Meet Canadian MG/YA Author Suzanne de Montigny

Carpinello's Writing Pages is pleased to welcome back Canadian author Suzanne de Montigny along with her newest book.

First, a bit about Suzanne:

Award winning author, Suzanne de Montigny, wrote her first novella when she was twelve. Years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with writing. She lives in Burnaby, B.C., Canada with the four loves of her life – her husband, two boys, and Buddy the dog.

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade/YA?

I taught elementary music for 20 years and that’s the age group I liked the best.

What types of books do you like to read?

I like a wide variety of books, but I’m not too crazy about action-packed stories. I’m more of a drama person. However, I loved Harry Potter. I was sorry when it ended.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

In the winter, we snowboard. It’s such a great escape into a winter wonderland high above the clouds. My boys and I are also heavily involved in music. Every summer, we go to a fiddling camp in Quebec. I also love hiking and cycling.

Tell us about A Town Bewitched and how the story came to be.

A Town Bewitched strangely came as a result of fiddling camp. The first time we attended a fiddling camp when my boys were nine and seven, we came back super hyped. We’d play our fiddles like fiends, walking around the house to the beat of the music. We were on fire. Then, a few months later, I thought, “Suppose what happened to us happened to an entire town, only there was something really wrong with the fiddler.” At first I giggled about it, thinking it was the dumbest idea ever, but it wouldn’t let go of me, so finally I sat down and wrote it. And I’m glad I did because it ended up winning Best Coming of Age Novel in the Dante Rossettie Competition.

Here's a peek at A Town Bewitched:

It’s tough for Kira, growing up in the small town of Hope as a child prodigy in classical violin, especially when her dad just died. And to make matters worse, Kate McDonough, the red-haired fiddler appears out of nowhere and bewitches the town with her mysterious Celtic music. Even Uncle Jack succumbs to her charms, forgetting his promise to look after Kira’s family. But when someone begins vandalizing the town leaving dead and gutted birds as a calling card, Kira knows without a doubt who’s behind it.






Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Sure have. I’ve written a series entitled: Shadow of the Unicorn. It’s a trilogy about unicorns who survive an asteroid only to be exploited for the healing power of their horns with the coming of the humans. I’ve just finished book 3, The Revenge about a unicorn who’s born with something terribly wrong about him, but is very gifted. He’s bullied so much that he attacks the herd, using his gifts against them and they can’t stop him.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I’m about to begin a historical romance novel about a young woman who immigrates to Canada to get married after WWI.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Write what’s close to you.

Anything else you want readers to know?

Yes. That half of all my proceeds from my Shadow of the Unicorn series is donated to the Third World Eye Care Society, a group of eye specialists who travel to third world countries delivering thousands of pairs of used eyeglasses and performing eye surgery for free.

Where can readers find you and your books?
Amazon
Kobo
Chapters Indigo
Barnes & Noble
Book Trailer