My Biography: Karleen Bradford

I was born in Toronto, Canada, but moved with my parents to Argentina, South America when I was nine. I came back to Canada for University and met my husband, Jim. After graduation, he took a position as a Foreign Service Officer with the Canadian Government. As a result, we spent the next 34 years travelling and living in different parts of the world including Colombia, the United States, England, the Philippines, Brazil, Germany and Puerto Rico. Our family is a real United Nations: my oldest son was born in Canada, my daughter in Colombia and my youngest son in England. We also acquired an American dog and a Brazilian cat along the way, as well as an assortment of other pets. Moving time was always exciting.

I've always loved to write. I can't even remember when I started, but it must have been as soon as I could hold a pencil. I've always loved to read, too, and I firmly believe that all writers are readers. I haven't met one who wasn't, anyway. When people ask me for advice on how to become a writer I say first of all, just write, write and write some more. And the next thing I tell them is to read, read and read some more. I did not start writing for children until I was married and had children of my own, however. I began by writing short stories for them when they were very young and, as they grew up, so did my stories. I write mostly for young adults now-historical, fantasy and contemporary novels. Becoming a grandmother has led me into new waters. I have just written my first picture book.

My husband has retired now and we have settled back in Canada. I'm putting down roots for the first time in my life and thoroughly enjoying it.

I have taught creative writing and writing for children for many years and done workshops and readings in schools and libraries across Canada and in the United States. I have also had the opportunity of working with children in American schools in Germany while I lived there and, more recently, at the American School in Taipei, Taiwan. The Internet has introduced me to new opportunities. I have worked as a writer in residence for the WIER (Writers in Electronic Residence) program and taken part in The Read In, a day-long international meeting on the Net of writers and students from all over the world.

Writing continues to be a joy for me and I cannot imagine ever giving it up.

"How many books are you going to write before you die?" a young boy once asked me.

"As many as possible," I replied.

• Canadian Children's Book Centre at http://www.bookcentre.ca
• CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Childrens' Authors, Illustrators and Performers) at http://www.canscaip.org
• Invite an Author, a web site with links to children's book authors who speak at schools, plus information on planning a successful author's visit. http://www.snowcrest.net/kidpower/authors.html
• The Writers' Union of Canada at http://www.writersunion.ca
• Scholastic Canada at http://www.scholastic.ca
• Children's Literature Web Guide at http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
• Transatlantic Literary Agency at http://www.tla1.com
• Canadian Authors Association at http://www.canauthors.org/national.html
• Optimizing Author Visits - an International Reading Association article by writer Margriet Ruurs.
  http://www.reading.org/publications/reading_today/samples/RTY-0504-optimizing.html