Featured Interview With Anne Conley Author of The Four Winds Series

Wow by a chance blogger request for a promo, I have got to meet Anne, and would love to share my Interview that I did with her, with you.

Enjoy

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a domestic engineer J who does constant battle with laundry, dust, and my laptop.  I used to teach high school English, until I realized teenagers were sucking my soul out slowly.  So I quit teaching to stay home and raise my children.  It’s been difficult, and we’ve had to make some choices that don’t mesh with others’, but we’re happy here in our own little proverbial slice of heaven.

How did you become a writer, and did you always want to write?

I’ve written in journals almost my entire life.  When I got the kindle app on my phone and saw some of the stuff that was being published, I decided to write something I would like to read.  It started as a fantasy of mine, but my husband was so encouraging, I ran with it.

How do you hope your readers react to the stories you write?

I hope my readers find something they can relate to in my stories.  I try to write about real people with real problems.  My characters are in their thirties and forties, with real jobs.  There aren’t any CEOs in my books, nobody wears Jimmy Choos, or designer anything for that matter, yet.  I hope readers can see that normal people can find love too.  Although, my idea of normal may not be the same as anyone else’s.

What responses to your writing have affected you the most and why?

I’m not going to lie and say negative reviews don’t affect me, because they do.  But the responses that have affected me the most have been personal responses from readers who have made the effort to reach out to me personally to tell me they loved some aspect of one of my stories.  It’s a bit of validation for why I write what I do.

Other than writing great stories, what other goals do you have for your life?

Mostly, just to see my family healthy and happy.  I’m trying to support them all right now, and it’s hard, but I would like to get to a place where I can spend more time with them and provide a comfortable living for everyone.  I’ve worked so many types of jobs (customer service rep, retail, teaching, outside sales, goat farming), and this is the only career choice I’ve made that I loved.  I would like to be able to support my family with it.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I read an insane amount of books, mostly romance.  I also like to spend time outdoors with my husband and kids.  We live on a pretty big piece of property, and walks in the pasture are always calming.

What can you tell us about your latest works?

Right now, I’m trying to finish up Wrecked, my latest Story of Serendipity.  Here’s a rough blurb…

Renae has just sent her daughter off to college and is looking forward to living a life for herself for once, only she gets drunk one night and loses all inhibitions.  When she turns forty-five, she finds herself pregnant and having to re-think her plans for her life.  Do those plans include the baby’s father?  Should they?

Jason has been just existing in Houston, coming up to Serendipity to check on his aging father when necessary.  When his dad’s dementia seems like it’s going to require more than long distance care, he makes the move.  But the woman he nearly ran into with his motorcycle is always on his mind, and she won’t let him inside her walls.

What stories can your fans expect from you in the days ahead?

I’m working on the fourth instalment of my Four Winds PNR series.  It’s about Michael, the archangel of war, and is proving to be HOT.  And it looks like Damien may get his own book eventually, though I’m not sure when.

The next Story of Serendipity will touch on some Human Trafficking issues, much like Hot Mess did with AIDs.  It’s a risky move, but a topic I feel needs to be explored in today’s culture.

After those, I have a dystopian steampunk rambling around in my head, but not sure if it’s going to ever see the light of day, and a Historical Romance about the women left behind during the American Civil War is begging to be written.

What would you like to say to your fans in New Zealand and others worldwide?

Wow.  It’s insane that anyone in New Zealand knows who I am, let alone even read my books.  It’s difficult to think globally when you live in a tiny slice of the world that is so isolated like mine.  I guess I would say, thank you, and keep reading.  If you like my stories, tell your friends, leave a review, drop me a line, so I can listen to it inside my head in a New Zealand accent instead of my own Texas twang.

Do you have any parting words?

Thanks for having me, Trina.  It’s been great!  Check out my website/blog, where you can sign up for periodical newsletters, see the books I’ve written, and meet great new authors.  www.anneconley.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway