Bio: Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is the author of the popular series BROTHERS IN ARMS, BRIDES OF HOPE MOUNTAIN, HIGH SIERRA SWEETHEARTS, KINCAID BRIDES, TROUBLE IN TEXAS, LASSOED IN TEXAS, SOPHIE’S DAUGHTERS, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.
With
over 1.5 million copies sold, Carol Award–winning author Mary Connealy is an
established leader in the lighthearted historical romance category. For years
readers have delighted in Connealy’s stories full of thrilling adventure and
sweet romance starring strong and witty heroines. Featuring self-supporting,
independent female protagonists in nontraditional occupations, Mary Connealy
steals fans away to the atmospheric American West with Forged in Love,
Book One in the WYOMING SUNRISE series.
About
the Story: When
sparks begin to fly, can a friendship cast in iron be shaped into something
more?
Mariah
Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the
stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes
over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds
herself in jeopardy and wondering— does someone know she witnessed the robbery
and is still alive?
Handsome
and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful
memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates
fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to
stick to their old ways. Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they
face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when
danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will
they survive to build a life forged in love?
Welcome
back to my blog, Mary. Can you please tell us a little about your new novel Forged
in Love?
Forged in Love is me trying to push the limits of what a woman
would be allowed to do for a career in 1870. It’s special because it’s set in
Wyoming, the first territory (Wyoming wasn’t yet a state then) to give women
the right to vote. Of course, there was more to women’s suffrage than just
voting. Women could run for elective office. They could be appointed to
government posts. They could serve on juries. It’s so hard to understand just
how much women couldn’t do. Well, to me, if they could run for office, then
they could do all sorts of formerly male-dominated things, and in Forged
in Love, I explore just how much women can do.
Forged
in Love
is the first novel in your new WYOMING SUNRISE series. What’s the connecting
element that ties each book in the series together? Each of the three books
has a really strong woman working in a male-dominated field. In book one, my
heroine is a blacksmith. In book two, my heroine is a justice of the peace. And
in book three, my heroine is a lady rancher. I know I do a lot of lady
ranchers. For me, being a rancher is not that bold of a choice, but for a woman
in the nineteenth century, it would have been pretty unusual.
Your
protagonist, Mariah, takes over her father’s blacksmith shop to make ends meet.
What inspired the idea to highlight women in nontraditional occupations in this
series?
The seed of the story was planted when I visited a restored fort called Fort
Atkinson. They host living-history weekends, and I just loved spending time
there. I learned about the different jobs of the late 1800s: the cooper who
made wooden buckets, butter churns, washtubs, things like that; the farrier who
shoed horses; the town doctor; the ones who wove homespun cloth; and the
blacksmith, which struck me as the most interesting of the bunch. Once I
decided I wanted to work against the traditional, I considered the job of
blacksmith for a woman character. Blacksmithing is very hard work—the heavy
sledgehammers, the anvil, the raging hot forge. I had to create a woman
character who could handle it all. It’s funny how one idea inspires the next.
Before I knew it, I had an idea for my novel. Forged in Love
focuses on themes such as women’s suffrage.
Can
you tell us a little more about the significance of this and how it affects
your character, Mariah? Mariah is raised by her father after her mother dies.
Since her father is a blacksmith, and she was old enough to be careful around
fire and hot iron, she went to work with him and her brother. Her father gave
her small jobs at first, making nails, angle iron, and hinges. He bought her a
smaller sledgehammer so she could manage it. Then in a stagecoach holdup, her
father and brother are killed and the town is left without its blacksmith.
Mariah, with the training her father had given her and in need of a job, takes
over her father’s blacksmith shop. Not everyone approves, but eventually they
all need a blacksmith, and she’s it. The town comes around, and Mariah’s got a
way to support herself.
Was there anything you found particularly interesting in your research that you included in your novel? I had the best time talking to a blacksmith, who was working at a living-history museum. He was so passionate about the skills involved and loved talking about it. I’ve met several people who are passionate about what they do, are almost always intriguing, even if the topic isn’t one you would choose to discuss. This blacksmith was so interesting to get to know. I also watched a TV series called Victorian Farm. It was fascinating to watch modern folks living in an old farmhouse, raising pigs and sheep, planting seeds and harvesting crops. Their skills also included some blacksmithing.
What
is your favorite part about writing historical romance? I guess this
isn’t a good answer, but truly, I love everything about writing. I love looking
at that blank screen with all the possibilities of creating a world and
inhabiting it with characters. I love rewriting. The best writing is rewriting,
and I never balk at revisions. A book can always be made better. I love the
research that goes into it, too. It’s sort of strange, but I usually find some
little tidbit of history and then a whole book can bloom from that tidbit.
What
do you hope readers take away from this story or the series at large? It seems like I
always come back to family. In my books, that seems to be my goal for
characters who don’t have a family, to get them one. Or characters who have family
to heal the emotional wounds from past troubles. Mariah begins this book by
losing her family. In one horrible blow, she loses the men she loves, is badly
wounded herself and is set adrift, finding her way back to health and
happiness. And Clint, the man who runs the town’s diner, is right there wanting
to help and to protect her when more danger comes her way. He’s the beginning
of a new family for Mariah.
What
do readers have to look forward to in the rest of this series? Book two is The
Laws of Attraction. Nell is a lady justice of the peace. Sweet, delicate,
seamstress Nell is the widow of a sheriff, who taught her far more than anyone
would expect about investigations and firearms and toughness. When widower
Brand Nolte brings his three daughters into town to get dresses, Nell is so
excited. Sewing pretty dresses is what she loves to do. But when trouble comes
for Mariah, and Nell jumps in to help, the townsfolk have found their new
judge.
Book
three is about my lady rancher, Becky. She’s so tough that she makes the
blacksmith and the judge look like wimps. Her turn for trouble is coming with
the ruthless stagecoach robbers who roam the area and never leave a witness
alive.
How
can readers connect with you? My website is: http://www.maryconnealy.com Find me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/maryconnealy
You can find my complete book list at:
http/:www.mconnealy.blogspot.com Or sign up for my newsletter at: http://www.maryconnealy.com/newsletter
Thank
you, Mary for sharing this new book with my blog readers. You know how much I
love reading your stories.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
Leave a comment
for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these
instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least
the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments
containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where
prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the
giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer
in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only
notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If
you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or
Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be
included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
9 comments:
Mary Connealy is one of my MUST read authors!
Caryl K in TX
Love Mary Connealy's book and from the description I just know FORGED IN LOVE will be on the list of favorites. Sounds like this whole new series will be full of awesome reads.
Always enjoy stories about strong women (especially in long ago eras when it was so hard to be strong with all that was stacked up against them), those woven with a threads of hope, endurance and romance, and stories whose elements stand the test of time meaning they can be applied to today's time as well as the long ago era written in.
Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy! Shared and hoping to be the fortunate one selected. Would love the opportunity to read and review FORGED IN LOVE.
Kay Garrett
Mountain View, AR
2clowns at arkansas dot net
I love the cover and Mary’s books are so good. Blessings from Lucy in WV.
I have loved every Mary Connealy book I've read, and Forged in Love sounds like another winner! Would love to win a copy.
Pam in OH
Ooh, this sounds really fun!
Elly -Indiana-
I live in southeast Missouri and love Mary's books! jarning67(at)hotmail(dot)com
Can't wait to read this!
Abigail in VA
Love Mary's books Can't wait to read this book! Sarah T. from OHIO
Enter me in your awesome giveaway!!
Nichols SC.
Post a Comment