Kristene Perron's Blog, page 7

The Truth Inside the Lie

"Kids, fiction is the truth inside the lie, and the truth of this fiction is simple enough: the magic exists." – Stephen King, IT

If there’s one question writers of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their many sub-genres are asked by readers it is likely some permutation of "How do you make all this stuff up?" While all writers of fiction, by definition, make stuff up, it is far easier to understand the origin of stories that take place in the world we know. But when the stories involve strange lands, creatures, magic, or even alternate versions of our own history, the trail to the story’s source becomes harder to follow.

Or does it?

Some of the best speculative fiction holds a mirror up to our own world. A funhouse mirror, perhaps, but a reflection nonetheless. Speculative fiction writers often take what we know and merely stretch it, shrink it, change the colour, add a few extra limbs, or move it to a new planet. In this way, the mundane becomes mysterious and the writer allows us some distance from the known.

Recognize this plant from James Cameron’s Avatar?

This fictional flora is called helicoradian. It is 3-4 meters tall and its red spiral leaves collapse in on themselves when touched.

Now have a look at spirobranchus giganteus, known to divers as the Christmas Tree Worm.

Look familiar?

Take a real living creature, make it bigger, change the colour and shape, move it from water to land and, voila, science fiction!

I’ll never forget the first time I saw these worms underwater. They were no less magical in their natural setting than they were in Cameron’s enchanting imaginary forest. As King wrote, "the magic exists".

For the next month, we’ll be featuring guest posts from several speculative fiction writers who will share the real life people, places, or events that shaped or inspired their work–the truth inside the lie.

But first, I asked Josh to talk a bit about some of his truths behind Warpworld, Wasteland Renegades, and the third book-in-progress in the Warpworld series, Ghost World.

It all begins tomorrow. See you then!

Blood for water

~Kristene

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Get Your Warpworld E-book Signed!

Yes, through the wonders of technology you can now get an electronic signature for Warpworld and Wasteland Renegades right from the comfort of your living room, bathroom, or even at work (we won’t tell your boss, don’t worry). Rest assured, our handwriting is just as illegible in this format as it is with pen on paper!

Actually, I think it’s worse.  Have you ever tried signing your name with a mouse?

So if you see this…

That’s the electronic version of “Kristene Perron”. Or “Joshua Simpson”. Possibly both together. Oh, and it may also a contain a mathematical equation that explains the origins of the universe.

But seriously, Josh and I will be happy to sign your ebook and we can even personalize a note just for you. All you have to do is visit us on Authorgraph: Get your e-signatures here

Also, congrats to our recent Goodreads Giveaway winners. Your signed copies are in the mail. Happy reading! For everyone else, we’ll be doing one more giveaway soon, so keep checking back.

Blood for water.

Kristene

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

Goodreads Giveaway Time!

It’s that time again! If you know the drill, just follow the widget below to win a signed (SIGNED!) copy of Wasteland Renegades. If you don’t know the drill, what’s wrong with you? Have you been napping? Okay, okay, here’s the drill:

Josh and I have opened our black, evil, and stingy hearts to offer five, signed (SIGNED!) copies of the second book in the Warpworld series for five lucky winners on Goodreads.com. See that widget below? Just click “ENTER” and you’ll be taken through the warp gate to the exotic world of Goodreads giveaways. This Wasteland Renegades giveaway ends October 22nd. After that, Josh and I return to being the mean, tight-fisted jerks that we usually are.

Oh, and if you haven’t read the first book, Warpworld, we’ve lowered the price just for you! Just visit our bookstore page.

There’s also a free Warpworld Shadow Story, Unity Tested, for all our readers. Get it here!

Yeesh, are we getting soft in our old age?

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Wasteland Renegades
by Kristene Perron

Giveaway ends October 22, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Good luck! Blood for water ~ Kristene

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

Wasteland Renegades Launch Day

The wait is over! Wasteland Renegades is here! But don’t just take my word for it when you can take my word for it on video.

Thanks so much, we look forward to your comments and reviews!

Blood for water

~Kristene and Josh

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

Journey to the Land of Misfit Toys (aka Worldcon 2013)

I was unsure about attending my first Worldcon.  Concerns…

Cost: My spare funds have been almost completely directed to production costs of Wasteland Renegades (almost ready, promise!), so the timing was bad.

