Kristene Perron's Blog, page 8

Women of Character – Amy Marcoux, 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 Marcoux (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 Leah, 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 Marcoux (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 Marcoux

Amy Marcoux 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.

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

Women of Character – Citizen Meyer

Before we jump into the latest Women of Character interview, something from the newsfeed: In about a week, we’ll be revealing the cover for Wasteland Renegades…and other surprises! Keep checking the Warpworld comms or sign up for our non-spammy newsletter for a reminder. Now, on to the good stuff…

On Ama’s world, women do not hold positions of power within the political system. And, as on our world, whenever a group of people has no political voice, those people exist at the bottom of the social ladder, sometimes resorting to extreme acts to claim their rights and freedom. Ama becomes a rebel because she has no other choice. Thankfully, in North America, we are slowly beginning to realize that women make excellent leaders, and communities benefit when all of their members have a voice. In Twentynine Palms, California, one of those important voices belongs to former teacher, Mayor, and current college board member, Elizabeth “Liz” Meyer.

Lifelong desert-dweller, Liz Meyer (left), shows an ocean girl the ropes in Joshua Tree National Park

Of all the words I would use to describe Liz, ‘shy’ is not one. From the moment she charged into my life, in Baja, Mexico, with her delicious Trader Joe’s pretzels, her  fascinating conversation, and her ‘energetic’ canine companion, I knew I was dealing with an extraordinary individual. She hasn’t proven me wrong yet!

WWC: Liz, we’re so thrilled to have you join us on the Warpworld Comm! Aside from facing down a high ranking military official now and then, tell us about some of the things you’ve done in your life that challenged what society believed women were “supposed” to do.

LIZ: At the age of 69, I cross a generation gap of greatly changed beliefs of what women were “Supposed” to do. Education was high on the list of my family’s values.  My mother was well educated, being one of the first women to get a Master’s Degree in Education at Columbia University in NYC.  The purpose of her education, however, was not to get a job – it was to be an educated wife to an educated man.

I was the first of the three girls in my family to get a job, and that was over the objections of my parents.  I was in the third year of college, and yet they felt a summer job would conflict with the family summer travels.  I was also the first to get married, (I am the middle child), and join the Peace Corps with my husband, again, over the objections of my parents, who would have preferred I complete my Master’s Degree.

I cross the the generation gap – I did get my Master’s Degree eventually, and I did raise a family; but I also balanced a teaching career and eight years on the City Council, two years as City Mayor, into my role as a woman.

 

 

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

LIZ: My husband Dave was my partner in life in every sense of the word – my love, my security, my best friend, my past and my future.  When he suddenly died eight years ago, I decided that, despite the greatest loss of my life, I would  not just go on living,  but I would thrive on my own.  I have taught myself landscaping, plumbing, roof repair, property management and business management.  All this has given me a sense of accomplishment and confidence.  For fun, I designed and ordered a camping van, and I camp across the country with my two dogs, loving the freedom and adventure.

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

Liz Meyer with a statue of her pioneer mother, Ada Hatch

LIZ: My parents were my role models.  They were pioneers in our small desert community and as such were involved in developing the town – the first church built, first bank, bringing in city water, surveying for the roads, etc.  I continue to play an active role in community development in the same town of Twentynine Palms where I have spent my life.

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?

LIZ: Not only am I a woman, but a very small one!  At 4’11” and 110 pounds, I have never been aware that my size or my gender were roadblocks.  I have the personality of a presumptive strong character, and feel I have always received respect.

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

LIZ: A “strong” woman is short on fear; long on confidence; tempered with a sense of humor and a loving spirit.

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

You will only be as strong and successful as you see yourself to be.

LIZ:  As a woman you will only be as strong and successful as you see yourself to be.  Trying to be “like” someone else is futile – be yourself and focus on your assets, letting them take the lead in your vision of who you want to become.

WWC: What does the future hold for Liz Meyer?

LIZ: Liz sees herself continuing to enjoy good health,  her wonderful family, her many friends, and fun adventures.

WWC: That sounds like a fantastic plan! Anything else you’d like to share with us?

LIZ: It has been fun to stop and take a look at myself and my beliefs through this interview.  Thanks for the opportunity!

WWC: The thanks are all ours!

Liz Meyer

When Liz Meyer was born, in 1944, there were no hospitals in the desert. She was born in Pasadena, California, and brought home as soon as soon as it was deemed safe to take a newborn out to a place so remote as Twentynine Palms.  Growing up on the desert provided countless ways for her to play in the sand and water, make “forts” in the creosote bushes, play “covered wagon”, and enjoy the outdoors for most of the year.

