Date Published: March 18, 2021
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Disillusioned about her broken marriage and her husband’s PTSD, mom-of-three Sadie Rollins-Lancaster heads to the grocery store for Father’s Day fixings. But after a charged interaction with the man behind her in line, she brings home more than just vegetables and milk: the man’s voice and smile linger in her mind for weeks. When Sadie formally meets him months later, she’s challenged by emotions and feelings she never expected to feel again. But life is complicated. Sadie’s husband, Theo, the one to instigate the divorce, now refuses to sign the papers. And Sadie has to ask herself: What do I want? REWRITE THE STARS is an authentic and heart-touching novel about being brave enough to acknowledge the difficulties we face and having the strength to actively shape our own futures.
What is the hardest part of writing
your books?
My books are mainly contemporary women’s fiction, which means I write what I
live and experience. That might seem rather easy to some, but finding the time
to write with four kids, four pets, a part-time job, a husband, and other priorities
is quite difficult. I have to schedule writing time, or it won’t happen.
What songs are most played on your
Ipod?
I don’t own an Ipod, and I rarely write
with music playing (though I often reflect on certain songs when I write), but
I love music, especially songs with interesting lyrics. I tend to listen to
alternative music the most, and I love Panic! At the Disco, The Killers, and
Vampire Weekend.
Do you have critique partners or beta
readers?
In 2012, I took a fiction workshop
that introduced me to my current writing group, The Plot Sisters. These ladies
read almost everything I write and give solid feedback that makes my work
better. After they’ve seen my work and I’ve revised based on their suggestions,
I ask a few of my favorite beta readers to read and review. These people (my
writing group and beta readers) are all within my writing/friend network, but
recently, I used The Spun Yarn, which is
a fee-based beta reading service (I am not affiliated with them and
therefore I feel comfortable including their name). The feedback I received was
comprehensive and instructive, and I would use them again for a future manuscript.
What book are you reading now?
My to-be-read stack is a mile high (or
so it seems) and includes many recently released books or to-be-released books.
I’ve just started A HOUSE FULL OF WINDSOR, by Kristin Contino, which “explores
how one woman’s messy past shapes her family’s future and how long-buried secrets
and resentment must come to the surface for them to move on.” When I say I’ve “just
started” it, I mean it. I’m only a chapter in, but the writing style, voice, and
humor have already won me over. I’m eagerly anticipating the next time I can
open the book up!
How did you start your writing career?
I have been writing since I was a
child, and I wrote for the high school newspaper. But I didn’t take up writing
as more of a career until well into my teaching career. At that point, after I’d
been teaching anatomy and physiology for over a decade, I began to listen to
the characters in my head who said, “Tell our stories!” I attended workshops
and conferences, found a writing group, and practiced writing with my blog.
Eventually, I decided to step away from teaching science to concentrate on
writing and editing. I’m hoping to make this my last career.
Tell us about your next release.
My debut novel, REWRITE THE STARS, is
out now, and it features an almost divorced couple dealing with the effects
that PTSD has on a marriage and family. My next novel, THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN, centers
on eighty-year-old Frank Raffaelo, a retired serviceman who loves his family
but doesn’t always understand them or their motivations. The story deals with Alzheimer’s
disease and the changes in store for those living with it and those who love
someone living with it.
About The Author
Christina Consolino is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in multiple online and print outlets. Her debut novel, Rewrite the Stars, was named one of ten finalists for the Ohio Writers' Association Great Novel Contest 2020. She serves as senior editor at the online journal Literary Mama, freelance edits both fiction and nonfiction, and teaches writing classes at Word's Worth Writing Center. Christina lives in Kettering, Ohio, with her family and pets.
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