Geography: Ucluelet is a long way from anywhere. To get to San Antonio, Texas (on my budget), would take me two full days, including five hours on the bus. THE BUS! *shudders*

Aloneness: Due to other work commitments, Josh was unable to attend. And, sure, I’m okay with attending events solo, I tend to make friends with relative ease, but I also know these sorts of events are much more enjoyable with at least one buddy.

I don’t really know why I ultimately decided the cons of the con did not outweigh the pros of the con, but I booked my flights, bus tickets, and hotel, and off I went.

Thank Cod I did.

There was a decided lack of sleep and overabundance of alcohol but my first Worldcon has taken a spot on my Top Ten Coolest Things I’ve Done In My Life.  Considering “driving on car chase scene” and “swimming with wild dolphins” are on that list, that’s saying something.

At the Glitter and Mayhem rollerskating launch party. (L to R) Me, Sandra Wickham, Nicole Feldringer, Kelly Lagor

I met a crazy amount of warptastic people but I have to give a special shout out to my fellow SF Canada member Sandra Wickham who is not just a social butterfly but a social MOTHRA. Sandra, for whatever reason, took me under her Mothra wing and welcomed me into her diverse and wonderful Worldcon circle of friends. Every new Worldcon attendee should be issued a Sandra at the door. This should be a new policy. Sandra got me into parties, Sandra took me rollerskating with the Glitter and Mayhem crew, Sandra ensured I never ate dinner alone, Sandra is all that and a bottle of awesomesauce.

I wish I had better/more photos of my time at Worldcon but… did I mention the lack of sleep and copious amounts of alcohol?

I know I’m going to miss someone on this list (please tell me if I do, I will add you with my magic editing powers) but it was my extreme pleasure to meet/hang out with/babble nonsensically at: Amy Sunderberg, Lauren Teffeau, Sara Mueller, Galen Dara, Mark Teppo, Dave Bara, Patrick Swenson, Kelly Lagor, Nicole Feldringer, Devi Pillai, Will Hinton (who bears a striking resemblance to Harry Potter), Cormac Russel, Robert Bennett, John Klima, Howard Tayler, Andrew Barton, and Fran Wilde.

Okay, one more group of folks to mention. Somehow I ended up breakfasting with authors Alastair Kimble, Andy Rogers, and Griffin Barber – henceforth to be known as The Breakfast Squad, (look for our upcoming cop series on HBO). I have not snort-laughed so much in my life. And if you hear the phrase “cave bacon” in the future, for the record, we started that.  Or, at the very least, we took that and turned it into something unclean.

I could rant on about the laughs, the new friends, the interesting panels, the fact that only one person during the entire conference gave me “that look” when I said I was indie published, but I want to talk about John Scalzi and his acceptance speech for the Hugo Awards. (He won Best Novel for 2013, for Redshirts. You must read it. It is snort-laugh inducing among many other fine qualities.)

The speech was good–not too long, not too rambling, full of appreciation for other nominees, etc–but one line hit me like a sledgehammer of happiness right in the gut. Speaking of his first time attending a science fiction convention, Scalzi said it was like “the Land of Misfit Toys”. This was exactly what this, my first Worldcon, felt like.  For most of us, there are few times in life where we find ourselves in a place where we feel completely at home. Here, among the misfit toys of science fiction and fantasy, I felt free to be myself… snort-laughs, bagpipe imitations, and all.

I would share this sentiment later, at about 3am, with a fellow partygoer. He was dubious. After all, (in his words), I am attractive, physically capable, and intelligent, how could I ever not feel that I belonged anywhere? In answer to that I wrote a very long and heartfelt explanation to share with you all.

Then I decided just to post these photos. (Apologies for the quality, they’re almost as old as I am).

Nothing says “I’m cool” like 5-pin bowling.

 

Yes, that’s me on the lower right. I am the only member of my team who is actually smiling because I am the only one who does not realize that belonging to a 5-pin bowling league is social suicide. I’m pretty sure all those other kids were forced to join, whereas I begged to be a bowler. Please note the patches on my uniform. I took my 5-pin bowling VERY seriously (as you should).

Little known fact: 5-pin bowling is only slightly less nerdy than clogging.

 

Once a 5-pin bowler, always a 5-pin bowler! Booyah!

