Award-winning author prepares for book signing event

Award winning book author is coming to St. Catharines for a book signing event and the chance to promote her newest book “Bestowed by Love and Splendour” which was released in November.

Event will be taking place in Chapters, Fairview mall on May 11 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

After more than 50 years of working in development with her husband, Gina Iafrate, decided to retire in 2004 and pursue her passion of becoming a writer.

Ever since she was a kid, Iafrate had a frevor for writing, she loved books and literature, and always enjoyed being around others, travelling and experiencing life to the fullest. In her books her experiences are reflected on the fictional characters which are her way of inspiring others and showing them the wonders of the world without leaving their seat.

“Once you’re a writer, I think you’re tuned in to the world 100 per cent like with everything that is around you, you absorb everything and from there you get inspired,” said Iafrate.

Iafrate does not think of writing as a way to get money, she does it out of love, passion and for fun. To her, writing is a way of relaxing which is why she writes during the night.

“I don’t write during the day because I don’t want it to take time from my schedule,” she said.

Iafrate understands the importance of experiencing the world and enjoying every aspect of it to improve her writing, especially through travelling.

“My travel really helped me because you absorb everything, you tune in to the people you really do it with all your heart, and you can create stories,” she said.

Iafrate has travelled to England, Ireland, Australia, Italy (where she originally is from) and the US. She says that when she was younger her parents would encourage her to get good grades in school by telling her, her award will be to travel somewhere. She grew up loving the idea of seeing the different parts of the world.

Because Iafrate only describes places where she has actually been to, her books leave the readers with vivid images in their heads.

“You have to hook the reader from the beginning and if you make it all the way then your reader will stay,” she said, “If not you can lose the reader.”

She said her motto is “write simple words” because that’s how you get to every reader, and that is how everybody can relate.

When she first started writing, Iafrate’s focus was on novels but after a while she realized that she has trouble with stopping. She never had “stumbling blocks” and she can get carried away. That is why she switched from short stories to books.

At the moment, Iafrate is working on her fourth book, “Releases from my Soul” which should be released during the fall.

Her other books include “The English Professor” which won the Book Award and “The Girl from the Cornfield” which also won Author of the Year.

Her stories are all based on romance, but they include a lot of messages like family love, dedication, travel, integrity and inspiration to young people into adulthood.

Writing is not Iafrate’s only way of connecting and helping people, she also donates to organizations like Heart and Stroke as well as Wells Spring.

“Most of the fiction stories they come from true events, it’s called fiction but it’s not really fiction.”