Friday, March 12, 2010

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.

~~~~~
***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.

50 comments:

adge said...

My mom loves carrot cake. This was a good interview. Please include me in the giveaway. Thanks. gasweetheart211[at]netscape[dot]net

rubynreba said...

I'd love to be entered for this book. Thanks for the chance.

I am a follower.

pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Linda said...

I would love to win The Husband Tree. I loved your previous book. Please enter me.

I am a follower on Google Reader.

desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Casey said...

I would love to read this- thanks! Please enter me, I am a follower. :)

caseymh18(at)gmail(dot)com

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

(Oops commenting again cause I forgot to say I was a follower!)

Happy 18th Birthday Carman...you're a big girl now LOL!

For Mary- Who has been your favorite character to write so far and which of your characters do you think is most like you?

Please enter me to win Carman I would LOVE this book! :-)

XOXO~ Renee
steelergirl83(at)gmail(dot)com

G.R.I.T.S. said...

Mary is one of my favorite authors!! Please enter me into the giveaway!!!! This sounds like a great book! and I can't wait to read ab Sophie's girls!!! I always wanted to know more about them!

Rae
raebyuel(@)gmail(.)com

G.R.I.T.S. said...

oops! I'm a follower 2! :)

apple blossom said...

Oh, I'd love to win this book. Thanks.

I'm a subscriber and follower too.

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Emma said...

Great interview.
Happy 18th Birthday.This book sounds wonderful.Please enter me in the giveaway.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.Thank you.

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

Great interview!! I'd love to enter! Thanks so much!

inthehammockblog (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I would love to be entered in this contest.
Love your idea and it does seem unique!
Thank You!
Maureen
alekee02@yahoo.com

Shirley Ann said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shirley Ann said...

Sounds like a great book! Would love to be entered, also a follower. Happy Birthday to both of you.

Shirley
( shirleyprime@gmail.com )

Anonymous said...

Your characters sound like they have a lot of stubborness to work through in this book. Good idea and thanks for the giveaway!

estrella8888 at roadrunner dot com

runner10 said...

I would love this book. Enter me. I am a follower.
csdsksds@gmail.com

Tina Dee Books said...

Hi Carman & Mary,

Don't enter me, I've already read the book (3 times!)

I just wanted to say that I absolutely loved this book, the characters, the humor, the author!

So, that being said, it's far too long a wait for the next Mary Connealy book!

Thanks for your wonderful site Carman, and your other site that lists all the book giveaways. What a blessing you are!

Julia M. Reffner said...

Have heard this book is quite funny. Please enter me.

julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com

Julia M. Reffner said...

I'm also a subscriber.

julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com

Sylvia M. said...

I have the first book in this series and enjoyed it. I'd like to enter this giveaway.

Samitude[at]hotmail[dot]com

Carole said...

I love Mary's romantic comedies and hope she never stops writing them! Thank you both for the interview and giveaway.

I'm also a follower and I subscribe to your blog, Carman.

cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

cheryl c said...

This sounds like a wonderful story! I love western romances, and Mary injects delightful humor in her stories. Thanks so much for a chance to win a copy.

Follower :-)

castings at mindspring dot com

Unknown said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY! I would love to be entered for this book! I have been wanting to read The Husband Tree ever since it came out. I have been looking for it but have not found it yet! No good book stores in my area! I have been so hooked on the western romances lately! Thanks for the chance to win!

I am a follower!
lead[at]hotsheet[dot]com

Mary Connealy said...

Hi everyone. Sorry I'm slow to check in today.

If your bookstore doesn't have my books ask for them. They WILL order them and not charge you one bit extra. And they might just order TWO while they're at it.

If that fails try your library. If your library doesn't have it ask if you can get it through your interlibrary loan program.
Some states have this free others charge you fifty cents or a dollar. But that's a pretty good price for a book.

Mary Connealy said...

I'll add here that I just did a booksigning today at Crossroads Book and Music in Sioux Falls South Dakota and they had all my books except Petticoat Ranch, which is out of print...but it's going to be re-released in the fall. I won't go into that now.

But, right this minute that store has all my other books, God bless their hearts. It was so nice of them to order so many.

If you phone them, they will mail them to you. I'm sure you'll get charged for the shipping but it's not too bad.

