Riverhaven Books

Hanson resident publishes first of six books

Written by Meaghan Glassett

Tuesday, 23 November 2010 14:00

A Hanson resident who recently published her first novel said her interest in writing stemmed from reading Nancy Drew books.

“I first fell in love with suspense,” Virginia Young said.

Young said she began to write in her teenage years and it has always been something she has enjoyed doing.

For the past 30 years, Young focused her time on painting. She continued to write, but at the time, she wasn’t marketing any of her work.

“Out of the Blue” is the first book Young has published, but she has already written six novels. Each novel is set in a different New England state. “The Birthday Gift” is the next book she will be releasing. It is set in Mystic, Conn.

“I like writing about people and romances come naturally,” Young said.

Her first step in writing a novel is coming up with her characters and setting them in places she has visited.

“All the places I set my characters in are places I have been to and love,” she said.

Her characters are often blends of people she knows with people she would like to know, she said.

In August, Young published “Out of the Blue,” a romance set in modern-day Plymouth.

Although she geared “Out of the Blue” toward women readers, she said she knows men who have read and enjoyed the romance.

Young said it is a great book to read while on vacation.

When on her own vacations, Young always carries a notebook with her. If she sees a particular sunset or rock formation that catches her eye, she might write it into her book.

When writing, Young starts with the characters and puts them in places they will work best. Young said that she often hears writers say that the character begins to write the story.

“It’s all about moving the fingers and getting it down,” she said.

Young added that she always knows the beginning and the end to her stories and the rest fills itself in.

Young is a member of the South Shore Writers Club and the Hingham Barnes and Nobles Writers Club. At the meetings, Young is able to get feedback from others.

“The Birthday Gift” is a story of a little boy who sees his neighbors arrive home with a baby girl on his birthday. He thinks the baby is his present. Twenty-two years later, he is reunited with the neighbor and a complicated love story follows.

Young has the plot begin on Thanksgiving Eve carrying through the holiday season.

Published through a new enterprise, Riverhaven Books of Whitman, this read is available both in print and through Kindle.

Young also has recently had her short story “Inside Out” selected by Level Best Books as part of their anthology: “Thin Ice: Crime Stories by New England Writers,” according to a written statement. This collection will be out in stores soon.

“The main thing most writers want is not fame or fortune, but just to be heard,” Young said.