Gina Bell will make her Love Inspired Suspense debut with Outrunning Danger in January 2026. Gina Bell is a Southern girl through and through. She grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and went to UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) with the idea of continuing on to law school. She quickly decided writing romances, not legal briefs, was where her heart lay.
We first noticed Gina’s work during a Love Inspired pitch event in 2023. An editor liked the pitch and requested the first three chapters, then the full manuscript. Congratulations Gina on getting the call!
Harlequin: Tell us about yourself. Our readers want to know!
Gina Bell: I live in the beautiful town of Fort Mill, South Carolina. My husband, 4 kids, 5 grandkids, 2 dogs and 2 cats keep life interesting, hectic and fun. I’m an avid reader and almost never go anywhere without taking a book with me. You never know when you might have an opportunity to read a few paragraphs! I love discovering new coffee shops, taking long walks with my dog, Petunia, and going to the beach, which is about a three-hour drive away.
H: What led you to becoming a romance writer?
GB: I read my first Harlequin Romance as a teenager while on vacation at the beach. I was hooked. I loved the attraction between the hero and heroine no matter how much they tried to fight it. The conflicts kept pulling them apart but love always won and the happily ever after was so rewarding. It wasn’t long before I decided I could write one myself and my first attempt was written by hand in spiral notebooks and using my mother’s old antique typewriter. The kind used by the character Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote! There have been times over the years that I submitted the synopsis and first three chapters and received a request for the full manuscript, but a rejection always followed. The dream was in my heart though, and God put it there. I had setbacks, but I never gave up.
H: What were the big steps in your journey to becoming a published author?
GB: I discovered the Write for Harlequin Community and joined the group! It’s wonderful how supportive everyone is and cheers each other on. I began reading the articles in the newsletter, and the editors’ advice for aspiring writers. One piece of advice that struck me was the importance of finding the line that speaks to you and write for it. When I read my first Love Inspired Suspense, I knew that was the line that I was meant to write for. I love the romance, the intensity of the danger, and the hero and heroine relying on their faith to get through the challenges. Also, I’m a dog lover and there’s often a K9 partner that helps save the day. It was a perfect fit!
H: What advice would you offer aspiring writers?
GB: First, take a break from reading your manuscript on the computer screen and read it on paper. I print a chapter off after I complete it and read it with fresh eyes. It looks different on paper, and the awkward sentences and jumbled grammar jump right out at me.
Second, it’s hard to get to where you’re going if you can’t envision yourself there. If your goal is to be a published writer, see yourself as one.
Third, I know it’s been said before, but if the dream to write is in your heart, never give up. My daughter played on the playground while I would sit nearby and write in my spiral notebook, and now the years have passed, and she has kids of her own. It’s taken a while for this dream to come to fruition, but it’s worth every obstacle to get here.
H: What did you do when you got the call from Harlequin?
GB: I received an email from Amanda Sun asking if we could arrange a time to speak. I was watching grandkids but jumped up and began doing the happy dance. The kids thought it was a fun game! Amanda and I arranged to speak the next morning, and by that time, I‘d convinced myself I was reading too much into it and it wasn’t “the call.” When I did speak with Amanda and she said they wanted to publish Outrunning Danger, it was surreal. I had dreamed of getting that phone call for years. I immediately let my family know. They’ve been by my side through all the ups and downs and were almost as excited as I was.
Now let’s hear from the editor, Amanda Sun:
I was so excited to call Gina and let her know what a great fit her manuscript was for Love Inspired Suspense. She had a great way of weaving together danger and romance into an exciting plot that featured a wonderful K-9 at the heart of it! You could tell that she knew the line very well and what we were looking for. We’re so excited for our Love Inspired Suspense readers to get their hands on her debut!
