When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I try to write as often as I can; my brain is always filled with new ideas. Unfortunately my priorities have changed over the last two years. I now work with my husband as a swamper. That's right; a swamper! My husband drives a semi and delivers product to restaurants, schools and nursing homes around Calgary and I help him. It's very physical (we move over 20 000 lbs every day) but, hey, it's great exercise, I'm very strong now and I can eat all the ice cream I want because I'll work it off easily the next day. I also started doing comic expos with my daughters. They are incredible artists. They create posters and buttons (I help with the button machine) and I sell printed copies of my books. It's fun and we've met a lot of nice people doing it. The rest of my spare time is taken up by spending time with my kids, cleaning house and taking care of our pets (we have four).
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I remember writing a short story in grade seven. It was about a girl who lost her mother due to cancer. She missed her mother so much and, when Christmas came, didn't think she could face the holidays without her. Then she found a gift that her mother had bought before she died. It contained a letter stating how much she was loved and how her mother would always be with her. I probably wrote stories before this but this one stands out because it was the first time someone (my teacher) said they liked my writing.
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