When I was growing up everybody I knew could sing. I had no choice. I had to sing.

We didn't have the Grand Ole Opry or country radio stations in Nova Scotia when I was growing up.

Growing up, I heard nothing but the best music.

Turbines are a curiosity, but only once.

At this very early stage in my career, I want people to experience the music first and let it drive their imagination and their experiences.

I cling to the hope that with more and more women in the workplace, we can teach younger generations to be respectful and also encourage young women to speak up when they've experienced abuse.

Constant rejection. No security. Career paths being dictated by freelance reviewers. And of course, the terror of the writing desk, of the blank page. Why is it so hard for our non-writer friends to understand this - that it's a job?

The dry academic tomes I wrote very early in my career were earnest reflections of the research I conducted, the analysis I applied and the conclusions I drew. And they had few readers, mostly other academics. I learned along the way and started including more and more stories in my work.