When you were a child, what were your favourite things to do?
Build tree forts, attend art classes and make my own cinnamon toast.
When you were little, what were you most afraid of?
I dreaded having to fetch anything from the basement. The mere thought would send me into a panic. My mom even promised to stand at the top of the stairs and wait for me, but that didn’t help. If something bad happened, I thought that she would slam the door shut, trapping me with whatever nightmare was below.
What did you think you were good at when you were little?
I was noted for my artwork and my storytelling. And math. And being somewhat bossy. Ick.
Is it true that when you were growing up, your heroes were astronauts?
Yes. I remember watching our little black-and-white television set and seeing Neil Armstrong land on the Moon and step off that nine-rung ladder. One of my prized possessions is the cover of my first Martin Bridge book, Ready for Takeoff, which was signed by John Glenn, the first astronaut to orbit the earth. I’m still a fan of space travel, which is why I wrote Clear Skies, a novel set in the 1960s.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Not a writer, that’s for sure. I didn’t even consider it. When I was little, we didn’t have writers visiting schools to talk about their work. Now I try to visit as many schools as I can. I can always spot young writers in the room.
What is your favourite literary board game?
Balderdash, where everyone makes up definitions. My least favourite is Scrabble. I’m terrible at spelling.
What is your favourite pastime now?
Sailing along the coasts of Nova Scotia aboard our boat named Cape Fear. I also have taken up paddleboarding with my dog Ivy and biking along Rails to Trails in Nova Scotia.
What talents do you wish you had?
I wish I could speak French. I wish I could grow tomatoes. I wish I could play the drums. Alas.
When do story ideas come to you?
Usually they come when I’m walking my dog Ivy in the park. I walk with her every day. Well, mostly. She absolutely hates the rain.
Do you include autobiographical elements in your stories?
Yes, all the time.
Take the Martin Bridge series. The Junior Badgers are based on my Girl Guide experiences. I once met an artist who made sculpture entirely out of scotch tape; a character named Clark is based on him. Martin Bridge loves art class at school; I completed a degree at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. I once had neighbours whose parrot escaped from their home in the dead of winter; I based Polly on that parrot. I worked with a dancer at Halifax Dance who had a props shed, just like Stuart’s mom. I often use real place names, like Carter’s Beach, Marshy Hope or Tupper Grove Park. And then there are my son’s experiences to turn to, like the science fairs he’s participated in, his fascination with making slime recipes, his love of flashlights, and the Halloween costumes I made for him when he was little.
In terms of my mystery series, our first dog named Astro (a crazy Springer spaniel) inspired my novels called The Spotted Dog Last Seen and The Missing Dog is Spotted.
Living in Nova Scotia has also greatly influenced the characters, settings and weather for my novels, including my Lobster Chronicle series, which starts with Lower the Trap. I worked at an Alberta historic site that was referenced in The Things Owen Wrote. I also grew up during the Space Race to the Moon, which is central to Clear Skies.
Why did you set your mystery novels in a historic cemetery? Don’t you know there are ghosts?
I live in downtown Halifax and am surrounded by historic cemeteries, with some of the gravestones dating back to the 1700’s. It was only a matter of time before I poked around in them. There are plenty of untold stories in cemeteries: the eroded words too hard to read, the mysterious carved symbols, the heavy gravestones that have toppled face-first to the ground. I included all these details in The Spotted Dog Last Seen and The Missing Dog is Spotted. But no, I don’t believe in ghosts, even though I’ve had a few encounters.
What is your favourite illustration in your new picture book, The Better Tree Fort?
My favourite page by Qin Leng is the scene where a boy named Russell is standing on his tippy-toes on the top rung, painting the trap door of his new tree fort a gorgeous robin-egg blue while his dad steadies the ladder. His dad reminds me of my own, always pushing me to do things for myself and if I ever fell, to “walk it off.”
What helps writers succeed?
Successful writers can count on three things: one, they have family and friends who support and encourage them; two, they cope beautifully with rejection letters by working even harder; and three, they stick to their writing schedule, no matter what. We all have the same goal: to write a better novel than the one just published.