In 1997, while working full-time as a nurse, Gina Holmes dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom. She had always been told she was a good writer, so she began penning articles and short stories, none of which brought in enough money to allow her to fulfill her dream.
Then one day, while attending a church service, she was inspired to write novels. "A seventeen year old girl got up in front of the church talking about how she was working on her second novel," Gina says. "I figured if she can do it, so can I."
Her first four novels didn't sell, but she never gave up. "After lots and lots of practice, it got easier," says Gina. "I just put myself in the character's skin: What would they do? What will they logically do next? I had some acting in my background, and that came in handy."
Gina's dream finally came true after Tyndale House Publishers offered to publish Crossing Oceans, her fifth novel, which debuted in May of this year and is currently ranked #19 on the Christian Booksellers Association's August bestseller list.
The book's summary reads:
"Sometimes love demands the impossible.
"Nothing deepens a stream like a good rain ... or makes it harder to cross. Jenny Lucas swore she'd never go home again. But life has a way of upending even the best-laid plans. Now, years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank-toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella's dad ... who doesn't yet know he has a daughter.
"As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love to change everything––to heal old hurts, to bring new beginnings ... even to overcome the impossible.
"Nothing deepens a stream like a good rain ... or makes it harder to cross."
Crossing Oceans has received many notable accolades. The following tribute was written by Nora St. Laurent, president and founder of Finding Hope Through Fiction book club:
"Crossing Oceans reminds me of A Walk to Remember and The Notebook both written by Nicholas Sparks. Gina has an amazing gift to masterfully blend together a memorable story filled with tenderness, hope, love, forgiveness, and a sense of well-timed humor. This story touched my heart deeply."
(Similar in tone to: Hope Floats, Steel Magnolias, Terms of Endearment, Nicholas Sparks, Charles Martin, Karen Kingsbury ...)
Those comparisons alone make Crossing Oceans a must read.
Gina currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit: www.ginaholmes.com or www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.
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