We recently connected with Christina Consolino and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Honestly, I have two projects that vie for most meaningful, and they are related.
First is my second novel, THE WEIGHT WE CARRY, which focuses on family medical crises that occur before a dementia diagnosis. The book gives an inside look at what adult children who are part of the sandwich generation grapple with in terms of balancing responsibilities for their parents with responsibilities for their own families. It also serves to paint a portrait of what one family’s caregiving journey looked like. My intent in writing the book was to provide an authentic look at what can happen before and after a dementia diagnosis. The story features characters that don’t accept a diagnosis with grace and poise and a timeline that shows even getting to the diagnosis stage can be an arduous journey. The story also emphasizes that denial can run so deep in some folks—either those living with the disease or the loved ones taking care of them—that they never accept their new lives or the future that is to come.
The story is inspired by my own experiences with my parents and an eventual diagnosis of Alzheimer’s for my mother, who passed away in October 2022.
The second project came to fruition because my mother, who loved to write anything and to read romance novels, never had the support (or confidence or opportunity or whatever) to follow through on writing and publishing. About a year before she passed, I decided to finish a romance novel I’d pushed to the back corner of my computer and publish it. I took on a pen name (Keely Stephens) and just had fun writing—something I knew Mom would have loved to do. I finished the first book in the series before Mom passed away, and I just released the last in the three-book series.
All of my writing will forever be tied to my mother because she instilled a love of reading and writing in me. I hope to do the same for someone else.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I pursued a PhD in physiology with the intent of becoming a researcher, mainly in musculoskeletal physiology. However, a few years into my training, I taught a lab course at the local community college, and I was hooked. I never intended to solely teach, but when we moved to Ohio due to my husband’s job, finding an adjunct position at the community college made sense. So for the most part, I’ve been a teacher. I no longer teach at the college level; instead, I do home instruction for our local school district, helping students who have medical conditions or behavior issues that keep them out of the standard classroom. I also teach students who just need some extra help. I never envisioned myself as a teacher, but I can’t stay away from it!
The teaching side of things doesn’t feed my creative brain in the way my body requires, so I also write and edit. Freelance editing has allowed me to meet some interesting clients whose projects keep me engaged and help me learn. I especially like working with education consulting companies because I’m able to combine the two passions—education and editing. In the editing arena, I love to proofread. For some reason, grammar and punctuation mistakes often jump out at me. Making sure the proper punctuation is used makes me ridiculously happy!
Editing does not, however, rid my brain of the characters who talk to me—sometimes incessantly—and that’s why I write stories. My books are works of contemporary fiction that often feature a mental or physical health issue. Even my romance novels (written under Keely Stephens), which always have a happily ever after and love at their core, dig into different issues. Dementia, PTSD, menopause, anxiety, low libido, and low self-esteem—all of those have popped up in my writing. And I’m pretty sure it’s because, at heart, I’m a natural born educator. I hope readers walk away from my novels having enjoyed and learned from the story.
Some folks might wonder which personal goal spans teaching, editing, and writing, and I’ve thought a lot about it. Whether I’m in the classroom, talking to a potential editing client, or in the throes of novel revision, my goal is to be authentic. I don’t know everything about every subject, but my students know I give 110 percent to them, and if I’m not sure about something, I’ll find an answer from someone more knowledgeable. I can’t catch all the mistakes, but I’ll do my best to miss as few as I can. I haven’t topped the best-seller lists with my books, but my books represent me and my interests, and they have a lot to offer readers. When I’m teaching, editing, or writing, what you see is what you get, and I’m proud of that.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I was raised by a mother who, for many reasons I cannot get into, was afraid. Afraid to speak up. Afraid to go out on a limb. Afraid to fail. Afraid to succeed. As supportive as my mother was of what I wanted to do, I learned more from her actions—and inactions—than by her words.
What would happen if I applied to medical school? What would happen if I wrote a book? What would happen if I drove cross-country? Mom encouraged me to do all of the above, and yet, my answers to those questions were all negative: I might not get in; I might not find a literary agent; I might get lost. My responses, like my mother’s, were often based in fear.
Let me tell you this: I did get into medical school (and ultimately decided not to go). I didn’t find a literary agent (because I quit looking—publishing with a small press was a better option for me, my family, and my stories). I drove cross-country—with my fearful mother—and we had what she always said was “the best vacation of her life.”
It took me far too long to realize that I could not let fear control me, and it took even longer to unlearn the reflex response of always jumping to the negative.
But I did. And now, every time I contemplate doing (or not doing) something, I ask myself, why are you doing this or what is holding you back? If even an iota of fear is involved in the decision-making process, I step back, take time to assess, and really think about where to go and what to do. It’s a time in which I need to really be honest with myself, hold myself accountable. It’s hard to do, but in the end, it’s worth it.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
My answer might sound trite, but honestly, when a reader smiles and says, “I loved your story,” a flutter starts in my chest and warmth spreads throughout my body. Not everyone will enjoy my work, but knowing that something I created touched someone in someway is one of the greatest joys I’ve experienced.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://christinaconsolino.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmconsolino/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaConsolino/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-consolino/
- Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3859078.Christina_Consolino
Image Credits
Christina Consolino