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Interview with Chris Posti

A consummate businesswoman, Chris Posti asked her publisher if her debut novel could be released on April 29. Why this particular day? Because she turns seventy on this day. Happy birthday to you, Chris!
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Tell me about your book. Where did the idea come from?
The idea, of course, came from the Lord. I give Him all the glory.

Here’s how He gave the idea to me:
When the pandemic set in, I was looking for an escape in reading. As a woman nearing age 70, I searched for novels featuring mature-age women, but found it nearly impossible to find novels with all the main characters over the age of forty. So I thought: I’ll write one myself! The original working title was “Baby Boomer Reunion” because the germ of the story came from chairing my own 45th high school reunion.

What message do you hope readers take away from this book?
The book is a light and fun read, with lots of action, twists, and even some romance, so one might assume there’s no “big message” in this book—but actually, there are plenty of messages, with the main one being an evangelistic one. (I love to plant and water seeds.) Each of the three women is in vastly different places with regard to her faith, and each grows spiritually. It’s my hope that women who have fallen away from their faith, or who have never followed Christ, would be moved by the spiritual journeys of these women, which are gently woven into the story.

Are you a plotter or a pantster?
While writing this book, I tried very hard to be a plotter, but just a few chapters into it, the women took over, making the rest of the book mostly the “pantster” style. (They were kind of bossy, but I like what they did with the story.)

Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?
Scribes was a phenomenal learning experience, and through that, I eventually connected with three other writers. We formed our own sub-group, which continues to be enormously helpful, supportive, and fun. Also, just three months after I began writing, I attended a virtual ACFW conference, where I pitched to an agent. While encouraging me to finish my novel, she also recommended I read “Save the Cat Writes a Novel.” What a fabulous book!

How have your past jobs helped you with writing?
By now, I’ve worked a very long time, and every job has informed my writing. In my first job, for example, I learned to type fast and accurately, a skill that can never be underestimated for a writer. In my late 20s and early 30s, when I lived in Switzerland, I taught English to adults from Europe and the Middle East and spoke French in my daily life. After returning to the States, I eventually started my own business, Posti & Associates, Inc., where I consulted for, trained, outplaced, and coached thousands of people. Over the course of those 30 years of self-employment, I also self-published two non-fiction books, gave speeches, hosted a talk radio show, and wrote a long-running Sunday newspaper column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
Now that I’m nearly retired from my consulting business, and since I’m blessed with a supportive husband, it’s not hard to find time to write. That said, I had to set aside writing my second novel in order to learn how to publicize my book and do all the steps involved in that.

What is your writing routine? Any quirky habits or must-have snacks?
To be honest, I’d have to describe my writing routine as obsessive. I can write for hours on end on those days when I’m on a roll. Other times, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night and jumped back on the computer. Every time I get an idea, whether it’s daytime or anytime I wake up, I write it down. Those miscellaneous thoughts have ended up being some of my favorite parts of the book.

How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
I’m an evangelist at heart, and that’s the essence of why I wrote this novel. I want to point people to (or back to) Christ.

Who/What spurs you to write? Where do your story and character ideas come from?
Even back in grade school, I loved anything to do with language. I have always loved writing, grammar, punctuation—even diagramming sentences! I took four years of Latin and three of French—which came in handy when I lived in a French-speaking part of Switzerland.

The characters come from the recesses of my mind. For example, there’s a character named Mitch in my book, and I envisioned him looking and acting like Clint Eastwood, who I happened to talk with a few times, back when I lived in Carmel, California. Mitch even owns a hunter-green pick-up truck just like the one Clint Eastwood drove in the movie “The Bridges of Madison County.”

If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?
Hard question, but I’d say Mark Twain. Such a great storyteller, with a unique wit. If I had the chance to speak with him, I’d ask him to be my writing coach!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Seek out constructive criticism from Scribes and other critique groups. Go to conferences to learn and to meet with agents, editors, others who write. Above all, you must be persistent. Most people give up along this journey. It’s not an easy one. If you feel called to write, please don’t give up.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
In my spare time, I enjoy time with my family, along with swimming, walking, dining out—and, of course, reading!

What books are on your nightstand right now?
My nightstand normally holds at least a dozen books, both fiction and nonfiction. I tend to skim, and if I don’t care for a book, I just skip to the last chapter. On the other hand, if I love a book, I read every word and finish it within a day or two. Then I write an Amazon review!

Finish this statement: If I were not an author, I would be an artist. My mind is creative. I love colors, painting, drawing, art museums, decorating, and doing crafts and gardening—especially with my grandsons.
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In her youth, Gail Kittleson appeared at her childhood library every Saturday to haul home a new pile of books. Writing became a joy, but she kept it to herself. After missionary work in North Africa, Gail taught English as a Second Language and college expository writing. Now, she and her retired Army Chaplain husband of forty-four years enjoy enjoy grandchildren, gardening, and historical research in Northern Iowa. Eventually, her memoir developed, which led to writing World War II fiction. Her Women of the Heartland brand honors the era’s make-do women and men. Find her at https://www.gailkittleson.com/




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