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BiographyLara-Dawn Stiegler is a Canadian author and biology student who was born and raised in Vancouver. She has had a lifetime affinity for animals and an enduring interest in the ancient cultures which held them in high regard. Inspiration for her writing comes from diligent research into the past and keen observation of the animals living in the present. Per-Bast: A Tale of Cats in Ancient Egypt is her debut novel.
The little space in my room not occupied by another species held nature and fantasy books, or else compilations of myth and legend from ancient cultures - and what I always thought was not enough animal novels. My desk always had at least one artistic project in some stage of completion. I had always planned on writing an animal story. Usually, as a kid, I wrote down ideas, or snippets of random ideas, yet had never really built much upon them. Once I thought of the idea for Per-Bast I needed to see it through. I felt the story had something unique to offer. It is, I think, the first full length novel that blends mythology and ancient history together through an animal's eyes. I’m exited to see the results of this project and how people respond to and enjoy it.’ |
‘The early part of my life was spent building and maintaining what my brother had called “Lara’s Animal Empire”. My room was literally a zoo. In it I adopted rabbits, an ever growing family of hamsters, doves, lizards, turtles, a cockatiel I hand raised, tadpoles I collected from a local pond, and a host of aquariums I put together from backyard sales. Once I even rescued four bullfrogs from being eaten; I collected them in ice cream buckets and kept them in an unused bathtub! Cats and dogs were, of course, always part of the household.
