A MOUSE TALE

Let me tell you a little about myself, so you understand why I’m so passionate about what I do.

Growing up in a large family taught me a few things about storytelling. Whether it was a Tuesday night dinner or a summer holiday in Nova Scotia with generations of relatives in attendance, sharing stories was a cherished family tradition. Before the internet, gathering together to swap tales was our way of entertaining ourselves, catching up, and reconnecting. 

As the seventh child in a family of eight, it was easy for me to sneak off unnoticed. I’d spend hours holed up in my room reading. No book was safe in our house—not the dusty war histories or gardening handbooks in the family bookcase, and certainly not the smutty romance novels I discovered under my sisters’ beds! I loved science fiction and fantasy best, but I read crime fiction, horror, mystery, comic books, and anything else I could get my hands on.

While completing my post-secondary studies, I got to explore different styles of writing. I worked as a reporter for the school paper, dabbled in sports journalism, had a book review published and did some assistant editing for a literary magazine. I also hosted a weekly in-studio cable television show and did on-location television interviews within my community. I learned a lot about how to interview people and became pretty good at drawing out their stories. 

When I graduated university with an Honours Degree in English Literature, I began working as an editorial assistant in the publications department of a national charity. This was my introduction to editing and proofreading. I also learned how to shepherd projects through the publication process, which I found fascinating. Eventually, I moved on to build a career within the Canadian federal government. As my career evolved, I moved into the field of communications. As long as I was writing and connecting with others I was satisfied in my job, but deep down I yearned to do more. 

While still on maternity leave following the birth of my second child, a series of events occurred that caused me to change my perspective on life. My beloved mother passed away, followed soon after by my eldest sister. Despite my grief, I found solace watching my children playing. I loved seeing the joy and wonder on their faces as they explored the world around them. That was when my priorities shifted. I realized that for me, life was not about empire building or working towards someone else’s perception of success. It was about creating a purpose-driven, authentic life. It was about helping others and doing things that made me feel joyful.

Although many people thought it was crazy, rather than returning to work at the end of my maternity leave, I quit my job with no backup plan in place. The only thing I knew for sure was that I needed to get back to my writing roots. For the next several years, while I raised my children, I began to work as a freelance writer and editor. I was delighted to discover I enjoyed this work tremendously.

I started taking classes and attending workshops, hungry to learn as much as I could and expand my credentials. A dream began to take shape. I wanted to create a business that would allow me to help others tell their stories. Finally, in 2019, this dream became reality.

Since then, I’ve ghostwritten and edited book manuscripts for entrepreneurs, CEOs, doctors, and a variety of business owners. For those who aren’t familiar with the term ghostwriter, simply put, it’s a person who writes books for others. As a ghostwriter, you are paid for your work but you take none of the credit for it.

I enjoy writing for people from all walks of life, but I’m really drawn to the personal, intimate stories of regular people. I have a particular interest in family history—not surprising when you consider I come from a big family. I’m not talking about genealogy, although I admire and appreciate the work others do in this field. I mean the stories families tell when they get together. The funny stories, the tragic stories, and everything in between. I created Book Mouse Writing & Editing Services to help regular folks tell their stories, the way they want them told.