About…

by Christine Betts
The author is standing on Pont Neuf in Paris with Notre Dame de Paris across the river in the background.

Christine Betts writes novels about women, love, and loss, award-winning short stories about sisters and Bali, and lost girls, and blogs about creativity, travel, and the inner life. A firm believer that writers will save humanity, she writes daily and passionately encourages everyone around her to join in.

Christine trained in education and the arts and has worked as a giftware designer, commercial artist, brand manager for the Slim Aarons prints in Australia and art seller. She is the speaker liaison for the Gold Coast Writers’ Association and facilitates the popular Write and Sip fundraising events. She lives on Bundjalung country with her family and her cats.

AWARDS

  • Winner – The Art of the Title Competition with Jane O’Connell, SelfPubCon, 2023
  • Winner – 2023 Gold Coast Writers’ Association Andrew McDermott Annual Achievement Award
  • Fancy Meeting You Here – Honorable Mention – Queensland Writers Centre RightLeftWrite competition, August 2022
  • A Tale of Twin Towns – Published – Eastern Regional Library (Vic) Anthology Tales of the Pandemic
  • Death of a Show Princess, Shortlisted for the Scarlet Stiletto Awards (Highly Commended)
  • How I Got this Tattoo, Winner – The Tasmanian Writers Prize for 2022
  • Southbank, Shortlisted -the Brisbane Writers Festival First Date at Southbank competition
  • Delete World – Published (co-authored) Rainforest Writing Retreat Anthology 2022
  • Tough Crowd, Winner – Queensland Writers Centre RightLeftWrite competition, November 2021
  • Undetected, Published (co-authored) Rainforest Writing Retreat Anthology 2021 available here 
Photo by Steph Laverie

Events, Interviews and In Conversation Events

May 2021 to May 2023 – Newsletter Editor for the Gold Coast Writers’ Association

May 2023 – present – Speaker Liaison Gold Coast Writers’ Association

July 2022 to Present – Host and facilitator of the popular Write and Sip fundraising events for the GCWA

2022 and 2023 – Judge and Patron of the GCWA Short Story Competition

June 2023 – Presenter Rainforest Writing Retreat – Write What You Love

July 2022 – In Conversation with Clare Fletcher Five Bush Weddings at Richmond-Tweed Library, Tweed Heads

March 2023 –In Conversation with Nikki Mottram Crow’s Nest at Richmond-Tweed Library, Kingscliff

August 2023 – In Conversation with Clare Fletcher Love Match at Richmond-Tweed Library, Tweed Heads

November 2023 – In Conversation with Sonya Leeding Blue Widow at Gold Coast Libraries, Southport

February 2024 – In Conversation with Michelle Upton Emergency Exit Only at Gold Coast Libraries, Elanora.

March 2024 – In Conversation with Dinuka McKenzie Tipping Point at Richmond Tweed Libraries, Tweed Heads.

Christine would like to acknowledge the original storytellers and Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers, the Yugambeh people and family groups within and the Bundjalung people and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Two women (Australian author Clare Fletcher and Christine Betts) sit on stools in the Tweed Heads library. Clare is laughing at something I said which makes my heart sing. Copies of Clare's books sit on the table behind us.
Australian author Clare Fletcher laughing at something I said which makes my heart sing.

Media

Christine’s long-time internet handle, WriterPainter, is also the name of her blog on creativity, writing, art, meditation, and potential. She believes everyone is creative, and it is through our act of creating that we find our purpose and meaning in life.

You can read an interview with me on the wonderful website But You Are In France Madame.

I had the fortune of being interviewed on La Vie Creative with Krystal Kenney recently. We talked about creativity, about Paris, about self-actualisation through meditation and creative work and much more. I love love love talking about these thing

You can listen to me swoon about all things French on Loulabelle’s Francofiles podcast.

The new cover of my book Alia Henry and the Ghost Writer. The pink cover shows a shadowy mansion in the background and a young woman with flowing dark hair approaches the house. A full moon hovers overhead.

Review: If you’re like me you can use a bit of an escape these days. Take a look at Christine Betts’ new novel, Alia Henry and the Ghost Writer. I was honored to be able to read an advance copy and I have to tell you I loved it! Plunging into life in an old chateau in the Loire Valley, the lives of these interesting characters and a captivating mystery was the perfect antidote to today’s messy state of affairs. Lady Thalia Henry, spoiled heiress, social media star and wild child is “imprisoned” in a battered and warn Loire Valley chateau in the midst of a renovation and finds herself undergoing a personal renovation of her own. Forced to honor a writing commitment she embarks on nightly time travels, a la Midnight in Paris. Are these dreams? Are they ghost stories? Whatever they are they are lovely and soul changing. So well written, this book was so delicious I was sorry for it to end. 5 Stars – Katherine Watt

The cover of Christine's book Hotel Deja Vu. It shows the Eiffel Tower with a gold key on a red ribbon looping around it.

Her first novel Hotel Déjà vu (Time Step Press, 2018) encompasses her obsessions: Paris, art, time travel and strong female characters. Edith Piaf may have had no regrets, but those who make their way to the Hotel Déjà vu seem to have a few.

‘If you love Paris, read this book!’

~Danielle Rodriguez

Christine can sometimes be found beside a pool with book and a cocktail. She is a work in progress. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram by searching @ParisTimeTravel or @writerpainter

The author as a young woman standing in front of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Paris.
loving Paris since 1994

come over and say hi…