Liz earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Arizona State College (now NAU) in Flagstaff, AZ., and later her Master’s Degree from Cal State University, San Bernardino.  While studying at Flagstaff  she met her life partner, Dave Meyer.  After college graduation, they served two and a half years in the Peace Corps in Venezuela, then returned to raise their children, Jeff and Angela,  in Twentynine Palms.

Liz taught Spanish for 28 years at Twentynine Palms High School, was elected to the Twentynine Palms City Council as the first woman Councilperson in 1992, and was Mayor of the City  in 1994 and 1999.  She is serving her second elected term as Trustee of Copper Mountain College, currently President of the Board.

When Liz’s life partner, Dave, died in 2005,  and she realized she would have to “go it alone”, she combined her love of traveling and camping, had a van designed for her camping enjoyment, and now travels with her two dogs.  She has crossed the United States three times, camping out and experiencing all the byways of America.

She will always consider Twentynine Palms her home, where she has lived all her life.

Stay tuned for more Women of Character, coming soon!

~Kristene

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

Women of Character – Leslie MacKeen, Cultural Theorist With a Heart

In Warpworld, Cultural Theorists travel across the dimensions to explore new worlds and blend in with Outer civilizations. It’s a dangerous job and only a handful of People are smart enough, or tough enough, to do it. On our world, travel to some parts of the globe is still considered exotic, glamorous, and, yes, sometimes dangerous. Leslie MacKeen, has traveled to many of those places, not to steal vita but to lend a helping hand.

Leslie gets baby turtles ready for their big adventure

Fittingly, I met Leslie in 2003, in Costa Rica, while she was backpacking from the tip of South America to her home in the United States. When we met, Leslie was volunteering at a turtle enhancement project and I was lucky enough to spend a few days helping her, and others, collect eggs and release hatchlings into the ocean. Little did we know that both Leslie and the baby turtles were at the start of an adventure that would take them thousands of miles from home in the years to come.

WWC: Welcome to the Warpworld Comm, Leslie! Let’s jump right in and find out some of the things you’ve done in your life that challenged what society believed women were “supposed” to do.

I was “supposed” to be in a high powered “business” career, not wearing flip flops and working in rural health care clinics without running water or electricity.

LESLIE: Coming from a traditional background, I always felt like a bit of a black sheep in my family – the simple act of not being married with kids by my early/mid-twenties felt like I was challenging female stereotypes. Add to that my penchant for traveling and living abroad, which challenged my family’s perspective of how a woman should live but also challenged expectations on my professional trajectory based upon my educational background. I was always encouraged in my educational pursuits but applying this education in an untraditional manner – working in third world countries, often for little to no money, while living and traveling alone – was not in line with what I felt like I was “supposed” to do. I was “supposed” to be in a high powered “business” career, not wearing flip flops and working in rural health care clinics without running water or electricity.

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

LESLIE: I cannot pinpoint one exact project or accomplishment that I am most proud of. But, in sum, I am proud of myself each time I move to a new country and learn to live in another culture. I have gone through this process countless times and before each instance I am terrified and riddled with self-doubt, but each time I find myself thriving in my new environment. How I thrive (personally or professionally) differs in each place, but living outside my comfort zone and learning from these experiences is what I am most proud of as it has made me the person I am today.

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

LESLIE: I didn’t have any one role model or hero as a child. But I admired and sought approval from my parents and grandparents. With or without approval, however, as I grew into a more confident adult, I started to branch out and pursue my dreams in life according to my interests and rules. Rather than one particular role model, my best friend and family have always kept me grounded and are the sounding board against which I bounce my ideas, I might not always have everyone’s approval but their perspective helps keep me grounded.

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?

LESLIE: There were probably more times, and more significant times, than this example, but I think one of the challenges of being a woman in today’s world is that we face discrimination so often and it becomes so regular that we are not always as aware of it as we could be.

Ready for those Central American roads!

One memory stands out; I was about seven or eight years old and standing outside my grandparents’ house. My grandfather was working on the roof and invited my younger brother up to help him but I was firmly instructed to stay on the ground because I was a girl. I loved my grandfather, he is one of the best men I’ve ever known, so this isn’t meant to disparage him, as he is from a different generation. Nonetheless, this example sticks out in my head because I think it was the first concrete experience I had as child where I remember realizing I could be treated differently for simply being female. I didn’t climb the ladder that day but I remember being upset about it. If it happened again today, I would definitely climb that ladder, if for no other reason than I was told I can’t.

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

LESLIE: This is the question I probably struggled with the most; because any strong heroine becomes my favorite character until I meet a new one in the next book, television series, or movie. But I have always been drawn towards female superheroes or female characters with supernatural powers.

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

LESLIE: Being yourself unapologetically, remain true to your goals, aspirations, and beliefs despite expectations imposed on you.

