Whenever people ask what I do for a living, I always struggle to summarize how I wear a million hats every day. I always say, “I’m a writer!” It’s easier than explaining that content marketing means I’m writing ad copy and ghostwriting articles for leadership, that my travel writing requires alignment with affiliate content calendars and conversations with my readers, that my novels are an entirely new layer of writing, content planning, and scheduling… and I’m not the only one struggling to define myself. Madeline Nixon, a Canadian author, has also worn a million hats.
From shoe sales to baking to nannying and dog walking, this gal has done it all. Her biggest accomplishment, though, was publishing her debut novel in 2023. When she’s not writing, you can find her hunting ghosts, planning elaborately themed parties, and baking fun desserts in her cozy suburb outside of Toronto. To get to know this talented romance writer a little better, we sat down for an author interview.
Nikki: Thank you for joining me, Madeline! I’m from the U.S. side of the Great Lakes, so it’s really cool to have a neighbor from just across the border as a guest. Most of your books are set in Canada, right?
Maddi: Yes! I set all of my books in Canada (aside from one I have planned for Scotland, but still Canadian characters). I do this because I am Canadian and up until recently, the thing to do as a Canadian author was set your books anywhere else (mostly the US). I’ve made a conscious choice to have Canada as my setting because we deserve as much as slice of the literary pie as anyone else. And it’s really cool to see places that you know and have visited represented in books you read.
Absolutely! Talking about a landscape with a local perspective creates unparalleled content. It’s just so familiar and warm to readers! So, did you always know you’d be an author?
I’m told the very first thing I ever wanted to be was a dinosaur, and I support baby Maddi in this decision. If you could be a dinosaur, wouldn’t you take this opportunity? A more realistic childhood goal was my desire to be a ballet dancer, followed by my middle school dream to be a veterinarian, then my short-lived goal of being a baker…
Ha, that’s perfect for you as a wearer of many hats. And yes, I’d absolutely be a dinosaur if I could. (laughs) So, I know you’re not out there writing a dinosaur autobiography. Tell me about your books!
I’ve written a lot in a lot of different genres. My first book, Feathers, was published six years ago. It’s a paranormal short story collection and was actually part of my Professional Writing and Communication degree at the University of Toronto. The last course you had the option to take was called Making A Book, so of course I jumped on the chance to publish a book. In the years since, I’ve written fourteen educational children’s books. I work at a local publishing distribution company and whenever there wasn’t a writer on hand, I got that project. So I’ve written a series about sharks, staying healthy, and natural disasters.
Last year, I published my first romance novel. Emergency Lullabies is an adult second-chance romance that follows Magnolia’s journey through grief after her sister dies and she runs into her high school crush turned enemy Theo eight years later. It’s the first in a romance series that can read as standalones, but has interconnected characters.
When can we expect to hear more about that series?
I have plans to release the sequel to Emergency Lullabies this fall. Not Actually follows Zoey, a briefly mentioned side character in the first book who’s down on her luck and loses her boyfriend, apartment, and job all in the same day. It is a brother’s best friend romance. I am also working on a ghost hunter fake dating romance that I hope to finish writing soon.
I love that you’re into ghost hunting. That’s so cool! Were there ever any authors in the paranormal genre that inspired you as a reader?
Part of my writing origin story is me finding Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers series when I was fourteen. I instantly fell in love with the books. I was shocked and in awe when I found out that she lived in Canada, about an hour away from me. She’d found commercial success and was from here. That was groundbreaking news to me. Thirteen years after I read those books, I got to spend a week in the Scottish Highlands with her, Melissa Marr, and twenty other talented writers. It was an incredible experience. Total pinch me moment.
Oh. My. GOODNESS! I loved that series back in the day, and I’m a big fan of Melissa Marr, too. I’m so envious right now. So, was writing something you always wanted to do, or was there an epiphany one day?
