News & Information

Dear Future Reader,

Do you know?

1. Why CJ Fallon’s Pro team in Passion’s Race trains on Guam for the Ironman season?
2. That The Floridian, the breakfast place across the street from Alexandra’s office in The Chase is Over, is real? And does serve the best breakfast in Florida?
3. Why Macy’s (that nationally known department store) makes a cameo appearance in almost all of my stories? 
4. Why San Francisco is the setting for both The Chase is Over and Mystical Connections?
5. Why I chose Opera Singer as the occupation of Kyle Emerson’s mother in Heart’s Reunion and Heart’s Choice?

Let me share the insight for the above questions:

1. 
   Christine and her family in front of
   the Art Museum fountains in Forest
   Park -- this is where the 1904
   World's Fair was. Because I trained for my first Ironman while living on Guam, and I thought it would be fun to take you through the experience with CJ and her twelve male team mates – and her cute coach, of course.
2. It is and it does! While living in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, it was our favorite after riding breakfast place. Talk about incredible omelets – my mouth is watering just thinking about them.    
3. Because seventeen years of my retail career were spent with Federated Department Stores (Burdines in Florida – now Macy’s) and with Macy’s West in San Francisco. I asked for legal permission to mention them as the starting point of most of my heroines’ careers before they move on to other things and was not only granted the nod of approval, but when published I might land book signings in some of their locations. (Hmm.)
4. Though we’ve lived all over the world, San Francisco remains one of our favorite cities. We have wonderful memories of the places we explored as a family. We continue to visit as often as possible. (High note –the RWA National Conference is in San Francisco this year, I'll be there!)
5. Because my mother was an opera singer in Canada for over ten years. She chose family over career after my middle brother was born, and I thought what if it had been the other way around? I remember growing up as a kid, hearing her sing as she cleaned house or cooked dinner, and my friends couldn’t believe it was really her. They thought she played albums all day.

 

Check in again for more Q’s and Insights.  

 

Why I decided to write full-time:

I knew as a young child that I would one day write a novel, but I was also realistic enough to know I had to experience life before I’d have anything of interest to write about. While living on the island of Guam with a not-so-gentle nudge from my husband, I realized the time had come. Our lives had been blessed. I now had lots to share.

 The backdrop of my life, an incredible husband, a magnificent son, great friends and a generous family showed me the power of love. An awesome career, a world traveled for both work and athletics took me to corners of the world some people will never see. I’ve been in boardrooms, crossed Ironman finish lines, kayaked rivers and lakes on the other side of the world, rode my bike across Ireland, visited family in England, France, and Canada. How much of that could be transformed into entertaining stories?

Words were a constant with me. Poetry, journals, letters to aunts in far away places. Because I was shy, words on paper never intimidated me. They were my form of communication. Why couldn’t I share my heart stories with the world?

Christine on her bike during a race.Why not? I knew how to set goals, develop plans, and take action to reach those goals. I also knew how to listen to my emotions and open myself to dreams. I could create characters who felt life and let them take me down a road of excitement. My first step was to complete a manuscript. Sitting down at the blank computer screen was easier than I imagined. The words cascaded to the screen and my motivation to get published grew with each and every day. My persistence as a human being will allow me to one day plant my flag in the mountain of my dream. Won’t you journey with me?

Writing became an obsession.

Just like training for my first endurance race, I set a goal – to become a published author. My plan – write completed manuscripts and then take action; rewrite, learn more about the craft and the business, polish, submit, and begin writing another. I know that consistent action is necessary to reach any goal; therefore each day begins with a new set of sub-goals.

In training you have bad days, in writing you get rejections, but persistence gets you to the finish line. Though I’m not yet published, I am persistent. The day will come when I too can share the news that I got the call. I know it as surely as the blood pumps through my veins. I will continue to write what takes hold of my heart with the passion and emotion that surges through me. I will not compromise my voice or unique style, though I’m flexible enough to work with a professional to improve that work.

Christine's two cats: Taco and Tequilla. I write what’s in my heart; I don’t follow the rules. I don’t hunt for a trend and write to fit a niche, instead I share the emotions generated by the people who enter my life. I filter the complexities of family and friends, lovers and children, and create stories about how they enrich our existence.

I embrace change in my life and create possibilities for my characters to do the same. I write about more that just the relationship between a man and a woman (that is an additional benefit). My common thread involves trying something new, taking a risk, having courage, venturing out of our comfort zone. Who knows what you might find out there? My stories are about the relationships that surround each one of us and the altering effects they have on our lives.

I became passionate about athletics and how we push our bodies to the limit and sometimes beyond. I experienced how true love has the power to positively change the course of our lives. I’ve seen what depression, selfishness, and criticism can do to a young person, and I wanted to share all of that with you.

I will continue to weave stories about life and the heart of change.

May the day come when you find them on your local bookshelf.

Christine