I grew up in the 1960’s and it affected my life much as everyone’s culture does -  Canadian Centennial Celebrations, the rise of an actual Canadian literature – real Canadian authors like Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, Leonard Cohen and Alice Munroe (who I was to read much later), and influences from south of the border – Civil Rights, Feminism, Hope.

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Before I figured out that I wanted to write, I fell in love with the written word as a reader.

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My first real heroine?  Pippi Longstocking.  She was irresistible.  Her father, a voyaging sea captain, trusted his nine year old daughter enough to leave her alone in charge of the family home.  Pippi was independent.

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She could lift her horse (yes, she owned her own horse!) above her head, and carry her monkey, Mr. Nilsson, around on her shoulder.  Pippi was strong.

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She loved to flip pancakes so high they stuck to the ceiling, and she cleaned the floor by skating across it on brushes.  Pippi considered traditional female labour a bit of a joke.

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She could not pronounce the word “multiplication”, nor did she care to master the subject itself.  Pippi’s respect for society’s institutions was negligible.

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Her father left behind a trunk full of gold coins and she spent it on candy for the other children.  Pippi was kind and generous….and very, very funny.

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So began my reading career.  Astrid Lindgren invited me into Pippi’s world, and guess what?  I fit.  And it felt good.  And so I read and read.

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At university, I studied English and Psychology at the University of Toronto.  Unlike Pippi, I respected the university’s gift of “structure”…and I appreciated being introduced to a wonderful array of writers.

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One day, I watched an interesting television program called “The Titans”.  Patrick Watson, a little white haired man at the CBC, sat across from a variety of great historical figures and interviewed each one of them…a  bit like that game we all play:  “If you could have dinner with anyone living or dead, who would you choose?” My current choice is Christopher Hitchens, however back in the day I watched as Patrick Watson “interviewed” Queen Elizabeth I.  I was mesmerized.  Here was a real, grown-up Pippi!

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My debut novel features Elizabeth I.  It hasn’t been lost on me that both my literary heroines have striking red hair, but I think that is only coincidental.  Both heroines share many character traits I respect and admire.  I sincerely hope my reader finds Elizabeth as strong, as intelligent, as beautiful, as I do.

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My second work of fiction is a collection of short stories entitled Tales of Mother Wisdom.  This book of stories delves into the complex relationships of women....the mother/ daughter bond/struggle, infidelity, infertility, friendship, power and the lack of it, lies, secrets and silence...and much more.

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My most recent novel is entitled None of Us Live Forever, published in January, 2022.  It is a contemplative work of fiction about love, grief and whether forever can exist.  Can Love, in fact, conquer Death?

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My short fiction has appeared in The Dalhousie Review.  My poetry has appeared in Queen’s Quarterly and Pan del Muerto, U. of T. Graduate English Assoc.  In addition to creative writing, I have written for Maclean’s Magazine, and I have written a number of book reviews and conducted scholarly interviews for Surface and Symbol, The Scarborough Arts Council publication.

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In addition to my studies at the University of Toronto, I studied creative writing at the Toronto Writing Workshop with Libby Scheier and Cary Fagan.  I currently live in Toronto with my family.

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