Mary Allen Redd

Mary Allen Redd is the author of two academic books (as Allen) and four works of fiction. Her study The Necessary Blankness notes the scarcity of strong, appealing women in American literature. In her novels Redd gives us female characters who thrive in the workplace, despite all else. And sometimes get lucky in love.

The heroine of The Cowboy & the Cheerleader must choose between her beloved cowboy or work in New York City. A lost love or a lost self? It’s a killer goodby, but she heads to Manhattan, living the life she wanted. Then, decades later, a stunning surprise, as love finds her again in this joyful tale.

In Redd’s previous work, Confessions of a Teacher: Or, How to Be an Adjunct, the workplace rules. No time for romance in the life of a part-time college instructor, darting around the beltway in Washington, D.C., from one university to another. A comically obscure figure indeed. Still, uplifted by the students, yet again.

With a PhD from the University of Maryland, Redd has taught English at various universities, including Howard, George Mason, and Utah Valley University. She lives in Provo, Utah, with her husband, where she enjoys hot weather, hiking, and happy hour.