I had been making notes on possible storylines for my Midlife Moxie novels when I first came up with the idea of the series, since it was important that each story had its own unique conflict and situation that the main character had to deal with.

Nancy Christie – 20 August 2025

The Back Flap

The year Maggie turned sixty, she is hit with a triple whammy of unpleasant and definitely unwanted events: the loss of her job, the ending of her marriage, and the need to find a new place to live. Her move to a small rural community sparks a series of unexpected opportunities and new friendships. But she’s so focused on regaining her financial stability and professional status that she is afraid to make time for a personal life and possibly even a romantic relationship. Can Maggie learn how to create a more balanced life?

About the book

What is the book about?

Moving Maggie is about a woman who prided herself on having a plan for her life and executing on that plan. And for nearly all of the 25 years she and her husband were married, the plan worked for both of them, since they were equally career-driven. But then everything goes awry: she loses her job as head of marketing at a small hospital when it’s bought out by a larger healthcare institution, and her husband, having his own midlife crisis, falls in love with another woman and wants a divorce. As the story progresses, Maggie begins to realize that her single-minded focus on her professional life may have been partly to blame for the demise of her marriage and for her own lack of a support network as she navigates the changes in her life.

When did you start writing the book?

I began drafting notes for the book in 2023 and once my second Midlife Moxie novel, Finding Fran, was in production in 2024, began working on it full time to get it ready for release by May of 2025.

How long did it take you to write it?

All told, it probably took about a year and a half in between working on other books. I turned the manuscript in to BookBaby in January 2025, and the paperback was released in May. I’m a very focused person—not unlike Maggie—and worked on the manuscript each morning from 5 to 7 AM.

Where did you get the idea from?

I had been making notes on possible storylines for my Midlife Moxie novels when I first came up with the idea of the series, since it was important that each story had its own unique conflict and situation that the main character had to deal with. The first novel, Reinventing Rita, was about a 50-year-old woman who was already divorced, while Finding Fran was about a 55-year-old woman in relationship that wasn’t working out and a career that was quickly going wrong as well.

For Moving Maggie, I wanted the character to be facing two major life losses simultaneously: the loss of a marriage through divorce and the loss of her job. The fact that she was 60 years old also resonated with a lot of women I have spoken with who are worried about their own job security when they hit that age.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Initially I had a whole section of the story that involved Maggie’s soon-to-be ex having a heart attack and needing to recuperate at the house that Maggie was renting. However, after writing about six thousand words or so and learning more than I wanted to about cardiac events, I realized this didn’t fit Maggie’s persona at all. It wasn’t natural for her to be a caregiver, even if she still had some feelings for Mike, her husband.

So the heart attack was out, and the storyline had to be redone. But a future book just might benefit from all the research I did!

I also spent a fair bit of time working on the final chapter and debating just how far Maggie would go with her new love interest. I’m happy with how the book ends and I think it’s a better conclusion than some of the ones I originally came up with.

What came easily?

I really understood Maggie because in some ways we are very similar. I’ve always been very organized and am almost obsessive about planning my future, so this is something that Maggie and I share. And, like Maggie, I have had some of my plans go south most unexpectedly. However, that has often led to a better and more interesting turn of events!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

While my characters are for the most part imaginary, there are elements and personality quirks that may be based on people I know or even on myself. The same goes for the plots. As a matter of fact, many women come up to me at my signings and tell me their midlife moxie story, and in the back of my mind I’m thinking, Hmm, I could use that…

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

There are authors who haven’t necessarily influenced how I write but have had an impact on me as a writer and a career author. The Writer On Her Work—Vol 1, edited by Janet Sternburg, spoke to me in a way that made me believe I could be a writer and that I wasn’t alone, that there were other writers who have felt the way I felt about writing.

As for being in the writing profession, Agatha Christie’s autobiography had a huge impact because of her very practical approach to writing as an income source. Until I read that book, I never thought I could make a living as a writer, but she gave me the encouragement I needed.

