Mary Stanton
Encyclopedia
Mary Stanton is an American
author. She is most famous for her eight-volume children's fantasy
series Unicorns of Balinor
, about a young princess who must return to her kingdom to regain all of her memories, her throne, and to return peace to her world.
Under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop she is the author of 14 mystery novels in the Hemlock Falls series published by Berkley Prime Crime, two novels in the Casebooks of Dr. Mckenzie mystery series, and the senior editor of three mystery story anthologies: Death Dines At Eight-Thirty, Death Dines In, and A Merry Band of Murderers. She also wrote three scripts for the TV cartoon Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders
, including the aired episode "Song of the Rainbow".
and Deborah Susan Whitaker Hairston of Ithaca, New York
.
Her father at the time of her birth was the Dean of men at Rollins College
. When William Whitaker was recruited back into the Navy in the early 1950s he and his family were posted to Japan
. Leaving active Naval service for the Reserves and a position in the State Department, Whitaker was posted to Hawaii
where he occupied a position as Director of Educational Services for Southeast Asia.
She grew up in Hawaii
and graduated from Kailua High School and left the island for undergraduate school in the late 1960s. She attended St. Olaf College
in Northfield, Minnesota
and she received a B.A. philosophy and literature from the University of Minnesota
. She also attended a year of law school and a year of graduate school majoring in rehabilitation therapies. She worked for a number of jobs in Minnesota
including a year as a nightclub singer, a medical examiner for Social Security, a claims adjuster and a Director of Volunteer Services at Hostings State Hospital.
to work for Aetna Life & Casualty Insurance Companies. She began her career as a copywriter in the early eighties working for several companies such as Xerox Corporation until she opened her own marketing communications company in 1985, specializing in research and writing of Malcolm Baldrige National quality Award applications. She had clients including Xerox, Westinghouse
, American Express
, and Eastman Kodak. She accepted a junior partner Daniel J. Hucko in 1985 and sold the business in 1992 to Young and Rubicam and left the business in 1994 to write full time.
In 1974 she married Robert J. Stanton Esquire of Walworth, New York
but the marriage ended in another divorce in 1999. From the marriage there were three stepchildren; John Robert Stanton, Harry Cole Stanton, and Julie Stanton Schwartz.
Mary Stanton's first book was animal fantasy The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West (1984); it was published in the United States
, the United Kingdom
and Japan
. The sequel was Piper at the Gate (1989). She sold her first mystery novel to Berkley Books
in 1994 and since then has written sixteen mystery novels as Claudia Bishop, and eleven children's books including the series Unicorns of Balinor
. She also wrote non-fiction articles on horse care and veterinary medicine which appeared on national and regional magazines.
Unicorns of Balinor
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author. She is most famous for her eight-volume children's fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
series Unicorns of Balinor
Unicorns of Balinor
Unicorns of Balinor is a series by Mary Stanton for young readers, especially those enchanted by creatures like unicorns, centaurs, and the like....
, about a young princess who must return to her kingdom to regain all of her memories, her throne, and to return peace to her world.
Under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop she is the author of 14 mystery novels in the Hemlock Falls series published by Berkley Prime Crime, two novels in the Casebooks of Dr. Mckenzie mystery series, and the senior editor of three mystery story anthologies: Death Dines At Eight-Thirty, Death Dines In, and A Merry Band of Murderers. She also wrote three scripts for the TV cartoon Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders is a 1995 children's fantasy animated television series inspired by the Arthurian myths, produced by Bohbot Productions with association with Hong Ying Animation and internationally syndicated by Bohbot Entertainment.The series had two...
, including the aired episode "Song of the Rainbow".
Life
Mary Stanton is the eldest daughter of William Bishop Whitaker and Carole Whitaker who were both college professors for parts of their career. She has two sisters; Cynthia Bishop Whitaker, Esquire of Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and Deborah Susan Whitaker Hairston of Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
.
Her father at the time of her birth was the Dean of men at Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
. When William Whitaker was recruited back into the Navy in the early 1950s he and his family were posted to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Leaving active Naval service for the Reserves and a position in the State Department, Whitaker was posted to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
where he occupied a position as Director of Educational Services for Southeast Asia.
