Christine discovered her love of writing at sixty and has created a dark debut novel. A lifelong fan of horror movies and the works of Stephen King and James Herbert, she brings a sense of unease and imagination to her fiction. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband and nine cats and enjoys spending time with her family, including three wonderful grandchildren. Christine is a proud member of the Lutterworth Writers Group, where she continues to improve her writing skills.

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How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

When I was sent a couple of covers to choose from, all I can say is that the designer absolutely nailed what I asked for. I sent a few ideas of what I wanted and some colours from other authors’ book covers. I wanted it to catch the eye and for the reader to be in no doubt what the book was all about. The designer took everything into consideration and delivered a book cover I am very proud to put my name to. It stands out and the feedback I have had from people is that it is very good and it looks very professional. When my first proof copy arrived, my husband handed it to me when I came home from work and apparently I just stood looking at the package. My husband remarked, “I guess that is your book then,” and then I opened the package. To hold the physical book in my hand was a feeling I can’t really describe. It was so many emotions all rolled into one, but the main one was a feeling of achievement. Yes, I had finally done it. I was surprised at the size of the book which could have been so much bigger had I not decided to do the story as a trilogy.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

From a very young age, I have always been fascinated with horror. I started watching the 1930s films such as Frankenstein and Dracula, and then all the classics starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Vincent Price. The creepiest, I always found, though, were the Hammer House of Horror films in the early eighties.

My best subject at school was English and my stories always got a great grade. I also loved reading Stephen King, James Herbert, and Dean Koontz and have just re-read The Rats trilogy. I had forgotten just how graphic The Rats was. I hadn’t written another story since leaving school in 1982 until The Demon’s Spawn in 2023.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have had several interesting jobs ranging from working in a bookmaker’s, running a sports bar, admin and payroll, supermarket management, and currently work for a company supplying emergency vehicle lighting equipment and also installing said equipment to bikes, cars, and trucks. I am close to retiring and hope to continue my writing journey during this time in my life.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most rewarding part of publishing my book was holding the physical copy and thinking about what led to that moment. Lots of self-doubt, hard work, tears, meltdowns thinking I wasn’t good enough, and support from friends and family. My two biggest supporters are my husband, Martin, who has been by my side for twenty-four years, and my best friend of forty-four years, Angie

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope that my readers really enjoy the story and can’t wait to read the next in the trilogy. My perfect reader would be someone who reads the book and leaves me honest feedback which will help me improve my writing skills.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

At the moment, I am editing my second book in The Demon’s Spawn trilogy. It will be called Baleth’s Revenge. I am finding this book easier than the first, as the amount of help I received from the Atmosphere team during the first book has stayed with me and now I know the process I need to follow. I do keep popping into book three and adding more story ideas, but my main focus is book two.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

I was so excited when Atmosphere accepted my manuscript, but I had no idea what was in store for me. Everything was explained to me, and I thought I knew what I was getting into. How wrong I was! The first editing session with Megan Sells was an eye opener. To begin with, it was like Megan was speaking a different language and I found things hard to follow, but when I mentioned this, Megan was nothing but apologetic and changed the discussion to make it easier for me to understand. To be honest, I did come away from the meeting thinking I couldn’t go on and even had a couple of days off work to unstress but again, Megan was there, encouraging, guiding, and making me feel that I was good enough to do this. The editing was the hardest part, but I pulled up my “big girl pants” and approached all the other stages with a can-do attitude, which finally led to the finished novel. I would say to anyone thinking about writing and publishing a book: No matter how old you are, go for it. If you don’t think you are good enough, still go for it. I was just a normal wife, mother, and grandmother with a normal day job and now—I am a published author. Never give up on your dreams.

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