MY LATEST SINGLE: OUT NOW!
My second album will release in summer 2025, and the second single off the album, “Costa Rica” — featuring Ryan Smith — was released by Hygh Tension Records / Virgin Music Group on February 21, 2025!
“Costa Rica” was a co-write between Ryan Smith and me, and we sing it as a duet. It’s about a disastrous family trip I took to Costa Rica in spring 2024, and Ryan and I turned it into hilarious “live in the moment” song. You can buy it everywhere, including on Bandcamp and Apple Music, and listen to it on Spotify. Click on the links above to do that or go to my music page. While you’re at it, check out the T-shirts, stocking caps, and other merch on my Bandcamp merch page!
I absolutely love this song and am SO excited about the new album!
MY FIRST ALBUM: OUT NOW!
My debut album, GOLDEN GIRL, released on June 23, 2023!
You can buy it everywhere, including on Bandcamp and Apple Music, and listen to it on Spotify. Click on the links above to do that or go to my music page. On Bandcamp, you can buy the CD (which includes the digital tracks), the golden VINYL, or the digital album.
You can also buy the CD and vinyl in record stores! Check out that page!
AND … we’ve also added my four-song Golden Girl Acoustic EP to the mix! YEAH! You can buy and/or stream it on Bandcamp, iTunes, or Spotify. Check it out!
MY FIRST CHILDREN’S BOOK: OUT NOW!
I’ve written my first children’s book, SKATE FEARLESS, and it released on August 1, 2024! Published by Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone, it’s published under their Jake Maddox JV line. (My name isn’t on the cover, but it’s on the title page.)
Skate Fearless is about a 12-year-old girl, PJ, who’s skated all her life but suddenly finds herself dealing with bullies who think girls can’t skate.
BUY NOW or learn more about SKATE FEARLESS!
THE PENDULUM TRILOGY: OUT NOW!
Sunsets on Catfish Bar: The Pendulum Trilogy book 1. SUSAN WIGGS, #1 New York Times bestselling author, says: “Emotionally complex and deeply involving, this is the story of a woman dealing with impossible challenges—and finding grace and humanity in the journey.”
BUY NOW or learn more about SUNSETS ON CATFISH BAR!
Driving with the Top Down: The Pendulum Trilogy book 2. JUDITH ARNOLD, USA TODAY Bestselling Author, says “Driving With the Top Down is like a margarita: tart, refreshing, and utterly intoxicating. At times funny, at times poignant, but always exhilarating, this is a novel you'll consume in lusty gulps.”
BUY NOW or learn more about DRIVING WITH THE TOP DOWN!
Seemingly Perfect: The Pendulum Trilogy book 3. ROBYN CARR, # 1 New York Times bestselling author, says: ““With Mary Strand at the controls, readers are in for a flight of a lifetime, spiraling downward, seemingly out-of-control, pulling up at the last minute, and into a beautiful, perfect landing. Emotional. Heartwarming. Deliriously funny.”
ALSO AVAILABLE!
Welcome to my often-crazy, adrenaline-fueled world!
I practiced corporate law in a large Minneapolis law firm for sixteen years until the day I set aside my pointy-toed shoes (or most of them) and escaped the land of mergers and acquisitions to write novels. I usually write young adult (funny or poignant or both), romantic comedy (sweet or kinda sexy), and women's fiction (filled with a heap of trouble!), so if you put them all together and throw in some sports and music, they make up ... me. For bonus points, my first children’s novel, Skate Fearless, released in 2024!
I’m also a songwriter and musician. My debut album, GOLDEN GIRL, released in 2023, and my first Christmas single, “I Wanna Believe,” released (thank you to my new record label, Hygh Tension Records / Virgin Music Group!) in November 2024. I’m also in the (frantic as always) process of recording my second album, and the first single from that, “Take Your Time,” was released by my record label in January 2025! I also play guitar and sing and all that good stuff in my own band, Mary Strand & The Garage, and sometimes with other bands. If you’re interested (and I hope you are!), I have an epk page that describes what I’m doing and a music page that helps you find my music.
LATEST UPDATE: Welcome to 2025! I’ve mostly been hunkered down with work (music and novels), but I’m also trying to sneak in some travel, including a spur-of-the-moment trip to Mexico City to catch both of my guitar teachers and bandmates in action with Soul Asylum. Work: I’ve been in the recording studio, playing gigs, and right now am finishing my second children’s book with Capstone Books. (It’s been fun!) THEN I’ll get back to revisions on a YA novel. A hot tip: always check my find me page for deets on gigs and appearances!
More on the music front: My YouTube channel now has a whole lotta videos on it, including a couple of recent funny video shorts. I’ve also received a lot of wonderful reviews on my music. You can find those, along with a few interviews, on my praise + interviews page.
Thanks for taking a peek at my website and into my world of writing,
songwriting, rock & roll, sports, and general mayhem!
BLOGGING!
I’m part of a group of Young Adult authors at YA Outside the Lines, where I blog on the 6th day of every month. Hope you’ll check out our blog!
Here’s my latest blog at YAOTL.
NEWSLETTER ... AND GOODIES!
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