Michigan Book Tour Featured Author: Christine Lynxwiler

If memory serves, I met Christine Lynxwiler at the first ACRW conference in Kansas City in 2002. If it wasn’t at that one, I know I met her at the Houston conference in 2003. While it seems like our paths have crossed often at conferences, I’ve never had the opportunity to get to know her as well as I’d like—which will change next week, I’m sure!

Enjoy a front row seat as two reluctant lovers take center stage in award-winning author Christine Lynxwiler’s latest riveting romance. New York actress Crystal McCord puts her career on hold to return home to Arkansas to help take care of her family’s ranch. When she meets cowboy neighbor Jeremy Buchanan, sparks fly. But when Jeremy’s never-before-mentioned family appears on the scene, he drops out of the picture. Will Crystal’s country road home turn out to be a dead end? Is it time for a U-turn back to the Big Apple? Or will Jeremy manage to book her for an unlimited engagement?

What do you like best about being a writer?
Getting reader feedback. 🙂 I love it when I finish a book and hear from a reader that my story entertained them a great deal but also touched them in some way.

What’s one thing you have to have within reach while writing?
My family. Seriously. I used to write at a desk in the back corner of my bedroom. The door was usually closed and my kids were growing up in the next room without me. A few years ago, I decided ENOUGH! I moved my desk into the middle of the living room and I’m not cut off anymore. I write while life goes on around me, stopping frequently to participate. It works really well for us. Of course, I have solitude while hubby is at work and the girls are at school.

Pop, Soda, or Coke? What do you call it, and what’s your favorite variety?
Sometimes soda, sometimes coke. We don’t keep them at home, but when we go out, I get a Dr. Pepper.

Describe your favorite pair of shoes.
Funny you should ask. A year or two ago, at a shoe store I can’t remember the name of, I found a pair of black flats with elastic straps criss-crossing the tops. They’re Jazzberry brand and are so comfortable that I wear them all the time, so now they’re a little worse for the wear. I’ve been looking online for the last month to find some Jazzberry black flats with elastic straps, certain that I’ll never last a whirlwind booksigning tour without new ones identical to my comfy old ones. But no luck until yesterday, I was at a store at the mall and one of the sales associates said to the one behind the counter, “Hey! She’s got on your shoes.” The girl walked out from behind the counter and sure enough. . .MY SHOES! I got so excited, it was embarrassing. She said she got them at PayLess, so I’m sure I did too. But when I went over to PayLess, the clerk said they never carried them. So. . .sniff. Back to square one. If you see me in Michigan, don’t look at my feet. My old standbys will have to do!

Many years ago, my niece wrote to ask me what I wear when I’m writing . . . because she was going to a career day for which she had to dress up as the occupation she wants to be when she grows up. How would you have answered her?
I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that people might not read my books if they knew how sloppily I dress while I write. LOL.

What’s the most fun/interesting/crazy/scary/unique hands-on research you’ve done for a book?
Horses. Before I started writing books about horses, I was terrified of them. My husband’s parents have a cattle ranch and I’m not crazy about cows either, but I’ve been dealing with them for 27 years and at least you don’t have to climb up on them. Horses are another story. In the spirit of furthering my writing career, when I was working on Along Came a Cowboy, my sweet hubby bought us three horses. And signed me up for riding lessons. The first day I did well to just sit up on the horse. (With sunglasses on, so my kids wouldn’t see the tears in my terror-filled eyes!) Now I ride a little, but it will probably never be my favorite thing. Still it was fun to overcome that huge fear in the name of research.

Candles. We all have them. But do you burn them? What scents are your favorite?
At the risk of being cliché, my family would probably tell you that I burn the candle at both ends all the time. Kidding aside, I burn them occasionally and my favorite scent is probably apple cinnamon. Reminds me of Mama’s house at Thanksgiving.

Have you ever re-gifted something someone’s given you?
What kind of question is that??!! I’ll never tell.

If you were to write a novel about what your life would have been like if you’d become what you wanted to be at eight years old, what kind of character would the story be about?
A singer, probably country, possibly pop, I don’t remember. Just remember wanting to be adored by the masses. It’s funny how much that’s changed. Now all I ask for is to be easy enough to live with that my husband never regrets the decision he made 27 years ago and fun enough to be around that when my daughters grow up, they’d choose me to be a close friend, even if I wasn’t “Mama.”

Have you ever gone on a book-signing tour before? What are you looking forward to next week? What makes you nervous?
I’ve had lots of booksignings, some back-to-back, but have never actually gone on “tour” before. I’m looking forward to meeting readers and readers-to-be. I LOVE getting to know people who read my books. When I write, it helps me to know who’s going to read it when I’m done. Nervous? Only one thing makes me nervous. The lurking fear that no one will show up. Or maybe worse, that they’ll show up for the other three authors and I’ll be sitting unnoticed in the corner, giving customers directions to the Bible aisle or the restroom.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
Before I was published it was – Never give up. After – Write every day. Or at least five days a week.

What’s your biggest dream for the future?
Oh, wow. That’s a tough question. For my daughters to grow up to be the amazing women of God that I know they can be. For my husband and I to always be as much in love as we are now and have at least fifty more years together. And for our family to stay close during our time on earth and for us all be reunited in Heaven someday.
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Best-selling author Christine Lynxwiler sold her first story in 2001 to Barbour Publishing. Since then she’s written fifteen Christian romance novels and novellas. Her book Forever Christmas ranked number 12 on the Christian Bookseller’s Association Bestseller List in January 2009.

A four-time winner of the prestigious American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award, Lynxwiler recently signed a new six-book contract with Barbour Publishing of Uhrichsville, Ohio, bringing her total of contracted books to twenty. Besides Forever Christmas, her latest novels include Arkansas, Promise Me Always, and Along Came a Cowboy. She also writes mysteries with two of her sisters, Sandy Gaskin and Jan Reynolds. Their brand new release, Alibis in Arkansas, is currently available in Sam’s Clubs nationwide, as well as in many bookstores. In April, the first book in the McCord Sisters series, The Reluctant Cowgirl, will release nationwide. Romantic Times magazine gave The Reluctant Cowgirl 4½ stars and chose it as Top Pick for April.

When Christine isn’t writing or on Facebook, you’ll often find her cheering and coaching alongside her husband at one of their daughters’ softball games, kayaking down beautiful Spring River with her family, or getting together with friends from church. Drop her a note at Christine_Writes (at) yahoo (dot) com or visit her website at http://www.christinelynxwiler.com.