CLEVELAND — Whether you’re a transplant or you’ve lived here your whole life. I think we can all agree that Northeast Ohio is a pretty cool place.
And because of that, a local author is hoping to share her love for the Land with the world, one page at a time.
"Dream On" is a romantic comedy and it shares the same spirit as classic nineties romcom films," said author Angie Hockman.
Hockman recently released her second novel and it's set in Cleveland, a place she loves.
"I feel like a lot of people don't know or appreciate how much Cleveland has to offer. You know, they only think of it as like the mistake on the lake. And that is not the case, " said Hockman.
A Columbus native, Hockman and her husband moved to Cleveland in the mid-2000’s and fell in love with the city’s charm. So much so, that she felt it was the perfect backdrop for her character’s story to unfold.
"The story is about a young woman, Cassidy Walker, and she gets in a car accident and winds up in a coma. And while she's in this coma, she dreams of her boyfriend, Devin Bloom, except Devin doesn't exist," explains Hockman.
Despite being totally confused, Cassidy tries to move on with her life starting a job at a high-powered law firm and moving into a new place with her best friend.
"I set the majority of the story in Ohio City, which I think is a wonderful, diverse, delightful neighborhood. And it really worked for my characters," Hockman says.
No surprise, there are twists, turns and romance ensuing all across The Land.
"I wanted to set it somewhere where they could live somewhere cute, quaint, charming, but also have easy access to all of the wonderful things Cleveland has to offer. Like restaurant, the lake, all of the amenities.
And while the amenities are great, Hockman says the city also has a level of determination that she wanted the characters to embody.
"It's constantly going constantly revitalizing. And so I wanted that sort of gritty, Midwestern spirit, you know, that colorful spirit to come through as a mirror from my protagonist journey," said Hockman.
So what happens in the novel when Cassidy awakes from her coma and finds her dream guy in real life?
"So they get together to try to, to solve the mystery of, you know, why did she dream of him during her coma? And they embark on a little romance, although maybe fate has other plans you have to read to find out," Hockman teases.
"Dream On" was released last month and is already landing rave reviews, ensuring that readers all over are dreaming of Cleveland all summer long. It's available now at local bookstores and on Amazon. To purchase, click here.
*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous, unrelated report.