Interview with Connie Mann and giveaway!!

Its good to have Connie Mann visiting with us today.  Connie is offering one copy of her book to one commenter. Be sure to include your contact information in the comments. USA only. 

Connie, thank you for stopping by. What does your writing process look like?

My favorite part of the process is when I’ve done enough plotting and thinking that the characters have come alive in my head. Once I can see the story, I’m ready to pour it onto the page. The faster I can do that, the happier I am. No editing, just writing. If I make the mistake of stopping to futz and fix, I lose my momentum and excitement for the story and it feels like slogging uphill through concrete. Quick first drafts work best for me.

What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

I would say two things. Pick a set time of day and declare that your writing time. Let everyone in your family know and gather friends who will hold you accountable. Then show up every day at that time to get words on the page. Do this until it becomes habit and you don’t have to psyche yourself up for it every time.

Second, set small goals. Instead of trying to write say, 3,000 words in a day, decide you’ll write 500 words in one hour. Set a timer and start writing. By the time it rings, you may find you’ve done more than 500. But if not, you’ll have met your goal and can feel good about that.

Wow, I do good to get 500 words a day!  What book are you reading now?

I’m currently reading Eloisa James’ memoir, Paris in Love, and am enjoying it immensely. I’ve always longed to visit Paris and she’s made it come alive for me. When I’m in the middle of plotting a new story, I read anything but suspense, lest I inadvertently absorb elements from others’ stories. My go-to choice is often regencies. The witty banter inspires my love of words and offers the perfect mental break. 

What books have most influenced your life most?

When I discovered the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, I binge-read for months and months. I couldn’t get enough of their adventures and mentally started writing my own. But Harriet the Spy will always be one of my favorites. I wanted to BE Harriet. I also wanted to hang out with the Little Women and roam around with a dog like Lassie (we had cats growing up). I re-read Gone with the Wind at least once a year even though I wanted to smack Scarlett. But I admired her grit and Rhett Butler…? Sigh.

If you didn't like writing books, what would you do for a living?

I’m a USCG-licensed boat captain and work for our local school board. I love being on the water, so if I didn’t write, I would probably captain full time, maybe even convince hubby to live on a boat. Or, I would somehow figure out how to be a full-time traveler. I love seeing new places and meeting new people. Wanderlust hits regularly, distracting me from my word counts.

Oh, yes, that sounds lovely.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be your guest. It’s been a pleasure.

Book Blurb

Some family secrets are best left buried at sea.  

Orphaned as a child in Russia, boat captain Sasha Petrov has spent most of her life adrift, anchored only by her loving foster family. So when they beg her to return to the family marina in Safe Harbor, Florida, for Mama’s sixtieth birthday, Sasha complies, hoping to put the past behind her. But Mama has other plans: she wants her three foster daughters to find Tony, the biological son who disappeared twenty years earlier.

Sasha agrees to try, but that’s easier said than done when bad boy Jesse Claybourne shows up, reigniting an old attraction. Back in Safe Harbor on a quest of his own, Jesse gets tangled up in Sasha’s search, and soon the two are close to uncovering an old town secret that some will stop at nothing to protect.

When Jesse is violently beaten and Sasha’s dog is poisoned, they realize the past is hiding something more sinister than they ever imagined. Can they uncover the truth without destroying Sasha’s family and breaking each other’s hearts, or are they sailing against the wind?

Bio:

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and the author of romantic suspense novels Tangled Lies (May 2016) Angel Falls and Trapped! as well as various works of shorter fiction. She has lived in seven different states but has happily called warm, sunny Florida home for more than twenty years. When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on Central Florida’s waterways, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries follow their dreams and break the poverty cycle. In addition to boating, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their grown children and extended family and planning their next travel adventures. You can visit Connie online at www.conniemann.com.

Website:  www.conniemann.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ConnieMannAuthor?ref=hl#!/ConnieMannAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaptConnieMann

Pinterest.com http://www.pinterest.com/captconniemann/

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Lies-Connie-Mann-ebook/dp/B0194UEDEK?ie=UTF8&keywords=connie%20mann&qid=1460580370&ref_=nav_signin&sr=8-1