Meet The Author - D.L. Stephen

Dr. D.L. (Donna) Stephen was brought up in Los Angeles, California. She earned a B.A., with a major in philosophy, from UCLA and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Manitoba. Every summer, beginning at age three, she travelled by car with her family to the Canadian Rockies to hike, climb, and spend time with their good friends Edward and Martha Feuz. Donna is a practising psychologist who writes and climbs at every opportunity. She lives in Alberta's Bow Valley.

Back in August of 2022 we interviewed D.L. Stephen for our Local Author Spotlight in our monthly newsletter. Read that interview below!

Were you a young writer, a late bloomer, or something in-between?

I was one of those kids who felt that school was punishment for a crime I did not commit! This feeling persisted until I discovered philosophy at age 18 and no longer had to go to school. Eventually I earned three degrees, but what allowed me to do so was a love of reading which began at a young age, along with access to free public libraries and school libraries. Reading, academia, and peer support helped me hone my writing skills. So, to answer the question I have been writing all my adult life, but my first book was written relatively recently and only published last year.  I suppose that makes me a late bloomer. 

What is your favourite time to write, and why?

Being an intuitive writer, I write best in spurts when words appear in my head. Frequently they do so in the morning, but inspiration can strike at any time. The words for a small manuscript, which I hope may eventually be a published picture book appeared fully formed at 2:00 a.m. Thankfully, I dragged myself out of bed and wrote it all down. Always write words down. You think you will remember, but you don’t—or at least I don’t. 

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

The short answer is both. Scribbling away in the middle of the night is a good example of the exhaustion factor—although some authours have a routine of writing at night.  Additionally, writing is hard work. I wrote up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week on the final draft of my book and of course, was exhausted. On the other hand, writing a well-crafted sentence can be exhilarating—especially when a sentence one has worked on for hours or even days suddenly works. As a friend of mine says, “Writing is frequently like working on a puzzle and it is a wonderful feeling when the pieces fit together with a satisfying click.”   

What is your favourite genre to read and why?

My tastes are eclectic and range from re-reading Agatha Christie’s mysteries, to novels, children’s books, plays, some poetry, serious philosophy, and books with indigenous perspectives. I read in diverse areas of non-fiction and have always enjoyed biographies/autobiographies and some memoirs, especially if they are well-written or employ aspects of narrative non-fiction. As a clinical psychologist, I am fascinated by the perspectives of individuals which may account for an interest in this genre. Narrative non-fiction bridges the gap between the creativity of novels and non-fiction. It’s probably no surprise that my first book, Edward Feuz Jr: A Story of Enchantment, is a hybrid, blending biography, memoir, history, and, I