Where have you spent most of your childhood?
I grew up on the shores of Georgian Bay in a small tourist town in Ontario. It was a great place to grow up, and allowed for so much time outdoors. It’s a beautiful place, and while I don’t live there anymore, I still love going back to visit.
While growing up did you, in any way, have any embarrassing moments?
Enough that I stopped feeling embarrassed anymore. I’ve had so many moments that would qualify as embarrassing—one even being featured on TV and another in the newspaper—that I just became immune to them after a time. Now I’m really good at laughing at myself.
Is the public school or homeschooling better for you and why?
I went to public school and very much appreciate what the school system offers. However, when our children were small, my husband and I decided to homeschool them, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Do you remember the first book you picked up to read? What was it about?
I have a copy of James Herriot’s Treasure For Children that is full of stories about animals. I’ve always been an animal lover, so my grandfather gifted me this book when I was young and I’ve cherished it until now. My grandfather wrote a special message inside, so it will forever be extra special to me.
What challenges did you face while publishing your first novel?
Really, I just had no idea what I was doing. I never imagined I would be a write, to be honest, and started in the self-publishing industry as a proofreader. But in order to get better at that and have more of a skill-set geared toward editing, I took some writing courses. That quickly morphed into what is now my first published book, We’re All a Little Broken. However, I thought writing the book was the bulk of what needed to be done. I grossly underestimated the entire publishing/marketing process. Writing is the easy part.
What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
I probably feel differently about this than a lot of people, but I think the most important part is staying true to yourself as an author. I’ve always been the type of person who marched to the beat of my own drum, and I think it’s important for authors (and anyone in a creative arena) to be themselves. Your work may not resonate with everyone, but it will with the right people, and there’s no greater feeling than having that happen, knowing your writing is genuine.
What sparked the idea for your book, We’re All a Little Broken?
This book is actually based on real-life experience. I’ve suffered from generalized anxiety disorder and depression for many years. It got significantly worse after my mother passed away, and I struggled to function. Skipping over the ups and downs of that journey, when I somewhat came through the other side, I felt inspired to give a voice to those who were going through the same thing. Not only that, but validate the crazy feelings that come along with mental illness. I’ve been so humbled by the number of people who have contacted me to say they related so much to the main character. It has made the crazy journey worth it.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
You can do it. Plain and simple. Self-doubt can be disabling, but you can accomplish anything if you just keep moving forward.
What are some common marketing traps a lot of new authors fall into? Any advice on how to avoid them?
If I knew, my books would sell a lot more. Ha! Admittedly, I don’t enjoy the marketing aspect, and haven’t put a lot of effort into it. So, I suppose I would say that is the trap. Give your books the time and attention they deserve.
How long did it take you to finish writing the book, Suburban Watchdogs: Karma is a... Female Dog?
This book was actually an anniversary gift to my husband. I started writing it about ten months before it was officially launched, but it really only took me about three weeks to write a completed first draft once I was able to focus on it.
When are you most satisfied with a book or piece of writing? Do you often edit things OUT of your books?
I am my own worse critic. I analyze everything in my books down to sentence level. I assess each scene and question what is necessary or what isn’t. Quite often I delete large chunks of writing or minimize them from blocks of dialogue to summarizing with narrative to keep the pace moving.
Are you a paper note taker? What is the best thing about writing ideas down on paper?
I don’t write any of my drafts by hand, but I do take a lot of handwritten notes. I keep character profiles, a calendar to track my timeline, a list of chapter titles with approximate dates and chapter details, etc. Then I also keep a style sheet, which I’ll note any specific spellings or style choices, side character names, business or location names, etc.
What books are you writing currently, or plan to write in the future?
I’m currently writing books 3, 4, and 5 in my A New Leash on Life series. Each book is a standalone, but they’re interconnected with main characters from one book appearing in others. It’s a challenge trying to write one book without giving away anything that happens in another book! Hence why I’m writing multiple books at once. It has been so much fun getting to know these new characters, though. I’m also working on a complete standalone, which is my only book set in the United States (the others are all set in Canada).
How has your experience working with AllAuthor been?
It has been great thus far. I’ve connected with other authors and some readers, and greatly appreciate the work the AllAuthor team does to support authors like myself.
