Lin Christie has always had a bit of a flair for the dramatic, so of course she couldn’t resist bursting into the world on New Year’s Eve. She’s never been one to miss a good party. Her parents, however, were unimpressed by her eagerness. They hoped to score the gifts for the first baby of the New Year instead of the tax deduction. That was the first of many times Lin disappointed them.
Her first published work appeared in crayon on a sliding glass door when she was five. The critics were not kind. Undeterred, she has been writing ever since. In recent years, her works have been published in more reputable sources, including several anthologies.
Like most writers, the grains of stories are found in life experiences. Lin’s worldview and writing are informed by her father’s career in the military. Due to that nomadic life, Lin lived in numerous places in the United States and abroad, the most exotic being Tripoli, Libya. While there, her parents seized the opportunity to expose their children to as much of the culture as was possible. To that end, their first home was a mid-terrace dwelling with modern amenities—although the presence of very small fish in the tap water made it necessary to carry water from the Air Base daily. The Christie clan was not in Kansas any more, although they would be back there soon enough. Between growing up in a military family, weathering both man-made and natural disasters, and surviving over a quarter century of teaching, Lin has plenty of writing fodder.
Lin currently lives in the wilds of Oklahoma with her Chinese Crested Powderpuff, Maggie the Writerdog. She and her sister provide care and support for their mother, a lively octogenarian who has a full social calendar and, sadly, more friends than either of her offspring. A recent retiree, Lin’s motto is “You can’t scare me. I taught high school.” Whether Maggie has a motto is unknown.
Lin Christie 