MEET THE AUTHOR

Mary Smathers is an accomplished author and educator with deep roots in California and a passion for Latin America. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin American Studies from UC Berkeley and two Master’s degrees in Secondary Education and Educational Administration from Stanford University. During her 30-year career dedicated to California public school students, families, and teachers, she served as a high school teacher, administrator, and educational entrepreneur, helping to found three education companies and a public charter school.

In 2013, Mary shifted her focus to writing and creativity. She had also moved to Costa Rica part-time and wrote features for a bilingual regional newspaper there. In 2016, she published her first work of fiction, Fertile Soil: Stories of the California Dream. Mary released her debut novel, In This Land of Plenty, in 2020, capturing California’s rich history through an historical fiction family saga. The book proved popular with book clubs and garnered several awards.  

In 2022, inspired by Costa Rica’s abundant nature, she created a bilingual children’s picture book series, Tropical Tales, publishing the first two books that year. She has plans for more of these stories which feature a jungle or ocean animal who experiences a challenge that young children often face.

The first sequel to her novel will be released in spring, 2025. This historical fiction work takes place in Gold Rush California, following the life story of a key character from the novel. Mary plans more sequels to finish chronicling the generations through the 250-year family tree she created for In This Land of Plenty. 

In addition to writing, Mary volunteers to support creative individuals and educational organizations. She enjoys encouraging friends in the arts, particularly those writing books. 

She is an active board member for Biblioteca David Kitson, a local library and community center in Nosara, Costa Rica. She also supports Guardianes de la Naturaleza, a Latin American environmental education initiative that provides curriculum materials, teacher training, and children’s books around hands-on projects that promote sustainability and nature as a teacher.

She has been an active member of Central Coast Writers since 2017, serving on their Board for two years and coordinating the group’s Writers Roundup discussion series since 2023. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Independent Book Publishers’ Association. 

When not writing or volunteering, Mary enjoys running and playing tennis, biking, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. In her reading, she favors fiction and California history-related works. She is a huge fan of the Acquired podcast, which tells the stories of the world’s greatest businesses. 

Mary lives with her husband on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast and California’s Monterey Peninsula.