Hillary Gauvreau Oat
Author
Cozy Romance Novels
Welcome...
Stories Matter. My stories. Your stories, and our collective stories. They give us joy, tears, and insight. Stories can be true or scooped up from a well of imagination. We all have stories, and telling them can take us deeper into this thing called being human.
Now available!
Romance and retribution collide in this love story between Bess and James, two wounded people in their fifties, who discover that love always finds a way.
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"With tears in my eyes, just finished your book!
Thank you for such a good read!"
--- Pat B.
“Eloquence with a bit of grit.”
— M. Muck McQuillan, author of Round Bend and Ears Oute
“If Luanne Rice and Nicholas Sparks had a baby, it would be this book.”
— Elaine Bentley Baughn, author of 5 Rules For Drama Free Living
"Compelling story. This book drew me in from page one with interesting characters who I grew to care about. Be ready for some unexpected twists and turns. This author has an amazing gift for writing about life, love, happiness, and conflict. A must read!" - M.
"Excellent read. This book was a page-turner from start to finish." -Cheryl C.
"Hillary, it was so good! I couldn’t put it down!!
And small spoiler…I cried through the whole last chapter!
I am in utter amazement of your extraordinary talent!!
No pressure but I’m on pins and needles for the next one." - Judith B.
The Joy of Writing
Hillary Who?
That title makes me sound like a Who from Seuss's Whoville. What I am is a woman embarking on an adventure in writing.
When I was a child, before I could read, I would take all the books off of my parent's bookshelf and sit on the floor surrounded by them. I opened them, held them, and flipped through pages inhaling their bookish scent. I loved them and felt frustrated that I could not understand the words. But still, I loved them. Once I could read, I became a voracious reader. I ripped through Nancy Drew's entire series in record time. I wrote to the authors. I still have letters written to me by Beverly Cleary. Considering all this, it's curious why I didn't get into writing before this. It's a mystery. I guess I bought the message about getting a "real job". Writing was too much fun. I should have a job that was work. Right? No. Wrong. We all should be doing what we love and are good at!
Years ago I was boo-hoo-ing to a friend about my life. I told her about my secret writing. Bless her for encouraging me. She told me I should tell people I am a writer. That felt strange, really arrogant, and ridiculous. I was not a writer. I had published nothing. But is being published by Penguin Random House what makes a writer? Absolutely not! Writing is what makes a writer.
In February of 2023, a miracle happened. I, and a couple of good friends who are also writers, gathered around a table to start or finish our novels. Since I had no thought I couldn't do it, I felt no pressure. Once I started writing the story took off. Characters came alive and lived in my head every minute of the day. By November I had a first draft.
You can also find my stories and essays on Medium.com.
Contact me
I would love to hear from you. Your thoughts, questions,, and comments. I will happily place you on my email list and a newsletter will be coming soon!