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

Follow your heart, even if you aren’t sure where it’s going to take you.

LESLIE: Be adventurous, travel, you’ll learn more than you ever can in a book or classroom. Take time out from your career to live your life; don’t be singularly focused on reaching a career goal so you don’t have the time to enjoy the journey. Don’t waste time on regret, embrace your mistakes as learning experiences and move forward. Follow your heart even if you aren’t sure where it’s going to take you. And finally value and treasure your close friendship with other women, they will sustain you through your best and worst times.

WWC: What does the future hold for Leslie MacKeen?

LESLIE:  I’m not sure but I’m excited about it – I am going to be moving back to the United States after having lived abroad off and on for the past 10 years (more outside the U.S. than inside), and will be embarking on a new career and life (with my fiancé/soon-to-be husband) and starting a family. It’s an entirely new and exciting chapter and one which will hopefully include many more adventures around the world.

WWC: We hope so, too! Thanks again for talking to us.

Leslie MacKeen

Currently, Leslie MacKeen is working as a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), she is specialized in public health and serving as the Deputy Office Director for the Health Office at USAID South Sudan. Before this assignment she served as a Health Officer in Amman, Jordan. Prior to joining USAID, she worked in Kisumu, Kenya as a Project Manager for Health Economics Research Project. She earned her Masters from Columbia University and Bachelors from Johns Hopkins University.

Some of Leslie’s favorite experiences abroad, however, have been in less formalized working environments – she volunteered and taught English in Ecuador, conducted research in The Gambia on access to primary school education and research in Bolivia on the effectiveness of programs to transition coca farmers from coca to other cash crops. She also spent a year backpacking around South America, Central America and Mexico – during which time she sold handmade hats on the street, did a lot of car camping, and volunteered for a project working to save the sea turtles in Costa Rica.

In her free time, Leslie, enjoys running, yoga, reading watching sci-fi and fantasy movies or reading books of the same subject, traveling (of course) and taking photos and spending time with friends.

Stay tuned for more Women of Character, coming soon!

~Kristene

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

Women of Character – Skyrider Bobbi Powers

Bobbi powers lands a J3 Cub at her home in Laurel, Montana

Where do fictional strong women come from? Well, they are partly imagined, but they are also inspired by lots of real life women of character. At the end of Warpworld, readers meet Rider Pilot Shan Welkin, who is also known as a skyrider. Today, I’d like you to meet real life skyrider Bobbi Powers.

I met Bobbi on my first trek to Baja California Sur, Mexico, in 1998.  She was a pilot and a flight instructor, equal parts gutsy and sweet, and I liked her immediately. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of sailing, flying, hiking, and back-roading with Bobbi and her husband, Dave. To top it all off, she makes a mean pie!

Kristene (in the back) getting ready for her first flight with Bobbi in Baja, Mexico

WWC: Thanks for joining us on the Warpworld Comms, Bobbi! In this blog series, we’re talking about women who, (like Warpworld’s female protagonist, Ama), have broken out of the expected gender roles, have been a little adventurous, or have lived boldly. What are some of the things you’ve done in your life that challenged what society believed women were “supposed” to do?

 

BOBBI: Ironically, it was my mom who set the most limitations on me.  Mom was a bookkeeper and a strong German woman. I swore she hated me because she told me every day of my life that I was “dumb, stupid, and would never amount to anything”. She continued that daily reminder until I was in my freshman year in school. My last memory of her reminding me of my shortcomings was at 35 years of age, when I was thinking of going to work at a bank.

At that time, I had 3 boys to raise on my own. I felt I needed a job that would not only support us but give me nights, weekends, and holidays off. I had no nice clothes to work at a bank, so I went to my older sister to see if she would loan me five dresses. I would buy one new dress each time I could afford it, and then return each borrowed dress, one at a time.

Bobbi and her husband Dave in the Idaho backcountry

When my mother heard my plan she told me there was no way I could go to work in a bank. I just wasn’t smart enough. Well, that made me even more determined, so I did. Which turned out great because that is where I met Dave and my lifetime dream of being a pilot came true.

My mother later changed from calling me dump and stupid to ” the most stubborn bullheaded person she had ever known”. She would say, ” Don’t tell her what to do.” 

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

BOBBI: Well, of course I am mostly proud of the three boys I raised.  A good part of that was on my own, and I am very proud of how they have all turned out.  All with successful careers, wives, and children. I am also very proud of marrying a man who was extremely supportive of my wants and dreams. Without him I would not be the person I am today. When I thought I couldn’t do something he was there to encourage me through every minute. Sometimes I would scream “I can’t, I am not smart enough”. He would just say, “Yes, you are, and you can”. Of my personal accomplishments I am most proud of my flying career. It has offered me so many opportunities and amazing adventures all around the world.

