I grew up in Hudson Heights (near Montreal, Quebec). I was a shy, small-for-my-age, skinny, little kid. When I was in school, I spent a lot of time worrying that I was going to be asked a question – so I often didn’t pay as much attention as I should have. On one of my early report cards, the teacher wrote, “We know Ainslie could do better, if she spent less time dreaming.” (She was right!)

I was happiest in the summer time, when I could be outdoors all day long. I rode ponies and horses whenever possible at a farm across the road. I swam in the Ottawa River. I rode my bike everywhere.

I loved books, but because of the war, I had few of my own. (A little like Sally in my story, Just Like New.) I had really poor eyesight (a little like Allison in my story Ballerinas Don’t Wear Glasses) and when I was in about Grade Four, an eccentric eye doctor informed my mother that I should be reading nothing but essential school work. Probably because of that skimpy beginning, I now read voraciously – and despite all the reading (though of course I still wear glasses) I’m far from blind!

In school my favorite subject was Composition (Creative Writing). I loved losing myself in the telling of a story. I wrote after school, as well, because I kept a diary. My diary was private, or at least I thought it was. I wrote down everything that happened to me, but since it was for my eyes only, sometimes I let my imagination take over. When real events in my life didn't turn out quite like I wanted them to, I'd make up happy endings for myself. But I had two sneaky, snoopy older brothers, and one day they pried open the lock on my diary. What a surprise they must have had! Were they impressed by my capabilities and bravery? Were they amazed to learn how I could handle the town bully with just a few scathing words? Did they believe my tall tales? I'll never know, because they never owned up to their dastardly deed. I loved my brothers but they sure knew how to make me mad. It wasn't always easy being the youngest in the family and the only girl.

By the time I was in high school I'd found another subject that I loved - history. That love has stayed with me and a number of the books I've written are connected with some aspect of Canadian history.

I didn't realize in my school years that writing was something I might choose as a future career. After high school I could have (and probably should have) gone on to university, but in those days it meant taking more math and I wasn't ready for that. So instead of university, I worked and saved enough money to travel. I didn't cover the whole world, but I saw a good deal of it. And every night I would write about my adventures.

It wasn't until after I was married that I finally realized I wanted to make some sort of writing into a full time career. By this time I had missed my chance of going to university full time, but I took a three year creative writing course, working on it at home in the evenings, because I had a day job.

I only came to the realization that I wanted to write for children after trying several other types of writing. When I had children of my own, I discovered my true genre. But we had three active sons, and so for many years finding writing time was tricky.

I wrote my first book, "Mr. McUmphie of Caulfeild Cove" when our third son entered kindergarten. And that same year, I began a six year stint with Vancouver's morning newspaper, "The Province". In those days "The Province" had an education page that was used in schools by Grade Five Social Studies classes. I was a freelancer, and worked at home. It was great fun and I'd found a niche for the two subjects I liked best: Creative Writing and History. I wrote several different series for them, close to one hundred pages in six years. Most of the pages were history connected, and a few became the seeds of ideas for future books.

When our three sons left home I expected my life would change. I would become calm, serene and wonderfully organized. But somehow that didn't happen. We still live in a state of comfortable confusion with books and papers everywhere. And now, once again, we also have a jumble of toys, cribs and highchairs because we've been blessed with two grandsons. Connor is almost six, and Rowan almost three. They are a wonderful, never ending source of book ideas.

My husband David and I recently made a big change in our lives. We sold the old family house in Caulfeild, West Vancouver and moved to "The Little Brown Cottage" on Bowen Island, B.C. Bowen is just a twenty minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Van., but it's a million miles away from city living. It is a wonderfully relaxed rural community with no street lights, no sidewalks and deer ambling about everywhere. We're trying to teach our dogs not to chase the deer, but we're also trying to teach the deer not to eat everything in the garden!

Since my hard-working doctor husband is now retired, we're also able to spend a lot of our time, summer and winter, in a log cabin that we built twenty-five years ago in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, not far from Bridge Lake. The cabin is our second home.

In both these places I now do my writing in a loft. In the Cariboo it's the loft of a barn. I look out at a small, quiet lake, grazing horses, and lots of wildlife. On Bowen Island my loft is the whole upstairs of our little house and I've had to purposely put my desk in a position where I'm not facing the ocean. I'm easily distracted by ferries and tug boats and eagles and herons!

Yes, I still stare out the window and dream a lot, just like I did when I was a little girl. But when I find myself wasting too much time, I remember a saying by Goethe: "Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute! What you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Only engage, and then -- the mind grows heated. BEGIN, and then the work will be completed."

What do I do when I'm not writing? I love to quilt, walk our dogs (two labs, one black and one yellow) hike, cross country ski (with the dogs), horseback ride (with the dogs), canoe, kayak and swim (again, with the dogs). And I read, read, read. I usually have several books on the go at the same time. I belong to three book clubs at the moment! One is in my old neighbourhood. It has a crazy, glorious name: The Ambleside and Tiddley Cove Literary Society. Then I recently joined a book club on Bowen Island -- new books and new friends, it's great. The third book club is a little different. It's a picture book book club! It's made up of eight friends who are all picture book writers and/or illustrators. I couldn't do without these close friends. We debate, commiserate, inspire and encourage.

When will I retire? Never! How could I, I'm having too much fun with my writing and I've still a million ideas wanting to turn themselves into books. Write On!