McKay has been telling stories her whole life. She began to take interest in war stories because of her book, Charlie Wilcox, which was set during the First World War. As she was researching historical facts for another story about the Great War, McKay quickly learned not to trust secondary sources and research, as some facts, such as the supposed tidal wave after the Halifax explosion of 1917, had proved to be incorrect. She found traveling to her settings offered her access to original documents, archives and witnesses, which taught her more about historical and current events. Also, as a Canadian War Artist, her travels are important not only to her stories, but to world history.

“No matter what happens (in life), without an artist to interpret it, did it happen?” said the Kilbride resident.

During the First World War, many artists, such as poets and painters, were drafted to serve in Europe. Inspired by the vivid images of battle around them, they began to take everything in and translate their experiences into works of art – thus becoming known as war artists. Since then, the War Artist program has been crucial to recording events that happen during war; artists have even been drafted to battle for the sole purpose of documentation.

“Artists find ways to cope in this world by doing art no matter what,” noted McKay.

“Every- we have from war is done by war artists.”

When McKay first arrived at the Kandahar Air Field (KAF), one of the first things she did was attend a ramp ceremony for a fallen soldier. This was her initial vision of what her stay in Afghanistan was to resemble, but she began to see another shocking image, which was most memorable to her trip. Women in the forces were completely equal to all the men. It was an “iconic image” for McKay and she mentioned that seeing women in battle shocked her, but in a good way.

But just outside of the KAF, the Taliban’s hate towards women was extremely strong. They would cast women down with degrading quotes, supposedly attributed to Mohammed, to promote and enforce the hatred. McKay noted that it was truly amazing “to see women working side by side with men in the base, when outside, women had no rights.”

Traveling to Afghanistan with the UN and Canadian Forces is a highlight in McKay’s life. She said her image of the military has been dramatically changed by the things she did and saw there. From witnessing women in combat to riding in a Griffon helicopter, she gained a deeper understanding of the military’s job in Afghanistan and these insights will have considerable influence on her next story. She is also glad that the army understood that she, too, had a job to do and is thankful they treated her like any other member.

“As a Canadian, the experience was life altering,” McKay remarked. “I’d do anything to go back.”

Mckay has written 20 books for children and young adults. Some of which, including the Charlie Wilcox stories and Esther, have won several awards, such as the Red Maple and Governor General’s awards.

Her most recent book, War Brothers, influenced by a previous trip to Uganda, is about the reality behind Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, a group that abducts children from their schools and homes, forcing them to become slaves and soldiers.

A complete list of McKay’s books can be found on the Hamilton Public Library’s website, www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/LibraryServices/ . Her books can also be found at Chapters, Indigo and other bookstores.