An Interview with Christina Owens

Christina Owens is a seeker of life’s many discoveries. With Oklahoma in her heart and Virginia beneath her feet, she carries both places as home. One grounds her beginnings, the other shapes her becoming.

She lives a multi-passionate life, with a twenty-plus year career in education while also earning credentials in real estate, group fitness, and coaching. For her, every experience is an opportunity to explore, reflect, and uncover meaningful insight.

Amidst these explorations, tea time has become a cherished practice; a moment to pause that invites curiosity, deepens reflection, and allows discoveries to steep in their own time. Whether journaling in solitude or sharing a cup with others, tea has become a natural part of her reflections and connections.

Christina has spent years curating spaces for meaningful conversation, guiding individuals toward greater self-awareness and authenticity. She believes that discovery is a lifelong process, one best approached with openness, presence, and a willingness to step into the unknown.

When she’s not crafting new ways to inspire curiosity, Christina can be found sipping a warm or iced cup of tea, spending quality time with her partner, immersing herself in a good book, whether reading or listening, or indulging in the many activities that bring her joy.

Stay connected at www.StinaGene.com.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

I was inspired to write A Cup of Authenticitea after years of feeling like I was chasing clarity but never quite finding it. I kept searching for my ‘thing’—the purpose, the talent, the one path that would finally make sense. Every time I thought I’d found it, the excitement would fade, and I’d move on to something new. It was exhausting, and at one point, it left me feeling completely lost.

When I finally started slowing down—paying attention to what actually grounded me—I noticed two things that kept showing up: tea and writing. Tea became part of my rhythm. It gave me a reason to pause, to breathe, to think. Around that same time, I started learning about being multi-passionate, and I began to see my curiosity as a strength instead of something I needed to fix.

Then one night, I had this vivid dream—of a unique café, a special barista, and conversations that felt both ordinary and deeply meaningful. I woke up the next morning and knew exactly how I wanted the book to sound and feel. That’s when the story started pouring out of me.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title actually came together more easily than I expected, though it did go through a few variations first. I’d already used the word ‘authenticitea’ in other parts of my work, so I had a handful of titles lined up early on. At different points, I considered The Authenticitea Barista and The Authenticitea Café.

Each of those titles reflected a piece of the story, but when I stepped back, I realized the heart of this book wasn’t just about the barista or the café—it was about the cup. To me, the barista represents an accountability partner or a trusted guide, someone who helps you see yourself more clearly. The café represents community, a supportive space where you can connect, reflect, and grow. But the cup, that’s your relationship with yourself.

Once I thought about it that way, A Cup of Authenticitea made perfect sense. This book is meant to be a pause, an invitation for readers to reflect on how they’re showing up for themselves and how that relationship within is shaping everything else around them.

Describe your dream book cover.

I love wandering through bookstores and just taking in the covers—feeling the texture, the weight of the paper, the small design details that make each one unique. I’m definitely a sensory person, so my dream book cover would take readers on that same kind of sensory journey.

I’d want it to evoke a familiar, comforting scent—like steeping tea—while being visually calm yet captivating enough to spark curiosity. The kind of cover that makes you pause, not because it’s loud, but because it feels present.

I imagine a texture that’s cozy and inviting, maybe a soft matte or linen finish you instinctively reach out to touch. If a cover could somehow capture the sound of stillness—that quiet awareness that comes with slowing down—that’s what I’d want.

Because A Cup of Authenticitea isn’t just meant to be read; it’s meant to be felt.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

The soundtrack for A Cup of Authenticitea would be a blend of vocal and instrumental tracks—something that feels equal parts inspiring, grounding, and a little soulful. I imagine songs like Fly Like a Bird by Mariah Carey, Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself by Jess Glynne, Sunday Best by Surfaces, Spoken Word by Chase & Status, Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, and Surroundings by Beats Me, Innit?

It would be the kind of playlist that lifts you up but also gives you space to breathe—the kind you play on a quiet Sunday morning, while reflecting, journaling, or sipping your favorite tea.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

I’d tell myself not to force it—to let it flow. Let the words pour out first, then go back and make sense of them later. Every idea doesn’t need to be perfect right away; it just needs to be released. Listen to what the story is trying to tell you before you try to shape it into something for everyone else.

I’d also remind myself that while writing might feel like a solo process, it doesn’t have to be a solitary one. Pull in the right people when the time is right—the ones who can listen, offer feedback, and help you see your work from new angles.

Most of all, I’d tell myself to trust the timing. Some stories need space to steep before they’re ready to be shared.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope readers walk away realizing that life isn’t always about chasing the next goal or reaching the next milestone. Sometimes the real clarity—the kind that actually grounds you—shows up in the in-between moments, not at the finish line.

We spend so much time trying to figure out ‘what’s next’ that we miss what’s already here. A Cup of Authenticitea is really about slowing down enough to notice those moments—the pauses, the questions, the quiet realizations—and seeing how much wisdom they already hold.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.