West Sussex author releases feel-good contemporary romance

The hope is that it will also come out in print in the future.

Gina, aged 39, said: “The setting of the book is a fictional village near York – where I originate. I wanted to bring the Yorkshire countryside and its people alive in the story, and some of my favourite scenes to write were the light-hearted ones, which featured the villagers.

“As I live in a village myself – Findon – I appreciate the tight-knit community and the friendliness of the residents, and wanted to bring both these elements into the book.

“It actually took two years from starting to write Little Village of Second Chances (I originally called it A Family for The Hero) and getting it published. Over that time, it changed a lot as I worked very closely with an editor and a proof-reader to make it the best it could be.

“I also ended up taking quite a lot of the more hard-hitting scenes out, to achieve a good balance between light and shade. The end result is a feel-good contemporary romance, but one which isn’t shy to talk about some difficult subjects.

“Ultimately, I wanted to show that whatever has happened to you in your life, there’s always hope for a fresh – and happy – start.

“There is a whole team of people behind getting a book published, and the writing is only the beginning. I’m very grateful to my friends, proof-reader, editor, cover artist and publisher for all their enthusiasm and energy in preparing Little Village of Second Chances for release. It wouldn’t have happened without all their hard work and commitment.

“I hope Little Village of Second Chances will appeal to readers as it is feel-good escapism and, let’s face it, we all need a bit of that now and then – especially now!

“I expect Little Village of Second Chances will attract mainly a female audience, although I’d love men to read it too, especially as much of it is written in the male character’s point of view. I hope that adult readers of all ages will enjoy the story as it’s accessible for everyone and is designed to be a fun read, rather than anything too taxing. I personally love a book I can relax with, and that’s exactly the type of story I wanted to create.

“The opening scene is when the main character, Sarah Pickering, fresh from the city of York, opens the door of her village cottage to the not very happy face of her new neighbour – local flower farmer Shay McGillen.

“Unbeknown to him, she’s there to persuade the villagers to sell up their properties so that the firm she works for can construct a new road through the village. Shay has no intention of selling up. He also has no intention of falling in love with Sarah, but you can’t always control who you fall in love with.

“For me, writing is like eating crisps – once I start, I can’t stop. With crisps, however, I can usually do my best to avoid them, but writing is a compulsion. Yes, of course I enjoy it, but it’s more than that – I have to do it as it’s such a huge part of me. I’ve already written another full novel since completing Little Village of Second Chances, and I’m just about to start my next one. I intend to write forever!

“I had my first novel, The Virgin’s Gamble, published by The Wild Rose Press in 2017. The Virgin’s Gamble is a glamorous romance set between Montenegro and Italy and, like most of my books, has a happy end.

“Since then, I’ve had three erotic novellas published – Ice Hot, Secrets of the East Wing and The Curse of Camelot.

Last year, I had a My Weekly Pocket Novel released – a sweet romance entitled Saving Alice, which is now available in large print, published by Linford Romance Library.

“I started writing eight years ago after watching a documentary about a writing holiday in Tuscany. I decided I wanted to go and before the month was out, I’d booked my place for the following year!

“I’ve always absolutely loved reading and wanted to try my hand at writing my own book, but didn’t think I’d necessarily have the skill nor the patience. Turns out, I did have the patience, and the skill comes with practice, just as it does with everything.”