Twenty two-year-old Heather Beck was born in Ontario, Canada.  Always an avid learner, she graduated from high school with honors, thus receiving the title of an Ontario Scholar.  Heather currently attends the University of Toronto where she studies English and a vast array of other disciplines.

Heather began writing seriously at the age of sixteen.  Her first book, The Paradise Chronicles was published when she was only nineteen-years-old.  Since then Heather has written several more books, all which have been met with glowing reviews.  Although university keeps her busy, Heather is adamant about making time for her writing career.

Besides writing, Heather’s other passion is the outdoors.  She is an award-winning fisherwoman and a regular hiker.  Heather also enjoys swimming and playing badminton and tennis.

Q.      What inspired you to begin writing, and at what age did you first

start?

A.      I believe that a true writer possesses an innate talent for words and bestowing significance upon everything.  Thus, it is impossible to determine the origin of my career.  However, if I remember correctly, my interest in reading and writing was piqued in grade two by Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley Kids series.  Pascal’s characters were multifaceted and relatable while the plots contained the excitement of fiction with the structure of real life.  I loved those books and can recall having an intense desire to create my own fictional series.  During elementary and high school I always excelled in English.  Many teachers even prompted me to get my non-fiction essays as well as my fictional pieces published.  It wasn’t until I was sixteen though that I began writing seriously for publication.  The inspiration for my work comes from all around me.  I am inspired by nature, people and especially the possibilities which the universe and our species harbour. 

Q.      I see you published your first book at the young age of nineteen. Congratulations for that! Can you tell us what inspired that book?

A.      Thank you! The Paradise Chronicles follows Canadian journalist, Sara Jordin as she travels to the Marshall Islands to report on the booming travel and tourism trade there.  When offered a job in the Marshall Islands, under unusual circumstances, Sara realizes that her true calling may not lie within journalism after all.  Sara stirs up more trouble in the Marshall Islands than she ever thought possible.  The Paradise Chronicles was created from my love of writing and my desire to travel to a tropical paradise.  The characters and plot in my debut novella flowed so easily that I knew I had found my true calling.

Q.      How did that first publication impact your writing career?

A.      Having the trade paperback of The Paradise Chronicles in my hands installed in me an insatiable desire to keep writing.  It’s a sublime feeling to actually hold and see the fruits of your labour.  What really helped my career and was actually the cornerstone of it, was the time I spent researching the publishing business.  There is so much to know from the creative side (e.g. how to epitomize a multifaceted character, how the plot structure works, etc.) to the business side (e.g. how to format a manuscript, how to conduct yourself with publishers, etc.).  Without the strong backbone of knowledge I would have had very little chance at success.  

Q.      Since publishing that first book, you've gone on to publish several more. What is your latest book about, and what inspired it?

A.      The following blurb best describes what my latest release, What Legends Are Made Of, is about:

Travel to Sir Tristan’s Estate, a place where ghosts roam freely and enter into your dreams at night.  Step aboard the Blue Oceana, a ship that will lead you to the world’s last merman.  Get a ticket to Frank’s Freak Show to discover the truly disturbing main attraction.  Finally, enter the doors of Karyn and Max Shield’s Costume and Magic Shop.  It’s a place where you can buy merchandise that is out-of-this-world.

These tales will leave you spellbound and yearning for more.  Are you ready to find out what real legends are made of?

What Legends Are Made Of is a mixture of horror, paranormal activity and romance.  Like many of my fantastical stories, it was inspired by nature, unique locations and fantasy-like characters and situations.  For “Sir Tristan’s Estate” I imagined a remote, Romantic (in the artist sense) castle with a Gothic feel.  Krista was the fantasy-like character in so much as she epitomized a strong, beautiful, career-orientated woman.  Sir Tristan, on the other hand, was the epitome of the dark stranger with a secret.  All of the stories in What Legends Are Made Of work on the principal of paradises coming alive.            

Q.      How many hours per day do you devote to writing?

A.      I would like to add to the definition of writing by introducing the concept of pre-writing.  Pre-writing involves the experiences and thoughts which occur when a pen is nowhere in sight; it’s about living in the moment so as to analyze and record it in literature later on.  Personally, I probably spend half of my waking hours engaging in pre-writing.

Q.      Do you have a set writing schedule?

A.      As for the actual act of writing, the time I spend on that varies from day to day.  From September to May I am consumed with university work so the creative writing is substantially cut down.  I do, however, always update a notebook which contains ideas for stories.  On ideal days I will spend two hours writing and one hour promoting my books.  I have no set schedule for writing.  It is a dream of mine to be a full-time writer one day.

Q.      Do you work on one book/story at a time, or multiple? If you do work on more than on story at a time, how much time to you spend on each?

A.      At this point in my career I am anything but a single work-in-progress girl.  I am currently working on three books and three feature film scripts.  This is on top of being commissioned for re-writes on several book and script properties.  I’ve made a pact with myself to not start any new works until the ones I have started are finished.  So far I’ve honoured this promise but my notebook of ideas, which I mentioned earlier, is getting pretty full! 

Q.      What types of books do you enjoy reading?

A.      I love wilderness adventures as epitomized by Jack London.  I also love Tennessee Williams and J.D. Salinger’s work because they are so insightful yet compassionate when it comes to the human condition.  War stories (Timothy Findley, in particular) and lore is always welcomed.  What can I say? I’m pretty random.

Q.      You have great taste. J Jack London's "White Fang" and "The Call of the Wild" are two of my all-time favorite books. As a child, I was completely engrossed by both of those books. I read them more times than I could ever remember.

Other than reading and writing, do you have any other passions?

A.      I’m passionate about a lot of things.  You’ll find that most authors are.  I particularly love the outdoors.  Hiking and fishing are my biggest passions.  I also love swimming, most sports, animals, autograph collecting and lusting over the H2 SUT Hummer.

Q.      What advice would you give young, aspiring writers?

A.      I advise all young writers to keep writing despite any external negative forces.  If one wants to turn their hobby of writing into a profession I strongly recommend being hopeful but realistic.  Research into the publishing business must be conducted.  It’s important to understand the standard manuscript format, key industry terms, different options for publishing, etc.  It’s a tough business but also highly rewarding.

Q.      Can you describe a typical day in the life of Heather Beck?

A.      My days vary so much that I’m struggling to define a typical day.  Some days are spent at school and with friends, hiking and fishing, rocking out at a Simple Plan concert, attending some event, writing or having business meetings with publishers and producers.

Q.      How does one go about ordering a copy of your book?

A.      Amazon.com is probably the easiest way to pick up any one of my books.  Most book retailers (such as Chapters, Barnes and Noble, etc.) carry my titles.  My website, http://heatherbeck.tripod.com/ contains a list of sellers as well as a direct link to my publishers’ websites.

Q.      Thank you for giving me your time. I wish you all the best in all of your endeavors.

BJ Bourg / Heather Beck © 2008