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

The tradition continues! Bobbi cuts out the back of her grandson’s shirt, to sign, after his first solo flight. A tradition started by WWII pilots.

BOBBI: My father. He was a pilot in WWII. I always loved his flying stories and had dreams of being a pilot someday. Also, my older sister. I was her little princess. I would have been a worse tomboy if it hadn’t been for her teaching me how to be a lady. I think she still shrieks at the things I do.

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?

BOBBI: When I was training for my flight instructor rating. My instructor had gotten a twin engine airplane, a Cessna 310. He had another student, a man, who also wanted to fly the twin doing charter work. The instructor had a hard time motivating the male student. He told us whoever finished our flight instructor rating first got the job flying charter in the C-310. I finished first but never did get the charter position. The male student did.

After finishing my CFI rating I went to San Diego and finished my twin rating. While I was working for my old instructor, as a flight instructor, I was offed a position flying a Citation 500 for a local bank. I was so excited that I went to the airport to tell my instructor the awesome news. He was so mad at me. He told me I thought I was hot shit and had no right going behind his back getting another flying position. I packed up my teaching supplies and walked out.

I got checked out in the Citation and from there I went from there to working for a commuter airlines. Flying for the airline was extra rewarding because the Metroliner is a difficult plane to fly. Flying out of Dallas Fort Worth airport was a challenge in itself, but the male pilots could hardly believe that a female could handle such an airplane.

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

BOBBI: Yes, my favorite movie is “Always”. It is of course  a flying movie about fighting forest fires. Holly Hunter’s character, Dorinda, was pretty and tough but didn’t know it or show it. My favorite part is when she took one of  the airplanes her boyfriend was using for bombing fires. She was mad at him for taking dangerous risks. She was a terrible pilot and could barely handle the B25. The fact that the B25 used in the movie belonged to a friend also made it special

WWC: You also dive and sail, among other things. Can you tell us about one of your non-flying adventures?

BOBBI: Well, there was the time I drove a 2000 gallon fuel truck to a fire in Yellowstone National Park.

Dave was working the fire and knew that the Helicopters desperately needed fuel.  He told me I needed to get a driver for his truck and get a load of fuel up for the fire as fast as I could.

There were fires all over Montana that summer. The temperature was up to 110 degrees and had been for several days. Our only truck driver was in charge of our business while Dave was gone and could not leave. I called job service, checked unemployment service, the newspaper and everywhere I could for a driver but couldn’t find one.

I called Dave and he said I was just going to have to drive it myself. So the challenge was on. I had never driven a truck but had gone on many runs with Dave to do his deliveries. I asked our employee running the station where the fuel truck was. He told me it was at the airport. I told him to take me to the airport and teach me to drive the truck on the way back to the station, which was about 3 miles. That seemed to go fine so we loaded the truck with the 2000 gallons of jet A fuel and off I went for Yellowstone Park. Licensed and Legal, RIGHT? I figured it was worth the ticket I would get if they caught me and thank God they didn’t.

The hardest part was the tourists. I was amazed how they would stop in the middle of the highway to look out over a meadow to see a buffalo. Didn’t they realize how hard it was to stop a fuel truck with 2000 gallons of fuel? With a brand new driver behind the wheel, to top it off! I was glad when I finally made it to the fire and so were the helicopter pilots.

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

BOBBI: Determined, not willing to back down or quit. See a goal to the finish, whatever it takes.

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

Bobbi flying her Piper Cub over Estero Coyote in Baja, Mexico

Life is short live it to its fullest. Never let anyone take away your dream. You only limit yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WWC: What does the future hold for Bobbi Powers?

BOBBI: I have entered a new chapter in my life. New choices and new adventures lay ahead. I have been successful raising three fine successful boys. I have a business my husband and I have built together in aviation. We have discovered new places to explore in the Baja next year.

Thanks so much for talking to us, Bobbi. We’ll be looking for you in the skies!

Pilot and Instructor Bobbi Powers

Bobbi Powers is a professional pilot, a job which has taken her on many adventures over the years. Born in a small Northwestern town in Montana, her father was a school teacher and her mother was an accountant. She currently lives on 25 acres, in Laurel, Montana, with her husband Dave. With a home, hangar for their  two airplanes, a private grass runway, and her three children and eleven grandchildren living close by, Bobbi likes to joke that she is spoiled.

Bobbi is still an active flight instructor but is always ready to take on any new adventuresome flying task.

 

 

 

Meet more Women of Character, coming soon on the Warpworld Comm!

~ Kristene

 

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

Women of Character – My Han Solos

“I don’t want to be Princess Leia!”

