Ketsia Lessard was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec and graduated from the University of Quebec with a creative writing degree. Still living in Montreal today, she has travelled throughout Canada and done extensive research to help her understand the Canadian identity and the symbols that best define it.

Although French is her first language, Ketsia deftly writes in English to bring her characters and the Northern setting she favours to life. She has long had an interest in Inuit culture and has spent years exploring their history and the RCMP’s work in the Arctic. She credits her close bond with her older brother as another inspiration for On Duty, which is her first book. Ketsia Lessard is also a painter and a church musician.