Martha Brooks graced Winnipeg, Manitoba with her presence on July 15, 1944. Yet, while the bustling city was her official residence, her heart resided for the first seventeen years amidst the tranquil grounds of the Manitoba Sanatorium at Ninette, nestled in the southwest of the province. It was here that her father, Alfred Leroy Paine, held the esteemed position of superintendent and chief surgeon, and her mother, Theodis, dedicated herself as a compassionate nurse.

Brooks's literary prowess earned her the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Award for Paradise Cafe and Other Stories. She was praised for her skillful portrayal of isolation—a theme she knew intimately and wrote about with such authenticity. As the second child, young Martha was eight when her sister left for university, and fourteen by the time she returned. Living within the confines of the Ninette facility, where her father's role demanded a separation from the outside world, Brooks grew accustomed to the solitude. Though not a choice most children would make, this seclusion sharpened her artist's eye, allowing her to become a keen observer—an outsider gazing in. Her experiences of isolation and the ever-present hope she witnessed within the sanatorium's walls became enduring themes in her writing for young adults. Her parents, instead of shielding her from the emotional weight of illness, allowed her to witness the juxtaposition of despair and hope, which lingered in her heart and found expression in her novels.

Upon completing high school, Brooks embarked on a diverse career path, dabbling in modeling, teaching the art of modeling, gracing summer musical theater stages, and even taking up secretarial duties. Life took a new turn in 1967 when she wed Brian Brooks, and the arrival of their daughter Kirsten in 1972 ignited her passion for writing. Her debut publication, A Hill for Looking (1982), drew inspiration from her youthful days in Ninette, spanning ages eight to twelve. However, it was with the 1988 release of her short story collection, Paradise Cafe and Other Stories, that Brooks considered her true emergence as an author.

The journey to publishing Paradise Cafe and Other Stories wasn't without hurdles. Seven publishers turned down her manuscript, caught in a dilemma of whether the stories suited teens or adults. This very crossover appeal, however, would become a hallmark of her work marketed towards adolescents. Brooks herself doesn't confine her identity to the young adult writer label. Instead, she sees herself as a storyteller who, once entangled in the YA genre, found it a comfortable niche. Her publishers' willingness to let her redefine the genre is something she cherishes. Since that first YA collection, she has penned another, Traveling on into the Light and Other Stories, along with three novels—Two Moons in August, Bone Dance, and Being with Henry. Additionally, she has ventured into playwriting, authoring or coauthoring four plays for younger audiences.

Brooks, a self-taught literary artist, immersed herself in mentoring aspiring high school writers for years. Her one-on-one mentorships unfolded within the intimate setting of her home, where she emphasized the writing journey over the final product. Each year, students crafted a single story, revisiting and refining it multiple times, sparking a collaborative exploration of the writing craft. Judged by the triumphs of her students, Brooks's mentorship shone brightly—two students clinched the Canadian Authors Association's national Student Writing Contest for Fiction, and one proudly published a collection of short stories.

Beyond the written word, Brooks's soul dances to the rhythm of jazz, a passion ignited at the tender age of four. With four years of vocal training, she honed a classically trained coloratura...