Christina Schepker- Pikul (Christina Lynne pen name)

About the Author:
My name is Christina, and I am the author of the books 13 Miles North, and Cecil’s Story.

I have always enjoyed spinning a tale! I have also always enjoyed trying to put that tale on paper. In high school, and junior high, I very much enjoyed my English classes! My sophomore year, I had a wonderful teacher who encouraged me to get published. Unfortunately, I was not driven enough to act upon it at that age.

As an adult, the reality of life set in. That is that we do whatever is needed to pay the bills, and we rarely get to do that “dream job” we always thought we would as children dreaming of what adulthood would be like. I tried going to college for Graphics Design right after graduating, and failed miserably due to many reasons.

I fell back on the work I had been doing since 16, telephone work - telemarketing, surveys, collections, customer service, supervisor , mentor, call center quality- you name it, and I have done it in that line of work.

I bounced from job to job until, in my thirties, a wonderful manager noticed that I was not using my full potential. From there I went to a career fair, and landed myself in college for the second time. This time I went with something logical, not something I loved, Business Administration. I succeeded in obtaining my degree in just under 3 years while working close to full time and being a wife.

From there I landed the best job I have ever had! I got a management job in the financial industry!

Now comes the sad part of the story. Enter some of the plot of 13 Miles North.
I ended up divorced due to what we have come to call irreconcilable differences, shortly after college graduation. I moved away from the farm I loved and into town, and the job I prized so much closed its doors. The final straw was when I lost my best friend of 20 years to Cancer.
I fell into a very deep depression, and felt guilty and ashamed over leaving the life I had worked so hard to craft, behind. The writer’s block which had been building since joining corporate America became insurmountable.

This lasted several years. I missed my previous life, and spent large amounts of time mourning it, despite having a wonderful new husband, and an extremely supportive family; I just couldn’t get past the grief, guilt, and shame.
Enter faith and spirituality!

I wandered into a shop on Main Street one day, and met a woman who would change my life without even knowing it. I had gone into her store just to find some gifts, and she could sense my heaviness. I ended up telling her the entire story. We became friends, and she made some suggestions. I have always been a Christian, and listened with some level of wariness. Eventually, I found myself doing a Chakra Cleanse with another member of The Good Vibe Tribe.
On that day, I began to heal. I have remained close to the woman who changed my life that day. I have also remained connected to The Good Vibe Tribe. I found that spirituality, and Christianity can go hand in hand.

An idea had been kicking around in my head for quite some time, and I had even started to write it down a couple of times. Then, something magically clicked. With the help of my husband, and encouragement of my family, as well as my Tribe, 13 Miles North was born.
It turned my “Mess into a MESSAGE”.

13 Miles North is dedicated to my best friend. It is loosely based on some of the events above. It was my way to let go of the hurt and pain involved in those unfortunate events.
It was my way of making sense of it all.

It was originally published in paperback form on the 7th Anniversary of the death of my dear Best Friend.

Since then, I have done several events promoting my book, including my most successful, put on by Good Vibe Tribe. I have several books consigned, and the eBook is available on several platforms. The book has done well; however, I am always looking for new ways to make it more widely known.

Not only did 13 Miles North break through my writer’s block, but it gave me back my sense of SELF! It gave me hope for a future where someday I will not have to continue to work under someone else in corporate America!

13 Miles North opened the flood gates for my writing! Once I finished I could not stop! Many readers had wanted to hear more about Cecil, so I decided to write a short story about him. That short story turned into another book. There is also a third book that is loosely outlined which will be a sequel to 13 Miles North.

If you are someone who has been through a series of unfortunate events, which made you feel like your world was coming to an end, these books are for you!

I wrote it how I speak, so if you are looking for a long book with a lot of big words, these books ARE NOT for you. They are fairly short, and easy to comprehend.

The twists within the books are the real surprise of the story.

13 Miles North can be found at any of the locations on the link below, as well as on eBay, and Lulu.com

https://books2read.com/u/4jpwLj

I will even get a signed copy to you if you contact me directly.

If you are interested, please follow me on Facebook or Instagram at Christina Lynne Writes.
I also head up an author group on Facebook called Author Advice and Insights, where I welcome all authors of any level, or any other interested parties

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.