The most exciting part of writing Whale Song was in watching my characters grow. As an author you get to create them, manipulate them, give them happiness, cause them pain…and even kill them off. Characters are the soul of a story; the plot is just the action that takes them along their journey.

For me, watching Sarah’s growth as the main character was a bit like reliving my own childhood. There are many similarities. I’ve even had people ask if Whale Song is my life story. It isn’t; it’s Sarah’s. Molding a character does often mean using parts of yourself, so Sarah experienced some of the things I experienced—not all good things either. But in the end, it is her journey.

I also enjoyed creating Nana, the wise old native grandmother. Not only is she unusual in appearance, she is unusual in her perceptions and intuitiveness. She’s a likeable character who helps to guide Sarah on her journey of truth and forgiveness by telling her the most fascinating legends.

Sarah’s father, Jack, is another character that really interested me. Here is a father who knows the true meaning of sacrifice and love.