I grew up on the Canadian prairies. And when I say 'prairies' I mean grass. Lots and lots of grass. Seeing a tree was exciting because they were few and far between. The closest playmate was miles away. Our TV access was limited to three channels, none of them very clear and none of them had any children's programming. There was really nothing to do except create.

As a result, my sisters and I grew vivid imaginations. We would run through the fields pretending to be sorcerers, vampires, elves, or starship captains. We created our own worlds and filled them with fictional people. Years later, when I would decide to write for a living, these worlds and characters were still with me and became the basis for most of my stories.

I've been writing since I was a child. Journals, stories, whatever came to mind. I wrote my first novel in 8th grade. But I didn't start writing with the intention of making a living until my late 20s. Once I had two young children of my own, I realized they might like to read the stories running around in my head, so I wrote them down and they eventually became my published novels.

My desk is on the far side of the room behind a screen and holds whatever I threw on there yesterday. And the day before. I don't really know since I rarely look at my desk. Instead, I write on the bed. It's comfortable and covered in papers with sticky notes all over the headboard. A desk is for serious things, like doing my taxes every spring. I need whimsy comfort to write, and I get this in bed.

My latest book is "Son's Betrayal." It's the fifth and final book in The Imperial Series and follows the youngest son of the character who started the entire series to begin with. This one finally wraps up everything that's been happening in the series, so it was a hard one to write. I didn't really want to be done with the characters, but it was time. Saying goodbye to some of my favorite characters of all time was an almost-painful experience.

Now that it's over, I'm considering reviving the characters for another series. Just haven't figured out how to work that one out yet.

For me, the greatest joy of writing is watching a story spring to life on the page. It starts with just a few simple words, and before you know it, there's a story just begging to be read. And it's inevitably something I'd like to read, so after the joy of writing comes the joy of reading. Double the fun.

I think I'm going to continue with The Knights of St. Andrews series. The first one was written because my son had an idea. He now had another idea, so we'll sit down and collaborate. Who knows what we'll come up with.

My favorite authors are JRR Tolkien and Charles Dickens. More modern authors who I also enjoy include Rick Riordan and Jonathan Ball (most of you probably haven't heard of this last guy). I could add to that list (since I'll read anything with words), but those are my favorites.

Absolutely nothing. I write from bed. It's the most comfortable place in my home and has a great view of outside. Why get up?

Umm... I write something else. Writing is my job, my hobby, and my passion. Outside of what I call "work hours" I'll write blogs, short stories to tell my children, or whatever random stuff pops into my head. Writing occupies most of my day. If I'm not writing, I take a walk and think about writing. Or I talk about what I'm going to write next. Or read something similar to what I an going to write next. I may possibly be obsessed.

The first story I ever wrote was about my cat. He flew around the world saving people from their own stupidity. I thought it was funny. My teacher didn't think I should be calling people "stupid". I was 5.

My writing process involves a lot of laying on the bed thinking about my characters. Then I'll talk out loud for a while and let things fall into place. Once I feel like I won't be completely wasting my time, I roll over and grab the computer. Time to type. I type beginning to end and do very little revising. If what I'm writing doesn't work or I lose my train of thought, I delete the entire thing and start over again, even if that means scrapping 50,000 words of work. Repeat until it comes out right. It may sound time consuming, but in the end I have an almost-finished product that needs very little attention before it can see the light of day.

The first full-fledged book I ever read was "Anne of Green Gables" when I was 6, but that's not the story that had the most impact on me. I remember my grandfather reading me "The King of Elfland's Daughter" when I was 4, and that is the story that stuck with me and would shape the writer I would become. The themes of time and the east were powerful enough even for a child to grasp, and the world Lord Dunsany (the author) created was magical and held my attention as nothing else could.

I don't. I leave it to a pro because I am absolutely not an artist and I have no eye for anything like that. Let the pros do what they do best.