About
Who is she?
Gina Conkle is a USA Today Bestselling author of sparkling Georgian era romance with a dash of adventure. If you like historical romance with grit and glamour, you’ll want to read her books. Gina’s also a wife, a mom to two adult sons, and a recent convert to farm life. She’s worked in biotech and as a school teacher, but her longest held job—and her favorite—has been as an author.
Going deeper…
I’ve been in love with history and romance ever since my mom read aloud the poem, The Highwayman. Later, my grandma introduced me to a box full of Harlequin romances. I devoured them. In fifth grade, I read Gone with the Wind, and after finishing the last page, I knew, “Someday I’m going to be an author.” My course was set.
Growing up, history lessons played like mind movies. I was never bored. Alas, I grew up in Southern California, where no dukes or highwaymen lived. There was only one way to solve that—write my own stories. My first attempt was in fifth grade: The Girl Who Stopped World War III. You can tell by the title; the romance bug took back seat to high-octane escapades.
Must love books
Life messed with my author plans. There was college, getting a job, and a lot of distractions until I met my all-time favorite hero. We’ll call him Mr. C. I’m not a fan of insta-love stories, but ours came pretty close. Six weeks after dating, Mr. C said he loved me. Ours was a He falls first trope. Two months later, he asked me to marry him. I said, “Yes.”
Eloping to Las Vegas
This next part unfolds in a dive bar at midnight. We were playing pool and Mr. C said, “If I make this double bank shot, we’re going to Vegas. Tonight.” I said, “Yes.” He made the shot, and off we drove. We arrived the next morning and went to the Vegas courthouse. Three ladies were waiting to type our marriage license. I remember whispering to Mr. C, “It’s scary how easy it is to get married.”
Mr. C tried to convince me an Elvis impersonator should marry us in a drive-thru chapel (that’s a real thing—we drove by one with an Elvis leaning out the drive-thru window). I declined. Some promises are best said standing up. And marrying Mr. C? He is my best decision.
Other things we said standing up…
You might ask, “What about the published books?” The pivot to authoring began years later in our kitchen. We were at a crossroads. I’d been writing for some time, but very part-time. Mr. C had bought my domain name as a Christmas gift (pretty romantic!). I told him that I was going to get a regular day job. I’ll never forget what he said:
“You’re a writer. You should write.”
I melted on the spot. Really, it was like a gong went off in my head.
Don’t you love those moments?
It’s uncanny how well Mr. C understands me. Life lessons, love lessons from being with him do show up from time to time in my books. It’s pretty hard to peel your inner self from your stories. Both come from the heart.
Since our sons grew up and moved on to responsible adulting, Mr. C swept me away again—this time to a very old house on a small Michigan farm. Now this born-and-bred city girl gardens, tends animals, and is trying to grow a fruit forest. It’s a delight! So is spinning stories. That fun has never stopped.
At the end of the day…
I write ballrooms, banter, and slow-burn romance that’s worth the wait. My heroines never need rescuing, and my heroes challenge them, love them, and meet them head-on.
You’re invited to join me on this book journey. I’ll share some of my real-life stories, too.
Yours in the love of books-
Gina
