An Interview with Christine Roberts

Artist Interview
Written By MilspoFAN

If fate is giving you all the signs, Army-spouse/romance novelist Christine Roberts advises that we listen to those signs. Seven novels behind her and nearly a dozen in the works, is all the proof anyone needs to know that Christine has found her calling.

MilspoFAN: Tell us a little about yourself, your journey as a military spouse, and where you are today.

Christine: When I was 12 years old, I came up with a list. I’m big on lists. Even today, I love lists. To do lists, reading lists, grocery lists … but this list was a list of all the qualities of my “ideal man.” Of course, when you’re a 12-year-old girl, your “ideal man” is a high school guy, not an actual man. On this list were things I thought were of primary importance. Here’s the list:

  1. He had to be taller than me.

  2. He had to have blond hair and blue eyes, so our kids at least had a one in four shot of being blond and blue-eyed.

  3. He could NOT, under any circumstances, be in the military!

  4. He could never ask me to move back to Florida.

  5. He had to be able to sing.

I could nearly hear God snickering while I wrote up my list with my erasable scented colored pen in my Trapper Keeper. Because that same year, I met my best friend. He was 14 and a half (so totally “man” status to my 12-year-old self!) and was in high school. I mean, can you say, practically a demi-god. He was sweet. Compassionate. And he teased me ruthlessly like any big brother should (I am the oldest sibling, so he nominated himself for the position.) I hated him. But I loved him. I told him all my secrets, and he kept them. He told me his, and I’ve never breathed a word. He joined the Army at 17 to get help paying for college, and I sent him letters. We stayed friends throughout high school and college. And one day, it hit me. Actually, it was my college roommate who hit me with her pillow when I said aloud, “You know, I hope whomever I marry will understand that I have to talk to him every day. He’s my best friend.” To which she, like all good besties do, rolled her eyes at me. Because it was obvious to everyone, but us. We were a match. Fated to be from the first day I took the empty seat next to him on Mrs. Hall’s school bus my eighth grade year of school. In March following my college graduation, I became an Army wife to a dark-haired, brown-eyed man who was shorter than me and couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. (Hence, God’s laughter.) Two weeks after our wedding, he was deployed. We built our marriage like most couples in the Army did at that tense time: over Skype, on mid-tour leave and with hard work and commitment.

MilspoFAN: How did you become a writer?

Christine: I’ve always loved writing. Even when I was very small — too small to hold a pencil — I was creating stories and acting them out with dolls and imaginary friends. I was the kid in class who couldn’t wait for the composition assignments. My first job out of university was a newspaper journalist, so I suppose you could say, I have always been a writer. But my first novel was written more as an exercise to stave off loneliness while my husband was deployed. I have always loved reading — especially a good romance. But I wanted more than just the happily ever after. I wanted some action and adventure, too. So I started writing one drawing from my experiences as an Army wife. It started out just as a few scenes with an imaginary couple. Then it grew and grew until I had written three full novels. I polished them up during the COVID-19 lockdowns and reached out to a publishing service company. Six novels later … here we are.

MilspoFAN: Describe for us your creative process and how that influences what you write.

Christine: In the world of writing, there are two kinds of people: plotters and pantsers. Pantsers have a very loose vision of their story and characters and essentially write the story, flying by the seat of their pants (hence, the moniker.) Those people astound me. Which is enough of a statement to determine, I fall into the other camp. Heck, I picked the campsite and pitched my tent there. I plot out the adventure my characters will go on in great detail. I don’t go so far as spreadsheets like some do, but they’re pretty well thought out before I start the first draft. After that, I craft the vision of who will star in the drama as the narrative unlocks in my head. I work every day. Some days, I create new words and scenes, some days I revise and edit, plot out new stories or research ideas. But every day, I spend some time working my craft.

MilspoFAN: How has your role as a military spouse impacted your work as a writer- creatively, logistically, or otherwise?

Christine: My now retired Army CSM husband is still my best friend, but he’s also my military advisor. The books I’ve released thus far focus on a small Army Special Forces unit nicknamed “The Heathen Brotherhood.” Their adventures are the backbone of all the stories I create. So having a good military advisor who has served in combat for many years is not only an inspiration, but my motivation as well. I strive to be as authentic to the work these men and women do every day. Of course, I get to take a little editorial license because, let’s face it, sometimes the real world doesn’t work out “happily ever after,” and that’s sort of my stock and trade. But for the most part, I want the language, the dialogue, the scenarios to be as close to the experiences and sacrifices they make on the daily. I have a few fellas who served as operators who fill me in on little inside jokes and pranks which helps me give depth to my characters that readers have said make them feel more like friends than fictional people. Lots of my Army wife friends said that reading the dialogue sounds like their husband — I take that as a huge compliment. Being an Army wife has made me the writer I am today. There’s no doubt about that.


MilspoFAN: What’s next for you?

Christine: For the first few years of writing, building my backlist was my primary focus. I think I’ve achieved what I set out to do (seven books in three years), but over the next few years, I’d like to meet more of my readers and focus on creating new characters outside of The Heathen Brotherhood. I fully intend to keep writing for the foreseeable future. I’m currently working on 22 different novels. Some are about The Heathen Brotherhood, and some are action-adventure novels about other non-military-based characters. But they’re all romance with just enough spice to keep things interesting.

MilspoFAN: What is the most practical piece of advice that you would give to other artists?

Christine: Writers write. All the time. Every day. Somedays, it’s a single phrase or a sentence, a line of dialogue. Somedays, it’s an entire scene or two. I always try to encourage writers to just write. Don’t wait for “inspiration” or for your muse to appear. That’s like waiting until you have enough money to get married. It’s never going to happen. So just go for it. Write that book and don’t be afraid to share it with people. If you enjoy it, chances are there are thousands who will enjoy it, too. Perhaps what you write will be complete crap, who cares? I write plenty that never makes it to final publication. That’s what the editing process is for. Just write. Get the story out. Create the characters, build the world you want where you want to dwell. Be brave.

MilspoFAN
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