I was born and brought up in rural Quebec, along the Ottawa River, surrounded and nourished by Quebecois and English culture and language. I have lived in Atlantic Canada since the late 1970’s and now feel like salt water courses through my veins along with the mingled essence of horse manure and cedar from my childhood. Oral and written communication have always been important in my life. That’s why I chose my profession of speech-language pathology. At a very early age, my father and grandparents captivated me with stories of their youth. My parents introduced me to the wonders of books before I was old enough to focus my eyes. They instilled in me the love of words. Now in semi-retirement I am cultivating my creative side through writing. My great loves, besides my husband, are the natural world, animals, and music. I find inspiration for my writing in nature, people, and the commonplace events of day-to-day life. Now that I look at the world through a writer’s eyes I see characters, scenes, and plot potential everywhere. I live beside the St. John River in Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick with my husband, William Toner, and our menagerie of rescued dogs and cats. My first book, “Senior Management: Parenting My Parents,” published by Nevermore Press in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, was released April 1, 2021.