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| Crissi Langwell, Author THE ROAD TO HOPE |
Reviewers describe Crissi Langwell’s books as “those books that have a
story that stay with you weeks later.” In her most recent novel, THE ROAD TO HOPE, Langwell’s “believable and real” characters turn grief into hope, in a
way that reviewers say “hooked them right from the start.” She also has
published two other novels, a book of essays, and a book of poetry.
Langwell sets her books in Sonoma
County, California where she lives with her blended family, and says, “Family
is what I know, and what we can all relate to.” In 2015 she plans to
release a series of more “lighthearted” projects that mix magic with desserts.
In addition to writing books, Langwell works for her
local newspaper and is editor for her
regional writing club newsletter.
Q: Your newest
book THE ROAD TO HOPE has been described as turning “grief
and affliction” into “beauty that exists when hope prevails.” Why did you write
this story? How did you conceive it? Where did it come from?
Crissi Langwell: 12 years ago, I lost my third child to
stillbirth. It was such a shocking loss, one I don’t think anyone could be
prepared for. There isn’t much that hurts more than to lose your child. For
years, this loss defined me. However, with time, I was able to heal. But
because of that loss, I’m forever changed.
Fast forward a
couple more years, and I witnessed a toddler fall from a Trader Joe’s shopping
cart headfirst onto the floor. He ended up being okay, but something about the
whole scene stuck with me. Everyone was watching the mother but not helping.
And she was just sitting in the middle of the store, soothing her screaming
child. It was this event that became the first scene of my book, and the whole
story evolved into a love letter to myself and to anyone else who has gone
through hardship or trauma.
Q: As in your previous books, reviewers of THE ROAD TO HOPE tout it as “an amazing story. Hooked right from the start” and “I was
absolutely RIVETED!” How do you make your story “riveting?” What pulls your
readers in and won’t let them go?
Crissi Langwell: I try to keep the boring parts out. ;-) Really,
I do my best to keep the story moving forward at all times. Each action that
happens, you can bet that it will lead to something pivotal a few scenes
later. And I write about real
life, the kinds of things we all are thinking or feeling, even if they’re not
the kind of stuff we’ll admit out loud. I try to be authentic when I write.
Q: Reviewers say that you have “a gift for
creating believable and real characters.” What makes “real” characters? Why do
readers believe them?
Crissi Langwell: I love writing about people and how they affect
each other. I draw from real experiences, but I also let the characters tell
the story, not me. When I begin writing a novel, I always have a loose plan in
place. But as soon as I get to know the characters better, they take over and
throw my plans out. I think that’s why readers find my characters believable,
because I do my best not to interrupt the story that’s taking place.
Q: Family seems important to you throughout all
of your writing—fiction, non-fiction, reporting. What is it about the family
that inspires you to write about it?
Crissi Langwell: I started my family a little younger than most,
with my first daughter born when I was 20. I got married and divorced in my
20s, raised my kids as a single mother, and I’m now happily married into a
blended family. I’ve experienced all sorts of different types of families – from
my intact and totally normal family when I grew up, my chaotic family in my
20s, and now in a family of all different personalities under one roof. Family
is my life! I was even the family columnist for my local newspaper for a time.
So when it came to writing books, I couldn’t think of anything more I wanted to
write about. Family is what I know, and what we can all relate to.
Q: Did you write THE ROAD TO HOPE to entertain
readers, to deliver a message, and/or to educate? To inspire?
Crissi Langwell: It could be a little of all three. I love writing
about the underdogs, and THE ROAD TO HOPE is no different. In this book, I
touched on themes of homelessness, poverty, teen pregnancy, and child loss. I
offered points of view that many would be too uncomfortable to get close to in
real life. But I offered insight as to how easily these situations could happen
to anyone. It’s my hope that someone who reads my book will be able to walk
away with a new way to look at life.
Q: How relevant is the concept of villains and
heroes to your stories?
Crissi Langwell: The concept of villains and heroes is not only
relevant, but it can also be a muddy concept as well. Sometimes the heroes can
be villains. Sometimes the villains can be heroes. In my novels, I’ve written
about bad guys/girls who are cruel, have caused bad things to happen, say mean
things, are rude or dismissive… But there’s always a backstory. WHY are they
mean? Why do they hurt people around them? I do my best to answer these
questions. Sometimes the villains in my stories end up being readers’
favorites, because their bad side is also their human side.
Q: How helpful is setting to telling your
stories? Could they occur at any time in any place?