 

In fact, I took my bowling so seriously that I was still doing it into my teens. There I am, (top middle), trying pathetically to have Farrah Fawcett hair. Be thankful I spared you my perm phase.

As an interesting side note, the fellow to my left would go on to be a big software guy. He was also the first person to introduce me to the internet. Parents, there is clearly a link between 5-pin bowling and success.

My homage to Steve Irwin

 

But of course no walk of nerd shame would be complete without a photo from my dance class. I loved this crocodile costume so much that I wore it to school on Halloween, in the eighth grade. Needless to say, among the many sexy cats and Playboy bunnies that year, I was noticed.

 

Attention everyone! Kristene Marrington, who lives on 119a Street, is the queen of the dorks!

And just to make sure I finished off my final year of highschool leaving no doubts about my nerd status, there’s the article from the local paper announcing that I would rather spend my summer studying  than at the beach like the rest of the normal teenagers.

For the record, I still PREFER BOOKS – so there!

Wow, I just never had good hair, did I?

So, yes, before I was the slick snort-laughing, bagpipe imitator that you will meet now, I was a 5-pin bowling fanatic with bad (though freakishly soft) hair, who loved books so much that one day she started writing her own.

Speaking of which, Wasteland Renegades is moments away from an official launch and I have mountains of work to do. I will leave you with some photos from the Land of Misfit Toys.

Thanks again to all the misfits who made me feel so very welcome–see you at the next one!

Some of the incredible women I met at Worldcon

 

Charlie’s Angels eat your heart out! (Yes, it’s a parking garage…things got a little crazy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My daily shirt fix, courtesy of Griffin Barber

Post Hugo Awards + at the Resurrection House party – Mark Teppo and Hugo Award winner Galen Dara

For the Dr Who fans…you know Who you are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blood for Water

~Kristene

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Book Review – Chimerascope by Douglas Smith

If you’re wondering what writers do on their time off, the answer is usually: read. We are currently waiting for our graphics and formatting guru, Miguel, to finish packaging and polishing Wasteland Renegades, which means Josh and I have free time to play. Of course, by “play” I mean “work on the third book”, but I’d also like to spend this warp bubble of extra time to tell you about some of the spec fiction I’ve consumed lately.

Chimerascope by Douglas Smith

First up: Chimerascope by Douglas Smith

I must preface this review by shouting my love for short stories from the rooftops. Well, the rooftops are metaphorical, I’m actually shouting from my couch. Short stories are an art unto themselves and when I find an author who masters that art, particularly in speculative fiction, I pounce. Douglas Smith can consider himself pounced.

Chimerascope, a collection of speculative fiction short stories, enchants, horrifies, enlightens, and mesmerizes. Through each tale, no matter the tone or subject, Smith connects the reader instantly with his characters and they are as unforgettable as they are diverse. From the broken and twisted (Jason Trelayne of “Scream Angel”, John Bishop of “Memories of the Dead Man”) to the ethereal and innocent (Asai of “The Red Bird, Big G of “Going Harvey in the Big House”), these characters step off the pages and become real.

Another of Smith’s strengths is structure. I’m in awe of his ability to choose just the right voice, POV, and timelines for his stories. He includes enough details to show the reader the depth of each world without bogging down the story in description. No matter how short the story, their worlds feel fully formed. Best of all, Smith’s stories have endings! I realize how funny that might sound but there seems to be this disturbing trend now of short stories that have no real conclusion. The last page arrives and the reader is left with …no resolution, good or bad. This drives me batty and, in my opinion, is a mark of lazy storytelling. Smith’s stories may not always end happily but there is always a resolution.

It’s difficult for me to choose a single favourite out of the collection but because I like dark protagonists “Scream Angel” and “Memories of the Dead Man” probably top my list. “State of Disorder” ranks a close third for its deliciously nasty villain, complex plot, and lovely twist.

Many of these stories were award winners and rightfully so. If you love speculative fiction, short stories, and masterful storytelling, Chimerascope needs to be on your bookshelf.

In fact, I loved these stories and Smith’s writing so much, I pestered him to share some of his thoughts on crafting short stories with me. (Being a member of SF Canada has its perks!). He graciously obliged and has given me permission to share his responses here.

Smith says that his stories always arrive as an idea, an image, or a character, but he can’t begin writing the tale until he has the characters that will tell it.

