As a writer, Gemma Brocato has paid her dues, spending many years as a copywriter in the insurance sector. Today she’s living every writer’s dream: working as an author full time.

It was a Thursday like any other—eight hours in the office, dinner with the family at home, and a treadmill workout, while I watched Brad Pitt’s “Killing Them Softly” on DVD. The movie was abysmal, but Brad looked good, and I burned some calories. What happened next, however, was what made April 10, 2014, one of the best days of my life.

I didn’t start reading romance novels until a year ago. I’ve always preferred literary fiction and historical fiction. I also read the occasional thrillers and mysteries—think Lee Child and Tana French, respectively.