Ann has an M.A. (1974) from the University of Toronto. For many years she was Head of English in Toronto secondary schools. In 1996 she was named Teacher of the Year. She has given lectures on the teaching of writing at national and international conferences and served for many years as associate professor in the teacher-training programs at York University and the University of Toronto.Her book, Essay Writing Made Easy (Pembroke), is a popular high-school and college text, and received an award from Canada's western provinces. It teaches the basic skills students need to improve their essay-writing in all subjects. Ann has published many articles, reviews, and essays in major newspapers and magazines. She is a freelance editor of corporate and personal manuscripts in all genres. She also teaches writing, focusing on memoirs, fiction, and poetry.Her passionate interest in early Upper Canada history has involved her in new projects. She is currently an active volunteer with historic Montgomery's Inn. Formerly Chair of the Sir William Campbell Foundation Volunteers' Committee, she lectures on Toronto's early history. She also takes tour groups through Toronto's historic houses. She has published a novel called Settlement, the plot of which deals with scandals involving two major figures in Toronto's history, circa 1836-1837. It was the chosen book for promotion by the city of Orillia in the summer of 2012. She has also published a second novel set in modern-day Toronto. It's called The Secret Life of Roberta Greaves and draws on her long connection with Toronto universities. Her third novel, Duelling in a New World, is the story of Upper Canada's first Attorney-General, John White, who died in a famous duel in 1800. She has currently published a fourth novel,  called A Daugher Rebels. It tells the story of Anne Powell, a courageous Toronto woman who spurned the traditional roles assigned to women in the early days of Upper Canada.