Starting fresh
Well, hello there, new space of the internet!
I’m finally caving to my curiosity to join the ranks on Substack and see how it feels. I’ve been following a few people here, and I love how simple and inviting the reading experience is. Plus, a few friends of mine have recommended writing here.
Lately, I’ve been feeling allergic to the clutter of Medium, the stress and chaos of social media, and the lack of viewership on my own personal blog. So here I am.
I know what you’re wondering. Who the heck are you?
My name is Crissi Langwell, and I’ve been a writer almost as long as I’ve been a reader (4 year old, if you’re asking). I started publishing books almost 10 years ago, and had this once lofty dream of being able to quit my day job while my books supported my family.
Fast forward to now, I’m still working full time (but at a job I love), and writing feels so much harder than it used to.
That said, I’ve published 12 books over the past 10 years, and am working on a 3-book series I plan to roll out over the next 2. And after that, I quit.
Kidding. Sort of. Whenever I publish a book and don’t have the next one in the works, I wonder if that will be my last one. So far, it hasn’t rang true. We’ll see when it does.
For now, I’m still plugging away—albeit slowly (as in, I took the month of December off completely).
Along with being a writer, I’m an avid reader. I mostly read romance, since that’s what I write, but I also love magical realism, fantasy, women’s fiction, literary, dystopian, and some suspense/thriller. My favorite authors are LJ Shen (romance), Sarah J. Maas (fantasy), and Sarah Addison Allen (magical realism).
I’m a reformed plant killer (thanks, pandemic) and now have so many plants because they make me happy. I’m obsessed with my Maine coon cat, Cleo, who will likely be the star of this space. I’m a mom to three young adult kids, ages 21-27 (and only one left in the nest). I’m hopelessly in love with my husband, Shawn.
I am on the board of my local writing chapter, Redwood Writers, where I have my hands in way too many things (and plan to offload some of those things in 2023 in favor of writing).
And I’m here, ready to meet all of you.
Love,
Crissi Langwell
What I’m reading:
Like I said above, LJ Shen is one of my favorites, every since I discovered her Boston Belles series. The most recent best book I’ve read of hers was The Devil Wears Black. Actually, I listened to it on my afternoon walks, and let me tell you, it got me walking! The story was great, the actors were incredible. It was so good, I immediately picked up her audiobook, The Kiss Thief, which did not gave me the same feelings. The actors were awful, which distracted me from the story. But once I switched back to Kindle, The Kiss Thief was better.
My parents gave me Other Birds for my birthday, and it was sweet and cute. Not my favorite of Sarah Addison Allen’s, but still a cozy and pleasant read.
I’m currently in the middle of Atomic Habits, and it is exactly what I needed to read while figuring out what this next year is going to look like. If you’re late to the game on this one like I was, but you’re curious, just go buy the damn book. It’s worth all the hype.
Hugh Howey is my idol, in that he self-published his Wool series (dystopian) while working in a bookstore, and now travels the world by sailboat while writing for a living. I love the Wool series. With Sand, I’m still figuring out if I like it or not. Stay tuned.
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What I’m listening to:
When I write, I’m listening to music. Last year, it was all about indie folk. This year, it’s vapor soul, which is basically chilled out electronic music. I have many favorite songs, but the ones above are always on repeat.
Below is the playlist I’ve been listening to all week.
My Cat
Just because I can’t handle how stinking cute she is.
That’s all for now! Have a great week!