If you had been among the small group of neighbourhood boys with whom I played Star Wars, back in 1977, you would have heard this phrase a lot. We were, like most kids who were eight-years-old when Lucas’s opus came out, obsessed with Star Wars. For me, our re-creation of the world of Luke Skywalker was not just play, it was a portal to another dimension, a chance to become a swashbuckling space hero.

The only setback to playing Star Wars was that, as the group’s only female, I was always cast as Princess Leia when I really—I mean really, really, really, REALLY—wanted to be Han Solo.

Don’t get me wrong, Leia was great. She was spunky, intelligent, and ended up rescuing her rescuers with that crazy gargbage chute escape. (How was she supposed to know a tentacled monster lived down there, or that the walls would slowly start compacting the trash?) But let’s get real, Leia was a princess. She wore a dress (gown?), she pleaded to Obi Wan Kenobi for help, and she was selflessly devoted to her cause. Sharp tongue aside, Leia was about being good, pure, and sacrificing everything for the well being of others. As women are supposed to do.

Blech.

Okay, okay, I’m being a bit hard on her but I (really) wanted to be Han Solo. There were no female Han Solos out there. Have a look and then  tell me you don’t see the difference…

I’m here to kick ass and chew gum…and I’ll all outta gum!

I’m here to kick ass and look pretty…and, yeah, that’s it

Compared to some of the other fictional role models out there, however, the difference between Han and Leia was minimal. I was a child of the 70’s and 80’s, which meant I grew up with sci-fi/fantasy images like this:

You are all free to grovel naked at my feet!

Occasionally, fictional females could be brave, intelligent, sassy, and strong, but they had to do all that behind the real heroes—the men. Even one of my all time fave TV shows, Battlestar Galactica was not immune to this.

If only Starbuck was a woman. Well, maybe one day…

Or, females could be the heroes, but they also had to be really pretty and wear dresses and makeup and have awesome hair. They usually had a male overseeing them, too. Why? Because they were women. Duh.

Charlie’s Angels – fighting crime and split ends

It wasn’t until the late 80’s that fictional female heroes who didn’t conform to the stereotypes started to show up on my radar. I will never forget this moment:

 

More and more, fictional females would start taking the lead. Some would even replace their former male counterparts.

Lookee there, Starbuck is now a woman!

When I created the character of Ama Kalder, for Warpworld, I wanted her to be the kind of woman eight-year-old me would have been happy to play. Because of that, Ama swears, she drinks, she fights, she can’t cook worth beans, she hates dresses, she has her own boat, and she wants to do whatever the men do, no matter what anyone else thinks of that. Eight-year-old me would have loved Ama, I bet some of the boys would have wanted to play her, too.

Ama is not invincible. She’s also not a man loosely disguised as a woman, an important distinction. Nothing irks me more than the idea that in order to be a kick-ass hero a female character must rid herself of all female traits.

As the second book in the Warpworld series, Wasteland Renegades, undergoes the final polish before publication, I’ve been thinking about what makes a woman strong, both in fiction and in real life. In Wasteland Renegades, Ama’s independent and rebellious nature gets her into all kinds of trouble, and her strength is tested in a way she could have never prepared for. I think for most of us, women and men alike, we only find out how strong we really are when things are at their worst. Sometimes strength is standing fist-to-fist with an enemy, but sometimes it’s just holding on when the world tries to break you in hundreds of small ways.

Through my adult life, I’ve been lucky to connect with, and be inspired by, a whole crew of strong women. These gutsy females are leaders, adventurers, entrepreneurs, risk takers, humanitarians, and, in all cases, have taken the road less traveled. They live in every corner of the world and are all ages. They have been, and continue to be, my Han Solos.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share some of these amazing Women of Character, their stories and their words of wisdom with you. If you’ve got a Woman of Character story of your own, please share it with us. You never know who you might inspire.

As Han would say…

“Here’s where the fun begins.”

~Kristene

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

The State of the (Warped) World

There is no such thing as a hiatus for Josh and I anymore. Even while Warpworld was getting ready to extrans to the real world, we were hard at work on the second book. Now that that manuscript is off to the copy editor, we paused long enough for some well-earned high-fives, then got right to work on outlining the third book. So, in case you’re wondering where we’re at, the second book is being copy edited, we’re working on things like the cover art and various blurbs, discussing an audio book version of Warpworld, and outlining the third book. Whew!

Oh, and I’m also fostering a litter of motherless, three-week-old kittens from the SPCA. Because free time is overrated.

Keeping me busy between drafts!

We’re also going to be adding some new stuff to the website. You can now read reviews on the aptly-named Reviews page, and soon we’ll have a map page including an interactive map of Seg’s World. Expect a newsletter sign-up option soon – very non-spammy and infrequent Warpworld announcements delivered straight to your inbox! We’ll probably also offer another Goodreads giveaway when the second book is released and we may even host a contest or two of our own.

