I am writing my first novel, On the Heels of a Rainstorm.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to write. One day I decided to just do it (thanks, Nike). My short stories have been published Mountain Scribe Anthology 2004 and 2006, Cacophony 2005, and Our Canada. I have contributed as an editor for the Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards and The Front Range Review.

In 2008 my daughter was born. This life-changing event slowed me down but didn’t stop me. It merely altered the way I worked. In between naps, diapers and playtime, I manage to crank out a few words a day. Those words seem to form sentences, then paragraphs. They eventually work their way into pages.

A graduate of Queens University in Kingston, Canada, I have worked as a research analyst, currency trader and in government. Now I mother, write and edit and live in Colorado with my husband and adorable daughter

Visit me at: http://carolynyalin.wordpress.com

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cyalin

Read “Y’all think it’s different living in the US, huh?”, published in Our Canada February 2007:

I never imagined I’d live anywhere other than Canada. But when my husband, Azer, accepted a post-doctoral position at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., I had to entertain the thought of moving to a new country.
I comforted myself by rationalizing it was the United States and the transition would be easy. Canadians and Americans have a lot in common: we dress similarly, read the same books, watch the same TV shows, drive on the same side of the road, and speak the same language—well, almost the same language!
We moved to Palo Alto in September 2000, and then in August 2002, Azer accepted a job as a professor in the department of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University. We bought a house in Fort Collins, Col. and now we’re planning on staying here for the foreseeable future.
This year, Fort Collins was voted the number-one city in the US in which to live by Money Magazine, and I understand why. We enjoy a low crime rate, reasonable traffic, and good schools and medical facilities. The city also offers three major trails for walking, jogging, in-line skating, and biking.  Even in the middle of winter, we often have sunny days with warm temperatures when I can pull out my in-line skates or bicycle and go out for an hour on the trails.
We live about an hour away from Rocky Mountain National Park where there are more trails to hike and lots of nice picnic areas. In fall, you can travel there and listen to the elk bugle. About 21⁄2 hours towards the southwest are the alpine ski areas. We’ve skied at Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Winterpark.
The one thing I found most difficult to get used to living in the United States was the health-care system here. It’s quite different from showing up at the doctor’s office in my hometown of Mississauga, handing over my health card, and never seeing a bill. Here I must first find a Doctor “in-network” (one who agrees to the health insurance company’s rates), make the appointment, show proof of insurance, and about a month later I’ll get a bill. Ironically, I now have a job with a Health Insurance Broker so now I’m an expert!
Sometimes, when I first meet people, I get teased for what I say or how I say it. They love to hear me say, “out and about.” The language is certainly different, and occasionally leads to confusion on my part. For example, did you know chickpeas are called garbanzo? There are also different holidays here—Thanksgiving in November, July 4 instead of July 1, and Memorial Day not Victoria Day.
When all is said and done, though, the United States of America is my new homeland, and I resolve to finish the alphabet with zee instead of zed, convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and speak of the President not the Prime Minister. And I’ll learn to live without a decent rye and ginger, timbits, or poutine. I figure it shouldn’t be that hard, eh?

©2007 Carolyn Yalin