Anne: Hi Connie. Thanks for dropping by. It's always a pleasure to meet another romantic suspense author. Tell us a bit about yourself. When did you first realize you were destined to be an author?
Connie: Thanks to Mom and the local Bookmobile, I discovered that books could take me to a whole new world-- right from the armchair in our living room—and I was hooked. I wanted to BE Harriet The Spy and live with the Little Women. Mom finally had to confiscate my books on family vacations to make me interact with the family. I started dreaming that maybe someday, my stories could take people on amazing armchair adventures, too. It wasn’t until about twelve years ago that I mustered up the courage to actually try writing fiction.
Anne: What one or two lines best sums you up as an author?
Connie: My goal as an author and a person can be summed up in one word: encouragement. My tagline says I write “Stories of hope, adventure, and second chances.” All of my writing—fiction or non-fiction—has some of that in it, because I believe everyone gets beaten down by life sometimes. We need hope, we need adventure, and we need a fresh start, a second chance. I’m thankful for the many, many do-over’s God has given me and want to share that hope with others.
Anne: Tell us about your most recent release.
Connie: My current release is, TRAPPED! a romantic suspense published by The Wild Rose Press. It asks a chilling question every parent can identify with…
How far would you go to protect your child?
Evil lurks beneath the small-town façade of Riverlake , Florida
But can they stay alive long enough to protect the daughter he didn’t know he had?
Anne: What activity (cause, charity, organization) consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard?
Connie: I am passionate about what God is doing in the world, especially amongst the poor. My heart aches whenever I see pictures of hungry, hurting children. Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out how I can use my writing abilities to help make a difference. If not for the blessing of being born in America
Anne: Describe your home office as appears right now. Is this a good or bad thing?!
Connie: Today, my tiny home office is one of my favorite places. Before, not so much. Piles of paper threatened to bury me and I’d have to go to the library to think. How crazy is that? Then I read a quote that inspired a major purge—10 trash bags’ worth: “Unclutter your space to unclutter your mind.” These days, I keep the office neat (read: small piles of paper and books instead of towering stacks), so I can write. I also have a quote on my monitor that reads: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage,” by Anais Nin. Putting words on paper, pouring your heart out for the reader, takes courage. Lots of courage. But the payoff is so worth it.
Anne: What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Connie: Hands down, the opening is the hardest part. I write the whole first draft; then go back and work on the opening, which my ever-patient critique partners know I’ll have to rewrite at least six or seven times. They get as tired of reading it as I do. When the opening is finally right, editing the rest of the book is so much easier.
Anne: Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?
Connie: Don’t give up. Ever. A few years ago, I got so discouraged by all the rejections, I wanted to quit. But my heart wouldn’t let me. After a while, new stories started taking shape in my head and I realized I love writing too much to let it go. Actually, I found I get cranky when I don’t write (just ask my family), so I went back to the keyboard. TRAPPED! was published after that. Keep the dream in sight, refuse to give up and keep writing!
Anne: Where can readers contact you?
Connie: Please stop by my website http://www.conniemann.com where I blog about persistence, writing and life in general. I’d love the chance to “meet” some of you.
Thanks so much for having me as a guest, Anne. I’ve enjoyed every minute!