I don’t want to include any spoilers for the second book, but I can tell you that the story is going to take a direction you probably won’t expect.

In the meantime, you can always come chat with me on Twitter (especially if you want to see more kitten photos) @KristenePerron or  with both of us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/warpworld

We love fan art and fan fiction, so if there’s anything you’d like to share with us, or if you’d just like to say hello, drop us a comm! We might be busy feeding kittens but we will answer you as soon as they’re asleep.

Blood for water…

~Kristene

Ho Hum, Just a Photo of Warpworld on Everest…

OK, so I happen to be friends with mountain gurus/legends Tim and Becky Rippel. This spring marks Tim’s cajillionth season guiding climbers to the top of the world and his and Becky’s adventures over the years definitely rival Seg and Ama’s. My apologies to the Sherpa who had to lug Warpworld all the way to base camp!

Warpworld on top of the world

You can follow Peak Freaks Expeditions up Everest (and beyond) on their blog: Here!

Oh, and Tim, since you’ve now taken up scuba diving, I expect a photo of you reading Wasteland Renegades from the bottom of the world.

~Kristene

50 Ways to Save the Ocean

 

Warpworld is not a book (or series) with a message. Let me be clear about that. No message. None. Zero. Zip. Josh and I did not sit down with an agenda when we wrote the first book. Heck, we didn’t even sit down with a plot outline. The story demanded to be told and we have spent the ensuing years as its helpless caj.

In his recent review of Warpworld, author Noah JD Chinn captured our vision perfectly when he said…

…the authors are simply laying these cultures out there as things that exist, rather than proxies for someone’s ideals or warnings of where we might end up.

Having said that, the story had to start somewhere and that was with a premise, a couple of main characters, and a lot of world building. When it comes to the world building, this is very much a case of write what you know. It’s no surprise that Josh, who lives in the arid desert environment of west Texas, laid the foundation for Seg’s barren world and I, an ocean-loving tree-hugger who resides in the lush wilderness of western British Columbia, created Ama’s watery world. The two worlds are starkly different. This was a conscious and deliberate choice but its purpose was to create conflict, (a necessary ingredient of fiction), not to set a stage for environmental finger wagging.

Having said that, it’s no secret that protecting the world’s oceans is something I am passionate about. People like Wyland, David Suzuki, Rob Stewart, and many more, inspire me and keep alive my hope for a healthy ocean ecosystem for the generations that come after mine.

So, there’s no message in my fiction, but there is love. If you also love the ocean and would like to do something about it, here are 50 ideas for you.

1. Visit the Beach!

2. Don’t buy anything made from coral

3. If you eat seafood, make sure it’s sustainable

4. Support businesses that are ocean-friendly

5. Pet owners, read the label on your pet’s food – consider sustainability when choosing a brand

6. Reduce Toxic Household Pollutants

7. If you go snorkeling in the sun, put on a t-shirt and shorts instead of gooping on sunscreen

8. Support organizations that protect the ocean

Even ocean predators need love!

9. Keep your carbon footprint small to reduce the effects of climate change on the ocean

10. Support Marine Education in schools

11. Recycle and help keep waste out of the water

12. Restore a stream, river or watershed

13. Go whale watching with a responsible guide

14. Don’t buy any product made from shark fins or cartilage

15. Dispose of chemicals properly, including prescription drugs

16. Divers – take only pictures, leave only bubbles

17. Join in a local fish count

18. Volunteer for a beach clean up

19. Don’t waste water

20. When boating, watch where you drop your anchor and try to use permanent anchoring buoys

21. Boycott any place that keeps marine mammals in captivity

22. Watch a documentary about the ocean and its inhabitants – Blue Planet is a wonderful start

23. Boaters, go slow around Manatees

24. Anglers, adhere to local limits and consider catch and release fishing

25. Join a marine mammal rescue center

26. Choose environmentally friendly detergents and cleaners

27. Volunteer at a marine sanctuary

28. Plant native species in your yard and reduce the amount of grass, to help keep fertilizer from seeping into the ocean

29. Don’t release non-native species into the wild

30. Don’t buy Sea Turtle products

31. Do your homework before you travel – choose beach resorts that are environmentally responsible

32. Anglers, dispose of fishing line responsibly

33. Tread carefully when exploring tide pools

34. Take your kids to play in the water – surfing, sailing, swimming

35. Use less plastic

36. Aquarium owners, only buy fish that have been collected in an environmentally responsible manner

37. Don’t touch coral when you dive or snorkel

38. Don’t feed wild marine animals

39. Learn your local maritime history

40. Report dumping or other illegal activities

41. Never chase or harass marine wildlife

42. If you see trash on the beach, pick it up

43. Use cloth or re-usable grocery bags to keep plastic bags out of the water

44. Learn about tides, navigation, and ocean currents

45. When watching ocean wildlife, keep a respectful distance

46. Keep oil off your shore

47. Cut the rings of plastic six-pack holders. Aquatic life and birds can become entangled in them.

48. Maintain your boats, cars, and other heavy equipment to reduce oil leaks

49. Be a blue boater

50. Celebrate the ocean and spread the word!

“Blood for water.”

