Mary Odile LeClair

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I'm thirty-nine, and I've been married to my best-friend going on six years now. No kids, but yes cats, I love animals! I'm an author and freelance writer. I run my own writing and website production company, 'Room with a View Productions,' out of my home-office in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. I was born and raised in the concrete jungle of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I'm one of six siblings. I had the best, and most hardworking parents, ever -- and a little sister that I miss with every breath that I take. I lost my mother at age seventeen, in the year 2000, my little sister in 2015, and my daddy shortly afterwards, in 2017. I've been writing since about eight, and it has always been my favourite hobby, now turned into a career. I also love to paint, watch hockey (GO LEAFS GO!!), go camping, and I'm really into photography.

When and why did you start writing books?

I started writing young, at eight. It was an escape. It was and always has been a form of therapy for me. A way out of whatever I was going through at the moment.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

If you do something you love, you never work a day in your life. Writing has never felt like work to me, when everything else has. Of course, it has stressful moments, and some things can be tedious to complete, however, I enjoy every minute of a book journey, start to finish. It's very rewarding. You don't become a writer in order to get rich or famous. You become a writer because you can't picture yourself doing anything but. Writing was there for me, when no one and nothing else was.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

I have a few, and each one is my favourite in their own way for different reasons, however, my absolute favourite would have to be Nylah Diamond. One of the main characters in 'Concrete Jungle,' my debut book, just recently released on September 4th, 2021. She is strong, she is learning, hurting, independent, and anxiety-ridden. She's a woman on a mission. Both in life and personally. I can relate to her the most and I feel a lot of people will as well.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

I've only written one so far, although I do have more in the works. 'Concrete Jungle,' is definitely the one that has been the most difficult to finish and get just right. This one has taken me many years to complete as it's very personal, and extremely near and dear to my heart.

Who is your favourite author and book?

My favourite author is Stephen King. I love all his books! My favourite book in general though, is "Girl, Interrupted." by Susanna Kaysen. Truly amazing!

What book are you reading right now?

'Billy Summers,' by Stephen King. It's WONDERFUL!

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Inspiration comes to me at the strangest moments, usually from life around me, and dreams. Also, the people I interact with on the daily, situations I've encountered and overcome. Events that have taken place, or that should have taken place.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love to play video games with my husband, or on my own. 'The Sims,' would have to be my favourite of all-time, although, I play a lot of shooting games as well. I really like, 'Fallout Shelter,' too! I love to read and paint and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cooking and baking are also two other hobbies of mine. I enjoy it, and have been cooking since very young. I also run my own social media platform called, 'ThinkBox.' It has news, weather, user profiles, and other information to help people in their daily lives.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I do, actually! I'm working on a cookbook of my own personal home recipes. Also, another two fiction books! 'Vault 777,' and 'The Odd Family,' both of which I plan to release in 2022/2023.