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Christine Reid is a mystery and suspense writer. After graduating from the University of Kent with a BA in American Literature, Christine trained as a secondary English teacher. She has been teaching English at secondary schools for almost 17 years, and literature has always been a central part of her academic, professional and personal life.

Whilst being a full-time teacher and mother, she writes as much as she can in her leisure time. She is currently studying for her Masters in Creative Writing and finds great joy in writing stories and poetry for a wider, public audience.

Christine's working on her first novel, a psychological thriller about a family hiding terrible, unforgivable secrets.

Christine is inspired by nature and her blog recounts a trip to the Outer Hebrides which started her creative writing journey. Check out her blog to find out more!

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Say hello!

I'd love to hear from you. You can email me through the contact form below. You can also connect with me on Instagram.

If you'd like to schedule a school, library, or virtual events, use the contact form below to inquire about availability and rates.

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My genre of writing is contemporary mystery,and suspense. The stories centre around conflict and secrets that often can be destructive and traumatic once revealed. I like to write about characters who are in situations of crisis and face dramatic upheaval. You could say that although my writing contains tragedy, there is catharsis and rebirth, giving hope for the reader. I love the brisk pace and urgency of short stories and novellas, which is my usual choice of form. Similarly, my poems deal with themes of isolation and identity, reflecting on how nature can serve to heal and provide solace from the busy world in which we live.

Selection of Short Stories:

Previews of two of my short stories are shown below.

The Accident

Read the full short story.

The mornings were darker now – winter had arrived cruelly, chilling her bones. Glancing out of the porch, she observed a distant silver light on the horizon, penetrating the overwhelming expanse of sky which dominated the space above. Salt and seaweed filtered the air, its sharp sweetness filling her lungs, providing her with the sustenance she needed to face the day. It was only later that she wished she’d stayed in bed, curling into the warmth of the duvet.

But Maria had been taking Bess out first thing each morning since he had left – she went out before breakfast, before coffee, before thinking. It grounded her. Without the morning freshness, the remainder of the day would unravel. She remembered that disorientating spiral of ruin and never wanted to feel it again. She’d promised herself. Now, it had become a ritual. A superstition, you could say. [...]

What’s Good for Us

Read the full short story.

It’s when I’m driving home from Luke’s that I get the phone call from my husband telling me that Sarah is dying. He is with her, of course. He’s always there, holding her hand. Watching and waiting for her to wake up.

How close I was to ignoring his call. Then what? But I arrive at the hospital just in time to watch our daughter die. I had ten minutes.

The cubicle door seems too small, as if it were a child’s toilet. I’m vulnerable with my legs in view, and when I stand up, my head is exposed. I take some loo roll and wipe my mouth. Red patches blush on each knee, my skirt not quite covering them.

He’s standing in the corridor.

‘Come home, Mel. Please.’ He leans back against the wall; arms behind him as if he were trying to contain them, lest they give away some irreversible emotion. Or action.

‘I can’t, James.’ I say, ‘I won’t.’ [...]

Selection of Poetry:

View 'The Usual Drive Home' and more poems in Layers.

The Usual Drive Home

Now and then, when turning

into our street, the car

swerves like a dog caught on unseen ice.

The smell of petrol hovers, lingering

in the shadow-blue of the pavement.

An echo of

something you somehow can’t

accept.

Those times

not quite awake but

taking on the motions

of life: playing, replaying - trying

to remember the truth.

It prompts you to

take the scenic route

aimlessly exploring the lanes

searching for freedom

but failing to find it.

Instead,

the road

demands

descent.

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When I wrote my last blog entry in March 2022, I was unknowingly about 3 weeks pregnant. Despite the baby brain and pregnancy related distractions, I continued working on my MA and in November 2022 was awarded a Merit. Several competition entries (albeit without winning) made for a great continuation of my writing journey.

I had some time off writing from the MA dissertation submission and gave birth to our gorgeous boy, Luke on 21st October...But with Christmas over and the New Year here, it is time to crack on again!

