Christine Naman was born on a wintery February day in 1964 to father Frank and mother Angie. They were great parents always and because of them she had the privilege of being able to witness what a good marriage should look like. She was the youngest of three children, so she fell into a pretty good spot from the start being the only girl and the doted on last baby. She had two exceptionally super brothers who she spent her childhood chasing after, idolizing while begging to be included in their adventures. This only occasionally happened. Mostly, she spent her time feeling grateful to just be allowed to watch.
Her strong, well-read father led by good example. But just like a lot of children, Christine never realized until she was older that her mother was the rock and the rockstar of the family. As a child, she always knew that her mother was hardworking, kind, and caring. But it wasn’t until she grew, did she realize the intelligence and wisdom that her mother had blessed her family with.
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she had a traditional childhood with the average amount of bumps. Brought up in an Italian, Catholic home full of traditions, there was Mass on Sundays, Christmas Eve fish feasts, and trips to the Dairy Queen on special occasions.
Shy, sensitive, and hesitant to express her feelings outwardly, Christine took to writing. With her first story telling the tale of a chipmunk that lived under the porch of the family’s home. Her father said that he liked it, and that was all she needed.
Christine has the absolute blessing of being married to the one true love of her life; her husband Peter who she met on a blind date. Saying instantly, “I think I am going to marry this guy.” Peter’s understanding, kindness, and love keeps her grounded and sane. Because Christine, who lives life with her heart on her sleeve and feeling every emotion amplified, she needs a steady partner.
Together Peter and Christine enjoy movies, dinners out, travelling when time and money permit, and long car rides. Christine’s favorite hour of every week is Saturday morning breakfast with Peter where she talks and talks and talks so much that she is surprised that Peter’s ears haven’t fallen off yet. She worries that Peter’s favorite hour of the week is the hour after Saturday morning breakfast where Christine leaves him alone to be in peace. Christine also wonders what it feels like to be Peter, knowing that he is someone’s favorite thing in the entire world. So much so, that someone else’s heart beats a little faster and they get butterflies in their stomach when he shows up. Peter dutifully reads every word that Christine writes, which has him being pretty much a martyr. He corrects all of the misplaced and misused periods, commas, colons, and semicolons. And there are many, because Christine seldom knows how to use these helpers. Especially the colons and semi colons, which she still finds fascinating.
Christine has been blessed with three amazing children. Jason, her oldest, the guy who made her a mother and is a smart, hardworking, caring son. Natalie, her girl in the middle is a brilliant, funny, quirky, part daughter part girlfriend. And Trevor, forever her baby, is intelligent and more mature beyond his years. He is a solid, kind, and always there for his mother type of son. Even with all of the stumbles that her children have encountered, and there have been many, Christine considers her children the best things that ever happened to her and her greatest accomplishments.
Collectively, her children support her writing efforts with encouraging words and with very much needed technical support. This is because Christine is the equivalent of a dumb monkey (sorry to all monkeys) on a computer, convinced that everything that she just wrote is gone because she just pressed the incorrect button causing it to disappear. When this happens, she wails for her children who yell back that it is never gone, run to her rescue, press magical keys, and make her words reappear.
Christine earned a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and a masters degree in Health Education. She taught Preschool and Kindergarten for ten years where she had the privilege of watching precious children grow and learn. She still remembers their names and thinks of them fondly.
In addition to her writing, which she does early mornings in her favorite coffee shops while eating sunny side up eggs and drinking gallons of tea with cream and sweetener, she passes her time crocheting, painting, and volunteering at her local hospital. The crocheting and painting she does very poorly, having discovered that she is excruciatingly talentless. But the volunteering she hopes she does pretty well. She would like to say that she eats well and exercises often because that always looks good in a bio. But the Catholic girl in her doesn’t like to lie.
Christine’s first book Caterpillar Kisses was a collection of short stories about her adventures teaching young children. Her next works were a series of books; Faces of Hope, Faces of Hope: Ten Years Later, and Faces of Hope at Eighteen. These were chronicles of fifty children, one from each of the fifty states, who were born on September 11, 2001. The idea for these hopeful and inspiring coffee table books were born when her son Trevor was, with Christine having given birth to him on the morning of 9/11. The Faces of Hope series has been donated to the archives of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York city. Her other writings include: The Novena; a work of fiction about a young woman’s journey to feel closer to and understand her mother who had passed away. The Believers; a story about the unlikely friendship between a young boy and his elderly neighbor. And Christmas Lights; an inspirational, tug at the heart, holiday story.
Christine considers her book About Natalie to be her very best work to date. About Natalie is the true story of what it is like for Christine to deal with the emotions of being the mother of an addict. She writes of her experiences and most of all her feelings. In the book, Natalie intermittently gives the reader a peek into her side of the story by providing poetry throughout the book.
Christine believes that you cannot always decide where you will be, but that you can commit yourself to thriving and blooming where you are. Admittedly, Christine has found herself in a place that she never thought that would be, experiencing things and meeting people she never thought she would, and having feelings she never expected. She has decided that while she is there, she should be of use and attempt to be a part of the solution. Christine prays that About Natalie will be her make-a-difference book, her important story to tell, and the book that will help others heal and know that they are not alone.
Christine has had her work widely rejected by pretty much every publisher, big and small, in the universe. She vows to, when she becomes an International Best Seller, send copies to all of them showing what they passed up. She will do this in a nice way of course.
Christine writes because she has to; having way too many thoughts and emotions to hold inside. She finds the process frustrating and difficult when it is not going well, and therapeutic and glorious when it is going well. Christine is constantly writing. If not in front of her computer, then on paper with a pen or in her head while walking around the block, driving, or when she is supposed to be sleeping.
Christine is grateful to all of her readers, especially thanking those who don’t actually have to read her writing because they are not married to her, or born to her. Strangers who quickly become friends. It is her dream to hear from all of them.