About
I’ve wanted to be a writer from the time I was a small child, but it took a while before I finally did anything about it. In the meantime, I worked as a volunteer day-camp counsellor, a movie extra, and a digital-photo editor. I even once worked on a conveyor belt in a chocolate factory (which was as stressful—and delicious—as it sounds). These days, I live in British Columbia, Canada and write the types of stories I want to read.
Even though I’m (way) past that age group, I still enjoy immersing myself in the worlds of YA fiction, whether that means reading those stories or writing them. My books will probably appeal to readers over the age of 15. I try to keep things realistic, so my characters do swear. Sometimes the stories can get pretty dark. There might be violence. There might be death. But there’s often humour, too, and hopefully some characters and stories that readers can relate to.
My Stance on AI
I believe human creativity is incredibly important. Aside from the ethical and environmental implications of AI, I see it having a detrimental effect on the arts and on artists, especially those who choose to hand over part of the creative process to machines. Writers have managed to express themselves just fine for thousands of years without assistance from AI.
Can we really say AI-written work is better? I don’t think we can. Faster isn’t better… and that’s really the only benefit. AI can mimic emotions, but it’s never experienced heartbreak. It can explain how nerves work, but it’s never experienced pain. Humans are the only ones who can properly communicate what it means to be human. Anything else is just a copy. And it’s a copy created through the theft of works of countless artists.
My commitment to my readers is that I will never use generative AI to write my books, and I will not knowingly use generative-AI tools in any part of my writing, editing, or book design processes.
The Journey of an Author
2002
I write my first novel-length draft in approximately two months. I love the story and characters so much that I eventually turn it into a trilogy. (I write Book 2 in around two weeks!)
Sadly, these books are terrible. Convenient things happen all over the place. The plot rambles. The villains are over the top. But at least I can say I’ve written a novel. (Three, actually… but who’s counting?)
2006
I write a second trilogy. This one is a lot more involved, and has a story within a story. Unfortunately, it also has some problematic tropes. But, hey, they’re still good writing practice. Nobody gets it 100% right the first time.
At this point, life gets in the way. I don’t write much for a few years.
2013
For some reason, an idea grabs me and won’t let go. There are a few scenes stuck in my head (the exciting ones, of course), so I write those down first. This is when I start writing in a non-linear fashion.
2015
This is the year I read a YA fairy tale retelling so bad that I’m seized by a terrible urge to get back into writing novels. Because, surely, I cab do better than that.
2016-2017
I start writing in earnest. From 2016-2017, I write a lot. I keep running with the fairy tale-retelling theme and write a whole series.
Eventually, I go back to writing linearly. The first few of these books use outlines, but I find I end up veering so far away from them that it’s a bit pointless. After a while, I don’t even bother. (Does this officially make me a pantser?)
2018-2020
Over these three years, I write a total of twelve more books, including seven standalones and five as part of two different series. I don’t write as much in 2020 because… well, it’s 2020. If you live on this planet, you know what I mean.
2021
This is the year I finally decide to publish. I choose to start with Two Between Worlds, a story I wrote early in 2020, just before the world went crazy.
Self-publishing can seem overwhelming at first. Okay, it can still be overwhelming. I probably learn more new things and skills in 2021 than in the last ten years combined.
My debut novel is released into the world on October 19, 2021.
2024
I start submitting some of my short fiction to literary magazines. My first stories are published (by other people!) in September 2024.
