Local author Jane Herr Desrosiers published the Gone Fishing Trilogy. The books are called “The Hook,” which was published in 2017, “The Line,” published in 2018, and “The Sinker,” published in 2019.

“The Hook” begins with protagonist Ethel Koontz’s choice to abandon a career in journalism so as to remain home in rural Maine to help her father. Her father begins to confide in her about her deceased mom, which develops into a mystery in her proceeding books.

Desrosiers’ idea to compose her trilogy originated with weekly newsletters. She began writing newsletters to entertain patients and staff at the hospital where she worked. The funny letters included stories about fishing and Maine. Eventually, she used the newsletters to write the three popular books.

Having a book published can be an overwhelming project, but Desrosiers took on the challenge despite its obstacles. Succeeding in getting her trilogy published is a dream realized, and she cried when embracing the newly published version.

Desrosiers’ favorite authors are Stephen King, James Patterson, and Patricia Cornwall. Her love of mysteries was her impetus for writing the Gone Fishing trilogy. She said feels that a great work of fiction can be “compared to a a French pastry, possessing many layers.” Her books are rich in description and detail of food, character traits, and the character’s environment. Modern technology is not included in any of her books. The books describe a simpler time.

Desrosiers is from Baltic and attends meetings of the Connecticut Association of Authors and Publishers, which meets monthly in Groton and more recently via Zoom. She belongs to the Sisters in Crime and the Association of Publishers for Special Sales, and she will participate in the Connecticut Author Trail. It resembles the Connecticut wine trail, but stops at libraries during the summer, and each library features an author. She has been chosen for Canterbury, the town in which she grew up.

Desrosiers set her sights on becoming a physical education teacher and ultimately earned an associates degree from Quinnebaug Valley Community College.

As a member of the Norwich Arts Center, she is also an actress and has been acting in plays in the Windham Theater as well as the Chelsea Players, another community theater based in Norwich. She is also a Justice of the Peace.

Lisa Shasha lives in Norwich.