1.
What were you before you became an author? Did this influence your
choices as a writer?
Before I was an author, I was a reader ,
I
grew up on a prairie farm in the days before internet or television. Books
naturally became my gateway to other places, other times, other ideas. But the
prairie itself, its changing moods and seasons, was also a major player in my
life. The world of books and the natural world together inspired me to write
lots of bad poetry and unfinished stories.
A few years at university awoke a taste for research
that, combined with my love of books, led inevitably to work in libraries,
which continued sporadically after I met and married my first and only husband.
We grew a farm and raised four children. My writing time dwindled as my
curiosity grew about this land’s pre-settlement history. Whenever possible I scoured library archives
or second-hand bookstores for stories by or about early visitors to western
Canada. My first published writing were short articles based on that neglected
history.
2.
Are you genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but
subdivisions or romance, mystery or paranormal.
Because
of my consuming interest in the natural and human history of the prairies, my
writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, is grounded in the land. I guess you
could call my genre eco-historical.
My first book was a short piece of nonfiction told as a mythical tale: Mistaseni: Buffalo Rock of the The Elbow. My second
book, Looking for Aiktow, traces the centuries-long history of this
region of Saskatchewan through true stories based on historical accounts.
3.
What is your latest release?
Prairie Grass, released in January 2020, is
historical fiction set in the northern plains.
4.
What are you working on now?
I’m
working on a novel exploring the life of an immigrant woman of the last
century. This time the story begins with her troubled family relationships,
which she carries with her from the old country to her new home.
5.
Does your reading choice influence your choice of a writing career?
Yes,
most definitely it does. I want to write the kind of books I love to read,
books about strong characters with deep attachments and convictions that
sometimes lead them into impossible situations.
6.
Where can we find you?
You can find me on my Facebook page Looking for Aiktow.
Prairie Grass is
available from Amazon, Kobo, Indigo and all participating bookstores. https://books2read.com/Prairie-Grass
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