I was born in Canada. I grew up in a totally French environment and only learned English in my early twenties when I met my anglophone husband in Ottawa. Writing has always been my favorite way of communication and I had the desire to write a novel for as long as I can remember. Raising a family kept this desire to write at bay for years. By the time I finally was ready to get serious about it, I had become much more comfortable in English. My debut novel titled "What goes around..." was so worth writing on so many levels...I wish I could translate it to French, back to my childhood language.

I'v always loved reading and obviously all material was in French exclusively at the time. There was a book series focusing on a girl named "Sophie", I loved reading her adventures and longed to write just like that, uncomplicated and entertaining. In my early teens, I read an entire series of novels by Guy Des Cars in the space of two weeks during summer vacation. That reinforced my desire to become an author.

I wanted something original and that had special meaning to me. Had I been gifted with painting abilities, I would have created my own cover image. Alas, I have zero talent in that field. A friend of mine in Montreal is a great artist and posted some of her artwork on Facebook. There it was, the perfect impression I wanted to convey to my readers for my heroine in "What goes around..." I asked if I could utilize her artwork for my cover design and she readily accepted. From that point on, it was just a matter of creating an eye-catching presentation, which I believe I succeeded in doing.

My husband gave me a Nook color a few Christmases ago, I like it but it's nearly impossible to read outside (especially in Florida sunshine...) I still prefer a paperback, I love turning pages... Call me old-fashioned.

I especially enjoy James Patterson whose writing style I share, short chapters keep the reader turning pages. How often have you been reading a book and you simply do not have more time to read another loong chapter? With short chapters, you can get a few more pages read before setting the book down.

I like to bring life to my characters with plenty of dialogue, my novel reads like a play being performed in front of your very eyes.

I love when my readers give me a feedback such as: "I loved Val" or "that weasel Neil" or "Martha, don't get me started on Martha!" My favorite was when someone said to me "I felt like I'd lost my best friend once the story ended, I wanted this story to go on and on..."

At five hundred plus pages, I felt it was time to bid goodbye....though I too hated to let go of my characters...

I'm working on what I hope will be effective right now. So far I have used Facebook and Nextdoor, am planning to add Twitter and LinkedIn also. I will "somehow" manage to create a blog and website. I might join authors and/or readers groups online as well.

I was under the impression that I only had to publish online via Amazon and Smashwords and presto the sales would boom... After months of very little action, (friends and relatives supported my efforts and gave me rave reviews but that's a very small audience when it comes right down to it...)

I have finally done extensive research and realize that writing the novel is the easy part, MARKETING TAKES WORK!!! I spent months writing and perfecting that novel, it deserves exposure and the EFFORT necessary to ensure it gets it. Hey, does anyone know a literary agent with an open mind???

Located in the den, which is the first room you see when entering our home. When I write, the French doors are closed to shut out distractions. I keep my desk tidy and as clutter-free as possible. Stuff laying around is distracting and clouds my mind, which hardly slows down when I start writing. No writer's block here! I type pretty fast and can hardly keep up with the tale I'm weaving.

Some creative writing in French school ( I received a 99% grade on my first essay, I still have the report to prove it. The professor informed me that a perfect score simply wasn't given...ever). People throughout my life have told me they love to read me... whether it's a yearly Christmas newsletter or correspondence with penpals etc. It's always been easier for me to express myself in writing. I am "verbally handicapped" because my mouth is somehow faster than my brain... not sure that's a good thing so I'll focus on writing. I also hate speaking on the phone, I constantly interrupt as soon as I know what the person at the other hand is trying to tell me...the end result is that neither party knows what the other is saying...

So to address the question, probably started writing in grade three or so, needless to say that stuff is long gone. Kept a journal in my early teens. I wish I still could still feel comfortable writing in French, it's such a beautiful language... but I've lived my life in English for too many years. Not many French paperbacks available in my neck of the woods for me to brush up on it. Strangely enough, conversing in French is still relatively easy,

My latest and only published book is "What goes around.... " It remained an unfinished manuscript of over 100 pages and sat dormant for years. It has some similarities to real characters or places but is actually forged from my overzealous imagination.

How did I come up with this plot? Hard to say... I just kept typing what came to mind. I don't have a set plot when I write, I love discovering what my mind is able to conjure, I'm as surprised as my readers by the end results!

Anyone who has gone through the excruciating task of sending query letters in hope of getting a literary agent has that answer! It's a catch 22: it's nearly impossible to get an agent if you haven't been published and you can't be published without such agent because of the prohibitive costs involved in traditional publishing (which by the way is without guarantee of proper marketing).

The standard letter of rejection reads this way: "your novel isn't the right fit, we wish you success". This is automatically sent without even a paragraph having been requested for submission to the agency, in other words, like a child saying "I don't like it" before tasting the darn food!

I suspect that the fact that my novel is over 120,000 words meant it would be expensive to print...so why would the agent try to take on an unknown author? They want to see prior success, hence the e-book route. It is quite deflating to read that if you haven't sold a couple of thousands e-books proving your worth as an author, the agent will deem you unworthy of their interest. The question remains then: "how to make your mark in the e-book market???"

Not yet it hasn't. That's partly my fault. I was naive in thinking that all I had to do was write the novel, upload it and bam, sales galore! Not so fast...I have begun to watch videos and read material produced by Smashwords and get the big picture now. I have to invest a lot of time in doing my own marketing in every way possible. probably equal amount of time spent producing the novel and marketing it.

In case it isn't obvious to everyone, there's a crowd of authors out there trying to do the same thing I am... "how to get "discovered" when thrown in with the thousands of other e-books... " I KNOW for a fact that my book is entertaining and the feedback I've received thus far is very encouraging..

Someone once said: "writing is addictive, it's a world I can control" That is simply a brilliant way to put it!!!

They have no idea how I crave their opinion and feedback. Deep down, I'm very insecure so when I know someone is reading what I put out there, I worry what they'll think...

Wen I get positive feedback, I am so relieved, I can breathe again! I also appreciate so very much when suggestions or comments are shared as I'm learning this craft and have a strong desire to succeed.

I started a manuscript (Winners and Losers") It's about a bus load of tourist travelling from New York to Atlantic City and the adventures that ensue over the three days they are there. I'm having fun! A murder might be in the mix...Look for it in the coming months.

James Patterson, Nelson DeMille, John Grisham... I was a big fan of Janet Evanovich but she really repeats herself with each new addition to her Stephanie Plum series. I enjoyed the early Danielle Steel but she is mass-producing with some help and it shows. Also, I can't get past the fact that 50% of her sentences start with "and", which I learned very early in grammar school is a no-no! It is annoying to say the least (Sorry Danielle, but you should know better... in your defense though, you weave a good tale).

Life is short enough as it is, not going to spend it in bed.

I like to watch TV, documentaries, series, movies and of course, reading. Design Home app on phone, some candy crush and slots are helpful to numb my brain at bedtime.