Finding Fran: A Midlife Moxie Novel WOW! Blog Tour

Nancy Christie Author Interview

Today for the WOW! Book Blog Tour, I am featuring an interview of author Nancy Christie. Nancy is a writer of fiction, short stories, non-fiction for writers, and essays. I’m happy she allowed me to interview her on Bookplaces Blog.

K. Hello Nancy!  Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? Where did you grow up and attend school?

N. I live in northeast Ohio (Youngstown) and have been here all my life.

K. Are you married or single? Any children or pets?

N. I’m not married and I’m not single. (I have a wonderful guy in my life who is very supportive of my writing—and yes, I know how lucky I am!) Two adult children, and no pets (not since my last one died during Covid). But I do have an ever-changing number of feral cats that I feed, and squirrels and birds.

K. Are you employed now? Retired? If so, what was your previous occupation?

N. I wish I could retire and just write novels! I have been self-employed as a full-time freelance writer since 1996. Before that, I freelanced part-time while working at a company I owned with my then-husband and raising two kids (who seemed to be sick all the time!) and periodically taking college courses.

K. Are you a coffee or tea drinker or other? Do you listen to music or need silence?

N. Coffee (very weak), although I am trying to get into drinking tea for the health benefits. When I’m writing, I need silence. When I’m researching or filing papers, I listen to music.

K. What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies? Vacations?

N. My “vacations” are really work trips to promote my books or teach writing classes. In my free time (and I use that term loosely), I have a garden that needs to be maintained (in the summer) plus I do a lot of reading. But often that is work of a sort, too, since I’m reading works by authors I plan to interview or whose books I’m going to review, or books about the craft of writing.

K. Would you consider yourself a reader? What types of books do you like to read?

N. I have been a reader since I was little. I still have books I read as a kid, and sometimes hit the kids’ section in used bookstores for old favorites like those by Enid Blyton. I love reading fiction as well as books about writing—about the writing experience as well as the writing craft.

K. Have you ever taken any writing courses or studied writing in school?

N. Not really, although in grade school the emphasis was on spelling, grammar and punctuation, which seems to be a lost skill these days, as well as on reading. My early education was great for becoming a writer.

K. Tell us about your books, especially your newest one. What was your inspiration?

N. I’m the author of two Midlife Moxie novels, Reinventing Rita and Finding Fran; three short story collections: Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories; two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers; and the inspirational essay collection, The Gifts of Change.

Finding Fran is my latest one. It’s about 55-year-old Fran Carter—once a best-selling romance novelist who is now dealing with a slow but steady drop in book sales and a major case of writer’s block. These challenges are complicated by the knowledge that her lover, a professional photographer, has been on the wrong side of the camera (so to speak) with his models. (So much for her author brand, built on the premise that women in their fifties and beyond can still find love and happiness.) Fran escapes to a northern California bed-and-breakfast where she hopes to get through her writing block and meet her deadline. As for her love affair, she’s not sure how she wants to handle it—tell him to hit the road or forgive him? (Not that he asked for forgiveness, mind you!) It’s a midlife mess that she wants to turn into a midlife success but isn’t sure she can do it. Fortunately, she meets women along the way who share their wisdom. Now, if only Fran takes their advice…
The inspiration for Finding Fran came because every time I tried writing a short love story it turned darkly comic. (An example would be “‘Til Death Do Us Part” in Peripheral Visions.) So, I thought it would be fun to write about a romance novelist who is sick of writing stories about women waiting for the “right one” so they can live HEA (Happily Ever After). It was just supposed to be a short story, but it kept growing.

K. Is there anything you’d like to talk about your writing life? News or announcements?

N. I have tons of events and presentations scheduled here in Ohio and in North Carolina. (You can catch the list here.) And I’m also hard at work on revisions to Midlife Moxie Novel #3—Moving Maggie. I wrote a recent blog post about it here. And I’m doing interviews for my podcast, Living the Writing Life. And doing social media and writing copy for my newsletters (you can subscribe here) and… Shall I go on?

K. What type of characters do you enjoy writing about?

N. For the novels, I focus on women in their late forties and older who want to—or have to—create a new future for themselves. For my short stories, often the characters are a little out there in somewhat odd situations—think the old Twilight Zone TV show or the stories by Shirley Jackson.

K. Do you self-publish or are you with a traditional publishing company?

N. I’m a hybrid author, meaning some of my books are trad published and some are indie published through BookBaby. (A company I love, by the way!) The Gifts of Change is through Beyond Words/Atria (a Simon & Schuster imprint), my short story collections are through Unsolicited Press, and my writing books and novels are through BookBaby.

