About Mary
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I discovered ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and entered my manuscript Petticoat Ranch in their unpublished contest.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Every year at the conference the acquiring editor for Heartsong Presents gives a contract to an unpublished author.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.
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.
Find Mary online at:
Seekerville
Petticoats & Pistols
My Blog
My Website
In 1866 Colorado, Ethan Kincaid agrees to a marriage of convenience with the same casual disregard he gives every decision. Audra Gilliland, young mother of two, accepts his proposal because she wants to stop being a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.
And suddenly both of them are in far deeper than they'd planned.
Ethan doesn't expect Audra to affect him so profoundly, and when she begins to, he's terrified of the pain he's felt before when someone he loved was seriously injured on his watch. He's determined that his new wife will do as he says so he can keep her safe from the dangers that lurk on their ranch.
Audra has been cared for all her life by one man or another--and they've done a poor job of it. Now she's planning to stand up for herself. And her new husband had better agree or get out of her way!
What will it take to transform two wayward hearts fearful of getting in too deep into two trusting hearts ready to risk falling deeply in love?
Where to buy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book.com
My Thoughts
This is the second book in this series and is a great compliment to book one.
In 1866, Colorado Audra Gilliand agrees to marry Ethan Kincaid because she feels like she has become a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.
Ethan has become attached to Audra's two small children and is so afraid he will not be able to protect her and the children. Plus he is confused about the feelings he has developed for Audra.
Audra is not wanting to be dependent on anyone. She wants to be able to stand on her own to feet and not be treated like a fragile little china doll.
The author picks Audra up out of the rubble of her past giving her faith in God to protect her and her children. In the character Ethan shows a yearning to be a father to Audra's children. As a family unit I believe Audra and Ethan will bring out the best in each other and the children showing that God has mad a blessed union.
I highly recommend this book.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure:
I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher for review. I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion.
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