Christina McDonald is an author, bookworm, and a devoted mother and wife. She was born in Seattle, Washington and now lives in London, England with her husband and two sons, where she enjoys reading, writing, hiking and going to the gym. Her second novel, The Night Olivia Fell is due to be published in January 2019.
The Night Olivia Fell is a domestic suspense novel set around the Puget Sound’s coast near Seattle, Washington. The Night Olivia Fell asks how well we ever really know our children, weaving together a story of family secrets and devastating lies.
About Christina
Where do you get your ideas?
Everywhere. And I mean that literally. From the news, from conversations I have, from conversations I overhear at the coffee shop, from friends. Often the first nugget of an idea comes from a news story that particularly resonated with me. From there I chat about it with people and I incorporate various other elements into the story from there. While I’m developing a story idea I also keep notes of ideas for different characters, funny quirks or interesting personalities, as well as how they can develop.
Here’s a blog article I wrote about how I got the idea for The Night Olivia Fell: http://christina-mcdonald.com/writing-the-night-olivia-fell/
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
I have two. The first one is near the end where Olivia falls and I reveal who the ‘baddie’ is and why. The scene was so intense and real to me I actually dreamt about it that night after writing it!
The second is near the end when Abi is in the hospital with Olivia and the doctor tells her the baby’s heartbeat is dropping and needs to be born asap. I can’t say much else without giving away what happens, but it’s the most emotional I’ve ever been while writing a scene. I literally cried the whole way through, and then cried almost every time I re-read it, even throughout edits.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up! It can take a loooong time to get a book published. It took me a decade to get a book published. I wrote my first book in 2009/2010 and managed to get an agent for it, but then it wasn’t sold to any publishers. It was absolutely soul crushing to have the high of getting an agent, then the low of finding out it hadn’t sold. I picked myself up and wrote a second book, which also wasn’t sold. Then in 2015 I wrote a third book: The Night Olivia Fell. This one was not only picked up by an agent, but went to a bidding war between two publishers. That was in spring 2017, and it won’t be published until January 2019.
Publishing the traditional way takes a lot of time, a very thick skin, and a huge amount of persistence. Meanwhile, live your life, go traveling, go to college, have a family, work, squirrel away experiences because these are going to feed your writing. And don’t give up.
Here’s a blog article I wrote about my publishing journey: http://christina-mcdonald.com/my-publishing-journey/
What’s your next project?
I’m working on a domestic suspense novel about a woman who’s been struck by lightning and can’t remember if she murdered her mother. The book centers on Eva, who wakes up in the hospital after being struck by lightning right down the street from where her estranged mother was murdered. And she can’t remember what happened. As her memories slowly begin to resurface, Eva remembers flashes of a violent struggle. But the memories of the night her mom was killed are becoming tangled with the night she was attacked four years ago, and Eva doesn’t know who she can trust—least of all herself.
I’m really excited about this book because it’s set between Whidbey Island in Washington State, where I spent many happy days visiting when I was younger, and London, England, which is where I live now. The book really focuses on themes of identity, how we become whole after our lives have been broken, and the role that memory plays in shaping us.
Here’s the full description: http://christina-mcdonald.com/who-she-used-to-be/
You were just given a yacht. What would you name it?
I would call my yacht the The Zephyr. This probably reveals that I was a massive Anne of Avonlea fan as a kid, but I loved that scene where Mr. Harris tells Anne he’ll name his next boat The Zephyr. My sisters and I absolutely loved the word, which means a delicious, perfumed wind, and shortly after we saw it we got a cat, which we named Zephyr.
If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction?
I think maybe a comedy. There are always dramatic elements throughout anybody’s life, but I try to approach as much as I can with an element of comedy and try to see the funny side to things.
If you could mix three animals together, which ones would you choose to make the ultimate animal?
A lion for its courage, a cheetah for its speed, and a unicorn because it’s magical, and who wouldn’t want a unicorn? 🙂
What was the first live concert you ever attended?
My first live concert was Summer Jam at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, when I was a teenager. There were loads of artists there, but for some reason the only one I remember is Brian McKnight.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can do a spot-on baby kitten meow, I can recite basically all of The Princess Bride, and I can rap all the words to Montell Jordan’s ‘This Is How We Do It’. Not sure these are ‘talents’, but maybe funny quirks.
If parents say, “Never take candy from strangers” then why do we celebrate Halloween?
This is a hard one to answer. I suppose it’s just a good way to meet your neighbors in a fun, relaxed manner. Kids love dressing up, and Halloween is a great way to engage their imaginations. And of course they like the candy.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I am so grateful to my readers and fans. I’ve always made up stories for my sisters, and also for my own entertainment, but it’s such a privilege having other people who want to read what I’ve written. The characters I create and the stories I tell are a huge part of my life, so it’s an honor to have readers and fans share in the world I’m creating. It’s a little bit magical.