In Canada, May is officially observed as Mental Health Awareness Month, providing an opportunity to increase understanding of mental health, reduce stigma, and highlight the value of mental health supports and services. Mental health is a fundamental aspect of overall...
Is your character Suzanne Rickson a combination of real people, or not? Suzanne Rickson is inspired by my mother. While planning my first mystery novel and searching for ideas, I visited my parents at their retirement community on the West Coast of British Columbia....
Did your writing process change between writing both novels? I had to do a lot more research for my second novel, At Least I’m Trying whereas Chasing Through Time was based primarily on real experiences I’ve witnessed. This made my second book much more challenging....
Did you have a clear idea of the plot for The Ruby Cradle? I did. As the second book in the Gemstone series, it had to pick up with the same characters as in the first. But there had to be a definite twist, we were going back in time to learn more about the dragons....
How has your teaching experience influenced the characters you write about? It has definitely helped me make authentic and relatable teen characters because this is who I’m surrounded by everyday. I also have a group of students who generously donate their time as...
How did you find the transition from short story to novel writing? I wouldn't consider it a transition because I still write short stories. In fact, short stories came after I learned how to write fiction. As they say, writing long is easy ... it's shortening it up...
I'm celebrating three writer wins today. We all want to be recognized for our writing, whether our novels, blogs, articles, or to be included in some literary aspect. When the hard work pays off it is a special kind of celebration. These are my three wins! I'm on the...
What inspired you to write in the dystopian genre? I’ve always loved the classic dystopian stories like 1984, Brave New World, and The Giver, but in the early 2000’s when The Hunger Games and Divergent came out, they transfixed me. The young adult dystopian sub-genre...
Was reading about magical realms a part of your childhood? Oh, most definitely. Some of my favorite books were the Dragonlance series, which is from Dungeons and Dragons. And Star Wars - which is like wizard fantasy in space - is one of my all time favorite things....