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Born in Egypt, Mary Terzian’s articles, were first published in Arev daily in Cairo, with occasional reprints in other Armenian newspapers in the Diaspora.  She worked with the United Nations in Egypt, Congo and Togo and immigrated to the United States in 1967. She first attended Columbia University for Comparative Literature but left for California for personal reasons. She received a B.Sc. In Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles.
 
Terzian has several non-fiction articles published in newspapers, magazines, anthologies and online. “The Immigrant’s Daughter” is her very first book. It won the Best Book 2006 Award in multicultural, non-fiction, and placed finalist in the Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards in the same category.
 
Terzian has received numerous other awards, notably the 2001 Rosenthal Scholarship granted by PEN USA West to Emerging Writers. Her articles, interspersed with wit, touch a human chord and linger in memory long after publication.

Thank you Mary for answering a few questions for us!  To start, please tell us about the latest project you've worked on.
 
My latest project, “The Immigrants' Daughter” was published in 2005, by Booklocker.com. It is a compendium of memoirs about growing up in Egypt during World War II, Israel’s independence and the transition of Egypt from Kingdom to Republic. Personal tragedy adds to the tribulations of growing up. It is a coming of age story, teenage rebellion against immigrant parents’ strict rules, and a struggle for freedom, through education, to live one’s own dreams. The story is relevant to most immigrant families trying to accommodate native and host cultures.
 
Have you received any awards for your work?
 
 “The Immigrants' Daughter,” won the Best Books 2006 Award in multicultural, non-fiction category and placed finalist in the Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards in the same category.
 
Do you also do speaking engagements, or seminars?
 
Yes, I did accept several speaking engagements and still do, was interviewed on TV, live programs on radio and for The Armenian Reporter published in Yerevan, with world wide circulation. I also gave a presentation at a seminar on “The gap between grandparents and grandchildren.”
 
How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your profession?
 
I always wanted to be a writer but I needed to earn a living. Upon graduation from an English high school in Egypt, I registered for a correspondence course in journalism, administered from England. I could not continue the course because there was a vast cultural chasm between my teacher and me.  Also my life was dull. The first time I was sent out on a United Nations assignment to Pakistan for a seminar I happened to cook a chicken from scratch - plucking the feathers and pulling out the entrails as well - for a homesick friend stationed there. I had to use an oversize teapot, for lack of other utensils. I did not win his heart but the experience wa s worth recording for posterity. The editor of the local paper contacted me immediately asking for more of the same. My writing career kicked off on chicken wings.
 
Since then I have written several freelance articles, in Armenian and in English, whenever time and circumstances allowed such luxury. Of course, traveling on assignments with the United Nations, and on my own, widened my horizon of knowledge and experience. Eventually my profession as an auditor taught me insight, analysis, objective perception of problem areas, relative value of events in the context of my life, or the book I wrote, and such. Other refinements were gained through writing courses, classes, a PEN USA West scholarship and my two critique groups. I chose to join Toastmasters International where I learned to overcome the fear of public speaking. Yes, my education, profession and background helped my career, not vice versa.
 
What kind of other works (books, scripts, poems etc.) have you had published?
 
Apart from “The Immigrants’ Daughter” I have had articles published in newsletters, magazines, anthologies and online. My poems are very personal. They are without rhyme or reason. They emanate from the heart.  Lately I posted some on www.authorsden.com.
 
Is there any aspect to your profession that gets you in touch with your readers directly?
 
Not through my “profession,” although I must admit some of my former colleagues bought my book. I am active within the community and I am often surprised when an acquaintance or a stranger hugs me, thanks me or tells me how much she enjoyed my book, what impact it has had on her life or how wel l I have stated the thoughts she could not express. Each of them felt like they were part of my family. I consider that kind of positive feedback the best reward for a writer.
 
What will your next project be?
 
I am not sure. I have written a series of articles lately. Some of them can be “googled.” I have recently embarked, with a partner, on writing a book about motherless daughters. I would rather talk about it after I have been through seventy-five percent of the writing.
 
Who inspires you on a personal or business level?
 
People do. I observe them. Otherwise, I am self-motivated, have always been. I compete with myself.

What type of work is the most rewarding or satisfying for you?
 
A slice-of-life essays. I like delving into the human soul. I also like etymology. Words and dictionaries fascinate me.  By the way, English is my fourth mother tongue. When I find the exact wo rd that explains the feeling I want to convey I am in seventh heaven.
 
What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?
 
Follow your heart and not the money. When you are good at your craft success follows (later than sooner in writing). In the meantime find a rich husband or a kind relative to sustain you, for this is a long and difficult journey. Keep on persevering.
 
How did you get started as a writer?
 
As I said above, my writing was launched on chicken wings, but chicks don’t fly, geese do. Had I cooked a goose in an oversize teapot my fame would have soared faster.  Just kidding.
 
Which is your favorite book/work published? Is there a favorite?
 
“The Acid Test” article, about going back to school as an adult, is published online and later was included in an anthology.  It can be found by googling my name “Mary Terzian.” Other than that there are certain chapters in my book that I favor over others
 
What does a typical work day look like for you?
 
My typical day starts with at least fifty e-mail  messages, a good stack of regular mail and a small hill of paperwork on my desk that seems never to subside. I eat standing at the counter in the kitchen, wash my laundry at the same time, or water the plants for some release of tension. I struggle with the computer when it disobeys me, get distracted with postings and research on the internet, answer unsolicited marketing calls, and the many little things about home, occasionally answering the call of the gas man to read the meter, Jehova’s witnesses in search of new members, the neighbor reminding me the garage door is open, my cockatiel claiming attention,  the tea kettle whistling, the microwave, toaster or oven clock nudging me cooking time is over, my security-alarm pounding my ears when I forget to turn it off before opening the door, and other such minutiae of modern life. Yes, I live in a whistling, sizzling, roaring world. 

In the meantime I’m trying to concentrate on my article or bank reconciliation on the screen. Since thoughts come in flashes when you least expect them, I spill them out on the screen, other than the page  I am working on, and later forget where I filed my memory gems. Then there are the interminable meetings that end up piling more work on my desk. If it weren’t for the checks, I wouldn’t know I’m retired. 
 
Have you ever had a mentor, or someone who sparked your passion for writing?
 
Only once. I did have a mentor during my PEN USA scholarship in 2001 and he helped me some.
 
Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?  :)
 
I rarely sing. The only tunes that come to mind are church hymns. I just remember the tunes, not the words.
 
A favorite quote:
 
“The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams.” I don’t know the author of this one.

Thank you Mary! We wish you great success with your current and future projects!!