SWEPT AWAY - Mary Connealy - One Free Book

Bio: Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is a Carol Award winner, and a Rita and Christy and Inspirational Reader's Choice finalist. She is the author of bestselling Kincaid Brides Series: Out of Control, In Too Deep, Over the Edge, Lassoed in Texas Trilogy, Montana Marriages Trilogy and Sophie's Daughters Trilogy. Mary is married to a Nebraska rancher and has four grown daughters and two spectacular grandchildren.

Welcome back, Mary. Let’s do some fun questions first. What song most closely resembles your life?

Wow, Lena. This is a hard question. I’ve got a book to write you know? The song that comes to mind is one of my all time favorites by Rich Mullins called “If I Stand”.

The chorus:

So if I stand let me stand on the promise That you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man Who is longing for his home

I just love that, stand on His promise, fall on His grace. That’s how we should all live and how I’ve had to live, plenty of falling on His Grace in my life.

A very good choice, Mary. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? And why is it a favorite?

I’ve got so many that have touched me at different times but one I love and use a lot, whether outwardly or just the attitude, in my books is Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

It just seems to me that if we could remember that, cling to that, God is with us, whom shall I fear, we would live lives of incredible peace and happiness.

What is the one thing you wish you could go back and change in your life?

Okay, you can’t tell because typing on Word documents can’t be carbon dated, but I’ve been stumped by this for a long, long time. I wish I could change a lot of things about myself. I wish I could have been a better mom, a better housekeeper, I wished I’d kept up with the sit-ups. But you know what? My kids are great, in spite of me probably rather than because of me. My house is a mess but we haven’t died of dust inhalation. The sit-ups, well, I don’t think this belly was going to go away quietly so why spend time in regrets, huh? So I’m going to say nothing. I like where I am right now and I guess I needed to do all the things I did to get to where I am.

What you said is so true for me, too. What is the most important characteristic for a good friend to have?

You are now speaking to an almost utterly friendless person. And most of my really good friends are authors. So, based on that, I’d say the best characteristic, if you want to stay good friend with me, is to live five states away. Apparently, up close, I wear on people.

Or maybe it’s just that writing is such a solitary endeavor and only writers really understand. I'm your friend, and I only live three states away. What extracurricular activities did you participate in when you were in school?

I was in everything. Sports, speech, music. I was one of THOSE kids who joined every group. Not saying I was any good at any of that stuff, but I had fun.

That’s probably why you’re more of a no regrets person. What is your favorite movie of all times?

FINALLY an easy question. My favorite movie of all time is While You Were Sleeping, starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. I absolutely love every second of that sweet romantic comedy.

James and I love that movie, too. Of course, we are really into Sandra Bullock movies. Tell us about why you wrote this book.

I got the idea for Swept Away while I was doing research for the Kincaid Brides Series, which is the series I just finished. I found such interesting info about Andersonville Prison and explored the lives of soldiers after they’d gotten out. No CRAZY soldiers like Seth, just regular, decent men who’d bonded in the ugliest place on earth.

I’ve read the book and absolutely loved it, and I love the cover. Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.

Swept Away

By Mary Connealy

Chapter One

October 1, 1868

The sharp crack of a cocking pistol brought Lucas Stone’s head around.

“I’ll shoot if you so much as twitch.” The deputy’s badge gleamed in the dim lantern light of the stable and his aim was true.

“What’s the problem here?” Luke straightened away from his horse, his hands spread wide and raised slightly. He hoped this didn’t count as twitching, he didn't want to give the deputy an excuse to flinch.

“Those your saddle bags?” The lawman looked at the bags Luke had just thrown onto his horse and used the gun to point at them. Not a careful man. He looked to be about twenty, and none too bright.

“They are. What’s going on?”

“I got a tip I’d find money in those bags. Money from a stagecoach robbery that happened in these parts last week. Had a man killed.”

A shiver went up Luke’s spine. He’d noticed his saddle bags were moved. He’d left them here with his horse and, since there was nothing worth stealing in them, he hadn’t thought much of someone shoving them to the side, even going through them. Now he had a bad feeling that if he opened those bags, or let the deputy open them, there’d be something tying Luke to robbery and murder.

“You got a tip?” Luke tried to stall for time as he wondered who’d tried to frame him. Only one name came to mind. Flint Greer. A man who had good reason to not want Luke to make it home alive. “From who? I’ve only been in town a few hours. Just passin’ through on my way home to Texas.”

More honestly, on his way to reclaim his home in Texas. “I just came in from far north. I have a bill of sale dated yesterday that proves I’m new to these parts.” Luke reached for the breast pocket of his brown, broadcloth shirt.

“Don’t move!” The deputy’s gun came up and his finger visibly trembled on the trigger.

“Easy.” Luke wondered how the kid could believe there was a gun hidden in Luke’s shirt pocket, but he slowly moved his hands away from his body. “You want to get the bill of sale yourself?”

Luke hoped he came within grabbing distance.

Nodding, the lawman edged toward Luke.

Luke knew plenty about being tough having grown up in north Texas, a land of stark rock canyons and roving bands of Comanche and Kiowa. That alone was enough, but he’d also spent years fighting in the War Between the States, more time living off the land after the war. And he was boiling with anger as he made his way home to avenge his father’s death. Those things combined to make him a careful, knowing man. A dangerous man.

This deputy was none of those.

Luke was close to home now and Greer, the man who'd killed his father, knew he was coming because Luke had sent a letter, with a legal document, telling Greer to get off Stone land. Greer didn’t want Luke to make it home.

Luke knew a set-up when he saw one. Which meant there was little or no chance he could talk his way out of this. Which left fighting his way out. He braced himself, determined not to hurt a lawman—at least not too bad. But once a jail house door clanked shut, Lucas expected the only way out would be as he was led to a gallows.

How can readers find you on the Internet?
Seekerville Petticoats & Pistols
My Blog
My Website
My Newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryconnealy
Twitter: http://twitter.com/maryconnealy

Thank you, Mary, for visiting with us today. I know my readers will want to get a copy of Swept Away.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Swept Away (Trouble in Texas) - paperback
Swept Away (Trouble in Texas Book #1) - Kindle


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