Victoria Hamel never thought she would be a published author, at least not until life pushed her to finally pursue a long held dream.
Hamel, a resident of Palos Hills, is the author of It App-ened One Night, a steamy small town romance set in the fictional suburb of Marley Creek, just outside Chicago. The story follows Susan, an unemployed professor back home caring for her mother, who finds an unexpected spark of romance when she sells a concert ticket to Donnie, a widowed baker with a teenage son.
“I enjoy writing stories about regular people, like teachers, bakers, and servers, finding love,” Hamel said. “My hope is that readers identify with my main characters and their friends. Susan’s story was important to me because I know many women who are caretakers for older family members. It was nice to help Susan fall in love and repair her relationship with her mom.”
Hamel self published the book in January after deciding traditional publishing’s long wait was not for her. She relies on a professional editor and proofreader to ensure her work meets high standards.
Her journey to becoming an author was sparked by a personal milestone.
After surviving breast cancer in 2019, Hamel reflected on what truly mattered to her. “Writing books was something I always wanted to do, but I had talked myself out of it for decades. Finally, in 2023, I stopped listening to myself. Two years later, I have published five books,” she said.
It App-ened One Night is available in person at Love’s Sweet Arrow in Tinley Park and online through Amazon, both in Kindle and paperback editions.
Winning a recent award for her work was especially meaningful to Hamel. “Writing is a solitary venture, aside from the characters living in my head, it is good to know that others found what I wrote to be a story worth telling,” she said.
The success of her book is more than recognition. It is a celebration of pursuing a dream and creating characters readers can root for. “It is a story about finding love and happiness, even when life takes you in unexpected directions,” she said.