Gina Holmes, Brains and Beauty too!

Meet Gina Holmes...an amazing woman who has many talents, not the least of which is writing award nominated romance and Women's Inspirational stories for Christian Fiction. According to her website Gina Holmes is the President and founder of Inspire a Fire and Novel Rocket and award-winning author of Crossing Oceans and Dry as Rain. In 1998, Gina began her career penning articles and short stories in ten years, and a stack of rejection letters later, she held her first published novel. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. She works too hard, laughs too loud, and longs to see others heal from their past and discover their God-given purpose.

In 2004 Gina started journaling about her path to becoming published. Five years and a name change later, She realized her dream and the world of Novel Journey has become an award winning website, inspiring writers at all stages of their career with tips, secrets, and facinating interviews with such exciting authors as Dean Koontz, Francine Rivers, and Nicholas Sparks. Today her dream has grown into dozens of contributors and includes book reviews, interviews, daily devotions and writing help from some of today's best writers. It was recently recognised by Writers Digest as one of the best websites for writers. You can see for yourself by going to www.writersjourney.blogspot.com or www.novelrocket.com or www.ginaholmes.com



In 2010 she saw the release of  her first publication after years of rejections. Gina credits her rejections for the success of this debut award winner. As a child she was a an of Stephen King and loved to read suspense stories, so she assumed that was the directin she would head.  After four finished manuscripts that didn't sell, she began a brand new creation that won the hearts of the people who read it. It tugs at your heart, makes you re-evaluate forgiveness, faces death, and fight the pains of wrong doings.   Crossing Oceans was a success that took 10 years to be born!  In September Gina saw the release of her second literary birth as "Dry as Rain" hits the shelves. Another story written to penetrate your heart and leave you thinking long after the last page has closed, "Dry as Rain" follows the downfall of a marriage taken for granted, and left to dry up and die. The ultimate straw of infidelity breaks the remaining ties until Eric gets a second chance to save his marriage when Kyra is in an accident that leaves her memory fragmented...and no recolections of the events that caused their marriage to fall apart. As forgiveness challenges us along with the couple in question, you will find yourself challenged beyond your normal limits...and wondering if you could forgive...anything, if it was in God's plan. Here's the twist...Gina writes in first person from a man's pont of view! Now that takes talent, and I for one can't wait to read it!

When I asked Gina what her personal favorite love story was she never hesitated to say it was her real life love story with her new husband of two years, Adam. She expressed her answer in a way that touched my own heart since I also went through a painful divorce and understand that rejected feeling. Here is what she had to say...

The best love story I've ever heard is my own with my husband, Adam. We've been married a little over 2 years. Both of us coming from really heartbreaking situations that caused both of our previous marriages to fail. We both thought love wasn't in the cards for us but never have two people been more meant for each other. He is my soul mate, my best-friend. In so many ways, I thought I was fatally flawed since my own husband couldn't stand me and then I met Adam who honestly adores me. It's been very healing for both of us and we're so grateful for God's mercy.  She forgot to mention how they crawled into a shark cage and swam with the sharks on their honeymoon....or how she wants to go skydiving! I guess they bring out the adventurer in each other as well!

When I asked her if she enjoyed writing and what got her started in something that takes so long to see the rewards she said...

Writing for me is therapy and a way to get others to see things from another's perspective. I've always been the empathetic type, being able to see things from other's point of view. In person, I am a terrible convincer but through fiction, I'm effective. I love exploring what makes people tick. What makes them fall off the path, or think thoughts that are off, and just put myself in their shoes. Plus, words just excite me. Always have.

What got me started is that I knew I could write. It's always been a natural ability for me ever since I can remember. When I was a stay at home mom, I wanted to help my family bring in some extra cash, so I started penning everything from greeting cards to articles. I had a little success but not much. When a girl at church said she was working on her second novel, I thought if she can do it, so can I. And so I did.

 

Of course I had to ask her who she admired most and she answered as graciously as she is..

Outside of Jesus, I try to be careful not to idolize anyone. The truth of the matter is that we're all fallen people in a fallen world. I can't trust anyone not to let me down sometimes, not even myself. Only God is worthy of my full trust and heart. However, my friend Ane Mulligan is definitely someone I greatly admire. She's just the sweetest person I know. I've seen her in so many situations that I would have gone on the attack and she always takes the high road, not just takes the high road in action, but in thought too. She always seems to give people the benefit of the doubt. Someone could run over her dog on purpose and she'd say, "Oh, they're just having a bad day," and actually mean it. She's one of a kind.

 

Until I started researching this amazing gal  I had no idea how many people loved her. She never acts like some "fancy, famous author", lol! To everyone who knows her she is an encourager who will give her all to help someone reach their dreams. SHe still works as an RN in Virginia, where she lives as a newly wed with her husband Adam and her Brady Bunch family (was that 6 children, Gina?) and her pets.  Here is how she described her "other children"...

 

We have a yorkie, named Sophie, (we call her "Soapie"), who is the sweetest, most loving dog in the world, as well as being the prettiest. She's not without fault though, she is also the sneakiest dog in the world. You take an eye off her and she finds a way into anything edible. The other day she ate all of the fish food. She also refused to be house broken (we got her when she was 2 years old), so all the rugs in the house are put away. But we adore her. We also have an older hound dog named Maggie. She is so easy-going and it's hard to find any fault with that old hound dog. The only thing I can complain about is that she stalks us wherever we go, with drool running out of her mouth. If she were a human she'd definitely have a weight problem. Her thoughts are: "food. food. food. more food. do you have food? I need food."

Lastly, our easiest pet, a beta named Les Paul. He thinks he's bad with flailing those gills out whenever I get near his fish bowl. I'm glad he's not bigger. He'd be scary.

 

Be sure to stop by www.novelrocket.com  www.inspireafire.com  www.ginaholmes.com  for more about "Crossing Oceans" or "Dry as Rain" or to get to know someone who brings a little joy into everyone's life she meets!  Here's a list of her upcoming personal appearances...

Appearances

Oct 21–Roanoke Virginia
Book Signing-Lifeway Christian Store (Valley View Mall) 5-7 pm
Oct 29–Franklin TN
Book Signing-Lifeway Christian Store-Franklin TN
Nov. 5 –Atlanta, GA
Book Signing-Lifeway Christian Store-Buford (Mall of GA) 1-3 pm
Book Signing-Books A Million- 5900 Sugarloaf Pky, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 5-7 pm

Nov. 12 –Roanoke, VA
Book signing– B&N Valley View Mall (Sat) 6-7pm.
Nov. 19 –Roanoke, VA
Book signing– Books A Million (Sat) time to be established.
Jan 2012–Roanoke, VA
Teaching- Roanoke Regional Writer’s Conference (dates to follow)
May 2012–Asheville, NC
Teaching at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference