MEET the author
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Janelle Filteau is a Saskatchewan author. She worked hard to teach herself to read and write at thirteen, overcoming illiteracy and finally getting her stories on the page. Now, in addition to earning her biology degree, she’s a mother who writes daily and has published two books in her Egyptian Heir series. She also published a short story, “The Animal Alignment,” in the Saskatchewan Screams anthology.
Janelle lives in Saskatchewan with her wonderful husband and their two daughters and cats. When Janelle isn’t writing, the family enjoys escaping the bustle of daily life to go camping. She uses a mixture of thrilling fantasy and adventure to entice the reader into the world of the Egyptian Heir. |
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Setting the stage
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Imagine an elementary school, where your lucid nightmare begins.
You sit against a wall, surrounded by your peers; everyone is forced to partner up with a younger student to read them a book. As you read, your heart thud-thuds louder and louder. Each word is foreign. You try to sound it out. The little kid to which you've been partnered stares up at you, and with mockery, begins to read to you. You feel your face blossom into an illuminating red and your hands shake, becoming clammy. Even when your heart stops and you feel like you're falling into a void, this dream will not end. This was me until I was thirteen. I had fallen between the cracks in the school system and struggled daily. My mind was a labyrinth of stories that sought a land to be sown. So, one day, I picked up a pen, placed it upon the paper, and wrote. It was not a masterpiece, and it was riddled with mistakes but the seeds had taken root, and a spark lit into brilliant flames. It took years of blood, sweat and tears; of looking up rules and words I didn't know. It took me picking up the intimidating books and forcing myself to read them. It took me wanting to break through the nightmare and embarrassment for me to get where I am now with my writing. |
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