Keyes, Cynthia: - I wish I could say that I wanted to be a writer my whole life, that it was my dream. But it wasn't. I fell into it on a whim and discovered to my surprise that I enjoyed it. What I always have been is a reader. I will read anything. During the times I could not afford books, I read whatever sat on the shelves of the secondhand store. Sometimes it was History, sometimes Romance, and sometimes it was how to make macrame hangers. But I am getting ahead of myself. I grew up in Brightsand Saskatchewan, in an immigrant family with six siblings. We were a hard-working troop, scraping a living out of a rocky mixed farm. I look back on those busy years fondly. I have plenty of stories about walking through miles of snow to school, uphill both ways! I went to the University of Saskatchewan, studying History and English, which I converted into a career in teaching. I love my job. I teach a wild crew of junior high students. There is never a dull moment. It has been a passion of mine which has truly made life worth living. Much of my time is committed to coaching. I can be found most mornings in the gym by six thirty, spending time with my teams. We have had some memorable seasons, winning basketball districts against all odds. I was lucky enough to marry the love of my life. My husband and I share another passion, gardening. He does the vegetables and I do the flowers. Together we spend many peaceful evenings, enjoying the beauty and bounty we have created. I squeeze my writing into the bits and pieces of the day that remain. In many ways it is my personal time. I have been surprised by the writing process. Though I start with a plan, my characters always surprise me with their antics. I look forward to every new book, with its host of characters leading me into places unknown.