From Grief to Romance Author: A Journey of Healing and Hope
If you're the one holding everyone else together, this one's for you.
I write gentle, low-spice, closed-door small-town romance about grief, hope and second chances. Stories that hold the hard stuff gently and let you come out the other side.
In the quiet corners of grief and the unexpected turns of life, stories of healing, community and love often find their roots. Such is the case with my debut novel, Second Chance Love in Point Perry, about a grieving and guilt-ridden widow who embarked on a journey of self-discovery and hope. Her tale weaves through the fictional town of Point Perry, inspired by the memories of my mum and the small country town and seaside holiday destination on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia where my childhood unfolded.
Writing my way through grief
Driven by personal sadness and the longing to create something meaningful after Mum passed, I embarked on a journey that allowed my grief to pour onto the pages and eventually become my debut novel, published by Harlequin’s Escape Publishing.
My writing journey began without any plans for writing a novel. It began as a therapeutic outlet. Feeling lost in a constantly changing world, I looked to writing as a way to find my footing, inspired by the encouragement of friends who told me ‘just write and get the sh*t out of your head’. So I did!
Many cathartic scribbles, poems, journal entries and blogs later, what emerged was a seed of an idea, a narrative exploring loss, love and the possibility of second chances.
Seven years and a second chance
With no background in writing, I embarked on a seven-year journey to transform my words and experience into a debut novel. The process involved courses, manuscript incubators, and the guidance of experienced mentors like Victoria Purman … and did I say courses!?
In 2018, I pitched the story to Harlequin, a pivotal and scary moment that led to valuable feedback and an opportunity to review and resubmit.
The manuscript went through revisions and challenges, from structural edits to a significant reduction in word count. During this time, I also embarked on a parallel path, becoming an editor for self-publishing romance and women’s fiction authors. These newfound skills and insights expanded my understanding and community network of authors and readers.
With three years of refining my story, I finally resubmitted it to Harlequin, my dream publisher, at the end of 2022. The journey culminated in a contract in February 2023 and the publication of Second Chance Love in Point Perry later that year.
Stories that hold the hard stuff gently
Point Perry is the town I keep going back to. Each book can be read on its own, and each one sits with something heavy: grief, addiction, recovery, body image, found families and community.
I don't write about those things to make anyone sad. I write about them because life doesn't wait until we've sorted ourselves out before it hands us something good.
Second Chance Love in Point Perry showcases my emotional journey—a poignant narrative woven from personal pain, transformed through learning, perseverance and a passion for storytelling. I wrote it for anyone carrying something heavy. I hope it helps you put it down for a while.
A little update: I've since got my rights back, and Second Chance Love in Point Perry is coming home to me. It returns on 2 November 2026 with a new cover. Check out the fresh blurb below.
She has nothing left to lose. He stands to lose it all.
Point Perry has other ideas.
With her mother’s ashes and no idea where to scatter them, a heart full of guilt and a town full of childhood memories, Erin Fitzgerald’s return home to Point Perry is bittersweet. The little seaside community is the only place that still feels like home—somewhere to breathe, to grieve, to get her life back on track.
Falling for the local schoolteacher is nowhere on the list.
Having weathered the disaster of his failed marriage to a Hollywood actress, Tom Schultz has fought to build stability, and he isn’t looking for complications—or love. He can’t afford either when his priority is the one thing that matters more than anything—the boy his wife walked out on when he was a baby.
As Erin and Tom navigate their pasts and dare to hope for love once more, Point Perry rolls out the sand carpet for Tom's ex-wife, the hometown star who left and made it big. However, she has a hidden agenda: to take their son from him. Tom's entire world is one wrong move from falling apart.
But in a town that shows up for its own, two broken people discover that the bravest thing isn’t guarding their hearts—it’s trusting someone with them.
Some second chances are worth being brave for.
A big-emotion romance about grief, fatherhood, found family, community spirit and the courage to love again—for readers of Rachael Johns and the small-town warmth of Virgin River. Set on the windswept South Australian coast. Guaranteed happily ever after.
‘A heart-warming and uplifting debut brimming with small-town charm. Point Perry is a close-knit community that will instantly feel like home.’ International bestselling author Alissa Callen
‘Heartfelt and warm - just how I like my romance!’ Australian author Tess Woods
I love to hear from my readers and other romance authors, so please reach out here.
