So while I did get to try them out and show them off at a few school talks, I could not do so on both sides of the border. Of course, how could I write about night-vision goggles without having some myself? So I ordered a pair from eBay, only to learn that it was illegal for them to cross the U.S./Canadian border. And all his six grandchildren got autographed copies of the book the following fall. Terry read all pertinent aspects of the manuscript he was an enormous help. I made sure that Peter, Jake and their friends got their hands on those to go with their night-vision goggles. He gave me my own tour of the mine entrances, explained rockfalls and tunnel dynamics and also showed me an oxygen meter that miners wear on their belts: It beeps when the tunnels start running out of oxygen. “You do realize that each and every one of your grandchildren will receive autographed copies of BMX Tunnel Run if you help me?” So I asked him, “Do you have any grandchildren?” And indeed, he did cross his arms and glare at me a little.

My fear was that when I told him my idea for my plot, he’d refuse to work with me. So I had my characters stumble across a box of military night-vision goggles in a garbage dump, as well as an astounding maze of old mining tunnels.Īfter reading a few books on mining, I made an appointment with mining manager Terry Johnson of Britannia, British Columbia.

I was supposed to be outlining the ninth book in my Xtreme Series, on BMX biking, when I found myself reading Dean Koontz’s thriller Seize the Night – involving a bunch of guys running around old army tunnels wearing night-vision goggles.

BMX Tunnel Run by Pam Withers