Do you have a target reader?

My Midlife Moxie novels are written for women 50 and older who are making their way through this next stage of life. Midlife can be exciting yet at the same time it can be a time of major introspection. How you thought life would be when you got to that age is often not at all the way it turns out. I want my novels to be a source of encouragement for women who are asking themselves who they will be in this midlife stage or who may be afraid that it’s too late or that life has passed them by.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I am a pantser with a bit of reverse plotter thrown in. I start writing my fiction with only the barest idea of what the story is about and then as I go on, make notes for future reference, using an Excel spreadsheet, a Word document and endnotes within the manuscript itself. Despite being a pantser, I am very organized!

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No outlines to speak of, although as I think of ideas and characters to integrate into the story, I do make notes so I don’t forget. But I don’t necessarily use them all. It’s more a case of a “brain dump” so I have the ideas ready for me if I need them.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I may do some light editing each morning as I start working on whatever section I’m in. I use the Read-Aloud function to listen to the last 100 words or so and make minor changes. But the real heavy editing takes place once the first full draft is completed and then repeated as the manuscript comes back from my editors with suggestions for improvement.

Did you hire a professional editor? (May skip if being published by a small press rather than self-publishing)

Yes I absolutely use editors! I have two: one to go through the manuscript after the first draft is done, and sometimes, if I’ve made substantial changes, to go through it again. Then a second editor for the final review before I turn the manuscript in.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

No, I need total silence when I’m writing. I need to hear the characters and the rhythm of the words.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No. Although some of my books are traditionally published, I wanted to indie-pub the novels for complete control.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

The driving force was time. I knew when I wanted the novels to come out and didn’t want my schedule set aside because of the publisher’s release dates. Also, I didn’t want to spend months (years?) querying agents, only to have to spend even more time waiting while the agent pitched to publishers. Since I’ve always been self-employed, indie-pubbing was a better fit for me.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

BookBaby handled everything: the cover, formatting, production and distribution. I am a firm believer in having professionals handle the parts of being an author that are not in my wheelhouse. And I have been very happy with my decision.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have a marketing plan that is flexible enough to allow me to adjust it on the fly. I know what I’m good at in terms of promoting my books and focus on those areas, but at the same time, learn from other authors what works for them and adapt their methods to fit me. But there is always room for improvement!

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t put all your attention on finding an agent or deciding how you are going to publish (traditional or self-publishing) or on writing X number of books in X number of months. So often I see posts on social media like the following: “I’ve never written anything before and don’t really know how to write, but can someone give me advice on how to get published/get an agent/sell a ton of books?”

That’s putting the cart before the horse.

Start by learning your craft and becoming the best writer you can be. That means taking courses or reading books on writing or getting feedback (not just compliments!) on your work.

Understand that this is a business and you have to approach it as such. Write the best book you can, use editors to improve it, and be willing to invest both time and money in marketing. Push yourself. Stretch yourself. Always try to be a better writer today than you were yesterday.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in northeast Ohio and am still here!

What would you like readers to know about you?

It really matters to me that I write the kind of stories that readers will enjoy and that I can be proud of. I take writing very seriously—I’ve been writing fiction since I was in second grade!—and want to use my work to connect with people. I am thrilled when someone lets me know they read one of my novels or short stories and it touched them or made them think about life in a different way. That is my goal: to reach others through my work.

What are you working on now?

I am in the early stages of writing my fifth Midlife Moxie novel, Investing in Iris, while making revisions to my fourth, Transforming Tessa, that will come out in 2026. I’m also writing short stories for a new collection but have no firm deadline for that one!

End of Interview:

For more from Nancy Christie visit her website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, TikTok, or two Youtube channels, one for all her books and another focused on the Midlife Moxie novels. You can also check out her podcast here.

Get your copy of Moving Maggie from Amazon US or Amazon UK.