I then tend to think in character arcs.  Where is this character (in their life) when the story starts, how do they fit into this story idea, and how will they have changed by the story end?  The old “what’s their problem and are they going to resolve it?” If so, how? If not, how and why will they fail?

Choosing POV (point of view) characters, Smith considers to be one of the most important decisions when deciding how to tell a story. Something most, if not all, writers would agree with. He breaks with convention, however, when it comes to multiple POV’s—supposedly a no-no in short fiction.

I tend to like interleaved POV’s for a story structure. This was essential for making “Scream Angel” work. My hero, Trelayne, is a drug-addicted xenocide. Kind of hard to make him sympathetic without some help.  So I used Faran as a POV character, an alien child who has been saved by Trelayne and who idolizes him.  Trelayne sees only his bad side in himself, while Faran shows us the hero he already is.

The two POV’s work perfectly in “Scream Angel”, as do the flashbacks (another short fiction no-no). Several of the stories in Chimerascope move back and forth in time to great effect. About choosing a non-sequential timeline, Smith says it’s difficult to say how he decides.

Part of it is when you want the reader to know certain info. Sometimes, it’s to start “in media res” and save the backstory for later once you have them hooked (hopefully). Sometimes, flipping time for scenes absolutely screams out as the right way to do it—”State of Disorder” is about time travel, so jumping around in time seemed to fit. That story, by the way, probably has my most complex plot structure. Even the scenes with Mackaby and Harnish that appear to be sequential are actually years apart.

Smith also tends not to write his stories sequentially.

I love stories where the ending comes clearly to me early on.  I often write the last scene in a story before any other (“Spirit Dance” in Impossibilia is the one I recall the clearest when I was writing that story). That way I have a clear target to aim at for the rest of the story, both plot and character arc.

Hm, Impossibilia, I’ll have to pounce on that one next. I asked Smith about pacing because that’s something I feel is critical to a good story and something else at which he excels.

You can’t separate plot from pacing, so that’s another consideration in sequencing scenes. It also ties in to how much you tell a reader and when. Reviewers frequently mention that I’m good at implying a larger universe behind my story and my characters than I actually show in the story, just by revealing some small key details.  Not sure I can give any tips on that other than I have the larger picture in my head and I only tell what I need to tell when I need to tell it to keep the story moving.

Thanks so much for the fantastic stories and words of wisdom, Doug!

Douglas Smith

You can find Chimerascope and more of Douglas Smith’s work on his website : smithwriter.com

If you’re a writer and interested in selling your short fiction, Doug has also put together a helpful series on the Amazing Stories website: Playing the Short Game: How to Sell Your Short Fiction

And you can follow Doug on Twitter  @smithwritr

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

The State of the (Warped) World – Field Report

I’ll keep this transmission brief as heightened Storm activity is playing hell with the comms.

Progress report: Wasteland Renegades

Status: Copy editing – complete

We’re on the final read-through before the manuscript goes off to be formatted, typeset, and all those other fun things manuscripts have to do before becoming a real book. Our goal is to have Wasteland Renegades live by Sept. 1st. If you’ve subscribed to our newsletter, you will be the first know when it’s ready.

For those of you who require proof of our effort, or who are just curious about the glamorous behind-the-scenes life of authors, here are the “bones” of the novel-in-progress…

I like highlighters!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, I am quite fond of highlighters and organizing things into boxes. (With many thanks to Deborah O’Keefe for her assistance!)

So that’s where we’re at.

We’re also on the last day of the Tribute Books Blog Tour. Many, many thanks to Nicole, of Tribute Books, and all the bloggers who took the time to extrans into our worlds and write about it. We’re honoured and we’ve loved reading your thoughts on Warpworld!

And now I have to get back to the ponds.

But if you want to see my wonderful impersonation of bagpipes, you can always stop by our Facebook page.

Blood for water!

~ Kristene

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

Women of Character – Laura Lee Connery, The Real Girl On Fire

Today we talk to professional stunt woman Laura Lee Connery, but before I jump into our final Women of Character interview, just a few reminders!

1. Our 10-stop review tour begins July 15th. Hosted by Tribute Books, you can read the full schedule here and find out how to win $25 in an Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

2. Check out the cover for Wasteland Renegades, (coming soon!), and you’ll have another chance at a $25 Amazon gift card. Just in time to re-stock your bookshelf for summer reading.

