Enter a world where the past comes alive.
About
Contact: studio <at> northleowriting.com (write <at> like @)
Several readers have requested a more in-depth author biography, so here it is!
Lynne Vivienne Christensen was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, a prairie province known for hardworking people, plenty of sunshine and very cold winters. Lynne’s parents came from Denmark and England as first generation Canadian immigrants, both academics and published authors. Her father was a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Alberta for 27 years, excelling with graduate students researching power system optimization, and in prior years was a radio operator for the international Danish merchant marine. Lynne’s mother taught microbiology, zoology and botany at the University of Alberta, served on ski patrol, founded an association for gifted children and is now an internationally recognized genealogist.
Lynne, one of two children, was the kid who loved visiting Edmonton’s Meadowlark Mall library every Saturday, coming home with two canvas bags stuffed full of horse, animal and history books.
Every year at Christmas time, the family hosted father’s graduate students on Christmas Day, welcoming students from Egypt, China, Australia, India and many more. These experiences gave Lynne an incredible sense of appreciation for other cultures and those Christmases form some of her fondest memories.
Horses and Dressage
As a child, Lynne’s first passion was horses and she started riding at the age of seven. In her early teens, Lynne galloped racehorses for the ‘B’ tracks and did part-time management for a barn of thirty horses including lesson and show activities. After trying showjumping, eventing and Pony Club events on borrowed horses, she settled on dressage, the sport often referred to as ‘ballet on horseback’. She balanced sports training with studying for her Bachelor of Commerce degree. In her late teens, she lived with her beloved cousins in Denmark for a few months so she could learn from the European dressage experts. Lynne paid for her Danish riding lessons by working as a dishwasher at an hotel in Aalborg.
Once back home in Canada, Lynne acquired a wonderful Anglo-Arabian horse full of personality and heart named Surone (barn name ‘Ron’) that she trained (with the help of a fantastic coach) to numerous dressage and show hack championships, including Western Canadian Champion and National Reserve Champion. Sport taught Lynne about hard work, perseverance and dedication.
Business Career
After moving to British Columbia, Lynne started her business career as a mailroom clerk. That particular job was quite special because it taught her that four years of university does not teach one how to unjam the photocopier! She soon was promoted to a leadership position at an international trade association and led all departments, earning a reputation for quality and consistent work. Today, she runs an association consulting and high school digital education products ecommerce store.
Volunteer Service
In the spirit of giving back, Lynne has donated thousands of volunteer hours to worthy organizations including holding executive positions at her local Chamber of Commerce, an energy efficiency rating organization plus an organization researching the impact of severe weather on residential and commercial buildings. She’s volunteered at Family History societies, vet clinics, a university plus helped the insurance industry by deploying to hurricane and hail storm disaster zones to help conduct structural damage assessments.
Travel
Pre-pandemic, Lynne had the privilege of travel in Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, plus all over Western Europe, the United States and Canada. She’s visited Graceland twice and has even toured the Potato Museum on Prince Edward Island. She adores museums and archives, truly believing that nothing tops a fascinating new discovery in centuries-old documents. Lynne is currently based near scenic Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In her spare time, she enjoys treadmill walking, learning about history and archival research. She likes watching historical period dramas/documentaries, James Herriot, Gardeners’ World with Monty Don, Antiques Roadshow, Fake or Fortune, Secrets of the National Trust, Miami Vice, programs starring John Thaw, and most 1970s British detective shows.