~Kristene

Sex Equals Death – The Dangers of Breaking the Rules of Writing

In 1970,  The Five Man Electrical Band belted out the iconic “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind. Do this don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?” Sorry to say, 70’s rockers, things have only gotten worse since then.

Rules, they’re everywhere. Art isn’t something we usually associate with rules, but every medium comes with its own set.

Anyone remember Scream‘s The Rules of Surviving a Horror Movie?

“Sex equals death?” Oh man, I’m dead.

Yep, even when being chased by a masked, knife-wielding psychopath, there are rules.

My brother, stage name Verbs, is not a masked, knife-wielding psychopath, (that I am aware of). Verbs is a rapper. Verbs and I didn’t grow up together, (he’s my half brother, I’m adopted), so I’m not sure how long he’s been rapping, but he’s only now making the leap to professional gigs. Some kind of wacky fate put him in tiny Nelson, BC, for his first big show and I stayed up past my ten o’clock bedtime to come out and watch.

I’ve never seen a rap/hip hop show before. It was pretty damn cool. In fact, I think it’s a musical genre that is probably better appreciated live. Several groups and individual rappers performed and it was fascinating to see what worked, what got the crowd going, and what made some performers stand out.

Verbs living up to his name at the Spirit Bar in Nelson, BC
Photo: Ariella Stoeber

 

The next day, after Verbs dragged himself out of bed (at 11am!), we spent the day hanging out with family and friends, and I had a chance to ask him about the process of creating a song from start to finish. An enormous amount of work goes into creating even one song, and that seems like the easy part. Performing the song live is another art form entirely. And there are rules, a formula if you will, for a good performance.

Even more so than rules and art, rules and rap are two words that don’t seem to belong together at all. And yet, as Verbs described some of these rules to me, (keep making the W, always have a song to acknowledge the ladies), I realized that the performers I had considered the best had used these rules well, and consistently.

Writers have rules, too. Lots. Google “rules of fiction” and you will find endless pages of them. Go to any writer’s conference and you will hear writers complaining about them, “But those ten scenes where my characters all sit around drinking tea and talking are really important!”

As it was made clear to me while watching the rappers onstage at the Spirit Bar, rules exist for a reason. For writers of fiction, they are guideposts to help you navigate the fickle waters of reader interest. (Not that you, dear reader, are fickle—kiss, kiss, hug, hug). Nevertheless, there are authors who broke the rules and wrote great books. Alice Sebold’s Lovely Bones is one example of successful rule breaking.

Rule: Don’t begin a story with “My name is…”

Opening of the Lovely Bones: “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie.”

If you want to read about more rule-breakers, check out Suzannah Windsor Freeman‘s blog post 6 Writers Who Broke the Rules and Got Away With It.

So when is it okay to break the rules of fiction? When does a writer’s vision trump Authority? My short answer is: “I have no freaking clue.”

My long answer’s a bit more complicated. Gifted writers will successfully break the rules instinctively. Don’t envy them, or try to copy them. They are genetic freaks who operate on a different mental plane than us, and often suffer terribly in their personal lives because of it. For the rest of us, the decision to break a rule should be done with one eye on our skill and experience, the other on the needs of the story.

I’ve attended classes, workshops, and panels by some amazing writers and editors, but my all time favourite piece of advice came from Donald Maass, who said, essentially: You can break the rules as long as you know what the rules are.

If you know what the rules are, then you know when you’re breaking them. If you know when you’re breaking the rules, then you know why you’re breaking the rules. If you know why you’re breaking the rules, then you can answer the important question: “How does this serve the story?”

Take another look at that Lovely Bones quote above. Read closely. Notice anything? One word in the opening sentence makes this broken rule work. That word is “was”. Subtle yet brilliant.

“My name is Salmon…”             Good for you. So what, fish girl?

“My name was Salmon…”        Why isn’t your name Salmon now? What happened?

Sebold broke the rule and made her readers immediately ask a question, (as some of the best first lines do). I’m willing to bet she knew exactly what she was doing with that sentence, cheeky monkey!

If artists never broke rules, we’d still be drawing antelopes on cave walls. If artists never followed rules, we wouldn’t have the Sistine Chapel. One of the hardest tasks for any artist, but especially for new artists, is to balance the risks and rewards of rule breaking.

