If you’re doing a school report, everything you need to know (that is, everything I would make public) can be found either here or on the About page.
Where were you born?
I was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Where did you grow up and go to school?
I lived in Yarmouth all through school until the end of high school. After that, I attended several universities. For my undergraduate studies, I went to Atlantic Baptist College (now Crandall University) in Moncton, New Brunswick. After that I went to Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario.
Where do you live?
I currently reside in Nova Scotia in an area known as the Annapolis Valley (which is near the Bay of Fundy). It’s a pretty nice place to live.
Why do you publish under your full name?
Since my first and last names are both only one syllable each, they always sounded kind of short and blunt to me. So I decided that adding in my middle name for publishing purposes had a better ring to it. I do confess, however, that I always wished my middle name had started with the letter “O.” Can you guess why?
What else do you do (or have you done) besides writing?
Most recently I was a part-time lecturer at the local university (in the field of Biblical Studies). Other jobs I have held include being the Managing Director of a summer camp, working in a university archives, picking apples, and working as a teaching assistant and tutor. When our kids were still preschoolers I was the primary stay-at-home parent.
What subject did you like the most in school?
I enjoyed math, but I would have to say that Latin was my favourite subject. I took it from grades 10 through 12 (although I’m a little rusty now).
What subject did you like the least?
I can’t say there was any subject I didn’t like, although I do recall getting in trouble on more than one occasion for talking during Chemistry class.
What is the farthest place you’ve traveled to from where you live?
I spent two months in Indonesia, which is pretty close to being the other side of the planet from where I have spent the majority of my life. So I’ve basically gone so far from home that I actually started heading back.
What is your favourite food?
I confess a certain weakness for donair oven subs.
What are some of your all-time favourite comics/graphic novels?
Astonishing X-Men, Bad Machinery, Bone, Death Note, Gunnerkrigg Court, Hellboy, Marvel 1602, Nausicaa, Nimona, Order of the Stick, Scott Pilgrim, xkcd
What are some of your favourite films/series?
Gattaca, Harry Potter, Inception, Interstellar, Star Trek, Star Wars, Unbreakable
What are some of your all-time favourite video games/series?
Baldur’s Gate, Deus Ex, Fallout, No One Lives Forever, Portal, SimCity, Stars!, Thief, X-COM
Are you a spy?
No.
Are you sure?
Pretty sure.
Would you tell us if you were a spy?
No.
- I tried writing my first novel when I was in middle school. I typed (and retyped) the first few pages about a dozen times over and then moved on to something else.
- I’ve spent a total of an hour and a half in Hawaii.
- I don’t like flying but still do it anyway when I need to.
- I played on my high school volleyball team.
- I have no favourite colour. I like them all equally.
- I like to draw.
- I usually go out for a run three times a week, not so much because I enjoy running, but because I like being able to run.
- When I was very young, our family owned a Saint Bernard (that’s a large breed of dog) named Bitterroot that I once tried to ride like a horse. It ended with me getting tossed into a puddle.
- I enjoy studying languages, especially ancient ones.
- I have a scar on top of my left foot where I once hit it with a hatchet, through my boot (warning: don’t do this!).
- Despite rampant rumours to the contrary, I have never once visited the Andromeda Galaxy (although I wouldn’t decline a polite invitation to do so).
- Four of my top five favourite authors are British.
- I’m a big fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek (and enjoy them equally).
If you would like even more information, check out the various interviews listed on the Links page.