Crissi Langwell: One little secret I have is that I like to place
my characters in the same place I live – Sonoma County. There are a few books
out there that have used Sonoma County (which is north of San Francisco) as
their setting, and it’s always a treat to come across my home in a book. I
imagine one day I’ll write a book that doesn’t take place here at all. But so
far, every one of my stories is set in a nearby town. It’s also helpful to be
describing a scene, and be able to completely envision it because it’s based
off a real place, even if just loosely. As for the timing, so far all my books
take place in the present. I haven’t done any serious writing that takes place
in the past or future. But it’s not out of the question.
Q: Er, just to let you know, my next mystery,
Hilltop Sunset, is set in Sonoma County. I love it there.
Q: You have also written poetry. When do you
prefer writing poetry over prose?
Crissi Langwell: I always prefer prose over poetry. Poetry is
hard! But for a time, it served as a way to loosen my pen in preparation for
writing a novel. It helped teach me to dive into description and draw the
reader into the scene I was painting. Much of my poetry was written years ago
during a very confusing time in my life. I never even meant for it to go
public! But when all was said and done, I realized that what I wrote wasn’t
half bad. My book of poetry, Everything I
Am Not Saying, is not one that I publicize a ton, but it is one of my
proudest (and most personal) achievements.
Q: What’s next?
Crissi Langwell: After writing three novels that dealt with deep
and heavy themes, I am now exploring something more lighthearted. I’m preparing
to release a series of 4 books in 2015 that mixes magic with desserts. The
first book is titled Come Here, Cupcake,
and is about a woman who discovers she has the magical ability to infuse her
baking with her feelings. As you can imagine, this leads to some very sticky
situations.
Q: Tell us about Crissi Langwell. What do you
like to do when you’re not writing?
Crissi Langwell: I read. A lot. I also can be found at the
baseball field or golf course cheering on my son, teaching my daughter to drive
(Lord help us all), or just hanging with the family at home. I’m the newsletter
editor for my regional writing club, Redwood Writers, I work full-time for the
local newspaper, I volunteer for my church, and I help with the year-round
planning for the summer camp the kids and I attend every year. I guess you can
say I like to stay busy!
About
Crissi Langwell
Crissi
Langwell is the author of three fiction novels, a book of poetry, and a
collection of true stories about single parenting. She lives in Northern
California with her husband and blended family of three kids, a whiny cat, and
a ridiculous teenage dog.
About THE ROAD TO HOPE
Jill
is a woman who just lost her son. Maddie is a teen mother who has been rejected
by her parents. Both are sent reeling at the tragic spin life has taken. And
both are on a crash course for changing each other’s lives. This is the story
of two mothers, the trauma they experience, and how life’s twists and turns can
have an impact on who they think they are, who they’re bound to become, and the
lives they touch in between.
Amazon:
bit.ly/road2hopebook
Excerpt
Chapter One
~ The Point of Impact
There was no stopping it. In one
moment, Toby had been standing in the front of the small shopping cart,
grinning at his mom as she filled a bag with green beans. In the next, the cart
tipped forward against his weight, sending him head-first toward the checkered
linoleum in the middle of Hal’s Market. The look of terror on her toddler’s
face was etched in Jill’s mind as she saw him tumble from the cart, falling
just far enough away that she knew she’d never reach him in time. But in the eternity
that lay in those few seconds, she made a valiant effort, throwing her arms
forward to catch nothing but air.
Toby’s forehead hit the slick
floor first, the rest of his body crumpling down into his neck, then careening
over his body like a rag doll. Jill reached him and, despite everything she had
ever learned about not moving accident victims, she turned him over to see if
he was okay. She would never forget the look in his eyes. Tearless, they
reached into her, grabbing at her guilt with a firm hold while raking over her
worst fears. Then they lost all recognition.
“Toby,” she breathed. His olive
eyes were fixed on the ceiling, the blank expression frozen on his face. But
then his body relaxed into a deep and shuddering breath, followed by a scream
of pain and terror. His cries were a sweet sound to Jill’s ears. She scooped
her son up and held him tight against her chest.
Jill avoided the stares from the
small crowd forming around her and Toby. She could feel the weight of their
judgment, their unspoken thoughts screaming at her. How could she? What kind of mother lets that happen? She doesn’t
deserve a child. Jill held her sobbing son to her chest, rocking him next
to the green beans and zucchini while trying to pretend the growing crowd
didn’t exist. The two of them sat until his screams subsided into hiccupped
breathing. Then Toby lay his curly blonde head against her shoulder, playing
with a lock of her chestnut hair as he breathed into her sweater. Jill couldn’t
help but see the irony in this—her injured toddler finding safety in the very
person who had let him fall.
Links
Twitter:
@crissilangwell
