LAURIE: Hello Chrissy, I’m so glad you could join us today to talk about your new book and your writing journey. First, can you tell us a bit about your book and what inspired you to write this story?
CHRISSY, Sure! “A Sinking Star” follows the story of a 17-year-old girl named Evie. After her broken mother returns home after disappearing for weeks, nothing Evie can do will keep the cops away, or the father who walked out on her and her sisters nine years ago. Now, they’re forced to move in with their estranged father and his new family, who pursue Evie with a gentle love she’s never known. She’s confused – is it for real, or is it all an act? Can she ever go back to the life she had before her mother’s arrest, and if she’s honest with herself, does she want to?
I guess the inspiration for this book came from our tendencies to look for our worth in worldly things. Evie struggles to find her worth in being the perfect daughter and sister, the one who holds her family together. I think there’s something in Evie’s story we can all relate to.
LAURIE: And is this the first book you have coming out with Anaiah Press?
CHRISSY: It is! They’ve been a real joy to work with.
LAURIE: What led you to publish with Anaiah Press?
CHRISSY: I’d never heard of Anaiah Press, but I was encouraged to participate in a Twitter pitch day. It wasn’t something I’d ever heard of, and I thought it was a bit odd, but I figured “why not”? I hadn’t even started querying “A Sinking Star” with any publishers yet as I was still trying to get a different novel published, but I thought, “Well, if I only need to pitch 140 characters, I might as well pitch this novel too.”
So, I did. Anaiah Press asked to see “A Sinking Star” and signed it! The beautiful part about the whole thing was they ended up signing my other novel too. What a blessing!
LAURIE: Are there any authors who’ve influenced you in your writing? Do you have any favourite authors?
CHRISSY: My writing style tends to gravitate toward gut-wrenching, emotional scenes. I always say one of my goals is to make people cry. My favorite authors who are really good at this and have inspired me to explore those raw places are Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard.
LAURIE: How long has it taken you to get published?
CHRISSY: That’s a bit of a tough question. My first novel “The Lion Cubs” took about a year after I started querying, and it won a free publishing contest.
After that, things got tough. I began querying my next novel and after a couple of years, was signed and very nearly published, but only weeks before the release date, unresolvable differences sprang up with my publisher and I was back to square one.
I was then signed by an agent and after about a year of querying with him, came up with no luck and was back to square one, again.
I considered quitting at this stage, but I felt so strongly that I needed to keep trying. It was when I pitched a different novel (in all the time it was taking to find a home for my novel, I ended up writing another one lol) on Twitter that I was signed, for a book I wasn’t even trying to get signed at that point.
a.co/d/0w2Ir3uBut it was a blessing in disguise because Anaiah ended up signing the book I was trying to find a home for as well 😊. It was a process of about five years, but here we are. Needless to say, you should never give up.
LAURIE: What advice would you give to other writers trying to break in to the Christian market?
CHRISSY: Never give up. I know it’s cliché, but that’s honestly my experience. Even with countless rejection letters, and seemingly closed doors everywhere I looked, I kept going. I once read that there is an audience for every book – you just have to find the right publisher to connect you with that audience. So keep on searching and querying, or take some time to revisit your novel and try again, but don’t give up.
LAURIE: What hobbies do you like to do when you’re not writing? Anything else you’d like our readers to know about you and your work?
CHRISSY: I love to read, play the piano, sing, and I’m just getting a bit more practiced at crochet.
LAURIE: Where can your readers find you on social media?
CHRISSY: I’m on Twitter (@ChrissyMDennis), Facebook (/ChrissyMDennis), and www.chrissymdennis.com
LAURIE: And finally, how long do we have to wait for your next book?
CHRISSY: You’re in luck! “Safe on Solid Ground” comes out January 15, 2019.
LAURIE: And here’s the beautiful cover for “A Sinking Star” and the back cover blurb. And it can be bought on Amazon at: a.co/d/0w2Ir3u
As Evie wrestles to salvage her crumbling life, her father and his new family pursue Evie with a gentle love the likes of which she’s never known. Are they for real, or is it all an act? Can she ever go back to the life she knew before her mother’s arrest? And if she’s honest with herself, does she even want to anymore?
Author Bio:
Chrissy M. Dennis lives in Saskatchewan, Canada with her calico kitty. She is a Youth
Pastor and enjoys beating her students at “Uno” every chance she gets (and despite
what they’ll tell you, no she does not cheat).
Chrissy also loves to read, do jigsaw
puzzles, and of course, write, trusting the Lord will use her books for the glory of God
and the growth of His kingdom through the healing work of the Gospel.
