Today's author in the spotlight is Harper Impulse author Lori Connelly, whose second western historical is now available.
1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’m a new grandma who wishes the transporter from Star Trek were a reality so I could visit her everyday. As a tomboy, country girl I unfortunately live in a small town but I am out in the woods, walking, rock hounding, berry picking, as often as possible . At home, I’m writing, reading, and pointing the laser dot for the dog to chase.
2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
The Lawman of Silver Creek is my second book, a novella in my Men of Fir Mountain series.
3. What inspired this book?
I like exploring what if’s to existing relationships. I’ve known couples who survived a trauma, most of them broke up sometime afterwards. A few of the pairs worked through the aftermath and developed a stronger bond. I wanted to show a glimpse into the lives of a couple who love each other but their individual responses to a traumatic event has put their relationship in jeopardy.
4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words so without further ado, this image of Hugh Jackson inspired Sheriff Matthew Marston.
5. Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
Many genres fascinate me, which may be obvious to anyone following the Written Fireside tales. Before I signed a three-book deal with Harper Impulse, I had a fantasy story/ series I was working on and would be excited to complete. I also would like a stab at straight fiction, a shifter story, customary romance and urban fantasy. I love storytelling.
6. In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
When I signed my contract I thought I knew what would come next after all I’d watched every episode of Murder, She Wrote and now Castle. People worldwide would magically know they should buy and review my books. Reality is authors need to do a lot of promotion to go from an unknown, debut author to their name and work being widely recognized. I’m still learning about how to promote my books, working on gaining more exposure as an author. However, I feel awkward asking for reviews, to date rarely have, and have only done a handful of interviews. Often I feel as though I’m stumbling through a dark room, hoping to shuffle through without bruising my shins badly.
7. Where do you write?
Most often, I write in a comfortable chair in the living room, laptop on my lap, dreaming of someday having an office where sons and dogs aren’t able to run in and out at will however I write anywhere, anytime I can grab a moment. I usually take my laptop and/or Nexus with me wherever I go and I carry a notebook in my purse because I never know when inspiration might strike. I discovered the joy of Google Drive last year and absolutely love it because now I can access my works in progress wherever I am as long as there is Wi-Fi, which most recently was the dentist’s waiting room.
8. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
I’m not certain I have a typical writing day yet, finding a balance between writing, life, family, and other responsibilities is still a work in progress. Usually I write for an hour or so as soon as I crawl out of bed. My New Year’s resolution is to write at least 500 words before going online to check email and social media for fifteen minutes then return to writing for another 500 words. By the time that is achieved the dogs are looking at me with big, brown, sorrowful eyes certain that they are starving to death. I get up; feed them, the fish and myself. For the rest of the daylight hours I write if I can grab a moment. As the day winds down, I settle back in that comfortable, living room chair I mentioned before, and write until the need for sleep outweighs the need for just a few more words.
9. Do you connect with your readers at all, and if so which is your favourite platform for reaching them?
I get a rush whenever a reader contacts me and I don’t believe that will ever change. Being able to interact with reader is beyond words amazing. I’m most familiar with facebook so I’d have to say it’s my favorite but, although I’ve only joined Twitter last year, it has fast become my second go to platform.
The Lawman of Silver Creek, a novella in the Men of Fir Mountain series:
As sheriff of Silver Creek County, Matthew Marson’s job is to look after his town. But when he fails to protect the most important person in his life, Claire, from an attack, Matt feels as though he will never be able to forgive himself.
Her husband-to-be’s newly found overprotectiveness drives the headstrong Claire from his arms. She can’t see a future with a man who won’t allow her to follow her dreams.
In a small town where everybody knows your name and your business, it’s impossible for the pair to stay apart, especially as Claire finds that she can’t completely turn her back on the lawman that she loves.
The Lawman of Silver Creek is on sale at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo and All Romance eBooks.
You can find out more about Lori on her website, or chat to her on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.
Showing posts with label Lori Connelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lori Connelly. Show all posts
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Author Spotlight - Lori Connelly
Welcome today to my fellow Harper Impulse author, Lori Connelly, author of historical westerns.
1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’m married, have three sons, one daughter-in-law, one grandbaby to be and two very spoiled dogs. A small town in the Willamette Valley of Oregon is where my family calls home but I dream of having a few acres to call my own. My husband already owns a goat, the famous Cowboy Marvin, but when we have our little farm, I’d like a miniature highland cow or two. Reading, writing and being out in nature camping, taking long walks or rock hounding are my favorite things to do. I usually carry a purse bulging with a book, a small notebook and index cards plus at least one backpack or bag for larger notebooks, pens and space to carry jasper because a person never knows when they might run across a good rock-hounding site wherever I go.
2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
This is my debut. However, it is book 1 of a series. There will be a novella due out later this year and another full-length book next year. This may be the first you’ve heard of me but it won’t be the last.
3. Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
I wish I had an easy answer to that. I used to set up a certain amount of time that I would write per week but I found it was easy to end up squandering it. I sought advice from some wise authors and now I set a word count goal of at least 1000 words per day. I’m still not perfect but am far more productive.
4. What is your top promo tip for other authors?
I’m new to promo but the best thing I’ve learned is to listen to other authors. Seek out authors who appear to have learned the promo ways and politely, respectfully ask. People in general are amazingly kind and generous with information and advice.
5. How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?
I write whenever I can grab a moment. Often while doing boring chores I’m reworking a difficult scene or allowing character conversations to play out in my mind. Finding a balance between writing, life, family, and boring chores is still a work in progress.
6. Do you write every day?
Usually, yes I do write every day. Sometimes it’s only a scribble on the tiny notebook tucked in my purse. And sometimes I write a ton of words and realize the next day I must delete almost all. It’s a compulsion.
