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This week, Western romance author Mary Connealy joins us on the podcast to discuss her new book, Inventions of the Heart. She calls her books rom-coms with cowboys, and we discuss her love for wit and humor, how she manages to write some many books, and what three elements are essential for a good book in her estimation. Enjoy our chat!
Inventions of the Heart by Mary Connealy (book 2 of 3 of the Lumber Baron’s Daughters series)
Her heart seeks safety. But will trouble find her even here?
After her sister’s marriage, Michelle Stiles is left hiding at Two Harts Ranch with the handsome but stubborn Zane Hart. She’s managed to stay one step ahead of her stepfather and his devious plans, but if he finds her, she will no longer be safe.
Zane has problems of his own. Having discovered a gold mine on his property, he must figure out how to harvest it without kicking off a gold rush. Michelle, educated and trained to run her father’s business, wants to manage all aspects of the mine, but Zane thinks for a person so smart she can have some misguided ideas. Running the mining operation will be a dangerous job, and he can’t risk putting her in harm’s way.
But danger finds Michelle anyway when she’s suddenly attacked. If they go to the sheriff, they’ll reveal her location, but if they do nothing . . . their troubles have only just begun.
Get your copy of Inventions of the Heart.
Get your copy of book 1, The Element of Love.
Meet Mary Connealy
“I wrote for ten years before I got my first book published. When I did get my first contract I had twenty finished books on my computer at home. I had just enough encouragement through those ten long years to keep me going.
I was a stay-at-home mom when I started but during those years my children grew up and I got a job. I’ve worked forty hours a week, teaching GED, for the last five years.
Somewhere in about the third year of my writing, I sent a manuscript into Silhouette Romance and they requested a full manuscript. From the time I sent the three chapters in, then their request for a whole manuscript, then finally their rejection, it took a full year. So I’m starting to see just how slow the publishing world is. I sent that book in as a result of placing third in a writer’s contest and I did pretty well in them.
I learned a lot from the critiques. Also when I’d final, I got judged by editors and agents.
There came a time when I expected to final in any contest I entered. The two years before I got published I was a finalist in eleven contests with five different books. And all the while I’m entering these contests, I kept writing.
I discovered ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and entered my manuscript Petticoat Ranch in their unpublished contest. I was a double finalist in 2004, another book of mine, Montana Rose, was in the running, too. (Montana Rose released in July).
I won The Noble Theme contest and got a lot of requests to send in my book. I also got a really simple request from Cathy Marie Hake. She asked me to send her my first three chapters. Cathy read what I sent her and said she thought I was ‘ready’.
By this time, I had so many rejections I had a hide like a rhino, so submitting work didn’t even phase me. Okay, well maybe I crawled under my computer desk and sucked my thumb for a day or two every time I got one but other than that I was fine.
Just before the next year’s conference, Cathy Marie Hake told me she wanted to pitch my name to write a book as part of a three book series set in historical Alaska.
Every year at the conference the acquiring editor for Heartsong Presents gives a contract to an unpublished author. I was so hopeful! I knew there was a chance it could be me. The Heartsong editor, Tracie Peterson, said someone else’s name, so okay, I’ve been rejected before. I kind of expect it. And then she said, “And this year we’re giving two contracts to first-time authors. We’re offering a contract to Mary Connealy.” I get chills saying that! It was a wonderful, thrilling shocking moment. I had to go up and get the contract, in front of 350 other writers, all clapping. A great, great moment in my life.
With numerous books published, I’ve also had the honor of being a Carol Award winner and a Rita and Christyand IRCC Award Finalist. Subscribe to my email newsletter for the latest information. You’ll also find me on Seekerville, Petticoats & Pistols, and my blog. More details are on my media kit page.”