Interview With Christine Lynxweiler
Meet Christine Lynxweiler
Interview by Sandra Moore
1) Tell us a little about yourself. (Name, age, married/single, children, how many books authored, etc.)
Hi! I'm Chris Lynxwiler, though I write under the name of Christine (not as masculine sounding.) I'm 38 years old and have been married to my own hero, Kevin, for 20 years come December. We have two sweet little girls - Kristianna - age 8 and Kaleigh - age 4. I homeschool the girls and am office manager in my husband's busy chiropractic office. I have sold two novellas. (Pinch me! I think I'm dreaming.) Beneath Heaven's Curtain is coming out right after Thanksgiving from Barbour Publishing. It is a novella included in the CITY DREAMS anthology. Then A Change of Heart is coming out next August (2002) also from Barbour. It will be included in the PRAIRIE COUNTY FAIR anthology.
2) How did you become interested in/start writing?
I've always loved to write. I have a notebook full of lovesick, heartbreaking poems from my angst-ridden teenage years. Then when I was in Freshman Comp class in college, my professor always wrote the neatest notes on my papers and I could tell he really liked them. But I put that all away for many years, until one day about five years ago,I got an idea for a really cool romance novel. I'd never heard of Christian fiction and thought I'd discovered it! The heroine in my novel went to church and prayed. There was no bad language or sex in my book. But when I finished it and got ready to market, I discovered the Christian market. Guess what? The hero was too much of a bad boy for the Christian market.
3) What was your biggest obstacle in regard to writing/getting published?
I'd have to say that I was my own biggest obstacle. I feared failure so much that it was easier to talk about submitting a proposal than to actually do it. I still struggle with this. I overcame it by reminding myself, "You'll never get published if you don't submit!" Then one day I had an epiphany. . .It's not the most talented authors who get published. It's the ones who don't QUIT!! I'm sure that was someone else's epiphany first, but it had failed to stick in my brain until that point. After that, I just became determined. Determined to learn, determined to improve, determined to fail . . . in order to succeed.
4) What has been the highest moment of your career?
Oh, definitely when I got the email saying CITY DREAMS had sold. Although I had bookmarks made today with the book cover picture printed on them and that was pretty exciting. You have to realize, I've yet to hold a copy of my book in my hand. When that happens, I have a feeling it will surpass all others. I know I'm showing my mateurism, but the thought of a book with my name on it still seems so surreal I can't believe it!
5) Who/What is your greatest inspiration to write?
I don't want this to sound hokey or pious, but it has to be Jesus Christ. His parables inspire me to try to teach with my writing without sounding preachy. I'm constantly trying my hand at parable-type writing, sometimes even small ones in my novels. Teaching someone while they are so wrapped up in a story that they don't realize they're learning is the coolest concept ever!
6) Are you a seat-of-the-pants writer, or do you plot extensively before your fingers hit the keyboard?
My answer has always been "seat-of-the-pants" but when I really look at my writing process, I usually have a strong plot idea before I start. Then the characters take it from there. Unless they get to far off course, I just watch them and write down what they say and do. My husband finds that hilarious. "How do you come up with that dialogue?" he asks. "I just listen to what they're saying and write it down, Honey," I reply.
7) What's the nicest thing anyone ever said about your writing?
I guess the nicest thing anyone ever said was when published authors have said, "I think you've got what it takes to be published. It's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time." That was a big boost when I needed it so badly.
8) Who is your favorite character in your books and how did you come up with that character?
Oh, that's a toughie. I love all my heroes. I guess they're all patterned after Kevin in some way or another and that's why. In Patchwork and Politics, a manuscript I haven't sold yet, (Notice that yet . . . I am finally at the point where I think it will happen again.) there's a little four-year-old girl named Hannah. She's patterned after my four-year-old daughter, Kaleigh and of course I want to yank her off the page and give her a big hug. Most of my characters are a combination of people I've known.
9)How do you balance a writing career, being a mother/wife (or both) and working a full time/part time job outside the home?
My husband. If it weren't for his absolute support, I don't know what I'd do. He badgered me until I finally hired a full-time helper in the office. From January to July, I ran the chiropractic office by myself, filed all the insurance, homeschooled and wrote. I'd like to say I took care of the house, too, but pretty much nobody did that. LOL! Even now, most nights, Kevin fixes supper so I can write. We eat together, then he has a short devotional with the girls and puts them to bed. They come give me night-night loving at the computer and off they go. I know I'm missing a special time, but they're with me all the rest of the day, while he is with patients, so I figure . . . hey, the least I can do is let him have a little special time with them. **Very Big Grin**
10) I you could tell a beginner one thing, what would it be?
Never, never, never give up. Not very original, huh? Oh, one more thing. . You're not as good as you think you are. I thought I was ready to be published five years ago. I was sure of it. I was wrong. Only in the last couple of years have I realized how far I still have to go. (Disregard this if you have low self-esteem and think you're no good. In that case, you're probably ten times better than you think you are.) Learn, learn, learn.
11) Care to share the most embarrassing moment of your writing career?
Ask me after this weekend. I don't have any yet that I can think of, but I'm meeting a lot of people at the ACRW conference in Houston, and when I'm nervous I usually manage to embarrass myself at least once!
