about me

Thanks to everyone who helped me get to the Desk and who supported my work.

I'm a retired Canadian lawyer living part-time in Mexico. I have a publisher for EPIPHANIES, my book on the craft of writing fiction, and two offers from smaller publishers to publish IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES. BTW, I've changed the title to SWOOP and have done a major revision.

I'm querying with an updated query letter, and getting some requests for partials. I still lean toward having an agent guide my career, and the marketing and distribution support of a mainstream publisher. However, the publishing environment is changing so rapidly that a smaller publisher may well be able to compete very favourably with a larger publisher when it comes to promoting the novel, and my part in promotion may become easier, too.

When I'm not writing, I dance the salsa, study other writers, edit manuscripts, bake, play with my dogs, and value my friendships. And, I'm starting a business related to the book business. I've had lots of crazy business ideas over the years, but this is the first one that excites me because it has an altruistic objective, and the opportunity to make some money. The other ideas didn't have both.

Excellent writing is a journey without a final destination. The magic of that journey keeps us writing.

Again, thanks to everyone. I can be contacted at sjdunncuba@yahoo.com if you'd like to keep in touch.

favourite books

The Shipping News (E. Annie Proulx), Fall On Your Knees (Anne-Marie Macdonald), almost anything by John LeCarre, The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), Different Seasons (Stephen King), The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), A Fine Balance (Rohanton Mistry), Beloved (Toni Morrison), As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner), The Bone People (Keri Hulme), The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver), The Reader (Bernhard Schlink), Larry's Party (Carol Shields), The Pilot's Wife (Anita Shreve), Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Kate Atkinson), anything by William Shakespeare, The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins), and lots more (hard to pick a favourite).

Plus, of course, books on the writing craft, including Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King, Scene and Structure by Jack W. Bickham, a host of others, plus coming soon EPIPHANIES (shameless self-promotion.)

my websites