Author Edmond Gagnon is a Baby Boomer, born in the Town of McGregor, just outside the City of Windsor, in Ontario, Canada. His first attempt at writing was in the form of a poem, in grade school. It was about a stream in the wilderness, described in detail, from its humble beginnings to its end at a raging waterfall. He received an A++ for his efforts.

Growing up, there wasn’t much time for reading or writing, or even homework in some cases. Edmond signed up for every sport that he could, excelling at baseball and bowling. His heavy involvement in sports led him to train for the Canadian Olympic Water Polo Team.

Being one of six siblings, and having a single mother who had no time to be a soccer mom, Edmond Gagnon had to leave sports behind and work for a living. He joined the Windsor Police Force one month before his nineteenth birthday. His only reading and writing was done in the form of studying law and police procedures, and writing exams.

Policing Career

Edmond Gagnon’s policing career spanned over thirty-one years. He walked a beat and worked in uniform patrol cars. Moving into plain clothes, he worked in narcotics, morality, property crimes, and special projects. After being promoted to sergeant and then detective, Edmond spent more time in the same units as a supervisor. In his last years on the job he worked as a fraud and arson investigator.

Travelling Around the World

Upon retiring, Edmond Gagnon took to travelling around North America on his Harley Davidson, and visiting exotic destinations like Southeast Asia, South America, Mexico, and Belize. While travelling, he sent back email snippets of his adventures to friends and family (before Facebook).

Coaxed by those same people, Edmond Gagnon put his collection of short stories together in his first book called, A Casual Traveler. The book was well-received and he was inspired to share some of his police stories. He started the Norm Strom Crime Series and wrote Rat, Bloody Friday, Torch, Finding Hope, Border City Chronicles, and Trafficking Chen. He then branched out with Moon Mask and The Millionaire Murders in his new Abigail Brown Crime Series. Ed has also written a paranormal thriller called, Four.

Watch YouTube Documentary – Edmond Gagnon Author & Retired Police Detective

Writing as a Hobby

For Edmond, physically writing a book is the easy part of the whole process. It’s what follows that is even more difficult and time-consuming. Editing is the first hurdle. Asking friends or test-readers to check your work can be a good place to start, but if you want a professional product you need to hire an editor. They cost money. So does any artwork for front and back covers. 

Marketing 

The next phase is the most difficult part. Marketing. If you actually want to sell your work and make enough money to pay for it, you have to learn how to market it. This means not only selling yourself on all kinds of social media sites, but physically getting out and attending book stores and craft or book shows. You have to become a salesperson. Check out Edmond Gagnon’s events!

Publishing 

The whole publishing industry has changed since Amazon virtually took over the business. It’s next to impossible to get an agent or traditional publisher. Marketing experts and publicists cost thousands of dollars with no guarantees in sales. Edmond Gagnon now self-publishes all his own books, listing them with all the major online sellers.    

Edmond Gagnon continues to write and travel. He is a current member of Crime Writers of Canada and is a staff travel writer for a website called Dreams Abroad. They are an information resource for professionals who work or travel abroad.  

Edmond and his wife, Cathryn, are both retired, live in Windsor, and love exploring the world – over 40 countries so far. They blog on this site sharing their travel experiences, and rate books, movies, and restaurants.  

Take a look at my Videos on YouTube

“If you want a great vacation, go to an all-inclusive resort. If you want a great travel experience, go anywhere else.”  Edmond Gagnon