatre geek, at age 17 she moved to New York City to study acting. Soon she dropped out of college to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical—which flopped. Lean and action-packed years followed, full of acting, directing, playwriting, and making tipsy people laugh at comedy clubs. Maryrose’s writing for the stage made her a three-time winner of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is her first series for middle-grade readers. Book 1, The Mysterious Howling, was published in 2010 and received starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ and Publishers Weekly, and was named a Best Children’s Book of 2010 by the Christian Science Monitor, Kirkus, and others.
Maryrose has taught fiction writing and playwriting and is a popular speaker at schools, libraries and conferences. For fun she likes to garden, bike, kayak, and try new vegetarian recipes. She lives in New York with her two children, two cats and a small, feisty, red-headed dog.
Author's Comment: Q: Was there a governess you wish you’d had, growing up?
A: Jane Eyre is absolutely my favorite governess story. I like Mary Poppins a great deal too, but it always troubled me that she was not more affectionate. I found it incredibly sad when she left the children at the end of the film version. I always thought it would be better if she stayed and the parents left!
Nationality: American