From my youth ,our family tradition was to gift each other a book on New Year's day. A tradition started by my mother. After many years, my passion for reading turned into a desire to write.

I’m of Irish descent. I guess a sense of humor and storytelling is in my blood. I’ve also enjoyed reading the Spencer series from writer Robert B. Parker. His private detective has a snarky sense of humor that I enjoyed, so some of this writing style must have rubbed off on me.

Yes, to the dismay of my editor, I sometimes write in English while thinking in French. It makes for a strange sentence construction.

Montreal is a very cosmopolitan city, and I try to add unique characters from other nationalities into my novels when I can.

Trust nothing you are told ,and only half of what you see. The real story has to be dug out of hints and clues not always easy to find. Consulting is often like detective work.

Except for one novel , I have used none of my flying experience in my writing. I loved the three-dimensional freedom of flight. Looking down at the tiny houses and little vehicles from three or six thousand feet above, you realize that any problem you have is also small. It was like taking a vacation from the daily grind.

I always know the theme of a story before I begin a tale. I know where I want it to lead, but I do not know if there is a swampfull of alligators on the trail to the ending. I will add what I know from my travels if needed. Before I started my mystery series, I wrote a detailed CV, likes, dislikes, personality traits, and speech patterns for my main characters. So I know how they will react in a situation. Sometimes they solve a writing problem for me. Sometimes they run amok.

I break up the tension from a past chapter or I calm things down before I ramp up the action to give the reader a pause. I have to plan each chapter to fit the plot line, but with a few calm or funny pauses here and there to give the reader a chance to breathe.

Never give up. Writing, similar to a martial art, it requires practice, not reading a how-to book. Write every day, a line or two, a chapter, whatever, just write.

Dialog is often not realistic. I created an eavesdropper certificate for myself to listen to others and learn.

The idea itself dictates the type of writing.

I wrote a novel about life after death (Walking with an Angel) from notes a good friend gave me years ago. The story revealed itself as I wrote. Many parts surprised me.13-Do you outline heavily, or do you prefer to discover the story as it unfolds?I don’t outline. I let inspiration lead me.

Keep an open mind. We must be here for a reason.

I’m a good writer learning to be a great writer. I’m a novice at promotion and advertizing. AllAuthor helps me in that area with inspired material for social media and promotion. It’s a pleasure to work with your team, who are always ready to help. Pleasetake your time to answer these questions, we are not in any hurry :)Also, please attach a photograph of yourself which will be displayed along with the interview when we feature it.Your interview will be featured on AllAuthor and will be shared on all desired social networks.

I was born in Montreal. I've worked or vacationed in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. I've enjoyed all of my trips, but will always call Montreal my home.

I worked with companies that were in trouble or experiencing growing pains, so it was always a challenge. I'm retired, and it's now a pleasure to write full time.

Technical writing is work, developing a fiction novel is a fun creative process.

My formal schooling was all in French with different rules of punctuation. I write in English. My editor once told me that I was very creative-- She was talking about my punctuation.

I can write knowledgeable scenes about many adventures in foreign lands, as well as on-the -edge landings on lakes or small off-the-beat airports. Situations that can be used in adventure or thriller novels.

The TNBW site was launched in 2005. I've been a member since 2006. A review is not a criticism of an author's work. It should be constructive comments about what you liked in the story and where you feel the author could do better, this, without putting in your own suggestions. These peer to peer reviews are to help authors improve, and should never be a put-down of someone's work.

Crime Writers of Canada was founded in 1982 as a non-profit entity. It is the national professional association for mystery and crime writers in Canada. Its mission is to promote Canadian crime writing and to raise the profile of Canadian crime writers with readers, reviewers, librarians, booksellers, and media.

An honest, tough, beat cop from the 1970's called René Duperron. He patrolled in Montreal's red light district. He once caught 5 burglars red-handed inside of a store. Revolver in hand, he marched them out in single file to the police station, with the admonition that if anyone stepped out of formation he would shoot them dead.

The first novel in the Lieutenant Beaudry mystery series was loosely based on the 1985 murder of Frank Shoofey a high profile Montreal criminal lawyer.

I've enjoyed creating all of my novels. I guess the last one written by an author, is always the closest in mind, if not in heart.

That fans in this genre enjoy the read is my prime goal. On that, my second best compliment was from a reader who had received one of my novels as a gift. She came up to me and said "Please tell me that there are more." On a different subject, the best compliment in my life was when my flight instructor leaned his head on the passenger window, and said."Wake me when we land."

Over the years, I've developed my own writer's voice. There's probably a tinge of my favorite writers, John D. MacDonald, Robert Parker, Mickey Spillane, Robert Crais, and some Janet Evanovich in my telling, but my writing and my characters are wholly of my creative construct.

I'm working on the sixth in the Beaudry series "DEAD RUN" It should be in print January 2020. I have an esoteric novel in the works on the human soul and life after death experiences. I also have an outline for a story starring Patricia O'Neil. Beaudry's paramour. I plan to co-write this one with a female mystery writer.

There are so many sites on the web that promise to help writer promote and advertise their novels. Your team meets and beats what you promise us. I have nothing but praise for AllAuthor and will recommend your invaluable help to any serious writer.