Christie Leigh Babirad Explores The Realm Of Loss And Regret In Debut Novel

In literature, it often pays to be daring, which is why when it comes to creating a fictional narrative, author Christie Leigh Babirad is not afraid to put her characters in uncomfortable situations.

“My writing comes from a very personal place,” Babirad said recently. “Whether it’s something I’ve heard or a subject that I’m trying to personally work through, writing is therapy too, so I’ll want to make art out of a difficult situation.”

A difficult situation is exactly where the protagonist in Babirad’s debut novel, “As the Winds Change,” finds herself. The book, which was published early last year, explores the concept of regret through the hope of second chances brought on by an ethereal encounter with a ghost. Set partially on the East End, it tells the story of April Miller, a young woman who is estranged from Johnny, her best friend from childhood. After Johnny is killed in a car accident, April is confronted by his spirit during her drive to work one day, and emotions surface that she thought had been buried long ago.

Babirad explains that she enjoys fiction writing because it allows room for unique storytelling elements, such as a visit from a ghost. Though her novel thrives on the supernatural, this is not a horror story. Rather, it is one that centers on the importance of paying attention to “signs” in one’s life. Also present in the storyline is a strained father/daughter relationship defined by the sort of tension that can arise when an adult child lives at home.

The novel’s primary themes of love, forgiveness, family and complicated relationships are subjects that are very dear to Babirad’s heart. She says she writes with personal experiences in mind and that her work touches on many topics that are taken from her own life.

Back in November, Babirad spoke about the book and her creative process at the Hampton Bays Library, and on Saturday, February 1, she will be at the Westhampton Free Library to talk about “As the Winds Change.”

Though she grew up and still lives in her hometown of North Babylon, Babirad has strong East End connections, thanks to frequent childhood trips to visit family members who lived here. But it was during her time as a writer at Dan’s Papers and Babirad’s experience interviewing celebrities, artists and performers that she first came to understand the “creative force” that defines the East End and just how important music and art is to the area.

She recalls that everyone she interviewed in her job talked about the “ethereal light” to be found here. For Babirad, that light is most dramatic after the summer crowds leave and it is the feel of East End in the fall that inspired the title of her novel. It is also on the East End where the primary conversations between the book’s two main characters — Johnny and April — take place during April’s long commute to and from work in the Hamptons.

Babirad’s own commute to the East End helped inspire the story, she notes, because it is a long enough drive to allow one to reflect on all sorts of important life issues. It is that quiet time in the car that gives April and Johnny sufficient opportunity to revisit their unresolved issues. Also important to Babirad is the alternate views that nature can provide, and in the book she uses the natural environment as a way to help April slow down and gain perspective on life.

“I think I’ve constantly sought open land wherever I could find it, and that’s what the East End provided,” Babirad said, “That feeling of being free — heart, mind, body, and spirit, which also sparked my creativity.”

Though Babirad said she wrote “As the Winds Change” in just three months, the story, which began life as a screenplay, took a decade to write. Now that Babirad has her first novel under her belt, she is no longer afraid that her stories will not come together and now, she has gained the confidence to write other books, including a sequel to her first novel. Titled “Where You Are,” the book will further develop family relationships and love interests that were established in “As the Winds Change.” Currently in editing, she expects the new book to be released sometime this year. In the meantime, “As the Winds Change” is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Audiobook copies are also available on Audible and iTunes.

Christie Leigh Babirad gives an author talk on “As the Winds Change” on Saturday, February 1, at 2:30 p.m. at the Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Avenue, Westhampton Beach. Visit westhamptonlibrary.net for more information.