About Me

I’m a Canadian children’s book writer, adept in nonfiction, and exploring fiction. 

I was born on April Fool’s Day. When my dad phoned my gramma, she didn’t believe him and hung up. But it was no joke! I think it’s a fun day for a birthday, and no one ever forgets.

I spent my childhood in the small town of picturesque Elora and the tiny hamlet of Eden Mills, Ontario. When I was a child, I loved anything creative or active. I liked climbing trees, walking on stilts, building forts, and putting on puppet shows. I was a quiet, hardworking student. Drama took me outside of my “normal” and let me be loud, silly, and sometimes even scary. By grade 6, I started to realize that writing was something I could do well.

In high school I was quiet, except when I was hanging out with my group of studious but rowdy friends in the library. After graduating from the University of Waterloo, with a degree in English literature (drama minor), I backpacked from England to India with Daryn, who has been my husband for more than 25 years. I’ve always been curious about other cultures, and in looking at things from different perspectives. I love exploring beautiful beaches, mountains, forests, ancient ruins, iconic architecture, museums, and art galleries.

I’ve been lucky to have lived in lots of places including Waterloo and Toronto, Ontario; Sapporo, Japan; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Princeton, New Jersey; Manchester, England; Berlin, Germany. Since 2008, I’ve lived in historic Kingston, Ontario, with my husband, Daryn. We have two incredible young-adult kids, Zoë and Mari.

My first book, Sew Your Own Bean Bag Friends, was published in 1998. I’m the author of Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs, Dazzling Women Designers,  Amazing Women Athletes, Backyard Circus, Making Shadow Puppets, and others.

I also work as an editor, project manager, and professional writer, mainly for educational resources. Since 2015, I’ve worked with the Educational Outreach department at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, managing the development of elementary and high school science resources. The mind-bending topics include outer space, energy, and black holes, with one resource on climate change.

In evenings and on weekends, you can find me swimming, cycling, paddling, walking my dog, or flying along a cross-country ski trail.