Kate Gray and her book The Honeymoon. JOHN SIDDLE VIA SWNS.
NORTH YORKSHIRE, England — A mom who had a gruesome nightmare turned it into a book, and now she’s a bestseller.
Kate Gray, 38, had a bad dream where she was alone on a beach, hunted by a bloodied stranger and savagely attacked.
During her vivid nightmare she realized her own hands were stained with the man’s blood, and she was locked up where she couldn’t speak the language.
“The terrifying dream gave her an idea for a novel which she set about writing,” said Kate. She later secured a six-figure deal for crime thriller “The Honeymoon.”
“The Honeymoon” is currently a WHSmith book of the month in its airport stores.
Hardback and e-book versions will be released on Thursday with the paperback to follow next year.
“The nightmare was surreal and horrifying,” said Mom-of-two Kate, of Helmsley, North Yorkshire, England.
“The realism was overwhelming, and I was gripped by terror. My husband had to console me, reminding me that we were safe at home in lockdown, far from the scene of the nightmare,”said Kate.
“I couldn’t let go of the dread and panic. It felt so real, I could almost smell the suncream and hear the waves hit the sand.
“I couldn’t get back to sleep and I knew then that I had to write as much of this nightmare down and try to capture that intense fear.
“The idea stuck with me.
”I wondered what would happen if this sort of thing happened on your honeymoon and how you might go about starting married life having to share the darkest of secrets.”
“The Honeymoon” deals with the secrets of two newlywed couples at an exotic Bali retreat.
Kate had the dream in July 2021 when the writer was ”crippled” by a pandemic-induced creative slump.
Kate had published six popular women’s fiction books under the name Katy Colins, but struggled to find inspiration to write a thriller.
“There were times when I thought it’d just be much easier to get a regular job,” said Kate.
“But the nightmare was just the kick I needed – it fired me up so much.
“I wrote every single day, waking up before the kids, staying up late once they were in bed, and locking myself away just to get some more words down. ”
Heat magazine gave “The Honeymoon” five stars, while Crime Monthly described it as a “wonderfully twisty thrill ride.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
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