The Red Sheep does a fantastic job of showcasing the lives of ordinary people. Why was this an important aspect of this novel for you?

Everyone has a story to share. Everyday stories are stories everyday people can relate to. By sharing the lives of the “ordinary”, I planned to connect with ordinary people and help them to become part of the story.

What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this book?

Allowing Jessica to be Jessica as a young child, a teenager and an adult was a challenge. It was important to portray Jessica as a young child in a way relevant to an adult reader, as well as adopt traits common to her other phases of life without losing who she was. While she interacts with her grandparents in a typically childish way, I intended those interactions to be insightful to readers of all ages. Her interactions as a teenager and then, as an adult are more relatable to the reader.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I wanted to explore the concept of family in contemporary society and how the complexities of a person’s past do not always relate to their present.

I also wanted to explore the concept of aging and death and the theological beliefs that surround it. As well I wanted to explore this concept through the eyes of a child. Most of us deal with death and loss as adults. The simplicity of childhood can bring out an even more complex set of emotions around such an event.

The other theme was that of relationships: the bond between mother and daughter; the support between husband and wife; the connection between partners in their later stages of life.

Do you have future plans to write books in other genres?

I have several projects underway which involve historical adventure fiction, young adult adventure and middle grade fiction.

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