Meet one of our Knight Authors: Christinne Gray ’00 ’02MS

Tell us a little about yourself!

I love to read and to write about a wide variety of topics. Publishing my first novel was a wonderful achievement and a lot more work than I thought it would be. I love to cook and use one of my YouTube channels to demonstrate the possibilities of cooking with a disability. That’s where the inspiration for my first cookbook, Cooking with Ease: Your Guide to Cooking with a Disability, came from because a lot of people believed that I could not cook because I have a disability but that is not true at all. I look forward to publishing my second novel very soon!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was working and writing articles in my spare time about topics that were important to me and I started a blog that led to other writing and speaking opportunities. I’d thought about writing a novel many years ago until finally earlier this year I decided it was time to write my first novel.

What’s your writing process? What inspires your writing?

While some start with a character profile and build from there, I tend to get a strong idea for the story and then develop the characters. My writing comes from seeing real life situations happen to others and I then fictionalize events to use as an avenue to create a message for the reader. It has been interesting to me to hear the different messages the readers tell me they get from the book.

What was the biggest thing you learned during your time as a Knight that you apply to your life today?

Perseverance.

What was a class or club at UCF that helped you grow as a writer?

Legal Research.

Who are some of your favorite authors or books?

Power of A Woman by Barbara Taylor Bradford and The Whistler by John Grisham.

If UCF had a time machine, what moment on campus would you go back to?

My master’s degree graduation ceremony.

If your UCF experience were a meme, what would it be?

Flexing body builder.

Anything else?! What are you currently working on right now?

I am looking forward to publishing a Christmas novel very soon! I am also working on the second installment of the Jordan Newcastle saga which begins in Mandated Renaissance.