A FORMER Wirral police officer turned author will launch her latest book next week in aid of a local neonatal charity.
Gina Kirkham's Murders at The Harmony Hollows Resort - the fourth in a five-book deal with publishers, Bloodhound Books - will be unveiled at Hoylake Social Club on Trinity Road in Hoylake Thursday, October 17.
The event aims to raise funds for Wirral neonatal charity IncuBabies, one of the chosen charities supported by Mayor of Wirral, councillor Cherry Povall JP, who will also attend the event.
The book is the fourth in Gina’s Winterbottom Women’s Institute murder mystery series.
On her new book, Gina told the Globe: "Murders at the Harmony Hollows Resort will be my seventh book. The series follows two amateur detective friends Pru and Bree who can’t help but stumble into, and get involved in, murder mysteries.
"They’re helped along by four elderly ladies from the local Winterbottom Women’s Institute, Clarissa, Ethel, Millie and Hilda who add the humour to the book and show you are never too old to be fun, feisty, mischievous and annoyingly useful."
Looking forward to next Thursday's launch, Gina continued: "It will be a fun night with a 1960s Butlins Holiday camp theme, there will be actors playing characters from the book and I’ve had some amazing prizes donated by local businesses for the raffle, with a star prize for the Irish Bingo Bonanza, an overnight stay for two with breakfast at Inglewood Manor.
"Another local author, crime writer David Jackson will host the Q&A with me, Owen Drew England will hold a table of their products and if we have enough volunteers, there may or may not be a Knobbly Knees competition.
"The event has so far raised £1,130.00 just on ticket sales alone and I’m hoping for much more on the night with the fundraising.
"It is being held at Hoylake Social Club so that we can support the local hospitality industry too."
The 66-year-old mum to Emma and grandmother of Olivia, Annie and Arthur retired from Merseyside Police and signed to Urbane Publications in June 2016 to release her debut novel Handcuffs, Truncheon and a Polyester Thong.
Following on from the book's success, she signed with Bloodhound Books (part of the USA Open Road Media Group) in 2021 bringing her books to a worldwide audience.
Gina's Constable Mavis Upton series of books was launched in 2021.
The Winterbottom Women’s Institute murder mystery series of books was launched with Murders at The Winterbottom WI in 2022, followed by Murders at The Montgomery Hall Hotel (2022) and Murders at The Rookery Grange Retreat (2023).
Audible rights for her Women's Institute series have been snapped up both here in the UK and in the USA, covering all territories.
IncuBabies was formed by a group of volunteers based in Wirral, the aim of the charity is to raise funds for the Neo Natal Unit at Arrowe Park Women and Childrens' Hospital to extend and refurbish the unit into a state of the art facility and to enhance the support given to the parents / carers of the babies.
Following a request from Professor Colin Morgan, it is now one of the main sponsors of his research into nutrition and digestion in low weight full-term babies and neonatal babies which is hoping to improve their chances of preventing fatal infections.
IncuBabies was awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2021.
Gina continued: "IncuBabies is a charity very close to my heart, I’ve been involved in supporting them since 2017.
"They are all volunteers and their selfless hard work in fundraising, not only to upgrade the neonatal unit, but for neonatal digestive research too, is both humbling and heart-warming".
Gina's husband John is also a retired police officer.
Looking back on her literary career, Gina reflected: "I still pinch myself every single day. What began as a bit of cathartic writing to cope with losing my mum, suddenly became a book and a second later life career for me after I retired from Merseyside Police.
"I’m not very good at ‘bigging’ myself up, I get really embarrassed, but the books do really well particularly in the cozy mystery and humorous fiction rankings.
"I have a screenshot (I had to be so quick for posterity as the rankings change every hour) of the second in the WI series when it reached No.1 in the hot new releases chart. When I sometimes lose my writing mojo and confidence, I have a quick peek at it to remind me of how lucky I am and it pushes me to keep going."
And she has the following advice for aspiring writers: "I would definitely say to write from the heart and the imagination.
"The first step is to get the words that swirl around your head down, in whatever format suits you best, be it pen and paper, laptop, iPad or scribbled in a notebook. it’s no good if your ideas just remain in your head, they’re not going to go anywhere. Then write for you. Not for anyone else at this stage, just for you.
"You will be your first critic so now is the time to make mistakes, develop your writing style and storyline and grow with your work. Writing classes are great.
"I went to my first one held by local crime author, David Jackson at West Kirby Library, it was such an inspiring and informative class, and if you can, purchase the writers bible, The Writer & Artists Yearbook, there’s lots of great advice within its pages.
"But above all, enjoy writing and never give up. Getting published is not the easiest of roads, but when it happens, it’s amazing! I just wish my mum was still here, she’d have been so chuffed".
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