Mary Connealy ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Mary Connealy is telling us about her new book, The Husband Tree. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Mary! How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?

I've been writing for a long, long time, Carman, if you count all the years it took me to get published—I'd say about fifteen years. Black Hills Blessing, which releases in March is my 14th book, but it's a 3 in 1 collection of three shorter books that released in a book club.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
The romance is G and frankly I've created my own genre and no one is doing quite what I'm doing. Let's just go with that, shall we?

In your own words tell us a little about The Husband Tree.

Belle Tanner buries her third worthless husband and makes a vow over his shallow grave. She’s learned her lesson. No more men.

Silas Harden just lost his second ranch because of a woman. The first deserted him when times got tough. Now he’s had to quit the whole state of New Mexico to avoid a trumped-up shotgun wedding and the noose of matrimony. He’s learned his lesson. No more women.

Belle needs hired hands to move a cattle herd late in the season and there’s no one around but seemingly aimless Silas. She hires him reluctantly.

Silas signed on, glad for the work, though worried about a woman doing such a thing as hiring drovers, only to find out he’s the lone man going with five woman, including a baby still in diapers. After the cattle drive is over, he might as well shoot himself to speed up the process of being embarrassed to death.

A fast approaching winter.

The toughest lady rancher you’ve ever seen.

A cynical cowboy who has to convince five women he’s right for their ma. . .and then convince himself.

And one thousand head of the crankiest cattle who have ever been punched across the backbone of the Rockies.

What research did you have to do for this book?
The main research I do is location. The style and rhythm of the books is just wildly recognized 'Cowboy'. But I needed to find a rugged place to drive cattle, research the plants that grew there, the weather, the type of rivers and stones and the history of that place at that time. Was Montana a state or a territory? Was Helena in existence…since they drive the cattle there.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

I'd have Jane Seymour play Belle—in her Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman days. Beyond that, I'm stuck. I don't really like doing that, for the same reason I don't like having faces on my book covers. I think it messes with your imagination.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
The sequel to The Husband Tree, book #3 in the Montana Marriages series releases in May. After that is another series of romantic comedy with cowboys. That's the Sophie's Daughters series, the daughters of Sophie McClellen from Petticoat Ranch.

How can readers get in contact with you?
I love hearing from readers. My email address is mary@maryconnealy.com

And they can find me online at:
http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/ Seekerville

http://petticoatsandpistols.com/ Petticoats & Pistols

http://mconnealy.blogspot.com/ My Blog

http://www.maryconnealy.com/ My Website

What are you currently reading?
I just finished Erica Vetsch short sweet romance The Marriage Masquerade. She is so talented. I did NOT want that book to end. I just loved her characters.

What is your favorite birthday memory?
My birthday is in March, just like yours Carman. Honestly my childhood memories of my birthday are mostly snow and rain and cold. It just always worked out that way.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Carrot Cake-I have a recipe so good, if I used it carefully I could vault straight into the governor's office.

Most treasured birthday gift?
My husband gave me a riding lawnmower once. I know, not romantic but man or man was I THRILLED. Seriously.

Disney Princess?
Let's go with Ariel in the Little Mermaid. I loved all those Disney movies. Belle from Beauty and the Beast—she's close to first, Jasmine—I loved Jasmine, Nala—well, she's a lion so that's working against her. But I loved the movie. Cinderella, Snow White—we watched all these movies a thousand times when my kids were little. Pocahontas, not so much. No on Mulan. Sleeping Beauty was lame. She slept through the whole movie, what's the point of that?

What is/was this book’s release date?
The Husband Tree released in January, so it's in bookstores now.

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***USA adresses only, please***

 

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of The Husband Tree!

To enter:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 12) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 18). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 19th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.