I was born in 1956, in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, but left in grade five. I spent a few years in Stellarton, then Summerside, PEI, then back to Sydney for one more year. After the moving around, living in Dartmouth, across the harbour from Halifax, during my high school and college years gave me that anchored feeling and, no matter where else I’ve been (Bermuda 1978 - 1990, Bahamas 1990 - 1997, the USA 1997 - 2004), Dartmouth has always been home (though, especially through sailing, I have a huge love of South Shore NS.) Being back in Nova Scotia is a great feeling.

     It’s hard to say which I’ve been doing longer – the martial arts or writing. I started my interest in Judo and Karate when I was 14. Around the same time I started writing stories that I never finished in old school notebooks. By 16, I was seriously into Wing Chun and Bak Sil Lum Kung Fu, becoming part of the Fire Dragon System (Pai Lum), seriously hooked. By 17, I was an assistant instructor. By 18, I was teaching. I had graduated Prince Andrew High School (Dartmouth, NS) by then and was doing my Biology degree at Acadia University (Wolfville, NS). I graduated from there in ’77. By 21, I had a 3rd degree black belt (san dan) in Shotokan Karate and was a Junior Master in Kenjutsu (katana or samurai long sword.) That same year I graduated with my Education degree from Dalhousie (Halifax, NS). I had also just finished my first novel (destined for the trash.)

     Over the next 10 years, while living in Bermuda and teaching high school Biology and Math, I taught Kung Fu on the side and began writing a fantasy series. My wizards were influenced by science; my warriors were katana-wielding martial artists.

     The fantasy series grew into five novels until I felt like I had said everything I had to say about the characters and the world I’d created.

    That’s when I decided to turn my attention to a vampire series. But it had to be different and, being me, Kung Fu would be involved somehow.