Interview by Susan Allison
When asked how and when she became a writer, Gina shares her history: “I began writing poetry as a child and thought I wanted to be a copywriter. So, I got my degree in Marketing and moved to New York City. My first job was as a flunky in an advertising agency. It was a great job, but I realized I didn’t like copywriting. The form was too short. That’s when I discovered a passion for fiction. I went back to school to study fiction and non-fiction writing. I worked as a freelance journalist while honing my novel writing skills. I’ve never found it difficult to shift between the two styles.”
Gina explains how she began writing historical fiction, a genre that still inspires her: “The historical element to my writing was inspired by a trip to The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. It’s a beautiful Victorian hotel built in 1888. I wrote a story about it, and the story got longer. I realized how much I loved research and got immersed in the era. That was fifteen years ago, and I’m now working on my third historical novel.”
Gina has advice for other women writers, especially about publishing their work:
“As a new writer, it’s hard to understand how publishing can be anything but wonderful. Unlike the creative process, having a book published is all business. For me, the exciting part was getting my first big N.Y. literary agent. That’s a phone call I’ll never forget. It was such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. For me, the most challenging piece came once my novel was finally released. It’s thrilling and terrifying to know strangers are reading your work, and because writers today have to help with marketing and promotion, it’s a lot of work. My suggestion to new writers is to find out what your publisher is willing to do for you. Will they pay for contest entry fees? Do they have salespeople to help with your book, or do they focus only on the known best-sellers? I also tell new writers not to submit anything to agents until it’s truly your best work. Once the book is published, it’s out there forever. Take the time to write something amazing!”
Asked how her own illness prompted her to found a non-profit and write a new book, Gina replies: “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, I was working on my novel From Across The Room. It’s an epistolary novel, which means the story is told through letters. Even though I’d been researching and reading letters for five years, not until I was a patient and received snail mail did I recognize the power of letters. I received over 200 cards and letters, mostly from friends of friends, strangers. In this age of text messages and emails, we’ve forgetting the healing property of hand-written notes. They are tangible and so very expressive. My combined experience of writing an epistolary novel and receiving letters is the reason I started Girls Love Mail. I want others to be inspired and healed by the gift of a handwritten letter.”
“Getting mail from all ages is most rewarding for me. Our youngest letter writers are second graders, and our oldest is a woman in her late 90’s. We’re keeping women engaged and helping to create the next generation of philanthropists. Truly anyone can perform a simple act of kindness.”
Gina shares how the process of writing Dear Friend evolved: “The Girls Love Mail gift book, Dear Friend, began organically. Because of my writing background, I recognized right away that we had content for a book. Some letter writers just have a knack for writing heartfelt or funny letters. So I began collecting letters in 2011. What I didn’t know is that it would take five years to collect enough for a book. This presented a challenge when I had to get signed release forms from every letter writer selected. Some writers sent one letter, five years earlier as part of a group, and I had to track them down by just a first name and last initial. It was fun. I felt like a super-sleuth. I couldn’t find them all, but the ones I found were so excited.”
Asked about her experience publishing Dear Friend, Gina offers, “Working with Chronicle Books is the best experience. Not only do I love how the book turned-out, they do, too. You can see and feel their care on every page. This book is even better than I ever imagined, and I love that we can reach so many more women with the healing power of words.”
Gina Mulligan is not done yet! “I’m working on my third historical novel. That’s about all I can say because it’s still so new. We’re also still collecting letters in case we do another book for the charity, and I’d love to see Dear Friend translated into other languages. We’re working on it.”
Gina L. Mulligan is a veteran freelance journalist and the author of two historical novels; REMEMBER THE LADIES and From Across The Room, and the non-fiction Dear Friend; Letters of Encouragement, Humor, and Love for Women with Breast Cancer. After her own diagnosis, Gina founded Girls Love Mail, a national charity that collects handwritten letters of for women with breast cancer. Since the formation in 2011, the charity has sent out over 140,000 letters across the country. Gina has been featured on The NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, The Steve Harvey Show, People.com, Today.com, and Woman’s Day Magazine. You can contact Gina at GinaLMullilgan.com and ginamulligan@girlslovemail.com.
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