Now, back to our incredibly awesome Woman of Character already in progress…

Laura Lee Connery, the Girl On Fire!

I met Laura Lee Connery on a film set, of course. Canadian by birth, Laura Lee had been working as a stunt performer in LA for several years but had decided to move back home to Hollywood North. She was talented and determined, as were most Vancouver stunt women, but what I loved about Laura Lee was that as much as she loved her job (and she LOVES her job), she always maintained an appreciation for life off the film set and never sacrificed her own identity for success.

WWC: Welcome to the Warpworld Comms, Laura Lee! Thanks for taking some time away from hitting the ground to talk to us about what it means to be a strong Woman of Character. Can you tell us what project or accomplishment are you most proud of?

LAURA LEE: There are two I am most proud of. First, I represented Canada  at the ’95 Extreme Games, in Halfpipe Rollerblading, and I placed 3rd in the world. There were 6.3 million people around the world watching and right before my run I thought I was going to puke and pass out. I took a deep breathe in and went went for it. I did well. After that I felt like I could do anything.

Second, I won a World Stunt Award for Best Water Work on Jurassic Park 3. After years of hard work and big stunts I was being recognized by my peers.

Laura Lee (left) accepting her World Stunt Award

WWC: Who were your heroes or role mo dels when you were growing up?

LAURA LEE: Olympic Gymnast, Nadia Comaneci; I wanted to be just like her.  Also, my Dad, Brian Connery. In his day, he was a top gymnast and top spring board diver in Canada. Today, he is 75 and still skiing double black diamond runs and trekking the Himalayas. He is also a wonderful Dad. When I was growing up, we were always doing something in the mountains, so I never watched TV or saw a fashion magazine until I was 18.

WWC: Were there any times in your life where you felt you were either held back or discouraged from pursuing a goal because you were female?

LAURA LEE: Not as a child. My father never let me get away with playing the girl card. He always believed I could do things and pushed me to try and never let me give up. I developed a belief in myself from that experience.

Later on, when I first discovered stunts, I asked how to get into the business. I was indirectly told by a female stunt coordinator that I would never make it. This was almost 20 years ago when there were very few stunt women in Canada. I am defiant and thought, “Don’t tell me I can’t do something…I will show you”. When I won my stunt award I thought of her.

Laura Lee (left), as a stunt double on Smallville

My female agent in LA told me I would never make it in stunts because I don’t have a “flirty” personality. Defiantly, I decided I needed to succeed based on skill, persistence, and determination. I trained my butt off.

WWC: And it shows! Do you have a favourite female character–either in books, television, or movies? What do you like about her?

LAURA LEE: Shirley Muldowney.  Although this character in the movie Heart Like A Wheel, is based on a real person, I admired what she did and accomplished.  Being a woman in the 1960’s, she was determined not to take no for an answer, and went on to be a top fuel drag racer in a field of only men.  She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association to drive a Top Fuel dragster.  She was the first person to win two and three Top Fuel titles.

What I admire about her, was her ability to push through female stereotypes.

WWC: What do you think it means to be a “strong” woman?

LAURA LEE: A strong woman knows herself, believes in herself, and goes after what she wants. She takes action and pushes through the fear that holds so many of us back. She stays true to her values and expresses herself honestly and authentically.

WWC: What words of advice would you offer girls or young women today?

LAURA LEE: Follow your Heart.

The more you do the fearful/uncomfortable thing, the easier it becomes. Keep the goal in sight and be persistent.

Really take a gook look at yourself and figure out what you want and what you love. Then go after it. Get a clear picture of your goals and the steps you need to take to achieve these goals, then take the steps. When fear comes up it is usually a fear of the unknown, so push through your comfort level and do the thing and it will become less fearful. The more you do the fearful/uncomfortable thing, the easier it becomes. Keep the goal in sight and be persistent.

WWC: What does the future hold for Laura Lee Connery?

Right now I am one of the top female stunt drivers, I hope to do this for years to come.

I have been challenging myself for years physically, now it is time to challenge myself emotionally – public speaking, for example. I would like to work on expressing myself better.

I have a dream of being a motivational speaker to inspire and encourage young girls to go after their dreams. I am not clear enough on this to call it a goal yet.

