I’m Christine, sometimes called Chris or Chrissy, and I’m an older aged writer.
In 2013, when I retired as a nurse practitioner in psychiatry, I started co-authoring books. A year later, I created a WordPress blog, Before Sundown – remember what made you smile. I gathered valuable experience from writing fiction, non-fiction and screenwriting. It took a few more years before I braved writing my own book. In May 2022, I published a debut, historical fiction, Three Years of Her Life, a mix of history, imagination, music and romance. It was borne out of the love of researching family history, to be exact, my famous German grandfather‘s history. He was a trumpet soloist in NYC, Boston and Detroit orchestras. Rumor had it, he was adopted, and his dying words were, “No one is to look into my past. That history dies with me.” That’s all I needed to hear. I relentlessly searched, uncovered his secret in Germany, and wrote his story.
There were no gold stars for me writing little kid stories in school. But, later in life, the psychology of writing fascinated me. Figuring out how people put together and expressed their thoughts when they wrote. I had a couple of co-authors for examples, and I learned a lot about my own writing style.
More resources came when I started college at age forty-two. I majored in Psychology, and went on the acquire an MA in Marriage & Family Counseling, a BSN, MSN, and NP nursing degrees, and a Family Nurse Practitioner Board certified license. And I worked in psychiatry, right in the thick of clients’ real-life problems. I heard it all, grist for the mill in my story themes.
Living abroad in the 1970s and 1980, I’ve had culturally rich experiences meeting and learning about people from all walks of life, in Italy, Greece and Japan (5 years in each country). A different world perspective for inclusion in writing. Traveling to other countries was educational and fun, especially skiing the Matterhorn (Italian Alps), and ski slopes in France, Austria and Switzerland. Language lessons were a necessity to survive, and speaking them was almost impossible back home in English dominant U.S. I did retain a lot of conversational Italian, and remember people’s actions and expressions that may creep into a story scene or two.
In younger years, I was an avid reader, Nancy Drew books, my favorites. Then, it was poetry by women authors: Adrienne Rich, Ann Sexton and Sylvia Plath. Teenage years, I had jobs baby-sitting, and worked summers as a full-time nanny in a coastal town. I modeled for an Illustrator Photographer, and was featured on East Coast billboards. I earned $15.00 for that photo shoot on a cold October day. I dove in and out of an unheated pool, crossed my arms on the edge, threw my head back and smiled, with no goose-bumps or chattering teeth.
Musical talent in the family brought me to cello lessons early on, and later, guitar and flute. I’ve taken up the guitar again, not as easy as it was. But, it’s a needed brain recharge from writing books on the computer.
Southern California has been my home for over thirty years. I’ve lived those years with Robert, and we have newly acquired, energetic, Border Aussies, Maddie and Max. I’ve not finished writing, yet, with a sequel in progress. Beyond Three Years of Her Life, has the plot explode and the characters evolve, move forward. Even their victories created consequences.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
Support my friend and debut author Chrissy. Buy her book!
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Jack, thank you so much for supporting me as a new author, and for being my virtual friend. I appreciate you reblogging the post. ❤️🎶📚 Chrissy
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My pleasure XX
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Thank you for this great introduction, and sharing information about another interesting book. Best wishes, Michael
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Thank you again, Michael. Hope your interest leads you to read the book. Historical fiction balanced by romance and music! 📚🎶Christine
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you for the reblog! 📚🎶Christine
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What a wonderful “getting to know you” post. Christine, I didn’t know these early day details. Chris, thanks for hosting Christine. I really enjoyed it. Hugs all around.
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Thank you so much, Teagan. A lot of years to gather experience and get to the writing career. It’s never too late, I’m told. There’s Grandma Moses, and now Great-grandma Christine. 📚❤️
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You’re right — it’s never too late. I couldn’t be said to have gotten an early start. I didn’t publish anything (or finish a novel) until I was over 50. There are no great-grandchildren, grandchildren, or even children. So whatever I can manage to complete with my books will be the only mark I leave behind. Such as it is. Maybe that’s what drives me.
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That’s the beauty of age. You can accomplish whatever you want at any age. And many times your life experience enrich whatever it is. That goes for authors like us. Teagan, your name, a mark, is on my book’s Acknowledgment Page. Who knows, of my family & friends, some might search out your intriguing name and find themselves buying fantasy books. Keep writing, keep the passion. I’m catching up reading Dead of Winter, and I have all of your other books in the TBR stack. Hugs, my friend. Christine 📚🎶❤️
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It was very kind of you to include the acknowledgement. Thank you again. Hugs winging back to you.
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You are very welcome. I persisted with self-publishing knowing you had done it successfully. And your beginning guide got me started. Customer service was helpful as you said. And it was somewhat stressful learning the how to. But, I did and will do it again with Amazon KDP. Hugs back, moon friend. 📚🎶 Christine
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What an interesting bio. I’m pleased to meet. Christine, if only virtually. I’ve not come across her work before, but will be looking her books up now. Especially her Grandfather.
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Thank you V.M. Happy to read you will check my book out. Historical fiction does have romance & music. It balances out the long ago dates & facts. Sequel coming out this year. What happens next seems to be readers’ burning question. 📚🎶 Christine
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Thanks for featuring Christine, Chris. I learned a lot about her in this post, and that was fun. The billboard is amazing.
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Dan, thanks for visiting and making a comment. Glad you liked the billboard. My Dad took the picture driving from CT to FLA. He said (jokingly) he was tired of seeing me in every state along the way. 🤣🎶🥳
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I’m sure he was proud.
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HI Chris, it’s lovely to see Christine featured here and learn more about her. What fun to be photographed for a billboard.
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Thank you Robert. The billboard was the highlight of my modeling career. Other photos were in Ladies Home Journal. One feature, a back cover ad for Pepsi-Cola. I was a blond in cowboy clothes, a fence, a horse set up in full color. Fun job. 📚Christine
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It is such fun learning new things about writers and bloggers through these posts.
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Thanks for joining the party, Robbie. I agree. I love learning more about author friends. And Chris does quite a nice job featuring them. Cheers for Chris. 📚🎶Christine
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Sorry about the missing a in your name in the above comment. I realized it was you too late. 📚🎶Christine
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yOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL TO BRING TO YOUR WRITING, Christine. Well done for taking this path.
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Ronald, thank you! I’m making up for lost time in the writing field! So many years in healthcare. But, satisfying ones. As being a writer is now. 📚 Christine
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Chris, thank you so much for featuring me on your blog as a guest author. I appreciate your support and all the support that you give to fellow authors. Many are my virtual blog friends. I also enjoy your shared blog posts on varied topics. A huge thank you for your ever generous giving to us. 📚Christine
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My pleasure, Christine 🤗❤️🤗
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📚🎶❤️
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A fascinating bio, Christine. It is obvious you have a wealth of personal experience which should do you well as a writer. Thanks for the guest spot, for Christine, Chris
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Thank you, John. We do bring our past experiences into our writing, don’t we? And we embellish much of it to give the reader a good story. That’s what we authors do, and we love it, even the hard work behind every book. 📚Christine
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So true. Best wishes on yours.
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