They have an 800 number. 800-843-3715. It's a fast easy way to get them books.

Mary Connealy said...

As for which is my favorite character, I don't know if I've EVER enjoyed a character more than Belle Tanner. Although Glowing Sun leads Wade for a merry chase before he finally corrals her in Wildflower Bride...coming in May.

I particularly loved Red in Montana Rose. the perfect man.

Grant in Gingham Mountain was such a sweet man. I just adored him.

Clay McClellen and Sophie might've had the funnest sparks flying between them.

Those Reeve's boys were out of this world fun to write.

I particularly adored Nick O'Conner in Of Mice...and Murder, one of the cozy mysteries contained in Nosy in Nebraska. I suppose each of the heroines in those three books in Nosy in Nebraska had my quirks. One was terrified of mice. One an insomniac book-a-holic, one a klutz. Those are all me.

I just guess my answer is, I wouldn't quit on a character until I loved him or her.

justpeachy36 said...

justpeachy36@yahoo.com

Please enter me in the giveaway.

I am a follower.

Anonymous said...

would LOVE to read this fabulous book...thanks for the opportunity

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Sarah G said...

I would really appreciate being entered in this contest. Hope you have a terrific birthday!

Sarah
hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah G said...

I'm a blog follower.

Sarah
hawaiismn(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

OMGosh, I would love to win this book so that I could continue reading about Belle. I haven't had the chance to go buy this one yet, so winning it would be wonderful.

jrandtam@columbus.rr.com

Unknown said...

I found your blog via a link on Mary's blog, so now I am following you also. :)

jrandtam[at]columbus.rr.com

Mary Connealy said...

Good morning. Another dreary spring day. The standing water is an improvement over the chest deep snow. But I still want HEAT and SUNLIGHT.

The other day I was at my mom's, she in her eighties and she said, "I think the sun is coming out."
I looked out for a while and said, "Nope. The haze is unusually thin though and it's been so long since we've seen the sun, a person might be fooled."

My mom has lived a long, long time and even she can't quite remember sunshine. THAT'S how dreary it is.

Mary Connealy said...

And Yes, I am talking about the weather.

nmetzler said...

Too fun! I am currently reading Calico Canyon to my husband. Mary's books are great fun to read out loud.

please, enter me in the giveaway! I've been eyeing this book in stores since January.

natashasiegrist at hotmail dot com

Michelle said...

Thanks so much for entering!!

Blessings,
Michelle
scraphappy71 at sbcglobal dot net

Michelle said...

I am a follower on Google Friend Connect. Thank you for entering me!

Michelle
scraphappy71 at sbcglobal dot net

Caroline Clemmons said...

The Husband Tree sounds as if you wrote it for me! I really hope I wind the book. Good luck with sales.

Carmen, you are starting your publishing career early. Good for you. Best of luck to you!

Nancye said...

This looks like a great book! Thanks for the chance.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Follower

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Unknown said...

Great interview! Please enter me into your drawing! I am a follower!

Tawnia at walkinfaith4hin(at)yahoo(dot)com

Mary Connealy said...

Hey, gang, I'm going to be doing a book signing tour in Ohio starting this Saturday, March 19th in Canton.

If anyone's from there, go check out my blog for details and come and see me.
Ohio Book Tour

Valerie said...

Would love to win this book. It sounds like it is "right up my alley"!

taviansnana[at]yahoo[dot]com. ;)

regina said...

Please add me to the giveaway. Great interview.
Regina
jrkjd[at]crcom[dot]net

Jennifer said...

Thanks for the great giveaway, I have recently discovered Mary's books. I can't wait to read this one!

jennifer(dot)arnold11(at)gmail(dot)com

Jennifer said...

I'm a follower, too!

jennifer(dot)arnold11(at)gmail(dot)com

Leah said...

hi
i would love to get this book!!
i have read almost all of Marys books,i LOVE them.there so funny and sweet!
i'm not a follower.

dymesich(at)juno(dot)com

Krista said...

I absolutely LOVE Mary Connealy's books! They're soooo great! Please enter me in the contest!

Linda Kish said...

I would enjoy reading this book. Thanks.

Linda


lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Carman said...

Renee & Tina~ Thanks you guys! I really love getting to know you all and helping out where I can. :)