K. How do you market your books?

N. As many ways as I can think of or learn about from other authors! In no particular order: through my monthly newsletters, with media releases, on my website, in blog posts (on my blogs or as a guest author), on social media, with video trailers, and through in-person (signings, talks, workshops) and virtual (like this great blog tour!) appearances. (Here’s a post I wrote on this very topic and my book, Rut-Busting Book for Authors, has tons more advice from me and experts in the industry.)
Also, I interview other authors and write reviews of books, which incidentally gives me more exposure as an author. Not to mention it’s a great way to support my fellow authors!
By the way, for any author out there who doesn’t have a website, please get one! When I’m looking for authors to interview, that’s the first place I go. Don’t just rely on social media.

K. Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

N. It’s not about how fast you can write and publish your book. It’s about how well you write it. Be willing to get feedback and make revisions. And have your book professionally edited, by which I mean part with cold hard cash so your book is as good as it can be. This is a profession, and you have to treat it like one.

K. What is one surprising thing you would like your readers to know about you?

N. I don’t have a college degree.

K. Do you have a quote that has personal meaning for you? This could be from an author, famous person, community or religious leader or someone close to you.

N. The one that really resonates with me is from Shirley Jackson: “So long as you write it away regularly nothing can really hurt you.”

Thank you, Nancy, for taking time to answer these questions! I wish you success with Finding Fran and your other projects. It was wonderful meeting you.

Book Summary

Once a best-selling romance novelist, 55-year-old Fran Carter is now dealing with a slow but steady drop in book sales and a major case of writer’s block, complicated by the knowledge that her lover, a professional photographer, has been on the wrong side of the camera (so to speak) with his models. (So much for her author brand, built on the premise that women in their fifties and beyond can still find love and happiness.) Her solution is to spend a week in isolation at a northern California bed-and-breakfast. There she hopes to resolve her professional and personal conflicts, and ultimately create a new and better future for herself by writing a new “story” for the Fran she wants to be!

ISBN-13: 979-8350942248
ASIN: B0CWTNN8ZC
Print Length: 302 pages

Purchase a copy of Finding Fran on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Nancy Christie

Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of eight books—two novels: Reinventing Rita and Finding Fran; three short story collections: Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories; two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers; and the inspirational book, The Gifts Of Change. Her short stories and essays have appeared in print and online publications, with several earning contest placement. The host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and the founder of the annual “Midlife Moxie” Day and “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day, Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries, and schools. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), the Florida Writers Association (FWA) and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA).

You can find her online:

Website: https://www.nancychristie.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/NancyChristieAuthor

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NChristie_OH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancychristie_author
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@nancychristie_author

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancychristie_author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nancy-christie

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Christie/author/B001K8GBYK

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1048768.Nancy_Christie

Midlife Moxie Novel Series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@midlifemoxienovelseries3804

Books by Nancy Christie on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@NancyChristieAuthor

Living the Writing Life podcast: https://livingthewritinglife.podbean.com/ https://livingthewritinglife.podbean.com/

Blog Tour Calendar

April 22nd @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

April 25th @ The Faerie Review
Visit Lily’s blog for a spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

April 26th @ StoreyBook Reviews
Visit Leslie’s blog for her spotlight of an excerpt in Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://storeybookreviews.com/

April 26th Bookplaces https://bookplaces.blog
Visit Kay’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie. She’ll also be interviewing the author as well!

April 29th @ Just Katherine
Join Katherine to check out her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/

May 1st @ Affinito Lit
Join Stephanie for a feature of Finding Fran and a chance to win an eBook.
https://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit/

May 4th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy’s blog for her spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

May 5th @ Bring on Lemons
Join Crystal for a review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

May 7th @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra’s blog for her spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/

May 9th @ Knotty Needle
Join Judy’s blog for a review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

May 10th @ Beverley A. Baird
Visit Beverley’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 15th @ Writer Advice
B. Lynn Goodwin will be interviewing Nancy Christie about her book Finding Fran.
https://writeradvice.com/

May 17th @ Sarandipity’s Designs
Join Sara for her interview with author Nancy Christie. You’ll also have the chance to win a copy of the eBook.

May 20th @ World of My Imagination
Join Nicole for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

Welcome! I’m Glad You’re Here.

May 21st @ Sara Trimble’s blog
Visit Sara’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://saratrimble.wordpress.com/

May 22nd @ Create Write Now
Mari L. McCarthy will be spotlighting Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://www.createwritenow.com/life-matters-blog

May 24th @ Word Magic
Visit Fiona’s blog for a spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

May 26th @ Boys’ Mom Reads
Visit Karen’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com/