WWC: Here are a few clips of Laura Lee in action…

WWC: Well you’ve been an inspiration to me! Thanks so much for joining us Laura Lee, and we’ll look for you onscreen.

Laura Lee Connery as the Pink Power Ranger

After completing highschool, Laura Lee moved to Vancouver, where she graduated with a degree in environmental studies. Always adventurous, she quickly became the Canadian National Champion in half-pipe rollerblading, and would go on to place 3rd in the world at the 95-97 X-Games. This experience took her to Los Angeles, where she discovered the world of stunts.

For five years, Laura Lee worked in LA, as a professional stunt performer on feature films and television. After meeting her best friend and partner, Canadian stuntman Duane Dickinson, she decided to move back home to Vancouver. Twelve years later, she continues to work there as a stunt performer.

Laura Lee’s extensive stunt resume includes films and TV series such as Twilight – New Moon, The Hulk, Jurassic Park 3, Smallville, Battlestar Galactica, and The X-Files. In 2002, she won a World Stunt Award for Best Underwater Work on Jurassic Park 3.  Over the last few years, Laura Lee has competed in Drifting, (a type of car racing), and now specializes in stunt driving.

In her free time, Laura Lee enjoys meditating, reading, traveling, walks with her dog, and spending time with friends and family. She has a special interest in Qigong, the Chinese practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation.

You can find out more about Laura Lee at  www.lauraleeconnery.com

Thanks so much to all of our Women of Character who shared their stories with us. Are you a Woman of Character or do you know one? We’d love to hear from you.

Blood for water

~ Kristene

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

The Big Revealski…Wasteland Renegades

What more could an author ask for on her birthday than a shiny new book cover? Here it is, the cover for Wasteland Renegades – the second book in the Warpworld series! And since it’s my birthday, and both Josh and I are in such a good mood, and our shiny new cover is out for all to see, we’re going to give away a present in our…

SHINY NEW BOOK COVER CONTEST!

On July 15, we will choose one name from the proverbial hat to WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD! (Keep scrolling to find out more.)

Thanks so much to the talented Miguel Kilantang of Migz Works for another fantastic Warpworld cover!

So, you want a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card? Easy!

Leave a comment on this post
Subscribe to the Warpworld newsletter

Your comment and/or subscription earns you one entry (multiple comments only count for one entry). On July 15th, we’ll make the draw and announce the winner.

And what else is happening on July 15th? Funny you should ask.

July 15th marks the start of our Tribute Books 10-stop blog tour. Ten book bloggers will be posting their reviews of Warpworld and you get another chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card (or PayPal cash). Man, we are waaaaaay too generous this month – it must be the heat?

Here’s the link to our tour website and schedule: WARPWORLD BLOG TOUR

Thanks so much to Nicole of Tribute Books for organizing the tour and to the very generous reviewers who are participating!

Blood for water,

~ Kristene

Thanks for visiting the Warpworld Comm! Contact us for infrequent, non-spammy, and highly entertaining Warpworld news.

Women of Character – Amy Stevenson, Dam It!

On the docks of Ama’s world, you’re likely to see a bunch of burly, bearded, foul-mouthed men roaming around. It’s a tough place for a young woman to make her living, and yet that’s exactly what Ama does. Today’s Woman of Character, mechanical engineer Amy Stevenson, knows all about working in a “man’s world”.

Amy Stevenson (3rd from left) and pals getting ready to tackle the trails in Rossland, BC

I met Amy when I moved to Nelson, BC, in 2006, and was surprised to learn she was one of the people behind the massive hydro power plants in our area. You see, Amy was the exact opposite of how I imagined an engineer who worked on big, (and I do mean BIG), hydro projects would look and act. Petite, unassuming, and unfailingly considerate and polite, it’s easy to make that mistake when you first meet Amy. But stick around and you will find a sharp, determined, powerhouse who knows her stuff… and mixes a mean cocktail.

WWC: Thanks so much for joining us on the Warpworld Comms, Amy! I’m sure Ama would approve of having someone who works with water come and talk to us. So, tell us, what are some of the things you’ve done in your life that challenged what society believed women were “supposed” to do?

AMY: Being short, young, and female wasn’t exactly the standard for an engineer, even in the 1990s. As a result, well-meaning (but stupid) guidance counsellors recommended I become a Special-Ed or early childhood teacher.  As if!  So,engineering it was.

