Title: Freelance Creative Writer

Company: Cavern of Dreams

Location: Brantford, Ont.

Ms. Cushnie-Mansour still owns the first poem she wrote when she was 13 years old. She took a brief hiatus during her 20s while raising her four children. Ms. Cushnie-Mansour returned to the university during her 30s with intentions of completing a teaching degree. Her professor told her that she is a writer and doesn’t need to have a university degree for that. She has published poetry and written freelance journalism articles. She once wrote a short story column. Her heart leads her in her writing. Ms. Cushnie-Mansour has several manuscripts in the works. Her advice to aspiring writers is to start writing the outline when the idea forms. You can always go back to the novel at a later time.

Ms. Cushnie-Mansour has written four poetry collections: ‘Devastations of Mankind,’ ‘Life’s Roller Coaster,’ ‘Shattered,’ and ‘Memories’; and a collection of short stories, ‘From the Heart’. She most recently penned a novel, ‘Night’s Gift,’ winner of the iUniverse Editor’s Choice designation. This story is available online. Ms. Cushnie-Mansour is currently working on book two of the trilogy ‘Night’s Children,’ hoping to publish it in 2012, followed by ‘Night’s Return’ in 2013. Ms. Cushnie-Mansour lives in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, with her husband, Adel ‘Ed.’ She is active in the writing community, always encouraging those who have a love for writing to follow their dreams. Ms. Cushnie-Mansour believes that to live without a dream is like living in a house without windows, and that if there is an artist inside of a person, it must be released into the world; if it is not, the soul will die.

She is a freelance and creative writer specializing mostly in fiction. Her main focus is on her own writing; however, she has worked with individuals who wanted their biographies written and organized and also published biographies for these individuals. Mary enjoys writing articles about ‘real people’ and loves writing stories that touch the heart. Her book of short stories ‘From the Heart’ is a prime example of the type of short story she writes.

Her current project is probably one that has been near and dear to her heart for a number of years – her novel, ‘Night’s Gift’ just won an Editor’s Choice designation from IUniverse Publishing. This is a vampire novel. She also loves writing mysteries and childrens’ fantasy. In five years, Ms. Cushnie-Mansour hopes to have published at least two more books.