The Treasure Trove...
'Crossing the Churn' by Jane Tims

I’d love to introduce you to author Jane Tims, who writes the Meniscus science fiction series. The first book, Crossing the Churn, is something truly different—told entirely in free verse. It’s a small but powerful book that blends poetry and science fiction in a really unique way.

Tell us about 'Meniscus: Crossing the Churn'.

Jane: 'Meniscus: Crossing the Churn' (written under my first name, Alexandra) is the first in a series of 13 books in the 'Meniscus Science Fiction Series'. The books describe the adventures of Humans who escape the yoke of the evil Dock-winders on the planet Meniscus and work together to build community far from home. This first story describes the meeting of the Slain and Odymn and Odymn’s gradual discovery of why the Slain is interested in her. Each of the books includes a Map, a Glossary of Terms, and a Dictionary of Gel-speak, the language spoken on Meniscus.

What was your inspiration for the book?

Jane: I wrote 'Crossing the Churn' as a result of playing an evening of Dungeons and Dragons in my son’s former store in Fredericton (Meta GameZ); I had not played D & D for many years and it got me yearning for another world to explore.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?

Jane: My favorite character in the book is the Slain, a genetically modified Human, who only speaks seven words in the first book and not many more in the books to come; I like his kindness (in spite of his strength) and his skill at survival. I also like Odymn, her loyalty and her pursuit of parkour, an athletic training discipline enabling her to cross difficult terrain in an effective and creative way.

How long did it take you to write the book, from start to finish?

Jane: Once I had described the setting and knew my characters well, it took three months to write and illustrate the book.

How did you come to decision to write the book in a verse format?

Jane: I had already published a lot of poetry and so chose to do the book in free verse format. The short, spare lines seemed ideal to describe the landscape of the planet Meniscus and the actions of my characters.

Question from a Red Dragon Insider Reader:
How long have you been writing before publishing your first book?

Jane: By the time I published Crossing the Churn, I had written for about 30 years, publishing poetry in various journals. When I retired, I wanted to write full time and had two books of poetry published with Chapel Street Editions, one about edible wild plants and one about covered bridges in New Brunswick. In the 12 years since retirement, I have written and published 33 books, including five books in the Kaye Eliot Mystery Series and five novellas in the Urban Mystery Series. I love challenging my imagination by writing, drawing and painting; I illustrate all my books and I am illustrator of ‘A Child’s Botanical Alphabet’’ by Jennifer Houle.

Question from a Red Dragon Insider Reader:
What is your writing routine like?

Jane: I am a disciplined author and work for about 4 hours a day on original writing, editing, formatting and publishing my books. I always have several projects on the go; currently I am working on an Urban Mystery Series set in the same universe as the Meniscus Science Fiction Series. I also work on my skill as a writer, by belonging to the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick and two writing groups (Fictional Friends and Wolf Tree Writers).

Tell us what you enjoy the most about horror, fantasy or science fiction.

Jane: I have a background in botany and history, an odd combination, but it means I am interested in assemblages of plants and animals, the gradual change of sentient cultures within the landscape, and the building of Human community, in spite of the odds. Writing fantasy and science fiction enables me to explore unique possibilities for settings; as long as I stick to the idea of ‘form follows function,’ I am free to invent any natural setting I want.

Tell us about your favorite fantasy or science fiction book.

Jane: Reading science fiction lets me see how other writers have taken on the challenge of describing setting and creatures in new and unfamiliar places. My favorite books are Tolkien’s 'Lord of the Rings', and anything based on 'Star Trek'.

Tell us about your favorite hobbies.

Jane: Preparing books in the 'Meniscus Series' has let me explore my favorite hobbies of identifying plants, writing and drawing.

Tell us about your next or upcoming book.

Jane: I have completed a full suite of stories for the 'Meniscus Series' and my next adventure there is writing a ‘Flora’ for the planet, describing and illustrating the ‘plants’ of the various regions of the world of Meniscus. I am also writing a new novella in the Urban Mysteries Series about Emily the Miller Lake Dragon. If you have ever travelled to Halifax, you may know about the dragon in Miller Lake and its history.

About Crossing the Churn

On the alien planet Meniscus, Humans are slaves. Every twilight, Odymn runs through the forests, practicing the art of parkour. Her runs give her strength, flexibility and endurance, and a way to survive a life of servitude under the oppressive Dock-winders. When the silent Slain rescues her from a brutal encounter with a gang of Gel-heads, Odymn believes she has reached the end of her search for freedom. In their travels through the Prell'nan District of Meniscus, she and the Slain encounter dangerous woodlands, dramatic water-climbs and a hard-to-cross water churn. Odymn and the Slain work together to evade the Gel-heads and overcome the dangers of the landscape. But is Odymn really free or is she caught in a cycle of trying to escape the inevitable?

In the first of the Meniscus series, Crossing The Churn tells the story of the meeting of a young woman and a genetically-engineered Slain whose kindness may not be consistent with his purpose.

Get Meniscus: Crossing the Churn

About Jane Tims

Jane is a botanist, historian and writer, interested in bringing these diverse interests to her poetry and prose. She is now writing full time after 33 years of work in community planning and watershed management. She has 33 books in poetry, science fiction, childrens’ and mystery genres. Her work has won the Alfred G. Bailey Prize in Poetry in 2016 and Third Prize in the same competition in 2020 and 2022. In 2022, her book ‘a glimpse of water fall’ was shortlisted for a New Brunswick Book Award. Her book about birdsong, ‘mnemonic,’ is now available from Chapel Street Editions. You can find some of her work, including poetry, watercolours and pencil drawings, at her website, www.janetims.com.


Connect with Jane Tims

• Off Planet: Poetry and prose about other worlds
• Facebook

Would you like to receive these interviews directly in your inbox?

Simply join my newsletter, the Red Dragon Insider. You'll also get a FREE story as a thank you.

Keywords:  Authors , Science-Fiction , The Treasure Trove