Jane Green might be a Westport mother of four, but she is also a New York Times bestselling author of 16 novels.

Originally starting in the field of journalism in her home country of England, Green was inspired by a friend to leave her journalism job and follow her favorite part of the industry—the creativity—by writing a novel. She gave herself about three months to accomplish the deed, and she succeeded. Green first stepped into the publishing world when she released her first book, “Straight Talking,” in 1996.

“I wrote this little book in my little spare bedroom in my flat in London, and just to have all these huge publishers and publishers and publishers I’ve grown up with [bid for my book] was amazing, just this extraordinary validation,” Green explained.

Green’s novels are frequently about women her age and types of common emotional situations they go through involving themes such as marriage and family. She is also an avid people-watcher, her novels often inspired by her surroundings.

Green’s most recent novel, “Saving Grace,” was released at the end of 2014. The novel is a story about marriage, and it also incorporates Green’s love of food and cooking. Currently, Green is working on a young adult novel, as well as a cookbook.

“It’s cool that someone so successful was living near me,” Green’s former neighbor, Colin McKechnie ’17, said. “To us she was just a nice neighbor, but to the New York Times she’s a best selling author.”

Even though Green is very involved in her writing career, she takes pride in the fact that she still has time to fully experience other aspects of her life. “I love that this job has never infringed upon my motherhood or my ability to do all the other things and fulfill all my commitments to my family,” Green said.

Green’s son Harry Burke ’18 is not phased by his mother’s success. “It’s not like I see her as a famous author that happens to be my mom; it’s the other way around. [But it’s] cool that she is able to make a living out of a hobby she enjoys,” Burke explained.

Green’s strongest advice is the importance of practice. “Writing is a muscle. It needs to be exercised every day,” Green said.

Even though Green has been in the business for almost 20 years, the excitement of the industry has never worn off. “It’s still incredible even now after 16 novels. Sometimes I’m on a train or I’m in an airport, and I see somebody with one of my books,” Green explained. “It’s just as exciting today as it was back then.”