The longest two weeks of my life were the two weeks before the release of my debut novel, Night Call.

It’s sort of a surreal feeling as, on one hand, I’m very proud of this accomplishment and all the work it’s taken, and at the same time, I’m stuck between excited and anxious, seeing as this publication coincided with the endgame of my graduate degree in chemistry. This novel is the starting point of a completely new chapter of my life, and I have no idea where it’ll take me.

“Where did you get the idea for your book?” It’s a question authors are asked all the time. Sometimes the conception is so vague and evolutionary that it is difficult to put into words, even for a writer. However, in the case of my new novel, Bury Your Horses, there really was a single, seminal “a-ha” moment. The book’s spark came while I was working on a project for the Hockey Hall of Fame researching North American hockey.

Somehow, April 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of my first book, The Gargoyle in My Yard (April 2009). Even more astonishing to me, this year I’ll publish my twelfth book! That was a fast decade, and what a fun ride.

What have I learned since 2009? Here are my “10 Writing Truths” from ten years of writing:

I'm so proud to introduce Flights and Falls, the fourth book in my B.C. Blues crime series.

This one takes place in North Vancouver and out past Horseshoe Bay along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and the challenge for my team begins with a crash. From the cliffs overlooking the Burrard Inlet, someone with a vile sense of humour is systematically scaring drivers to death, and the game is fishtailing out of control.

What was the inspiration or overarching themes behind your new book?