END
You can find more information on Christine Lynxweilerhere.
Interview by Sandra Moore
1) Tell us a little about yourself. (Name, age, married/single, children, how many books authored, etc.)
Hi! I'm Chris Lynxwiler, though I write under the name of Christine (not as masculine sounding.) I'm 38 years old and have been married to my own hero, Kevin, for 20 years come December. We have two sweet little girls - Kristianna - age 8 and Kaleigh - age 4. I homeschool the girls and am office manager in my husband's busy chiropractic office. I have sold two novellas. (Pinch me! I think I'm dreaming.) Beneath Heaven's Curtain is coming out right after Thanksgiving from Barbour Publishing. It is a novella included in the CITY DREAMS anthology. Then A Change of Heart is coming out next August (2002) also from Barbour. It will be included in the PRAIRIE COUNTY FAIR anthology.
2) How did you become interested in/start writing?
I've always loved to write. I have a notebook full of lovesick, heartbreaking poems from my angst-ridden teenage years. Then when I was in Freshman Comp class in college, my professor always wrote the neatest notes on my papers and I could tell he really liked them. But I put that all away for many years, until one day about five years ago,I got an idea for a really cool romance novel. I'd never heard of Christian fiction and thought I'd discovered it! The heroine in my novel went to church and prayed. There was no bad language or sex in my book. But when I finished it and got ready to market, I discovered the Christian market. Guess what? The hero was too much of a bad boy for the Christian market.
3) What was your biggest obstacle in regard to writing/getting published?
I'd have to say that I was my own biggest obstacle. I feared failure so much that it was easier to talk about submitting a proposal than to actually do it. I still struggle with this. I overcame it by reminding myself, "You'll never get published if you don't submit!" Then one day I had an epiphany. . .It's not the most talented authors who get published. It's the ones who don't QUIT!! I'm sure that was someone else's epiphany first, but it had failed to stick in my brain until that point. After that, I just became determined. Determined to learn, determined to improve, determined to fail . . . in order to succeed.
4) What has been the highest moment of your career?
Oh, definitely when I got the email saying CITY DREAMS had sold. Although I had bookmarks made today with the book cover picture printed on them and that was pretty exciting. You have to realize, I've yet to hold a copy of my book in my hand. When that happens, I have a feeling it will surpass all others. I know I'm showing my mateurism, but the thought of a book with my name on it still seems so surreal I can't believe it!
5) Who/What is your greatest inspiration to write?
I don't want this to sound hokey or pious, but it has to be Jesus Christ. His parables inspire me to try to teach with my writing without sounding preachy. I'm constantly trying my hand at parable-type writing, sometimes even small ones in my novels. Teaching someone while they are so wrapped up in a story that they don't realize they're learning is the coolest concept ever!
6) Are you a seat-of-the-pants writer, or do you plot extensively before your fingers hit the keyboard?
My answer has always been "seat-of-the-pants" but when I really look at my writing process, I usually have a strong plot idea before I start. Then the characters take it from there. Unless they get to far off course, I just watch them and write down what they say and do. My husband finds that hilarious. "How do you come up with that dialogue?" he asks. "I just listen to what they're saying and write it down, Honey," I reply.
7) What's the nicest thing anyone ever said about your writing?
I guess the nicest thing anyone ever said was when published authors have said, "I think you've got what it takes to be published. It's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time." That was a big boost when I needed it so badly.
8) Who is your favorite character in your books and how did you come up with that character?
Oh, that's a toughie. I love all my heroes. I guess they're all patterned after Kevin in some way or another and that's why. In Patchwork and Politics, a manuscript I haven't sold yet, (Notice that yet . . . I am finally at the point where I think it will happen again.) there's a little four-year-old girl named Hannah. She's patterned after my four-year-old daughter, Kaleigh and of course I want to yank her off the page and give her a big hug. Most of my characters are a combination of people I've known.
9)How do you balance a writing career, being a mother/wife (or both) and working a full time/part time job outside the home?
My husband. If it weren't for his absolute support, I don't know what I'd do. He badgered me until I finally hired a full-time helper in the office. From January to July, I ran the chiropractic office by myself, filed all the insurance, homeschooled and wrote. I'd like to say I took care of the house, too, but pretty much nobody did that. LOL! Even now, most nights, Kevin fixes supper so I can write. We eat together, then he has a short devotional with the girls and puts them to bed. They come give me night-night loving at the computer and off they go. I know I'm missing a special time, but they're with me all the rest of the day, while he is with patients, so I figure . . . hey, the least I can do is let him have a little special time with them. **Very Big Grin**
10) I you could tell a beginner one thing, what would it be?
Never, never, never give up. Not very original, huh? Oh, one more thing. . You're not as good as you think you are. I thought I was ready to be published five years ago. I was sure of it. I was wrong. Only in the last couple of years have I realized how far I still have to go. (Disregard this if you have low self-esteem and think you're no good. In that case, you're probably ten times better than you think you are.) Learn, learn, learn.
11) Care to share the most embarrassing moment of your writing career?
Ask me after this weekend. I don't have any yet that I can think of, but I'm meeting a lot of people at the ACRW conference in Houston, and when I'm nervous I usually manage to embarrass myself at least once!
END
You can find more information on Christine Lynxweilerhere.
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