By
Holly J. Gill (Guest Blogger)
Inspiration
comes when you least expect it. You never know when the idea is going
to take hold and lure you in, giving the characters the chance to
talk and develop their story. For me inspiration comes from
everything around me, hearing a tune, watching people, seeing
something on the TV, reading a book, pictures, overhearing a
conversation, reading an article. The list is endless, but for me,
with my latest release Innocence
it appeared fate took over.
I
am fortunate enough to live in the UK and it’s a two hour drive to
the destination I used for Innocence, based in Yorkshire, a
county in northern England. Yorkshire is best known for its Roman and
Viking heritage, as well as its Norman castles, medieval abbeys,
Industrial Revolution-era cities and two national parks. The county
town of York, founded by the Romans, has a 13th-century Gothic
minster, Tudor houses and medieval walls. The interactive Jorvik
Viking Centre recalls the area’s 9th-century occupation. The famous
street called The Shambles has old 14th century
timber-framed overhanging buildings. I love
Yorkshire. Visiting the area for a day’s outing is always a
blessing, just giving me time to reflect and admire the rolling hills
and the beautiful setting.
I
first started writing Innocence
back in November 2013. I wrote the first four pages of Kacey on the
verge of ending her life, by jumping into the flowing river below
her, only much to her annoyance a young man appears while taking a
stroll. Angry, she wanted him to go away, but he wasn’t going to do
that. Ideas kept creeping into my mind, but weren’t good enough. It
didn’t drive me. So I allowed the four pages to sit and wait.
When
writing a later novel, I found myself compelled, loving a privately
owned estate with a grand hall. The surroundings blew me away. I
spent endless hours googling the hall, not only the exquisite style
of the hall itself but also the vital river running through the land.
Now due to the hall being for sale, I had a great chance to admire
the outstanding property, which kept some of its extravagant period
features. The landscape left me jealous, so picture perfect, situated
in Yorkshire, set in rolling countryside on the edge of the
Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and adjacent to a
small yet attractive village. This estate lies 14 miles from York.
I longed to use the same location in a book. Then suddenly the four
pages that I’d started months previously had their setting, leaving
Calvin and Kacey from Innocence
to start telling me their story. I re-started the book in April 2014,
and I carried on writing the series until it finished four books
later.
Now,
as I mentioned, the start of the story had already began at a river.
The estate and its surroundings were ideal. Kacey was in a bad way,
unsure where her life was heading, having no hope, certain that
ending her life would be the only answer. While she walked dazed,
scared, and lonely, she came across a river bridge. She looked down
to the river and decided to walk onto private land down to the river
to find the ideal spot to end her miserable life. That private land
was Calvin Edward’s parent’s home, which had been in the family
for generations.
I
have been fortunate enough to visit and get up close to the hall and
explore the landscape, getting the real feel of its idyllic
surroundings. I have walked the pathway where Calvin found Kacey, so
quiet and relaxing, hearing only the sound of the river and the birds
singing. Of course being an author I changed a few things around,
like the fact that on the land there is a mill that has been restored
in recent years. Much hard work and dedication has been put into the
mill to have it working in its original state. Another feature that I
changed was the barns. In reality, the barns that had once been used
by the owners of the hall have been sold to a local developer and
renovated into homes. The barn in Innocence
remains as a barn and owned by the hall, again this being used as a
landmark throughout the series. I also visited the local village
where Kacey had grown up and had a meal in the very pub I used in
the story. This helped me get a real feel for the atmosphere, as well
as letting me enjoy one of their delightful meals and taste their
guest ale.
I
was excited and got quite emotional, visiting the very place where I
had set Innocence.
The story itself is powerful, heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, yet the
novel is funny at times. As I approached the bridge, where Kacey
originally stops and looks down to the fast flowing river, I could
feel her, sense her state of mind, her anguish, pain—not
thinking clearly, seeing nothing but red. This for me was a
heart-stopping moment that made the trip extra special.
As
for the characters, you cannot help but fall in love with Calvin
Edwards, for his sweetness, his fresh faced good-looks, and the way
he gives Kacey a chance, help, desire and more importantly courage.
The fact that he’s only up north visiting his parents when really
his life is down in London working for his father’s real-estate
company doesn’t deter him. Although his life is elsewhere, he
wants nothing but to make sure Kacey stays safe, and that she knows
she has a friend who cares.
Kacey
Richards, after a good childhood growing up in the village and
educated at an all-girls school, leaves home when she’s sixteen.
We pick her story up ten years later, at age twenty six where she has
lost everything. She’s heavily pregnant, scared for her future and
her unborn daughter. She has no money and no home. Her drug-addict
boyfriend has dumped her and she can only see one direction, misery,
with her daughter being taken from her and a life in the slums.
Using
this hall inspired me, giving me so many opportunities to to develop
the story. The land, the hall, the barn, and the stunningly
breath-taking countryside that surrounded them, were perfect to
arouse my imagination. I never imagined the story leading where it
does, and how Calvin longs to help Kacey, get her back on the right
path, giving her the stability and importantly someone who would
listen to her, a shoulder to cry on. Only Calvin never imagined
discovering what he does, turning his life around.
While
writing this series, I had to tread carefully. I had to do research,
to make sure everything was correct although unfortunately the way
things are done in England is different from the way things are done
in the States, as I discovered when my wonderful editor and
proof-reader got their hands on the book. Thankfully through personal
experiences I knew my information in UK was correct and stuck to it.
