I was diagnosed with clinical depression after the loss of my mother, father and husband within three years of each other; all to cancer. 24/7 in-home care, coupled with the loss I felt, left its mark on my psyche.
Depression takes up a lot of my life. Reading and writing are the only things I have found that help (in connection with regular medication), even if only for a short time. To escape to a different world can make a big difference in my mood in real time.
To put things in perspective, when I was at my lowest point, I couldn't open mail, talk on the phone, or even drive to the store. Walls of sadness surrounded me. As they closed in, tears would fall. There didn't need to be a reason or trigger.
People ask me why I started writing. My answer is simple: I wanted to create a world into which other people with similar problems could escape. I wanted to share the one place that had helped me for many years.
I have always said that as long as one person finds a little bit of happiness out of my books, I am, in my opinion, an accomplished author. The same is true for every writer out there. Please don't ever let anyone tell you different.
I read books as well as write them and have visited the worlds many different authors have created. Those worlds not only make me feel better, but give me the strength to face real life again. I want to thank everyone who writes - I want them to know they are making a difference.
Fast forward to today...
I am an award-winning & best-selling author with 30 books available across multiple fantasy sub-genres.
Awards include:
Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Award: Best Local Author 2017 & 2018
Brant News Readers' Choice Award: Best Local Author 2017
Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: Best Novella/Short Story 2017 Silver medal
2017 SIBA Awards - Best Novella
2017 SIBA Awards - Best New Adult
2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: Gold Medal in the Fiction - Supernatural genre
2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: Bronze Medal in the Fiction - New Adult genre
