Rosemary Aubert is the author of sixteen books. She is a two-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for crime fiction. Rosemary is also a popular teacher and speaker.

Rosemary, by way of introduction, tell us about your faith journey—your decision to be a Christ-follower, and where that decision has led you. 

I was raised in a very religious Christian family, went to religious  school from Grade 3 to university and have been religious all my life, though I have moved from being Catholic to Baptist.

To date, you have authored 16 books. How do you find the time to do that? What does you typical day/week look like?

I don't have a typical week because I have so many different types of work to do including writing, preparing for teaching, networking, reading, studying religion and science and being a dutiful wife to my wonderful husband. I set priorities each week, make a schedule, and follow it as well as I can.

Your Ellis Portal detective series is highly acclaimed. What inspired you to create this character and what do you hope this series will accomplish in the lives of readers?

I'm no longer sure what inspired this series except a commitment to the idea that all people have value and must be respected despite their circumstances. I believe this is the fundamental Christian message. 

At Write Canada 2014 you will be presenting a continuing class of the topic "Fine Tuning Your Fiction." What are some of the biggest challenges facing writers as they go from first draft to final product?

Writers have to learn to concentrate their ideas and their energy and to use these to create characters, actions, and results that readers really want to experience. It's not easy.

How difficult is it to sell books with a Canadian setting (such as the Ellis Portal series) outside of Canada? Is there a market for Canadian books in the USA?

I have had very good experience selling books set in Canada all over the world, but I can't speak on this with reference to the market itself. It's just too complex and changes too rapidly.

What are the best ways for authors of fiction to improve their craft? Are their courses, lectures, books etc. that you can recommend?

There are courses, lectures, books, and internet information everywhere. I am a person who always reads, studies, listens, and networks. But the only way to improve your craft is to learn what you are doing right and best and then do whatever you have to do to get everything you write to that point. It will always involve working hard at your craft—for years, actually, starting today.

Interview by Fred Ash