Mariellen Griffith moved to Holiday Island in 2011 after a career as a professor in counseling, school psychology and marital and family therapy in Indianapolis, Ind., where she taught graduate classes for 24 years at Butler University. During her tenure at Butler, she wrote professional articles, published two textbooks and presented papers at international institutions in the British Isles, Europe and Asia. Griffith, who has a doctorate in counseling, also had a small private practice as a psychologist in individual, couples, and family therapy.
But it wouldn’t be accurate to say Griffith retired when she moved here. Instead, she is a prolific gardener, photographer, artist, and writer who published her tenth book in May. Her books range from photography and haiku poetry to a genre known as cozy murder mysteries to science fiction.
Her most recent book, Conspiracy on Mars, co-written with her husband, Donald N. Soderberg, is the story of a young woman and her family living under an ecodome 500 years in the future in Mars city. In this strange new world of artificial intelligence and bots, not to mention advanced space travel, the family plays a prominent role in restoring a democracy that came all too close to slipping into authoritarianism. An advanced civilization on Mars and on Earth’s moon has solved many of the problems that plagued mankind over the centuries; however, what appears to be an ideal society has failed to eradicate the all too human desire for power.
A review of the book by Sharon Laborde said, “Filled with interesting characters and settings, Conspiracy on Mars will be enjoyed by science fiction fans of all ages and provide a glimpse into a civilization that may not be that far away.”
Griffith said the idea for the book came about after relatives asked her why she didn’t write science fiction novels since she enjoys reading them.
“I told them that history has facts and stories to build on, and science fiction is about the future,” she said. “I don’t know that many facts about the future. But I decided to try. The book was written during Covid and the last year of Donald Trump as President of the United States.”
Griffith has also written the non-fiction book Ecological Perspective of Family Therapy. Her non-fiction books set in Eureka Springs include Journey in Nature: Haiku and Photographic Expressions, and Eureka Springs Haiku and Photographs that serves as a guidebook to many of the most picturesque historical buildings and natural areas in the area.
Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry often associated with the natural world that has seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five. She has written haiku for 30 years.
In her listing on Amazon.com, Journey in Nature is described as “a single volume collection of haiku and photographs that express the author’s journey in nature throughout the four seasons. It is a rare book that has both haiku and photographs. Haiku is an art form of simplicity and spiritual beauty. The haiku in this book reflects the author’s journey over the past ten years as written in her diary and later journals.”
Griffith was born in Newton, Kansas, and grew up in Hesston and Buhler where her father was the elementary school principal, and her mother was an elementary teacher until she had children.
“As soon as I could read, I always had a book to read,” Griffith said. “As an adult, I would carry a small pocket-size paperback in my purse to read if I had to wait in line, etc. Today I read most books on a Kindle. I read three to four books a week. My favorite books are science fiction, cozy mysteries, travel and exploration.”
Griffith started writing fiction in 2013 after deciding there were too few fiction books written about Eureka Springs. She wanted to write cozy mystery stories that visitors staying at B&Bs could pick up and read in a couple hours. She also wanted the books to discuss places to eat and hotels in Eureka Springs.
To help her along her writing journey, she joined the Readers and Writers Guild in Holiday Island and found people who encouraged and supported her in her writing.
Her fiction books based in Eureka Springs including Murder in Eureka Springs, Three Novellas, and Murder at Brews. Her three historical fiction books – Mystery of the Bones in the Underground, based in Eureka Springs, Mystery of the Ancient Burial Site, and The Mystery of the Disappearing Village – are based on the Indigenous people living along the Mississippi River in 1200.
During the warm season, she spends a lot of time outdoors taking photographs, gardening and walking. In the winter, she concentrates on writing.
“From November to March I spend time almost every day sitting at the computer and typing,” Griffith said. “I have an idea in my mind and let my fingers tell the story that unfolds in my mind. I don’t follow any outline except there must be a beginning, a middle and an end. Often the characters seem to tell their own stories. At times, I feel like a secretary, writing what they are saying.”
Griffith’s books are available on Amazon.com and in Eureka Springs at the Eureka Springs Public Library, Gazebo Bookstore and Route 62 General Store.