Verena and her husband Willy emigrated from Switzerland to Canada in 1979. They came to the Cariboo, fell in love with the region and settled in Williams Lake. Now, more than thirty years later, Verena has become an accomplished writer and lecturer. Her short stories have been published throughout North America and Europe. In 2012, "Kool-Aid and Cariboo Stew" was launched. The book is a collection of creative non-fiction writings about the family's experiences as new Canadians living on a remote rural property - where they accumulated a yard full of goats and pigs before building a fence, and had children before running water - and other comical situations.

When Verena is not writing, she likes talking about it. Her entertaining power point presentations portray her dedication and passion for the art of writing. Ever since her first appearance at the "Young Writers Conference 2007" in Williams Lake and Kamloops, students have been - and continue to be - tantalized by her out-of-the-box exercises and teaching style.