Beign on maternity leave...there is no excuse, right? So, naptime = industry!

Time to get inspired...

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They say Barra provides all four seasons in one day. They weren't wrong. I walked up the hill in the cloud and rain. When I was at the top, I faced hail and an intense wind. I wedged myself by a huge rock for shelter and enjoyed the view with the invigoration of the weather. I felt alive. More alive than I'd ever felt. And free. And vulnerable. Just...embracing the day and the power that surrounded me. When I walked down towards the deserted beach, the sun came out and the temperatures soared. I spend the next hour in my bikini top and shorts. You can't help but fall in love with the place.

Upon my return to my room, I immediately got writing and reflected on my life - my dreams, my resentments, my rage. The process of recuperation was beginning.

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It was August 2019. I packed up my car and headed over to The Outer Hebrides. Alone. For three weeks. I've always been content in my own company - since being a child. I'd happily play for hours on my own and could pass a whole weekend just reading. Planning a trip away, to the most remote part of the UK, did not worry me one bit. Did I consider taking a friend? Nope.

And what a perfect retreat it was. I have no doubt that this holiday transformed my life completely. The experience was spiritual, almost transcendental. And I started to write...

How could anyone fail to be inspired by the surroundings: the weather, the sky, the sea, the landscape, the solitude. Now I knew what William Wordsworth was going on about when he wrote about the Lake District. His Windermere was my Barra.

I say Barra, but each of the islands are so unique that I couldn't possibly favour one over the other. That would be unfair. Each location, each island, each landscape provided me with a different healing power.

I wouldn't have realised I needed healing at the time, but looking back, I was breaking. My job was making my miserable. I was single and having a disasterous dating experience \"online\", life at home was mundane. I'd just completed twelve weeks counselling for anxiety and stress, but I still had no direction. No reward. I needed sanctuary.

This trip was just supposed to be about peace and quiet. But it was far from it. It allowed me to face my demons and finally find peace.

This photo shows Day 1 on my trip...Sitting in a room I'd rented, a 'wee dram' and my notebooks. Writing started.

Only weeks after my return home, I met the love of my life and resigned from my position as Head of English. I applied to start my Masters in Creative Writing and...it was all down to this trip.

Keep up with my blog and I'll reveal how...

","title":"Where did my writing journey begin? "},"assets":{"coverPhoto":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/wild-ink-pages-prod.appspot.com/o/user-content%2F-MbO0AgVFI-8xSjoSsvI%2FIMG-6086_1647017136502.jpg?alt=media&token=c5c8cd45-91c8-481c-bda2-4bd618941101"},"schedule":{"publishDate":"2022-03-12T12:00:00.000Z"},"id":"7k8Z5W1mlrW9DjdbGkjj1"},{"about":{"content":"

A few months back, I decided to enter a competition with my short story 'What's Good for Us'. I know htat if I want to build up a portfolio, I need to get my work out there. The Grindstone competition seemed a suitable place to start but I never expected to have my story longlisted and it will soon be published in their anthology. Exciting. It have given me much confidence to keep entering competitions. You can read the story in My Writing tab...

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At tellus at urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id. Tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac. Viverra ipsum nunc aliquet bibendum enim. Et tortor consequat id porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis. Tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam. Sed arcu non odio euismod lacinia at quis.

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For speaking engagements, NAME is exclusively represented by The Literary Agency.\n

To inquire about having NAME speak at your event, please contact NAME, JOB TITLE at The Literary Agency at NAME@email.com.

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For literary rights inquiries, please contact NAME of The Agency at NAME@email.com.\n

For all other inquiries, please contact NAME of The Agency at NAME@email.com\">NAME@email.com.

For speaking engagements, NAME is exclusively represented by The Literary Agency.\n

To inquire about having NAME speak at your event, please contact NAME, JOB TITLE at The Literary Agency at NAME@email.com.

For film and television rights, NAME is represented by NAME at Agency. Please contact NAME at NAME@email.com.

For literary rights inquiries, please contact NAME of The Agency at NAME@email.com.\n

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