Gina Robins

Hi there! I'm Gina Robins, and I've always been fascinated by stories of castaways and second chances in unexpected places. (Maybe it comes from growing up in a tiny coastal town where every other person seemed to have a tale about "that one time at sea"...)

Back in the early 90s, when bodice rippers were still ruling the romance shelves and Fabio was gracing every other cover, I decided to write the kind of sweeping historical romance I'd always wanted to read. You know the type - where the heroine isn't just waiting around in a ballroom for her hero, but instead is living a completely different life than the one she was born into.

I'll be honest - I never set out to be a romance author. I was actually working as a high school English teacher when I started writing 'Always and Forever' during my summer breaks. The story of Candeliera, my shipwrecked heroine who grows up among island natives only to have her world turned upside down by a rugged sea captain, practically wrote itself. (Though my first draft was absolutely terrible. Let's just say there were a lot of "heaving bosoms" that thankfully didn't make the final cut!)

What really draws me to writing romance is exploring how extraordinary circumstances can shape who we become. In 'Always and Forever', Candle isn't your typical historical romance heroine - she's wild, unfamiliar with "proper" society, and completely comfortable in her own skin. And Nick? Well, he's not exactly your standard captain either. He's got his own secrets and scars that make him much more than just a handsome face at the helm.

I love writing characters who don't quite fit the mold, who have to figure out who they are before they can figure out who they love. There's something magical about taking two people from completely different worlds and watching them navigate not just their growing feelings, but their entire understanding of life and love.

When I'm not writing (which, I'll admit, hasn't been as often as I'd like these past years - life has a way of throwing curveballs), I still teach part-time and spend way too much time walking the beach collecting sea glass and plotting new stories in my head. My husband likes to joke that I'm really just looking for my own shipwrecked hero, but after 25 years of marriage, I think I'll stick with the one I've got!

My writing style? I'd say it's emotional, descriptive, and hopefully transporting. I want readers to feel the sand between their toes, taste the salt in the air, and experience that flutter of anticipation when two characters who are clearly meant for each other finally come together. (And yes, I absolutely believe in happily ever afters, even if the path getting there is a bit rocky!)

To my readers - both the ones who discovered 'Always and Forever' back in '92 and those finding it now - thank you for joining me on this journey. There's nothing quite like knowing your story has touched someone's heart or given them a few hours of escape from the everyday world.

Will there be more books? I certainly hope so! I've got a few ideas floating around (pun absolutely intended) about another historical romance involving a lighthouse keeper's daughter and a mysterious stranger who washes up during a storm... But for now, I'm just grateful to share Candle and Nick's story with anyone who loves a tale of finding love in the most unexpected places.

Remember - sometimes the best love stories start with a shipwreck. (At least, that's what I keep telling my husband whenever I drag him to yet another maritime museum!)