Alisha Sevigny was born and raised Kitimat.
She worked her way through the local school system before setting off for grand adventures.
After sharpening her teeth in the literary agent-trade, she’s taken her experience and her love of arts and created a young adult novel which just recently hit shelves.
The now Toronto-based Sevigny — who has plenty of family left in Kitimat — will be returning to her hometown as part of a northwest B.C. book tour.
Her book is called Kissing Frogs, and is a tale of a ‘reformed’ nerd who has reinvented her image, and then finds herself forced to join her conservation club in Panama after learning she’s failing biology.
That sets the stage for drama and romance, to the backdrop of rescuing endangered frogs.
Sevigny says the story, from the angle of endangered frogs, has a non-fiction element, as frogs are facing mass die-off due to habitat loss and epidemics.
Her book launch is at the Kitimat Legion Friday, December 19, from 7 to 9 p.m. She is also doing a book reading at the Kitimat Public Library on December 22 at 1 p.m.
Sevigny looks back on her educational foundations in Kitimat as keys to her success today.
She said teachers Mr. Dryvynsyde and Mr. Durrant were very influential in her early writing.
She also had an interest in acting, but the written word spoke more loudly, and she spent time as a literary agent which also helped her get through the publishing process and landed her with Canadian publisher Fierce Ink Press. (Her book is published separately by Canadian and American publishers.)
“As an agent I spent a lot of time working on other people’s manuscripts and I just wanted to do that for myself. I feel like it was always a goal, I always wanted to write,” she said.
The benefit of her professional background meant she didn’t get discouraged during the publishing process, which can be long and arduous, she said.
Even though she’s gone with a traditional publisher, she said authors should not be afraid of the self-publishing route.
“I would recommend that as a viable option for anyone who’s interested in publishing a book that can’t go the traditional route.”