I was born Marguerite Chantel Guertin, which caused a lot of confusion on the first day of every school year as the teacher tried to understand why I wanted to be called Chantel, the name I had been called since birth, rather than Marguerite. Either way, I never had a pencil, sticker, toothbrush or mug with my name on it.

I grew up in St. Catharines, Ont., where, when I was in fourth grade, the daily paper published my short story, “The Magic Potion,” about a little girl who takes a magic potion and experiences magical, fantastical events. Strangely, I now have a strong dislike for the supernatural, paranormal and unbelievable, and I don’t really enjoy many books or movies that aren’t somewhat realistic.

When my guidance counselor asked what I wanted to do after high school, I told her I wanted to be a writer. She told me, “Being a writer isn’t a real job. You should go to journalism school so you can get a real job.” So that’s what I did. While completing my bachelor of journalism degree at Ryerson University, I interned at a book-publishing house. When I graduated, I went to work for a literary agent. Three months later, I realized that perhaps, given that I’d just gotten a degree in magazine journalism, I should get a job working at a magazine. So I quit my job at the literary agency and went to work at Elle Canada, where I stayed for two years, developing an insatiable love of beauty products. Surprisingly, Mara, the heroine of Stuck in Downward Dog, shares this obsession, so we tend to get along quite well. My next stop was TV Guide, where I got to watch new shows before they aired on TV, such as Desperate Housewives and Six Feet Under.

Soon after, I decided to write a novel so I could make up stories (something you’re not supposed to do when you’re writing for a magazine), which is how Stuck in Downward Dog came to be. In 2005 I found an amazing agent, got married, and changed my last name to Simmons, which, coincidentally, is the same last name as my husband. I still don’t have a personalized mug, but I do have a mattress with my last name on it (though there’s no family relation).

Now, as the publisher and editor-in-chief of Elevate, a cosmetic enhancement magazine, I spend my time writing and editing stories about boob jobs and butt lifts. And counting the days until my first novel, Stuck in Downward Dog, comes out.