When I was searching for an online critique group in 2020 through 12 x 12, a picture book writing challenge, Christina Shawn responded that she was interested. Boy, did I ever luck out! Christina has been a very supportive, helpful, and talented critique partner. Even though she lives 2,000 miles away, I consider her a friend. Christina recently published a delightful picture book about embracing change. I’ll let her tell you all about it.
Barb: Tell us a little bit about yourself, Christina, and include a tidbit of information not many people know about you.
Christina: Barb, I’m the lucky one. Our critique group continues to be a beautiful lifeline for me through all the ups and downs of this writing journey. I’m honored to have found you all, and yes, call you friends.
I’m sort of an open book, so what can I say about myself that people don’t already know? I was a deeply feeling kid. I could not make sense of the big emotions I had or what I was unknowingly absorbing from the people around me. My childhood was both idyllic and at times traumatic, and my outlet was my imagination. I spent hours upon hours outside, with my cousins, adventuring through imaginary jungles and oceans. I loved creating stories for my Barbies – building worlds and letting them play out the drama and intrigue. Looking back, I have always been creating stories, but it is only in my adulthood that I have learned to really love and value that aspect of who I am.
Barb: You’ve just published AND THEN CAME YOU through Chronicle Books and have been doing a lot of interviews, book signings, and public speaking. Tell us about those experiences.
(Personalized copies of AND THEN CAME YOU can be purchased from Christina’s website.)
Christina: I have waited so long to share this special book with the world. It is a personal story and Shahrzad Maydani’s artwork is dreamy and whimsical. I am so proud of this book. Hearing about how people are connecting with the story lights me up inside. It is a great pleasure to offer something meaningful and beautiful to people far and wide. I have heard people say that the family in the book is just like theirs, or that it is the first book they have seen that validates the hesitation to change. It makes parents cry and children laugh and they see themselves within the pages. That’s the dream! I was a reading specialist before I was an author, and I love working with students, teachers, and parents to share how my background has impacted my writing and how it can empower them to build literacy in their classrooms and homes. Stay tuned for a literacy workshop for parents that I’m working on that launches later this fall.
Barb: I love this book! I see that you have two more books that will be published soon: NO LOVE POTION in September 2026 and one in 2027. How exciting! Can you tell us about one or both of those books?
Christina: YES! NO LOVE POTION comes out in Fall 2026 with The Little Press. It is illustrated by the talented and magical, Merry Miller-Gass and it is the hilarious and chaotic tale of a young witch who is far too busy with serious magic-stuff to deal with LOVE. So, she creates a spell to eliminate love – but it goes terribly wrong when Ingredient Number 9 (a frog) performs an unexpected act of kindness that touches her heart. This Halloween / Valentine’s hybrid is basically a beloved Rom-Com trope for kids. I am so excited to show up with my hat and cauldron when this book comes out.
NO HATS ALLOWED (Sleeping Bear Press, Fall 2027) is silly and (also chaotic) about cats, hats, and a community that decides fair isn’t always the same as equal. It is so much fun to read out loud and the quirkiness of it makes me giggle every time I read it.
There’s some additional top secret book news coming that I will share as soon as it is officially announced.
Barb: I remember reading your manuscript about the little witch who didn’t want to deal with love. I can’t wait to hold that in my hands next year.
What is your writing process? For example, do you prefer to write in the mornings or evenings, or whenever time allows? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Christina: I write in my head all day long. Usually when I’m in the shower or driving, ideas will come to me and I’ll jot them down. But my “butt in seat” writing happens mostly in the morning and again around 3 or 4 in the afternoon if the house is quiet (but it usually isn’t at that time). When I am excited about a project, I find it hard to NOT work on it.
I am for sure a pantser. I love playing with the sounds of words and seeing where it takes me. Then I get to know the characters and their motivations. My critique partners are invaluable to me. I get excited to share new writing with them and work out even teeny tiny word choices until a manuscript feels just right (or as close as I can get it to that).
Barb: Look at that, she’s thinking about her new picture book right now.
How do you juggle family life with writing time?
Christina: I’m not great at this balancing act. My family is my priority. I have three children who are growing faster than I think is reasonably possible, but mostly they still need me and I’m lucky to work from home and have a flexible schedule. I write while they are at school and I write much less while they are all home in the summer. I’m the happiest and best version of myself when I am creating. So, I try to make sure to carve out some creative time for myself and leave room to be flexible. My husband is boundlessly supportive of my writing and probably my biggest cheerleader, my daughter is a budding author, and as a whole they are excited about my books, so that helps a lot.
Barb: Where do you get your story ideas?
Christina: Mostly from my emotions. I will almost always begin with a feeling, and let the characters and story evolve from there. Sometimes, I begin by playing. I just let words leap onto the page in any order they want and see where they take me. Then I mold the most entertaining parts into a story. I often try to think of how to spin a story to make it just a little different than what is expected. And I always aim to offer a genuine, authentic experience for readers.
Barb: You like to travel. Do you write in a journal while on vacation?
Christina: I LOVE to travel and we travel often. My husband and I have been all over the world, exploring new surroundings, meeting people, and learning that the world is vast and diverse. We travel a lot with our children too. Often we explore beaches and mountains near our home, and annually we become a bit more adventurous. This year we took them to Italy and will be taking them to Ireland (all with grandparents) so they can see where their relatives came from. They love to travel too and some of our best memories are made while adventuring and exploring.
I do not typically write while I’m traveling. I immerse myself fully in the experience and maybe journal a bit. Often when I return home, the impact of our travel comes through in my work.
Barb: What advice would you give to someone who is starting out as a new author?
Christina: Have fun. This is a tough business peppered with rejection, but it’s worth it if it fills you up inside. We write sometimes as therapy, sometimes for delight, sometimes as a creative challenge. Trust that your authentic voice is the best one you can offer, without watering it down for fear that it won’t appeal to the masses. That light that we create within us is what seeps into our writing and reaches out to connect people to us and each other.
Barb: Thank you, Christina. You are such a marvelous role model and supportive critique partner.
Christina visits schools and organizations too. Make arrangements for an author visit on her website.
You can purchase AND THEN CAME YOU from Chronicle Books, Amazon, Indiebound, and Barnes & Noble. Click here for the links.
You can find Christina online:
Website: https://www.christinashawn.com/
Instagram:@christinashawnbooks
Facebook:@christinashawnbooks
LinkedIn: Christina Shawn
X:@christinashawn2
Threads:@christinashawnbooks
Bluesky:@christinashawnbooks.bsky.social
YouTube:@christinashawn664