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Napier author Judi Hopkinson said she only expected to sell copies of her book The Wounded Vine to a few New Zealand friends.
Yet the project she spent five years working on made an appearance on the list of bestsellers on Amazon worldwide, when it hit the top threein April this year.
The list is made up of the most popular products, based on sales, and is updated frequently according to the Amazon website.
At the time, it was only ranked below Paris Hilton’s book, Paris, and Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Played with Fire.
Judi Hopkinson wrote 'The Wounded Vine' over five years at a bach in Waipatiki and from her base in the Languedoc region of France.
Hopkinson’s bookis a psychological drama set mainly in the South of France.
“Overseas, the book has taken off and seems to have hit a chord, especially with Americans and British keen to explore a new, enriching French way of life.”
The book touches on unspoken fractious relationships, romance, lies, deceit, pain and passion.
Hopkinson, an accomplished professional writer and editor for over 30 years, has travelled the world extensively and draws on her experiences and observations.
“I have spent time hidden away writing between a friend’s bach at Waipatiki Beach and a base in the Languedoc region of France.”
She said initially she set out to write a novel set around Napier, but a chance connection to France changed the direction of the story.
“My daughter began working at a French vineyard and while we were there on an extended family visit, it became apparent that my characters preferred that part of France as the perfect setting for their story.”
“When I started this book, I didn’t really know where it would lead, but it became evident very quickly that my characters had their own ideas of where they were heading.
“It became a journey in which they led me to tell their story, often at four in the morning.”
She hoped that the book would not only bring enjoyment but touch on areas of people’s lives that they hadn’t previously recognised, and deal with unresolved relationship issues within families, amongst friends and work colleagues.
“If I can help just one person who reads my book to realise that they are not alone in their situation, and that there is help out there, then I have achieved my objective.”
The Wounded Vine has been picked up by major overseas booksellers, including Waterstones in the UK and Barnes and Noble in America. It can also be purchased on Amazon.
