Debut Author
Mary Helen Sheriff
Mary Helen Sheriff co-edited, along with Grace Sammon, the collaborative anthology Launch Pad: Countdown to Marketing Your Book. She is also is the author of the award-winning southern women’s fiction, Boop and Eve’s Road Trip. When she isn’t writing, she serves as an Author Marketing Coach and the CEO of Bookish Road Trip. Her professional background includes 14 years of teaching experience. In 2007, she earned an MFA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University.
A Few Podcast Interviews
Find Me Around the Web…
“Make Social Media Manageable” on A Writer’s Block
“Amplifying Your Book’s Success Through Collaboration” on M.K. Tod’s blog
“5 Tips for Designing a Book Marketing Plan” on Karen E. Osborne’s blog
“Road Tripping” on Overbooked, Cathy Zane’s blog
“Finding Strength in the Ashes” on Empowering Unsung Women in History, Linda Ulleseit’s Blog
“Authors Interviewing Characters: Mary Helen Sheriff, author of Boop and Eve’s Road Trip” on Women Writers, Women’s Books
“Tips for Successful Book Gifting” on A Novel Idea blog
Into the Wind by William Loizeaux Book Review on Book Trib
Santatorium by Sarah Pearse Book Review on Book Trib
Outlawed by Anna North Book Review on Book Trib
Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia Book Review on Book Trib
The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks by Julie Valerie Gift Recommendation for Glamour
Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory Book Review on Book Trib
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi Book Review on Book Trib
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid Book Review on Book Trib
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende Book Review on Book Trib
“7 Book Marketing Trends Worth Your Time in 2023” The Book Biz column in Write ON! summer 2023 available to WFWA members
“Riverside Student Providing Brighter Days to Downtrodden With Uplifting Undertaking” article for Riverside School News
“Riverside Alumnus and Family Fund Teacher Training Scholarship” article for Riverside School annual report
“Riverside School Alumnus a Talented Documentarian in the Making” article for Riverside School annual report
“Building Character in Our Kids: All the right stuff in Richmond,” Feature story in Richmond Family Magazine
“Parenting Blog Best Picks: Real Mom’s Sweet 16,” Real Mom column of Richmond Family Magazine
“If Mama’s Unhappy, Nobody’s Happy,” Real Mom column of Richmond Family Magazine
“Meet Mary Sheriff” in Canvas Rebel
“Meet Author Marketing Coach and Award Winning Author” in Shout Out Miami
“Launch Pad” by Grace Sammon in Well Read Magazine
“Expanding Your Author Life” part 1 and part 2 by Grace Sammon on Women Writers, Women’s Books
“Beyond Description” by Barbara Linn Probst on Writer Unboxed
A Few Video Interviews
My Stories
Work In Progress
Have you ever finished a book and wondered, “What made the author think of that?” Or wondered if there was a chapter in the original manuscript that didn’t make it through the final edits? Maybe you’d like to get a sneak peek at what an author is currently working on. Work In Progress includes fifty-nine excerpts from some talented authors’ works in progress in different stages of the writing process, followed up with the story behind the story of the piece, and the story behind the author who wrote it.
River City Secrets
River City Secrets: Stories From Richmond, includes twenty-four stories of imagination and adventure, each set in one of Richmond’s many popular historic locations. Written with children in mind, this is a great collection for adults, too!
The authors, the editor, and the publisher are all Richmond-based. My short story The Ingleside Treasure features The Library of Virginia.
Sweetbay Review
Sweetbay Review is an annual anthology featuring the works of Virginia authors and has been in publication since 2006. This edition showcases thirty-eight poems, stories, and non-fiction pieces by twenty-five writers.
My poem Family Vacation and a short story The Family Scrapbooks are featured within.
Eager for English
I was paired with Joseph Whelan a Peace Corp volunteer stationed in Ethiopia. He shared information about Bekoji with me so that I could write an authentic story set there for a reading textbook to be used in Africa. My story Innat’s Gift centers around a girl whose mother has died and as she struggles with her grief and new responsibilities finds comfort in running.