Growing up an incredibly shy child, Glen Strathy began writing stories at the age of 11. Later he went on to discover acting in community theatre, where he was fortunate enough to meet other writers, actors, dancers, and artists. Being part of the performing arts gave Mr. Strathy the realization that expressing oneself through the various forms of creative art gives a person the freedom to be who they really are and who they want to be.
After various career endeavors such as acting, teaching, and freelance writing, Mr. Strathy returned to his first love, writing fiction. The result of this is his first novel for children ages 9 to 12, Dancing on the Inside. Glen Strathy has also co-authored two non-fiction books, one of which, The Coming Economic Collapse, was a New York Times Bestselling Business Book. Mr. Strathy also belongs to the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
On the education front, Glen Strathy earned a M.A. in English from the University of Western Ontario, as well as going on to graduate from the Artist in Community Education program at Queen’s University, Kingston.
Mr. Strathy resides in Kingston, Ontario, Canada with his wife, Kaitlin Rainey who is also an author, and their daughter. Readers can learn more about Glen Strathy and his works by visiting his website, Facebook and Twitter. Mr. Strathy also has a website which provides advice and information for budding authors.
Please tell us a bit about your book and what you hope readers take away from reading it.
Dancing on the Inside tells the story of Jenny Spark, a 12-year-old girl who's so self-conscious she can't take a ballet class without getting a panic attack. And that's unfortunate, because she has a burning passion for ballet and – as her teacher discovers – a real gift for inventing choreography. How she manages to realize her dream despite her fear is a story I hope will inspire other girls to pursue their ambitions.
Who are your favorite characters in the story?
Naturally, I have a special love for Jenny, since she's my heroine. But I also love Ara, a girl who is very much Jenny's opposite – outgoing, impulsive, and unabashed. In Ara's case, it's her lack of self-consciousness that has held her back, even though she has a real talent, especially for improvisation.
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