1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

Hey! I am a 31 yr old Canadian from the prairies. I got into writing through living life, which sounds a bit odd. I had a lot happen in a short period of time, I moved out to Africa, had a cancer scare and dealt with some serious mental illness. Writing my stories and sharing not only was a healing tool but a tool to connect with others. 

2) What inspired you to write your book?

LIFE! it is beautiful, messy and 100% relatable when it’s shared. We are never alone, yet the feeling and fear of being alone is something we all have in common. Exploring being alone and diving deep into healing myself through all this became an inspiration to share my story and attempt to connect to others.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

To Chin up tits out no matter what. What?? This is what I mean, stand up tall, hold your head held high, proud and confident, even if you don’t feel that way. That small dedication to holding yourself up in the toughest of times will carry you through life and enable you to find so many small joys in the midst of chaos. 

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I just write, then we find a genre to throw it into. Although, when I started to write, my goal was the figure out who would be the ‘perfect person to tell my story to’ and I built what that person looked like, acted like, likes and dislikes etc. Then when I started to write, I always went back to that person – would it align with them? It helps keep my writing from going into a million directions at the same time. 

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

One of the best things about writing about things I’ve gone through is that I’ve already sat down with the main characters from my books, as they’re real people in my life. We’ve talked about certain situations and how they played out. Their perspective on a scenario was vastly different from my memory of the same event. It was a whole new level of self-discovery and how my brain locked certain items out to protect it. 

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

I personally love IG, it gives me a platform to connect with people from all over the world and from different areas of interest. Sometimes I want to share and I don’t have the words, so a photo of a video will do. When I do have words IG gives me the space I need to share a golden nugget or two. Spreading the positivity and the motto Chin up Tits Out was easy on IG to do and I thoroughly enjoy using it too. 

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Don’t give up. People ask “how does it feel to be an author, for real” – my answer is “no different from you”. I had a story and all I did was make an effort to put it on paper. Once it’s on paper, take it from there. The only roadblock you will come across that has the power to stop you – is yourself. Don’t get in your own way, you are your biggest advocate, biggest fan and most importantly your own biggest hype man. If you believe in yourself, it is doable and will be 100% totally worth it. Also if you need a kick of positivity; reach out to anyone in the author community – we know how you feel, we know your struggles, your battles and your inner wars. Extend an olive branch and we will be sure to step up and throw some positive vibes your way. 

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

4 words – Love My Lady Bits! I am in the middle of performing 100 interviews of women around the world who suffer from an incurable and untreatable condition called endometriosis. It affects 1 in 10 women globally and it is not common knowledge. I was lucky enough to get a diagnosis within 2 yrs of experiencing extreme daily pain, nausea and bloating. The average diagnosis is 7 yrs, women are being silenced by this disease. So in true Chin Up Tits Out fashion, I am collecting horror stories and finding power through the pain. I am helping find voices to millions of women who have been silenced for decades. It will be a trilogy, I am gearing for the first book to be released in March 2021.