Carmen was raised on the Canadian prairies. Her literary journey began not as a celebrated author, but as a skilled wordsmith behind the scenes. For 17 years she honed her craft as a senior political ghostwriter, speechwriter, media strategist, and spokesperson; her own creative aspirations relegated to the quiet hours of the night.
But even amidst a demanding career, Carmen nurtured her deep passion for storytelling, crafting outlines and drafts for a collection of personal humor essays, drawing inspiration from her unusual upbringing, single motherhood, and cross-cultural experiences.
Carmen is currently completing her debut collection of humour essays: a candid and often satirical exploration of her young adulthood immersed in the vibrant, yet hedonistic tourism scene of Puerto Vallarta in the late 1990s and early 2000s. From cultural faux pas to personal challenges, the “memoir-in-pieces” delves into the complexities of self-discovery through a lens of biting wit and self-deprecating humor.
In a writer-illustrator collaboration with her son, Karlo, she created a series of children’s books based on his childhood experiences. Your Breath Smells Like Chocolate was the first installment, with upcoming titles Hummingbird Mother and Salty Foot to be released in the near future.
She has a diploma in Creative Communications from Red River College Polytechnic and was a founding member, writer, and performer of the popular, all-female Vancouver comedy troupe Girl Parts in the 1990s.
