I started writing fiction in 1992, when my son was a toddler, a leap into the unknown, and frightening, as at that time I was a single mother. But with the help of an explorations grant from the Canada Council, I was able to keep writing. I have lived in Vancouver, Toronto, New York and the Okanagan, but for the last decade I have been back on the West Coast, in Vancouver, where many of my stories are set, living with my husband, Bob Penner, and my two (now grown ) children. I've written four books, Petra, Oh, My Darling , Radiance, and The Falling Woman, stories. My work has been nominated for the Danuta Gleed, Rogers Writers Trust, Ethel Wilson and Evergreen awards, Frank O'Connor Award for the Short Story and been published in Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia. I also teach writing on a freelance basis -- please visit my website, for thoughts on writiing.