Ah … February… the love month ❤️ and I’m so pleased to be part of author Nancy Christie’s book tour celebrating her new book : “ The Language Of Love & Other Stories”. This book is a little gem – a series of short stories each representing different facets of love. It’s a great read and not just for February either ! I couldn’t wait to ask Nancy about her love affair with writing, especially her love of short stories … but first, a quick book summary:
BOOK SUMMARY

The Language of Love and Other Stories is about all types of love relationships: the ones that exist between parent and child as well as between generations, the bonds that grow between new lovers as well as those that exist between long-settled couples. The 20-story collection explores all the stages of love: the tenuous yet exciting beginning, the calmer, more mundane phases, the uncertain periods, and finally the ending—sometimes anticipated, other times devastatingly unexpected. It’s about whom one loves, how one loves, and what one does when the love is reciprocated, rejected or over.
PUBLISHER: Unsolicited Press
ASIN: B0DG333HWN
ISBN-13 978-1-963115-28-4
Print Length: 208 pages
MY INTERVIEW
Hi Nancy, welcome to the blog 👋 Please introduce yourself:

Hi, I am Nancy. The short version is that I am a writer of fiction and nonfiction, the author of 9 books including this one, short stories and essays. I’m also a full-time professional writer.
The long version (which I think is more interesting!) is that I am a woman who has been making up stories for more than 60 years, who spends hours in conversations with people who don’t exist (my characters, I mean), who frequently recites lines of dialogue out loud (resulting in strange looks from those around me!) and who plans to continue to write until my fingers fall off!
Who or what inspired you to write your collection of short stories of “The Language Of Love & Other Stories”?
My short story collections—Traveling Left of Center, Peripheral Visions, and Mistletoe Magic—are all theme-based. So, when I thought about coming out with a fourth one, I looked at the stories I had already completed and decided I wanted to do one that centered on the idea of love—not just romantic love but also love that spans generations and, in the case of “Henry, Hortense and The Hallowe’en Party,” brings in a bit of the supernatural. I chose several from the already written stash on my computer, added in some new ones and voila! The collection was born!

“The Language of Love” is a collection of short stories about love in its many guises! The stories are quite varied – my favourite stories were “Henry, Hortense and The Hallowe’en Party” and “Bingo”. They both made me smile 😊 . Which short story did you enjoy writing about the most?
That’s like asking a mother which child she loves most! But I do admit I have a soft spot for “Henry” and “Charley and the Cupid Caper.” (Regarding the latter, that’s the second time the Adams Investigation team have appeared in one of my collections. They were also in Mistletoe Magic in “Charley Catches the Christmas Spirit.”)
You have written novels and non fiction books as well as collections of short stories. What are the hardest and easiest aspects about writing a collection of short stories as opposed to writing a novel? Do you have any writing preferences?
Since I started decades ago writing short stories, the process comes very natural to me. I don’t plan the stories out. They start with a line of dialogue that pops into my head and even though I have no idea who the character is or what he or she is talking about I just follow along. Often I don’t even know how the story will end until I get there! My short story process is more like watching a movie and being surprised by the dénouement. That’s not to say that the stories don’t undergo revisions because they do, but that is more cleaning up and tightening up.
Novel-writing requires a bit more planning and a lot more tracking of details. I need to understand the main characters, their background, and their goals for the stories to make sense. However, I stop short at doing detailed character profiles or story outlines. I am a pantser who does some plotting in the beginning and along the way. Would that make me a plot-pantser? Pants-plotter?

If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base a future collection of short stories in, where would you go and why?
Somewhere by the water that is filled with history—Greece or Wales, for example. Water—rivers, streams, lakes, oceans—have always been a source of inspiration for me. And the wilder the environment, the better. There is magic in nature.
Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?
Last first: I am a print reader. I don’t like eBooks because I want to be able to hold the book in my hands, turns down corners, underline passages. I love the smell of book!
Genre: fiction and nonfiction, although I have to be careful what I read. I don’t like violence, gore or really scary books. My mind creates images that go along with what I’m reading and that can lead to nightmares. I love reading books by or about writers about their writing lives. One of my favorite books is The Writer On Her Work—Vol 1, edited by Janet Sternburg. Since I first got a copy, I have returned to it again and again for inspiration and comfort and a sense of being part of the writing community.
I will read anything by Shirley Jackson, both for the pleasure of reading her work as well as for education. I learn a lot by picking apart one of her stories to see just how she manages to give me goosebumps each time I read one of them, even though I know how the story will end. I have lots of other writers whose work I love, but if I start listing them here, we’ll run out of space!
And yes, I am a bookworm. I have bookshelves and stacks of books in nearly every room in my house, and I still buy more. And I rarely discard books. If I’m not sure if I’ll like it, I get it from my library first (I love libraries!) and then, if it speaks to me, I’ll buy it.

Is “The Language Of Love & Other Stories” available to purchase worldwide?
Yes, through various online retailers. And I’m sure your local bookstore can order it in! Right now, I am working on contacting libraries in the United States to encourage them to carry it. If anyone wants to help in this time-consuming activity, all they have to do is go to their local library’s website and fill in the form to request the book. (Hint, hint!)
Growing up had you always wanted to be a writer or did you have other career aspirations?
I don’t know that I consciously wanted to be a writer. It was just a natural outlet for my imagination. But I never thought I could make a living at it. Turns out I can—both as an author and as a professional freelance copywriter. The latter also takes imagination as well as a good grasp of grammar and spelling and punctuation!
If I hadn’t become a writer, I might have liked to be an archeologist, uncovering past lives and learning how people long dead once lived and loved. In a way that’s what fiction does. It reveals the lives of people: their secrets, fears, motivations. What drives them and what holds them back.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?
While I would love to say that I dress up for work—something I write about in my novel, Finding Fran, when people ask her about her “writing clothes”—I’m usually in a sweatshirt and sweatpants in the winter, and shorts and a t-shirt in the summer. I’m all about comfort! But I do dress better for book events!

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc
My website is https://www.nancychristie.com/
You can find me just about anywhere and everywhere online:
I also have two YouTube channels: Books by Nancy Christie on YouTube and Midlife Moxie Novel Series™ on YouTube
And I have two newsletters— Nancy’s Book News (for readers) and The Writing Life with Nancy Christie (for writers)—and people can sign up for either or both here.
BOOK TOUR DATES

Fabulous chatting to you Nancy and thank you for inviting me onto your book tour. Thank you for the review copy of “The Language Of Love & Other Stories” – I loved it 😊
Linda x
All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Nancy Christie