I would say that it was a mix of both. It wasn’t a surprise, but it was also very much a one-day snap decision. Both my mom and sister love to write. I grew up writing with them and myself – playing writing and creative games on road trips, writing ridiculous fanfiction with my sister, entering the Young Author’s Competition, telling stories in my head as I went to sleep – so my inclination toward this wasn’t shocking. I did, however, have a terrible English teacher in elementary school that kind of burned the desire out of me. It wasn’t until grade nine that I had an English teacher, Ms. Gonsalves, who read my work and told me that this was something I should consider pursuing. And I made my decision that day. It was bolstered in grade twelve when I took writer’s craft (which is basically creative writing) and Ms. Salvo continuously praised my work. I am super thankful for their support. It brought me here.
That is so funny, I also had a ninth grade English teacher who told me on the last day of class, “I hope you pursue writing. You’ve got what it takes.” While we’re talking about English class, how do you feel about required reading?
I was an English major. I’ve read a lot of required reading. Some I loved, some I didn’t. I think we maybe need to redefine what a classic is. Some of them don’t really apply to us today and are definitely not as diverse as they should be. I think kids in high school would be a lot more open to assigned reading if the books weren’t so old and outdated.
Classics are valuable as that’s where this all began, but you don’t really appreciate that as a teenager. I loved when my English teachers did a mix of books. I read Shakespeare’s Othello in the same classroom I read Room by Emma Donoghue. The mix kept me more engaged than a steady stream of books deemed classics.
Absolutely. There are so many instant-classic indie authors out there that are putting out future classics, in my opinion. Which indie writers are you currently obsessed with?
So many! I love Isla Winter, Megan McSpadden, Becky Tzag, L.E. Wagensveld, Hannah Brixton, Ellory Douglas, Brenna Bailey, Rosanna Leo, Marie Landry, Sue Jaskula, and Chelsea Pennington. Probably so many I’ve forgotten, but this is a good place to start.
That’s a great list! Let’s talk about aspiring authors. What advice do you have for them?
Keep going. Keep being you and writing how you want. Don’t listen to advice that says there’s only one way to do something. Figure out what works for you and do it. And don’t be afraid when someone tells you that your way is wrong. Be fearless and write.
Be fearless and write… what a mantra! I love it. So, to flip the script, let’s talk about something that’s scary to many writers: unfinished manuscripts. How many do you have floating around?
I actually only have one unfinished manuscript! I’m the kind of person that has to finish something once I start it. The only reason this one is unfinished is because I put all my efforts into getting Emergency Lullabies out last year and everything else fell to the wayside. That manuscript is my April project while Not Actually is with the editor.
I love that level of focus. While you’re heads down and digging into a project, where do you find the ideas for your stories?
Everywhere. There are stories happening everywhere you look. I have countless notes on my phone based on things that I’ve seen out and about. Emergency Lullabies was inspired by me seeing a dad and a nanny flirting with each other at a park one summer. That idea took root and became a very long note in my phone. I’ve jotted down dreams, an idea inspired by a friend saying she’d love to read a witchy Christmas story, a spark based on my friend’s historian job and secrets in old manuscripts, a thought after I watched the Duggar documentary, and a plot inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “You’re Losing Me.” There truly is inspiration everywhere.
Beautifully said. I just have one more question for you… you mentioned a friend giving you feedback, which turned into a story idea. I’d love to hear what your readers are saying! Have you gotten any feedback from them?
I had a reader tell me that while she was reading Emergency Lullabies, I got a few squeals, omgs, and leg kicks. Which is really fun to hear. I also love when readers message me that they were excited to see Canada in the story, which is kind of why I leave it set here. I also had someone message to tell me they were going to make an aesthetic Pinterest board Instagram post for my book and I cannot wait to see that.
Another favourite thing that has happened to me is when I donated three copies of Emergency Lullabies to my grandpa’s retirement home’s library and it was so popular that I’ve only ever seen one copy in the library only one (of many) times I’ve visited. He’s had people come up to him and congratulate him on his granddaughter’s accomplishment and staff say they can’t wait for more. It’s been a really cool experience that I wasn’t expecting at all.
Madeline Nixon’s tale is a great reminder that there are stories everywhere, just waiting to be told. To watch her story unfold in real time, connect with her on social media! Madeline is on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Goodreads, so there’s a number of opportunities to connect.
Want to learn more about other indie authors to know? Keep an eye on my Indie Author Spotlight Series for more.