A Grade 4 writing assignment gone awry, set Sue on a path in which she practically stalks the neighbourhood postal carriers looking for letters addressed to her. The “ruined” assignment also began her journey as a writer, in which she is most often inspired by real people, real places and real events. As well as writing books for children, she is a freelance journalist and a regular columnist for Sun Media newspaper, the Daily Herald-Tribune. In her weekly column, “Family Matters,” she writes about the joys and challenges of family life. Seeing her name on an envelope—especially one containing a cheque—still gives her little shivers of anticipation as she slices open the side. She even opens junk mail.