Willa Drew: Hi there. What should I call you? Do you prefer a nickname?
Lynn Kolmyn: Please call me Lynn. I beg you! My full name is actually Crystal-Lynn, but I dropped the Crystal as soon as I could. Now only my parents call me that. It suits their 1970’s musicians vibe, but not me.
 
WD: Lynn it is then! Welcome and thanks for agreeing to talk to us today. Can I get you something to drink? Water? Soda? Coffee? Wine? Whiskey?
L: I’d love a glass of wine, but will stick with water if that’s okay. I’m doing this interview while my son Oscar is napping, and I’ll need all my wits about me when he wakes up. I save wine for later in the evening when he’s down for the night.
 
WD: Ooh, I’ll try to keep it down then. Wouldn’t want to wake the little one. So, tell me a little about yourself? Where do you live?
L: I live in the same town as my author friend, Brenda Margriet. It’s called Prince George, British Columbia (it’s not named after the young son of William and Kate, BTW). When I was a kid, my parents dragged me and my twin sister from town to town, music festival to music festival, while they performed with their band all across North America. My sister and I made a pledge to stay in whatever town we were in when we turned 18…and that ended up being Prince George. I went to university here and it has been my home for more than 20 years now.
 
WD: I love Canada. Haven’t been to British Columbia yet though. Besides not singing, do you have any jobs or hobbies?
L: I may have misled you a little - sorry! I’m not a singer, and in fact have no musical talent. That’s only one of the reasons my father is disappointed in me. He was really hoping for the whole Partridge Family thing, I think.
 
I do use my experience with concerts and festivals in my current job, though. I work as an event manager at the local arena. Normally I would spend my days helping promoters and concert managers and conference organizers with their shows. Our biggest client, though, is a junior hockey team called the Prince George Canyon Cats. After I returned from maternity leave (in Canada I was allowed to take a full year off) I ended up doing a lot of work for the team because their promotions coordinator quit. That’s where I ran into Benjamin…again.
 
As for hobbies, I don’t have a lot. Being a mom takes up most of my time outside of work. But I do belong to the Silverberry Book Club. Calling it a book club is a little misleading, mind you. We got tired of reading so-called “good” books a couple years ago and now we do things like hiking, skydiving, apple picking and photography workshops. 

WD: Hold up - Benjamin again? Sounds like there’s a story there…
L: This is kind of embarrassing. I first met Benjamin a couple of years ago. I was moping around after my fiance dumped me and had just made the decision to get pregnant without a man. I’d stopped into a local jazz bar for a solitary drink and Benjamin was there. Well, one thing led to another and…you get the drift. Now he’s coaching the Canyon Cats and I keep bumping into him…sometimes literally, LOL!
 
WD: I’m imaging broad shoulder and…wait we were talking about you. Let’s get serious for a moment. What are some of your likes and dislikes?
L: I love to check off things on my To Do list. I colour coordinate my calendars and thrive on routine. Or I did until Oscar came along. Nothing like a baby to force a person to be more flexible! Not that I’d give up a moment with him. After all, I chose in vitro because I wanted to be a mother so badly. 

WD: In vitro. So cool. And brave. I ask everyone who their favourite person in the world is but I have a suspicion I can guess yours. 
L: Hands down, my son Oscar. I had a plan for my life. Go to university for a business degree, get a good job, get married, have kids, live contentedly every after. Things were going great until my fiancé of seven years ran off to become a country music star. Suddenly I was 38 years old and my plan was in danger. That’s when I decided to use in vitro to become a mom. I’m not going to lie…it’s tough sometimes. But I wouldn’t change a single moment, not when it means I have Oscar in my life.
 
WD: Such an inspiring story. So its you, Oscar and…any pets in the household?
L: No, though I’ve been thinking about it. Every boy needs a dog, right? As a kid, we pretty much lived out of our van. I never even went to real school…my mom home-schooled my sister and I. A pet did not fit into my father’s career plans. I’d like Oscar to have that experience.
 
WD: Gosh. That’s an interesting childhood. Gotta ask – Do you ever travel?
L: No, thank you. I’ve worked hard to build a home, and my idea of a great vacation is to enjoy that home. Maybe if I had someone to travel with…other than a toddler. I suppose I could be convinced into a week at a tropical resort. But having a life that involves a lot of travel…like a hockey coach, for instance…that’s not for me. Benjamin seems to take it in stride, but it’s not what I want for myself and my son.
 
WD: On Monday morning, are you excited to go to work, or are you sad?
L: Can I say both? I love my job. It’s different every day. I get to work with all kinds of people, from promoters of star performers to directors of charitable organizations. But since having Oscar, going to work means leaving him at daycare. And as much as he seems to be enjoying it, it kills me to leave him behind. I begrudge missing any moment of his day.
 
WD: Too bad the arena doesn’t have a bring your son to work everyday policy. Anyone at work you might consider an archnemesis?
L: might be a strong term, but I do have someone I need to keep my eyes on. Peterson Brewster is the owner of the junior hockey club that is the anchor client for our arena. He wants to move the team, but it’s locked into his contract that he can’t unless attendance falls below a certain level. It’s up to me to make sure there are enough butts in the seats each game, but it’s tough with him blocking me at ever turn. It also pisses me off that he’s screwing with any potential success Benjamin might have as a coach.
 
WD: What is your greatest fear?
L: Other than something happening to Oscar? Change, especially the idea of having to pack up and move. I did that so often as a child I vowed that, once I was an adult in charge of my own destiny, I would put down roots…and keep them.
 
WD: Speaking of change…if you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
L: At this moment, I’m not sure there is much I’d like to change. I love my job, adore being a mommy, have great friends. Since Benjamin re-entered my life I do wonder if I’m missing out on something by not having a partner. He’s so good with Oscar, even though he has no kids of his own. It makes my heart melt. 

WD: Are you happy we know your story?
L: I’m a little bit embarrassed about it, really. I’m not that special. But if reading about my life can give someone a bit of enjoyment, take them away from their troubles for a little while, I guess it’s okay.
 
WD: Everyone has a story. For those fans that are reading your book, is there anything you want to say to them?
L: I have fans?? If I thought that was true, I guess I’d say “Hi, and thanks for coming along on my journey.”
 
WD: Can we look forward to reading more of your story?
L: I love meeting new people…it was a necessary skill given my random childhood. So if you want to stay in touch you can pick up the stories about the other members of the Silverberry Book Club. I pop into each of those, at least for a little while. I think Brenda has them listed on her website. I’m sure the link will be shared. 

WD: Oh, I think I can hear little Oscar looking for his mom. He has perfect timing because we are out of time unfortunately . Thanks for chatting with me today. 
L: Thanks for letting me come visit!
 
WD: I might just return the favour one day when I finally make it to British Columbia.
L: You bet! The door is always open.
 
If you’d like to read Lynn's story and find out more about that emerald eyed doctor, check out cool pics on Brenda's Instagram or join the discussion on Facebook.