“Write what you know” is good advice to writers, but sometimes “write what fascinates you” makes a more interesting, though longer journey. Circle of Cranes was inspired by real life events. A series of migrant ships were intercepted off the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia in the summer of… Continue Reading
Category Archives: The Stories Behind The Books
Salmon Creek
I was inspired to write Salmon Creek after I witnessed the endangered wild coho return home to their spawning grounds in Codd Wetland in Pitt Meadows, BC. Codd Wetland harbours 99 species of plants and animals. It is also nesting site of a pair of Greater Sandhill cranes. When the landowner threatened to dig up… Continue Reading
Wild Bog Tea
I wrote Wild Bog Tea as a plea to preserve Blaney Bog. This rare and hidden wetland, located in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, was slated for an industrial cranberry operation. Members of the Pitt Polder Preservation Society and myself launched a grassroots campaign to preserve the bog. After three years of raising awareness, letter-writing, fundraising… Continue Reading
Miracle at Willowcreek
Miracle of Willowcreek is based on my experiences fighting another development proposal on the Pitt Polder. In the novel, the main character, Tess, and her friends take a courageous stand against developers in order to save a small flock of Sandhill cranes. When Tess and her friends encounter a wonderful bird woman named Clara, adventure… Continue Reading
The Princess Who Danced With Cranes
When Swan-set Bay Resort proposed to build a golf course in the Pitt Polder, I wrote a fairytale about the detrimental effects of golf courses on wetlands. The Pitt Polder is a lowland area in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, about 46 kilometres east of Vancouver. Located along the Pacific Flyway, the polder is home to… Continue Reading
Miss Rafferty’s Rainbow Socks
When I was a little girl, my grandmother taught me to knit. I made scarves and doll clothes in many colours of the rainbow with Nanny’s leftover yarn. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer, but my mom couldn’t afford dance lessons. I never became a dancer, but many of the characters… Continue Reading