Q & A with Gina Holmes

Nurse turned writer Gina Holmes is in the house and we’re chatting with her.  ENTER TO WIN a copy of Crossing Oceans!

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BotH:

Gina, it’s great to have you here on Books on the House!  I love to hear how authors got there start.  Where and

how did your writing journey begin?

Gina:

My journey began in the late nineties. I was a stay at home mom that needed to bring in some extra cash for the family. Silly me thought that writing would be a quick and easy way to make some cash. Yeah, it’s funny now, but then I was clueless.

I started writing articles, children’s books, greeting cards, you name it. I just sort of did a little of everything and hoped something stuck. I did manage to sell a magazine article about 6 months in. The sales and successes were few and far betwen though.

BotH:

Your background is in nursing.  Do you still work as a nurse, or are you able to write full time now?  I still work as a nurse part-time.

Gina:

I hope I can give that up soon because it really is very difficult to do both. It wouldn’t be so hard to write and nurse but the publicity stuff, like interviews, social networking, book signings and all of that sort of thing is very time consumming. I wouldn’t mind having just a little free time every now and then.

BotH:

Your book is sometimes classified as Christian, but you’ve said it’s more Women’s Fiction.  Are there elements of faith in it?

Gina:

There are elements of faith in everything. In the home I picked out. In the way I help my children do homework, in every choice I make really. My faith is so much a part of who I am. What folks are saying about Crossing Oceans and the faith element is that it’s very organic and real. Jenny struggles with sin. Falls down, tries harder, falls again. Just like the rest of us. It would be very difficult and maybe a little silly to write a book about a woman who’s dying and not have her think about eternity. So, yes, there is a faith element, just not in the traditional conversion sense.

BotH:

If you could spend an afternoon with one person–anyone–who would it be?

Gina:

Okay, this is cliche, I know but it’s the truth. My husband. I’m madly in love with him and he’s the best company I’ve ever kept. he mades me laugh, inspires and encourages me and more than anything keeps everything in proper perspective. I adore him.

BotH:

What’s next for you?

Gina:

Right now I’m typing furiously away on my sophmore novel due at the end of this month if I make that deadline. It will be a small miracle if I do since I’ve got so much left of it to write. It’s called Dry as Rain and I’m getting more and more excited about it as the story progresses. It’s about a couple facing infidelity and on the brink of divorce.

BotH:

Thanks for being here, Gina, and good luck with your books!

Gina:

Thanks so much for having me. I’ll take all the well wishes I can get.

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