For
me writing this novel gave me a challenge that changed my genre and
tested my ability. While I wrote the first book of the series I had
many moments of crying. I had to stop writing to calm down, before my
return. This story pulled severally on my heartstrings and as reviews
are saying—‘unique’
‘heart-wrenching’ ‘a page turner’—for
me Calvin and Kacey have achieved what they drove me to write.
Giveaway
Thank
you so much for reading this post and thank you for having me as a
guest to celebrate my latest release, Innocence.
I’m giving away a PDF file of the book. Just leave me a comment
telling me where is your favorite place to read. Don’t forget to
include your email address.
The Innocence
Series
Innocence of
Love
Breaking
Innocence
Return To
Innocence
Blurb
Innocence (Book
1)
Calvin Edwards has
everything he could dream about— perfect lifestyle, running the
family real-estate company back in London. He takes a holiday up
north to visit his parents only to find a young pregnant woman
attempting to take her life. Wishing to help, Calvin becomes a friend
to her, only fears he’s out of his depth. Just when he thinks he
can do this his past resurfaces, sending his life crashing.
Kacey is pregnant
and her life is out of control with nowhere left to go. She descends
on her mum for one last chance for help, only to have the door
slammed in her face. At her wits end, she is alone, scared, and
helpless until Calvin comes along. He becomes a dear friend giving
her kindness, something she thought no longer existed in the world.
Only she finds what she’d pushed to the back of her mind through
selfish pain is back. Her past with all its mistakes has come back to
life!
Excerpt
“What
the heck has she been telling you? Honestly, that girl wouldn’t
know the word truth if it hit her in the face. She is after money, no
doubt to take back to her drug dealing boyfriend.”
Calvin
stepped forward needing to correct the evil woman. “She finished
it, and she isn’t with him. Instead, she is scared and looking for
someone to love her, but clearly the word ‘love’ means nothing to
you. What mother,” he said, marching forward pointing his finger in
her face. “Would allow their daughter at her most vulnerable state
to leave her to walk the streets, how can you not care? No shame? She
is frightened and yet, she is the one holding the grudge with you…yet
you have turned it onto her. She is broken, has no-one and nowhere to
go and yet you…you.” He gritted his teeth.
“Calvin,”
he heard his mother’s voice from behind as she touched his left
shoulder. “Step back.”
“No,”
he growled. “She,” he said, pointing to Rosalind, “What she has
done. I saved your daughter. I,” he said, thumping his chest. “I
stopped your daughter from jumping off the bridge. I saved her. I was
the one who coaxed her down,” he screamed.
Tears
ran down his cheeks and could feel his mum holding onto his shoulder
for comfort. He had to do it. He had to make her see how weak her
daughter was and her mental state.
Rosalind
widened her eyes glaring at him.
“Yes,
I saved her, I stopped her,” he said lowering his voice in
heartache. “All she needed was someone to reach out to and help her
take care of her. She has nothing…nothing. You imagine feeling that
lonely,” he said, glaring deep into her eyes through the tears.
“I
have spent a few days listening to your daughter trying to help her,
guide her, get her the help she needs, but as my good friend keeps
telling me! She isn’t my problem, but I have made her my
problem. I want to help her, and no, it’s not just because she’s
expecting your grandchild,” he snarled. Calvin didn’t want anyone
assuming that, but they would, of course they would, and he’d be
the first to admit when he saw her bump, he had to do what he could
to get her down from the bridge.
“Calvin,”
his mum muttered.
“No,
Mum,” he said, turning his head to glare at her. He watched his mum
gulp. “Even you would admit you were fooled into the real reason
why she left the village.” He turned his head back to meet
Rosalind’s eyes. “Weren’t we?”
Rosalind
still looked gormless, frowning like she had no idea what he was
talking about.
“Don’t
you care your daughter was about to jump into the river and take her
and the baby's life?” he sneered.
She
stared at him, shocked, like she had no idea what was going on with
her daughter, the puzzlement across her face and her eyes roamed all
over the room, like the walls would give her answers.
“I’m
sorry.”
He
shuddered.
“Sorry!
Is that all you can say. Sorry,” he heightened his voice. “Well,
you're saying it to the wrong person, but then why would you wish to
waste your breath on your daughter, when she is the one who
has disgraced you. I mean heaven forbid she would turn out to be the
little angel you had wished for, but noooo, she had to get herself
knocked up, didn’t she?” he roared.
About Holly J.
Gill
A
wife and a mum to three grown up children, and lives in the UK. Holly
J. Gill is a romance writer, her main genre being erotic romance. She
has recently been exploring new channels, including paranormal and
contemporary. Holly has been writing since being a young girl, having
characters talking to her, and longing to get their stories written.
Finally, her dream came true two years ago, when getting her first
contract with Secret Cravings Publishing for her Desires series. In
Holly’s spare time she loves spending quality time with her family,
seeing friends for lunches and sharing her new potential ideas for
books. She enjoys listening to music, watching movies and travelling
around England visiting the beautiful countryside.
Writing
is where Holly’s heart is…
Where to find
Holly
Facebook
author page: https://www.facebook.com/hollyjgillauthor?ref=hl
Romance
Holly : http://hollyjodygill.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter
: https://twitter.com/HollyJGill
Pinterest
: http://uk.pinterest.com/gill0839/
Where to find
Holly’s books
Smashwords
: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/545028
Barnes
and Noble :
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/innocence-holly-j-gill/1121989627?ean=2940151564076