She grew up in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and graduated from Kailua High School and left the island for undergraduate school in the late 1960s. She attended St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
in Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
and she received a B.A. philosophy and literature from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. She also attended a year of law school and a year of graduate school majoring in rehabilitation therapies. She worked for a number of jobs in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
including a year as a nightclub singer, a medical examiner for Social Security, a claims adjuster and a Director of Volunteer Services at Hostings State Hospital.
Career
In 1967 she married Robert Tom Nelson but the marriage ended in 1973 as a divorce with no children. In the mid 70s, Mary Stanton left Minnesota for Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
to work for Aetna Life & Casualty Insurance Companies. She began her career as a copywriter in the early eighties working for several companies such as Xerox Corporation until she opened her own marketing communications company in 1985, specializing in research and writing of Malcolm Baldrige National quality Award applications. She had clients including Xerox, Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
, American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, and Eastman Kodak. She accepted a junior partner Daniel J. Hucko in 1985 and sold the business in 1992 to Young and Rubicam and left the business in 1994 to write full time.
In 1974 she married Robert J. Stanton Esquire of Walworth, New York
Walworth, New York
Walworth is a town in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 8,402 at the 2000 census. The name comes from Reuben Walworth, a state official.The Town of Walworth is on the west border of the county and is east of Rochester, NY....
but the marriage ended in another divorce in 1999. From the marriage there were three stepchildren; John Robert Stanton, Harry Cole Stanton, and Julie Stanton Schwartz.
Mary Stanton's first book was animal fantasy The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West (1984); it was published in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The sequel was Piper at the Gate (1989). She sold her first mystery novel to Berkley Books
Berkley Books
Berkley Books is an imprint of Penguin Group that began as an independent company in 1955. It was established by Charles Byrne and Frederic Klein, who were working for Avon and formed "Chic News Company". They renamed it Berkley Publishing Co. in 1955. They soon found a niche in science fiction...
in 1994 and since then has written sixteen mystery novels as Claudia Bishop, and eleven children's books including the series Unicorns of Balinor
Unicorns of Balinor
Unicorns of Balinor is a series by Mary Stanton for young readers, especially those enchanted by creatures like unicorns, centaurs, and the like....
. She also wrote non-fiction articles on horse care and veterinary medicine which appeared on national and regional magazines.
Heavenly Horse series
- The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West (1988)
- Piper at the Gate (1989, published as Piper at the Gates of Dawn in UK)
A Magical Mystery series
- My Aunt, the Monster (1997)
- Next Door Witch (1997)
- White Magic (1997)
Unicorns of BalinorUnicorns of BalinorUnicorns of Balinor is a series by Mary Stanton for young readers, especially those enchanted by creatures like unicorns, centaurs, and the like....
series
- The Road to Balinor (1999)
- Sunchaser's Quest (1999)
- Valley of Fear (1999)
- By Fire, by Moonlight (1999)
- Search for the Star (1999)
- Secrets of the Scepter (2000)
- Night of the Shifter's Moon (2000)
- Shadows over Balinor (2000)
- Unicorns of Balinor (omnibus) (2006)
Anthologies in collaboration
- Fantasy Tales for Girls (2006) (with Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens)
Hemlock Falls Mysteries series
- A Taste For Murder (1994)
- A Dash of Death (1995)
- A Pinch of Poison (1995)
- Murder Well-Done (1996)
- Death Dines Out (1997)
- A Touch of the Grape (1998)
- A Steak in Murder (1999)
- Marinade for Murder (2000)
- Just Desserts (2002)
- Fried By Jury (2003)
- A Puree of Poison (2003)
- Buried By Breakfast (2004)
- A Dinner to Die For (2006)
- Ground to a Halt (2007)
- A Carol for A Corpse (2007)
The Casebooks of Dr. Austin McKenzie series
- The Case of the Roasted Onion (2006)
- The Case of the Tough-Talking Turkey (2007)
- The Case of the Ill-Gotten Goat (2008)
Anthologies in collaboration
- Aliens: Tales to Warp Your Mind (1994)
- Death Dines at 8:30 (2001) (with Nick DiChario)
- Death Dines In (2004) (with Dean James)
- A Merry Band of Murderers (2006) (with Don Bruns)