Press Kit

Short Bio:

Shari is an award-winning independent author, book coach, experienced book reviewer, and active blogger. She is also a retired Canadian police officer trained as a subject matter resource for domestic violence. Shari graduated from university decades ago with an Honours Degree in English Literature. Since then, she has earned a diploma in Creative Writing and a Writing Memoirs Certificate. Dedicated to lifelong learning, she completed her Editing Certificate—trained on the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition—and is looking for her next learning adventure.

Long Bio:

Before she started writing fantasy novels, Shari Marshall completed an Honours Degree in English Literature from York University. After that, just to shake things up, she went to the police training academy for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. During her time moonlighting as a police officer, Shari focused her career on family violence and earned the title of Subject Matter Resource. Interspersed throughout, Shari also earned a diploma in Creative Writing from Winghill Writing School and a Writing Memoirs Certificate from Grande Prairie Regional College. She has completed her Editing Certificate through Simon Fraser University.

Shari grew up in a less-than-conventional household as an only child in rural Ontario. She had a great deal of time on her hands and an active imagination. It wasn’t uncommon to find her perched on a tree branch, reading, storytelling, or lost in a narrative rolling around inside her head. Her passion for writing grew out of her love of reading. She describes the stories she started committing to paper in grade school with the three Ms: magical, mystical, and mysterious. Since then, Shari has become an award-winning author of the prequel novel Vizard, which is part of her debut urban fantasy series, The Ember Files. She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Parents Canada, Mamalode, and The RCMP Quarterly. She’s an active blogger at Brewing Coffee, Twisting Words & Breaking Pencils.

When she’s not writing, Shari enjoys travelling, camping with her family, reading, doing puzzles, and drinking coffee. She lives in Alberta with her husband, their two sons, and two boxers. For information on Shari’s next book, please visit her website at http://sharimarshall.ca.

Publications:

The Funny Side: Relatable Anecdotes from a Once-Frazzled Parent Spring 2025
From the Ashes July 2024
Vizard December 2023
As of November 2023, Shari produces and edits content for the A & O Cottage Rental Ltd.
The Ember Stone: Revised Edition June 2023
Chimera and Curses: Book 2 of the Ember Files March 2023
Pawing the Tree Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Wonder of Christmas October 2018
First Night Out The Quarterly summer edition Vol 82. No. 3 August 2017
That Old Rocker Mamalode October 2016
Lady Parts Parents Canada August/September 2016 (page 62 of hardcopy) – Reprint online February 6, 2021

Praise:

“Marshall’s writing is marked by a deft blend of sharp humor and dark themes, making the narrative both engaging and thought-provoking. The interplay between lighthearted moments and serious, often grim situations adds depth to the storytelling, ensuring it remains both entertaining and impactful. Her world-building is expansive and richly detailed . . . A must-read for fans of action, magic, and the supernatural.” — The Prairies Book Review

“Fantastical creatures and vivid villains highlight this emotional tale that balances thrills, twists, and Rye’s gutsy planning with intricate, imaginative worldbuilding and a crush of appealingly eccentric characters. Perfect for fans of inventive, character-driven fantasy, Vizard offers crisp yet evocative prose, brisk and funny dialogue, and a hero readers can’t help but root for.” — BookLife

“. . . Marshall’s law enforcement background brings a gritty, true crime quality to the book’s many action scenes . . . The Ember Stone is a promising debut and should provide a fun romp for fans of the genre.” — BlueInk Review

“The fun of Chimera and Curses lies in the details of its characters’ lives, and Marshall renders those details with a deft, polished eye for colorful, vivid imagery, especially when it’s to get a laugh . . . Readers in search of a witty, laid-back fantasy diversion will find much to love in Shari Marshall’s Chimera and Curses, a charming comic adventure full of rollicking hijinks” — IR, starred review

“A hilarious, heartfelt ode to parenting in all its messy glory . . . Marshall’s latest book is a deeply honest, uproariously funny, and occasionally gut-wrenching collection of parenting anecdotes.” — The Prairies Book Review (The Funny Side)

Awards:

Media Events:

  • Author Signing Event – Indigo In Belleville, Ontario (October 26, 2025)
  • Author Signing Event – Indigo In Belleville, Ontario (August 16, 2025)
  • Author Interview – Literary Titan (April 5, 2025—two-minute read)
  • Author Signing Event – Coles at the Grande Prairie, Alberta mall (October 19, 2024)
  • Author Interview – Literary Titan (May 2, 2024—one-minute read)
  • Author Interview – BookView Review (January 20, 2024—two-minute read)
  • Author Interview – Always Write Blog (August 1, 2023—nineteen-minute read)
  • Author Interview – TopShelf Magazine (April 2023—five-minute read)
  • Alumni Update – York University Magazine (Fall 2022—one-minute read)
  • Alumni Update – Fleming Ties (2022—one-minute read)

Social Media Links:

Updated spring of 2024