Author
Author
Author
Like a dragonfly, I have exited the traumatic nymph waters and molted to new growth.
A Courageous Story
When Mary Beth and her family moved to the East Coast to live in a home she’d chosen, she assumed she had landed in heaven. Her husband took a teaching job at a small Christian college, while she took care of the three children in her castle—and found a shining star in Melo, her husband’s female student.
A year later, Mary Beth found her life upended as her husband grew jealous of her relationship with Melo—which was soaring from friendship into love. After relocating to Minneapolis, she found her new feelings of freedom and love were still mixed with paralyzing self-doubt—and as Melo wandered further away, Mary Beth realized she needed to embrace her internal strength to find true peace and liberation.
Rooted in the struggles of coming out in the eighties and nineties, Imprint is a candid account of escaping brutality for self-love, and embodies the fight for self-identity, independence, and equality that women and members of the LGBTQ+ community still face today.
Available as on Kindle, and Audible on Amazon
Reviews
"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity
Reviews
"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity
Reviews
"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity"Imprint is ultimately a story of reclamation—of voice, self-worth, and love. Spray’s vulnerability and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on their own imprints—those left by trauma and those forged by healing. It is a memoir that lingers, urging us to believe women, honor our intuition, and resist the scripts others write for us."
—Kathryn Dare. Chicago Book Review
"This memoir is for anyone who’s felt stuck, silenced, or scared to start over. It’s also for those learning to love themselves more fiercely, especially in the face of judgment. Mary Beth Spray’s story is tender, brave, and deeply relatable. It’s a celebration of second chances, authentic love, and the power of choosing yourself, even when the world tells you not to."
—Maria Yinks. Los Angeles Book Review
"The author skillfully weaves together personal experiences, lessons learned, and insightful reflections, creating a profound understanding of what it means to seek authenticity in a world that often stifles individuality."
—Yvonne Wu. goodreads
“Imprint inspires readers with a story of facing and unpacking intergenerational trauma and transforming shame and dependency into freedom.”
—Dr. Catherine J. Griffin,
author of Cult Love: Reconciling Shame & Intergenerational Trauma“The story of the author’s extramarital relationship is often engaging . . . As Spray tells of getting her children into counseling and buying a new home for her family, she effectively reveals that she ‘felt like a new person’ and that she’d accepted that her ‘journey was not glamorous; it was just one step at a time.’”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Beth Spray’s Imprint vividly recounts her long and rocky evolution from downtrodden and demoralized to confident and capable. Her brave honesty offers women in similar circumstances inspiration, hope, and reassurance that they too can achieve a happy and fulfilling life.”
—Marsha Jacobson,
author of award-winning memoir The Wrong Calamity
See Inside
Who’s Mary Beth?
In 2011, after reading Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, I took on the goal of writing the story of my first marriage, and how I went from a weak, naïve young wife to a strong single bisexual mom. The writing process became a platform of immense emotional healing. I joined groups in person and online, where I began to take the armor off and stop mirroring others to find agency. I worked with editors to get my writing in a submittable form for publishing. I am presently enjoying posting with other writers on Substack.com, and especially reading Elizabeth Gilbert's website about Unconditional Love.
While earning a BA in French, I lived a year in Paris, France, attended the Alliance française and the Scola Cantorum de Paris for ballet, and hitchhiked to neighboring countries. The year in France and traveling to neighboring countries opened my eyes to a shift in my politics and worldview, but mostly I felt a tinge of emancipation from my conservative upbringing . . . the freedom to spend days in front of the paintings I had only seen in books, to walk in gardens where the landscape was art.
After earning a master’s degree in second languages and cultures from the University of Minnesota, I taught for twenty-five years in Minneapolis Public Schools. As a teacher and single mother, I supported myself and three children, and wrote grants for students of low economic status to participate in trips abroad. When I retired, I not only began writing this autobiographical novel, but also realized my dream of creating pottery at Northern Clay Center. Before moving to Minneapolis, I taught creative dance and ballet in my home as a young mother.
I now gather monthly with a small group of empath teachers who initially supported my Artist Way goal. I live in Minneapolis with my husband of twenty-six years, enjoying gardening and traveling.
Contact
Contact
Contact
Now available at Itasca Books and fine bookstores everywhere.
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