FEATURED AUTHOR: CHRISTINA FREEBURN

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Caribbean cruise is the perfect setting for a Roget wedding, and Faith meeting Ted’s family. She also hopes the vacation gets their stalled romance moving, but it doesn’t take long for that dream to capsize. Ted’s daughter hates her. The ex-wife is adored. Odessa Roget is surly. And the banned father of a groom, John Roget, requests Faith’s assistance in bringing down a jewel theft ring masterminded by his ex-wife.

Having had a man she loved accuse her of a crime, Faith won’t let Odessa travel down the same path and agrees to help. Faith sets her course on uncovering the true criminals—which might be a groom’s best friend. The romantic week turns disastrous as a wedding is interrupted, suspicious deaths point to murders, and Ted’s daughter schemes to reunite her parents. Instead of diamonds being a girl’s best friend, Faith finds they’re cruising her toward Davy Jones’ Locker.

INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTINA FREEBURN

Christina, do you write every day?
No. For me, I need to give my brain at least one day of rest from writing a week. If I don’t take a day off, I find myself struggling to get the words out. I need a break from the computer and to not think about the story to come back to it fresh and ready to create.

How often do you read?
I try to read every day, though last year I didn’t read as often as I wanted (unless I counted message boards). This year, I’m going to limit the amount of time I spend on messages boards so I have more time to read books. I missed reading books and there are so many on my Kindle and my shelves that I’m a little said I didn’t get around to reading last year.

What do you think makes a good story?
For me, a good story has main characters who are actively involved in the plot and not ones where all the events just happen in the story and the heroine and hero are only reacting. I don’t even mind unlikeable characters as long as they are true to themselves and are engaged in what’s going on in the plot and realize some of the drama happening to them was created by them.

What books do you currently have published?
Masked to Death is the thirteenth book I’ve had published. Two of my books are out of print, and I have no plans to self-publish. The books I have out that are still in print are in the Scrap this Series: Cropped to Death, Designed to Death, Embellished to Death, Framed to Death, and the most recent Masked to Death.
I wrote The New Beginning Series which are inspirational romantic suspense (this series is complete), and those books are: Lost Then Found, Led Astray, Safe and Sound, Long Gone, and Far and Away
Then there’s Dying for Redemption which is a traditional detective novel where the main character is a ghost who helps the recently murdered solve their own case. I’d love to write another in this world (I had planned on it being a series), but I haven’t been able to work it into my schedule the last few years.

Is writing your dream job?
Yes.  I wanted to be a writer  when “I grew up” in the ninth grade. Before then, I loved reading but not so much writing. I will admit that there are some days when writing (especially the business side of it) can almost feel like a nightmare, but I know every job (and dream) has those days where you question yourself and wonder why you thought it was a good idea.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
The Food Network. I can get some great cooking and baking tips and learn a lot, and I love most of the shows. But probably the best thing about the Food Network is there isn’t any negativity, except for some of the competition shows when the contestants get sassy with each other. But even then, it’s limited and not too horrible or leaves me feeling depressed.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I like Facebook. There are days when I spend way too much time on it and days I wonder why I bother because my feed contains so much negativity. On those days,  I remind myself Facebook is a way I can keep connected with family and friends that I don’t get to see that often, and it’s what I make of it. If I know I’m in a mood where pretty much the world seems to irritate me, I need to not click on the icon and wait until I’m feeling better.  Like with anything, there’s positives and negatives and I’m the one that controls if Facebook is a positive or negative experience for me.

What five things would you never want to live without?
The five things I wouldn’t want to live without are cars, cameras, scrapbooking supplies, computer, and luggage…all things that help in traveling, creating memories, and documenting them.

What do you wish you could do?
Swim. I never learned as a child, and when I was almost thirty I took swim lessons, but I didn’t master it and still struggle in the water. I can not drown for a short length of time, but I still don’t know how to swim. I’ve thought about trying lessons again but there isn’t a place near me that teaches adults. I really want to learn as I enjoy cruising, and I know I’d love it even more if I could swim because I’d be able to participate in more of the excursions available as most involve water.

What’s your least favorite chore?
Laundry because it just never seems to be done.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery Series brings together Christina’s love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her craft room or at a crop. She’s working on the sixth book in the series published by Henery Press. Christina served in the US Army JAG Corps and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and church secretary.

Connect with Christina:
Website  |  
Blog  |  Facebook  |   Twitter   |  Goodreads  

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