Born and raised in Egypt, Terzian learned languages through osmosis.  Employment with the United Nations in Egypt, Congo and Togo expanded her multicultural horizons. She tested Lebanese soil but preferred to immigrate to the United States in 1967. She followed some Comparative Literature courses at Columbia University before moving to California. Majored in Business Administration in Los Angeles to ensure steady income.

Terzian became a bookworm through mother's influence. She crawled through anything in print, whether on advertising boards, tin cans, books, dictionaries, newspapers or magazines. Words and languages fascinated her. An all time teachers' favorite, she was great cause for concern to Stepmother and Father for her addiction to reading. She developed an eclectic taste for books because of her multicultural background.

Terzian's love affair with writing caught fire after cooking a chicken in a teapot for a friend, while in Pakistan. Roaming in Africa, Europe, in the Soviet Union, and now stationed in the States, she has contributed several travel articles, slice- of-life stories, press releases and boring business reports between career, single parenting, and extra-curricular activities.  Articles online, responding to keyword 'Mary Terzian' compete for room with sixteen namesakes, some of them authors.

Excerpts from her book, “The Immigrants' Daughte," posted online at Amazon.com and other public  websites, have interested three educational institutions, one of them the Department of Education in Queensland, Australia, for posting online, or for inclusion in a book designated for teachers and high-school/college-prep students.