You’ve hada fascinating international life —consulting, flying, bilingualism —which experience most directly sparked your passion for fiction?
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.
Your fiction is known for a touch of humor and a twist —do those elements come naturally as you write, or are they consciously engineered?
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.
Do your bilingual instincts ever influence your sentence rhythm, humor, or dialogue —even when writing strictly in English?
Yes, to the dismay of my editor, I sometimes write in English while thinking in French. It makes for a strange sentence construction.
You describe yourvoice as “accent chaos” —has that ever helped or hindered you when writing characters with distinct cultural backgrounds?
Montreal is a very cosmopolitan city, and I try to add unique characters from other nationalities into my novels when I can.
As a former international management consultant, what’s the most unexpected storytelling lesson you took from the corporate world?
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.
Private pilots are famous for seeing the world from a different vantage point —has flying shaped how you structure stories, not just where they’re set?
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.
You’re widely read and well-traveled —how do you know when a real experience or moment is worth turning into a story?
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.
Humor can be difficult to get right in mystery/crime fiction —what’s your philosophy on balancing wit with tension?
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.
You’ve written extensively in online writing communities —what is the most useful critique you’ve ever received?
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.
As a reviewer yourself, what common mistake do you see new writers making over and over?
Dialog is often not realistic. I created an eavesdropper certificate for myself to listen to others and learn.
How do you decide whether a story idea should be a short piece, a novella, or a full-length novel?
The idea itself dictates the type of writing.
Have you ever written a story that completely surprised you —where the twist revealed itself as you were 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.
Do you outline heavily, or do you prefer to discover the story as it unfolds?
I don’t outline. I let inspiration lead me.
What do you hope readers feel in the final five seconds after finishing your book, “Walking with an Angel” ?
Keep an open mind. We must be here for a reason.
What has your AllAuthor experience been like so far? What are some highlights?
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.