7. Is there a book you haven't written yet that you're dying to? What genre?
I keep falling in love with my secondary characters and want to give them all a story of their own. In just the book I’m in the midst of writing now, stories for how the hero’s parents fell in love, the girl who rejected him and that girl’s sister both find love nagged at me until they found a home in my ‘to be written later’ file. Those stories would all be western historical romances.
I also have some characters I created long ago that belong to a fantasy story still rough but begging to be finished.
8. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
The best thing I’ve found to do when I hit a roadblock is to walk away from the writing for a time and do something boring. If my mind continues to worry the problem, I actively try to think about another part of the story. After a rest and refresh I’ll return and usually then I can see a way to make it work.
9. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
I loved looking up the route that Ben and Evie would travel and finding photographs for inspiration. Somehow, I managed to discover a number of handsome cowboy pictures that now live in my computer.
10. Do you write to music, or with the tv on in the background, or do you need complete silence?
Too much noise is a distraction but that’s a relative thing. I’ve a husband, sons, and dogs, if there is complete silence there is something very wrong. I write a lot in the living room, laptop on my lap, with the whole crew around. When they are particularly noisy I retreat to my bedroom, plug in my headphones, listen to some music and type in peace.
BLURB
For fans of Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller comes the first in a brand new and emotionally gripping trilogy, The Men of Fir Mountain.
The day Evie met Benjamin Rolfe, a man with an unbridled enthusiasm for life and grandiose plans to match, she knew they’d marry and live happily ever after…
Five years later, her charming rancher is now a bitter, cynical stranger with a shaky moral compass. And after too many shattered dreams, Evie no longer believes in fairy tale endings.
When they lose the homestead and head out on the open road to start a new life in Oregon, their marriage is already strained to breaking point. Can their love survive this second chance?
The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Help welcome Lori to the joys of social media on Twitter and Facebook. She also has a Pinterest board and a blog. She is the creator of the hugely fun round robin Written Fireside story (my latest instalment on this serial just went live here!)
1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’m married, have three sons, one daughter-in-law, one grandbaby to be and two very spoiled dogs. A small town in the Willamette Valley of Oregon is where my family calls home but I dream of having a few acres to call my own. My husband already owns a goat, the famous Cowboy Marvin, but when we have our little farm, I’d like a miniature highland cow or two. Reading, writing and being out in nature camping, taking long walks or rock hounding are my favorite things to do. I usually carry a purse bulging with a book, a small notebook and index cards plus at least one backpack or bag for larger notebooks, pens and space to carry jasper because a person never knows when they might run across a good rock-hounding site wherever I go.
2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
This is my debut. However, it is book 1 of a series. There will be a novella due out later this year and another full-length book next year. This may be the first you’ve heard of me but it won’t be the last.
3. Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
I wish I had an easy answer to that. I used to set up a certain amount of time that I would write per week but I found it was easy to end up squandering it. I sought advice from some wise authors and now I set a word count goal of at least 1000 words per day. I’m still not perfect but am far more productive.
4. What is your top promo tip for other authors?
I’m new to promo but the best thing I’ve learned is to listen to other authors. Seek out authors who appear to have learned the promo ways and politely, respectfully ask. People in general are amazingly kind and generous with information and advice.
5. How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?
I write whenever I can grab a moment. Often while doing boring chores I’m reworking a difficult scene or allowing character conversations to play out in my mind. Finding a balance between writing, life, family, and boring chores is still a work in progress.
6. Do you write every day?
Usually, yes I do write every day. Sometimes it’s only a scribble on the tiny notebook tucked in my purse. And sometimes I write a ton of words and realize the next day I must delete almost all. It’s a compulsion.
7. Is there a book you haven't written yet that you're dying to? What genre?
I keep falling in love with my secondary characters and want to give them all a story of their own. In just the book I’m in the midst of writing now, stories for how the hero’s parents fell in love, the girl who rejected him and that girl’s sister both find love nagged at me until they found a home in my ‘to be written later’ file. Those stories would all be western historical romances.
I also have some characters I created long ago that belong to a fantasy story still rough but begging to be finished.
8. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
The best thing I’ve found to do when I hit a roadblock is to walk away from the writing for a time and do something boring. If my mind continues to worry the problem, I actively try to think about another part of the story. After a rest and refresh I’ll return and usually then I can see a way to make it work.
9. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
I loved looking up the route that Ben and Evie would travel and finding photographs for inspiration. Somehow, I managed to discover a number of handsome cowboy pictures that now live in my computer.
10. Do you write to music, or with the tv on in the background, or do you need complete silence?
Too much noise is a distraction but that’s a relative thing. I’ve a husband, sons, and dogs, if there is complete silence there is something very wrong. I write a lot in the living room, laptop on my lap, with the whole crew around. When they are particularly noisy I retreat to my bedroom, plug in my headphones, listen to some music and type in peace.
BLURB
For fans of Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller comes the first in a brand new and emotionally gripping trilogy, The Men of Fir Mountain.
The day Evie met Benjamin Rolfe, a man with an unbridled enthusiasm for life and grandiose plans to match, she knew they’d marry and live happily ever after…
Five years later, her charming rancher is now a bitter, cynical stranger with a shaky moral compass. And after too many shattered dreams, Evie no longer believes in fairy tale endings.
When they lose the homestead and head out on the open road to start a new life in Oregon, their marriage is already strained to breaking point. Can their love survive this second chance?
The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Help welcome Lori to the joys of social media on Twitter and Facebook. She also has a Pinterest board and a blog. She is the creator of the hugely fun round robin Written Fireside story (my latest instalment on this serial just went live here!)
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