Hillary Gauvreau Oat
Author
Cozy Romance Novels
Women's Fiction
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.
Join us in Old Saybrook!
Book Signing!
Meet the Authors!
Thomas's Second Chance is with the publisher!
When it’s time for a second chance, all Thomas can do is be ready to make it count.
Thomas Ogilvie is a talented musician and an alcoholic. He has messed up his life so badly that it’s hard to keep track of the damage. When he returns home to Niantic, Connecticut, for his stepmother’s funeral, he decides to stay. At age fifty-three, he’s sober and wants a second chance to do better.
Cait Bradford once dragged Thomas to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, which he says saved him. He never forgot how much she cared, which made all the difference. Thomas has always been in love with Cait. But she’s married, with a family that Thomas cares about. Caught in a moral dilemma between his desire and doing what's right, he wonders if friendship is enough.
When tragedy strikes, circumstances pull Thomas and Cait together in ways they could never imagine. Sometimes you can’t pick your moment - it picks you.
Coming soon on Amazon, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Apple and Nook
Photos of Our Travels
Our writing group is gearing up to hit the road. Festivals! Book Shows!
Author Signing Events.
Updated with New Formatting!
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.
“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.
"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.
Hillary Gauvreau Oat
The Basics: I’m older, but not telling how old! I’m a mother of three and grandmother of five, plus one granddog. I grew up in Schenectady, New York, and I am always surprised when people have heard of it. I’ve lived in Southeastern Connecticut since 1981 and love it. My novels are set in Niantic, Connecticut.
The Scotland Connection. There are two kinds of writers: plotters and pantsers. I am a pantser, meaning I write by instinct rather than plan. I have no idea what’s going to happen, but something always does. I didn’t know there would be a Scotland connection, but it does make sense. When I was a kid, my father dragged me to the Scottish Games in upstate New York every year. Bagpipe music makes me cry, in a good way. Several years ago, I went to Scotland, and it blew me away. The Highlands are rugged and gorgeous. It felt like home.
Fun Fact. I love books and cannot pass a little free library in town without taking a peek. I have stacks of books waiting to be read.
It seems obvious that I would go in the general direction of writing as a profession. Instead, I studied science.
In February of 2023, a miracle happened. A few good friends gathered around a table to write. Since I had no thought I couldn't write a novel, I felt no pressure. Once I started writing, the story took off. All three of us now have published works, and we continue to meet every week.
You can also find my stories and essays on Medium.com as Connecticut Story Teller.
Contact me
I would love to hear from you. Your thoughts, questions, and comments. I will happily respond.