Fall From India Place

Author Essay

Dear Reader,

I believe in second chances. I believe we should give people we love the chance to learn from a mistake, to stand on the rubble of error and use it to see everything before them more clearly, and to hopefully make different choices second time around.

There’s something so incredibly powerful about second chances because there’s always so much history and emotion there—it’s tumultuous, it’s passionate and it’s utterly compelling. That’s probably why writing Fall From India Place has been one of my most exciting writing experiences yet. For you see… Hannah and Marco’s story is one of second chance romance.

That’s only one of the reasons I loved writing Fall From India Place. As a reader, I always love it when I get to read a scene in first person perspective that was previously told from a secondary point of view. Readers who have followed Hannah’s crush on Marco from her teen years in the previous book, will finally get the chance to see scenes discussed with her big sister, Ellie, and all the ladies of the On Dublin Street world, as Hannah gives us glimpses into her complex and fiery history with Marco. Those snippets were so much fun for me to write, and really set the scene for Hannah and Marco’s rediscovery of one another in adulthood.

Another reason I’m so fond of this story is because of the characters themselves. I always try to include a little piece of authenticity into my leading ladies—whether they inherit qualities from me (like Joss and Liv) or from my friends and family. Hannah, like two of my closest friends, is a ballsy, enthusiastic teacher who’s holding onto enough idealism to make her a wonderful and driven educator. Intelligent and quick-witted, I’ve been fond of Hannah since she first appeared in On Dublin Street. From a funny teen to independent woman, Hannah has been through so much, and in FFIP she proves herself to be one of my strongest heroines yet! I love Hannah, so of course, she needed a hero equal to her.

Enter Marco.

I got the best of both worlds with Marco because I got to explore his deliciously mysterious and brooding character as a young man, to the ultimate hero in pursuit of his woman as an adult. Marco’s my favorite kind of romantic hero—the kind that learns from his mistakes and refuses to give up on the woman he loves. He’s the kind of hero second chances are made for!

I had quite the ride telling Hannah and Marco’s story. I hope you readers enjoy the ride too, and come to the same conclusion as me: that second chance romances are addictive and scrumptious and a recipe for a book hangover 😉

Happy Reading,

Samantha Young