Josh and I took a chance with Warpworld. We knew that our concept was original. We knew that the story required a bit of work on the part of our readers, and lot of trust that we would guide them through these foreign new worlds. From a marketing standpoint, we knew Warpworld would have to be a long game, slowly building an audience over time. We guessed that this wouldn’t appeal to traditional publishers who are primarily concerned with sales, (we were right), which is why we kept the option to indie publish in our back pocket. That was the risk.

The reward comes with every reader who praises the originality and complexity of our worlds, characters, and plot. (Thanks for taking a chance on us; we’re working hard to get Warpworld II: Wasteland Renegades out to you!)

To my brother, Verbs, thanks for introducing me to a lyrical new world. I’ll keep sending mad vibes for your success, (but maybe you could ask the promoters to start the show earlier next time?). Remember to have fun, work hard, learn the rules…and then break them.

If you’re an artist, do you break the rules? How? Has it worked for you?  Feel free to link to your work or website in the comments, we’d love to see what you’re up to!

~Kristene

Ama and the Perils of Mexican Mouthwash

I’ve just returned from a six week camping adventure to Baja, Mexico, and points beyond, with my husband, Fred, and a group of friends.  Like the Warpworld protagonists Josh and I created,  I am an explorer at heart, always eager to see what’s around the next corner and try new things.  Whether joyous or disastrous, my travel experiences inform my writing, my characters, and the worlds I build. Perhaps no more so than with the character of Ama Kalder… as I was reminded during a recent run-in with a bottle of Mexican mouthwash.

We were in the small, quaint town of Mulegé, in Baja California Sur, shopping for groceries at Saul`s – a store with aisles so narrow only one shopping cart may pass through at a time.  Josh will tell you that I am a little obsessed with cleanliness, (yes, camping is a challenge sometimes), and that extends to oral cleanliness. So when I spotted a small bottle of mouthwash on Saul’s dusty shelf how could I resist?

Two days later, way off in the back country, on one of the idyllic and isolated beaches of San Basilio, I cracked the bottle of mouthwash open for the first time and took a swig. Generally, I swish for at least 30 seconds. I did not last 30 seconds. Maybe 5 seconds? It’s hard to say because my mouth was BURNING and the world began to blur.

I spat the liquid out. My gums and tongue were numb, strings of drool hung from my bottom lip. What the hell had just happened?

Now, my Spanish is, let’s say, ‘passable’. I can read most signs, order food and beer, find a washroom, comment on the weather, tell a waiter I’m too full for dessert (well, actually, I just learned that for 15 years I’ve been telling Mexican waiters I am too pregnant for dessert – damn you cultural idioms!), and tell vendors that their blankets are nice but too expensive.  But, in light of this horrific event, had my powers of translation failed me? Had I misread the label on the bottle?  Had I just ingested carburetor cleaner or roach killer? Yes, it was that bad.

I re-read the label. Nope, it was mouthwash. There was even a picture of a mouth. I think. I was still recovering and my eyesight had not returned to normal.

That evening, the mouthwash turned into the best campfire game ever. As in: “Who can hold the mouthwash in their mouth the longest?” A circle of brave souls challenged themselves, often finishing their turn by spitting the remaining liquid onto the fire, where it would explode into a beautiful ball of flame.  By the end of the game, no one could feel their tongues and I suspect at least one person had a full-on hallucination. Two campers vowed to buy bottles for their friends back home, proving definitively that sadism is alive and well.

OWWWWW THIS MOUTHWASH IS MINTY FRESH AND TOXIC!!!

It gets better.

One of the campers did buy a bottle, took it home, and emailed us later with the following question:  “Um, any idea what ‘Diluar una parte de ASTRINGOL FRESCA PROTECCION en tres partes de agua’ means? Because that’s what it says in the fine print on the mouthwash bottle.”

Apparently, the mouthwash was supposed to be diluted in three parts water.

Oops.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time’ could be my life’s catch phrase.

So what does this have to do with Ama? Well, it got me to thinking that Ama is exactly the type who would buy that mouthwash and guzzle it without reading the fine print. Heck, Ama probably wouldn’t even read the big print. Ama leaps, then looks, (this is what makes it so much fun to write her). And as I return to work with Josh and our edits of Wasteland Renegades, the next book in the Warpworld series,  I can’t help smirking/sighing at some of Ama’s mouthwash moments. Some turn out just fine. Others? Well, they may have seemed like good ideas at the time but…

So the vacation is over but I’m happy to be back at the keyboard, getting Seg and Ama’s next adventure ready for you, dear readers.

I’m also happy that I can finally feel my tongue again.

~Kristene