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Lovettsville author's debut novel places second in contest
Christyna Hunter never intended to have a career in writing.
Born with a mild form of cerebral palsy, the Lovettsville resident found school challenging until the age of 9, when she learned to type.
By sixth grade, Hunter was winning writing awards. Now, at 33, her debut novel has placed in a national writing competition.
Hunter's book “The Butterfly's Dance” recently placed second in the romance category for the 2007 Reader Views Literary Awards contest.
“The Butterfly's Dance” tells the story of Kayla, a 30-year-old woman who has been wheelchair-bound since the age of 12, when a car accident caused her to lose the use of her legs.
In the book, Kayla meets Jordan when he brings his ill nephew to her for help. The two fall in love with each other. When Kayla learns there could be a way that she could get the use of her legs back, she realizes it could change her relationship with Jordan, a love she never expected to find.
Hunter said she never read romance novels until a friend introduced them to her while they were in college at George Mason University in the 1990s. When that friend moved away, they kept in touch by e-mail, and often would write short stories back and forth.
One day in 1998, Hunter sent her friend a rather long story she had typed, and her friend told her she should develop it into a book.
“It kind of hit me, and I thought, 'Oh that would be nice,'” said Hunter, who majored in psychology.
That e-mail was the very first draft of the beginning of “The Butterfly's Dance.”
Hunter said the book isn't specifically autobiographical, but it is loosely inspired by the experiences she has had growing up with a disability.
Hunter said that winning the Reader Views award is very exciting for her because she has had the story with her for 10 years. That it's still new to other people is enjoyable for her.
“I'm always happy that there's still interest in it,” she said.
When asked how she would encourage readers who are not necessarily fans of the romance genre, Hunter said that she's not a fan of the use of categories in anything.
“As someone who was always put in a category as a young child – I was either too disabled or not disabled enough – I would say let the story speak for itself,” she said.
In addition to “The Butterfly's Dance,” Hunter has had more than a dozen nonfiction articles published.
She plans to publish more novels when she gets time in her busy schedule as an employee of the Loudoun County Library system and a volunteer for Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve.
“I have several partially written novels sitting on my computer that are waiting for my attention,” she said.
“The Butterfly's Dance” can be purchased at www.wastelandpress.net and at online and local bookstores.
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