By Mark Ramos
Northeast Times
It’s safe to surmise that COVID-19 and the pandemic had a large impact on all of us. For some, such as local author Frankie Simon, it was an opportunity to reignite a passion for storytelling.
“I wanted to be a history teacher,” Simon said. “I received my M.Ed from Arcadia later, after getting my undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts with a distinction in American History from Temple. How life goes, and two kids 10 years apart, I never made it into a classroom to teach. I worked in a local Fox Chase restaurant for over 10 years. When COVID first started, I went back to journaling but as the lockdown led to more free time, I started writing.”
Now, that passion for journaling evolved into her book series, A Love Story Never Ends, which compiles over 1,000 pages over four separate novels. The Lawncrest-area native’s current relationship somewhat inspired the series, but it is more so fueled by Simon’s wild imagination and hopeless romanticism.
“Memories is the third in this series and that is my absolute favorite,” Simon said. “It takes Gulia, the main character, on what should have been a straight drive to Florida, but then she gets off the highway and makes it a road trip of flashing back on the events in her life (Some of these stories are 100% true). On this adventure, she discovers how to be completely independent and strong after a devastating breakup.”
Simon’s creativity can be outlined all the way back to her time at St. Basil Academy, where she really began developing her skills with writing and drawing. Simon will admit she’s a much better writer than she is an artist, as putting pen to paper comes more naturally to her. Simon would much rather read a book than watch TV, for example, but her eye for design has led to even much more ambitious projects.
“I had help with an editing company for Paramour and they did some proofreading design and a cover,” Simon said. “I figured I was somewhat computer savvy and I could write, edit, design and publish the next three on my own.”
Currently residing out toward Harleysville, Simon is ready to work on something different. Hello my name is.. is her latest book and follows the story of Ana, who moves from Chicago to Philadelphia after losing everything from the COVID pandemic. The main character is forced to move in with her aunt, who is not only a complete stranger to her, but someone who may also have connections with the mafia. When Ana crashes a job fair and somehow ends up being hired as someone else, she’s forced into a double life where she finds herself being used to embezzle money.
“Hello my name is.. is more a thriller than a romance but there is definitely what I like to call ‘housewife porn’ in there, too,” Simon joked. “I hope to have it ready to be published just in time for Memorial Day, the start of beach-reading season.”
For updates on Hello my name is.. and a place to get a hold of Simon’s A Love Story Never Ends series, visit frankiesimon.weebly.com. ••