Eventually, it became acceptable to be a “pumps and pearls” engineer, doing office work. But I found it more rewarding, fun, and interesting to be a maintenance engineer in the power plants, and then also to be involved in the construction of power plants.  Although that choice made for some “interesting times” and oddball comments, it worked out great and was a far better work environment than the office (much less harassment if you can believe it, but that’s another story!). That career path did, however, expand my verbal repertoire in the wrong direction, if you know what I mean!

WWC: What project or accomplishment are you most proud of?

AMY:  The first hydro plant I was closely involved with to build (which was cool), and later was responsible for operations/maintenance, had a weird event a few years into service.  Management said it was nothing to worry about, but a couple of the crew and I were concerned.  I spent the weekend doing checks and making calls (and had to blow off a Wragge Beach trip with my family). That Monday, I shut the entire plant down (a huge expense), to have divers take a look.Just before I got in total shit from my boss and president, the divers found major damage to the approach channel of the dam. It wasn’t a fun “I told you so”, but that gave us enough advance time to do emergency repairs before the water level came up and created big problems.Seeing that through safely, and knowing that dam/power plant is now safe and that can never happen again, makes me glad.

WWC: Who were your heroes or role mo dels when you were growing up?

AMY:  Hmm.  In time sequence: Pippi Longstockings, Princess Leia, then real-life Canadian Roberta Bondar- astronaut, engineer, Dr, musician and cool woman! She spoke at my high school graduation and I loved her. (Okay, I wanted Pippi but the grad committee said “no”).

WWC: Were there any times in your life where you felt you were either held back or discouraged from pursuing a goal because you were female?

AMY:  Yup, lots. My family has always been great and supportive, but with the outside world I always “start below sea level” because I am small, young, and female . (Okay,  I’m not young anymore, so that is helping a bit, but not being physically imposing or impressive has been limiting in my work!)

WWC: Do you have a favourite female character–either in books, television, or movies? What do you like about her?

AMY: Well, back to Pippi Longstockings again! I love her spunk, fun, and can-do attitude.I also like sorceresses, and think Ama from Warpworld is awesome!

WWC: Thanks! We’re quite fond of her, as well. What do you think it means to be a “strong” woman?

AMY:  I think it means forging your own path, being comfortable in your own skin and not getting ruffled by the outside world.

…take time to tune out the noise and unplug from pressures to figure out who you are, what you want to be, and what you want to do.

WWC: What words of advice would you offer girls or young women today?

AMY: I think there are tons of opportunities, but lots of pressures too.I’d say take time to tune out the noise and unplug from pressures to figure out who you are, what you want to be, and what you want to do. Then, have the courage and perseverance to go for it! Why not? If not now then when? If not you then who?

Amy Stevenson (right) with fellow Woman of Character Carrie Thurston (left)

WWC: What does the future hold for Amy Marcoux?

AMY: I want to enjoy my work (build another hydroplant), stay healthy, get better at mountain biking and sailing.  Learn to canter on a horse (my daughter is now far better with horses), play more violin, and learn to play that djembe drum I’ve had for 14 years now!  And then in July I’ll…

WWC: Anything else you’d like to share with us?

AMY: Go Ama! ( And hurry up and get the next gd book out Kristene and Josh!)

WWC: We’re working on it! We promise. Thanks so much Amy, and good luck on the new hydro power plant!

Amy Stevenson

Amy Stevenson is only short on the outside. Her plans to become a poet were derailed when she started having too much fun with numbers, and her stint in Engineering University squelched any further poetic aspirations. Born in Calgary, Alberta, she credits her supportive parents with much of her success; her father made it clear that his children were brilliant, wonderful, and could do absolutely anything.

Amy lived in the Kootenays, in British Columbia, for many years – a place she still loves. Recently, she moved to Campbell River, BC, with her husband, two kids, one dog, and one rabbit, and she is enjoying ocean life as much as she enjoyed mountain life.

Amy claims she was too serious too young. After 20 years as a professional Mechanical Engineer, she is now working to recapture some of her lost youth.

There’s one more Woman of Character to come! We’ll also be revealing the cover for Wasteland Renegades soon and our blog tour begins on July 15th. Also…prizes! So check back often or sign up for our non-spammy newsletter.

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