Author Spotlight: Mary Connealy

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Mary Connealy! Everyone, say hello to Mary! Without further ado, let's get to know Mary and her book Her Secret Song.

 

Author Bio:
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader's Choice finalist. She is the bestselling author of over 60 books and novellas.

Her most recent book series are: The Brides of Hope Mountain, Garrison’s Law, High Sierra Sweethearts, Cimarron Legacy, Wild at Heart, Trouble in Texas, and Kincaid Bride for Bethany House Publishing. She’s also written four other series for Barbour Publishing and many novellas. Mary has nearly a million books in print.

Interesting Tidbit for Her Secret Song

Her Secret Song was inspired by listening to musicians talk a few times and realizing how unique their minds were. Much like an author is inspired by ‘What if’. Seeing something or someone, or hearing about a situation and thinking, what if that guy, instead of …

Writers see a crescent moon and a song lyric and tune come with it. Or so these songwriters said. I’m sure the inspiration comes to them in many ways. But I wondered (haha!) What if my heroine was like that? What if she felt sad and a song, maybe a psalm, a lament came to her with music and lyrics? I’d never done a character like that before.

So Her Secret Song is a tribute to all the musical people I know (and don’t know) who see the world in music. I find them fascinating.


Her Secret Song (Brides of Hope Mountain Book #3) Blurb

The gunfighter and the recluse…what could go wrong?

After a rough winter spent alone, Ursula Nordegren realizes she must overcome her fears of the outside world and begins a trek down Hope Mountain. Along the way she finds a badly wounded stranger and realizes God may have used her decision to leave as a way of saving the man.

Wax Mosby was climbing Hope Mountain in part to atone for his terrible choices. He was hired to drive out the Warden family and now knows he was duped. But when he's wounded during the climb, the last person he expects to rescue him is a beautiful blond woman with the voice of an angel.

As both Ursula and Wax weigh the costs of living new lives, the two find an unlikely bond. And they're joined by Ursula's sisters and the Warden family as the final showdown over the family ranch looms with the coming of spring.

Purchase Link and Excerpt Link:
Buy link for Her Secret Song: https://tinyurl.com/y5kvzwkz
Excerpt link for Her Secret Song: https://tinyurl.com/y36338m3

Connect with Mary:
Mary's website: http://www.maryconnealy.com/
Complete Book List: http://maryconnealy.com/series-guide/
Facebook page: http://www.Facebook.com/maryconnealy
Seekerville: http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/
Petticoats & Pistols: http://petticoatsandpistols.com/
Like Mary's author page on Amazon to get notified of new releases: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Connealy/e/B001JP2VBG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Sign up for Mary's newsletter: http://maryconnealy.com/newsletter/


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Mary Connealy and Her Secret Song.



Thank you so much for joining us, Mary!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
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The Reluctant Warrior by Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy's books start with a bang and don't let up. This one starts with the characters from book one in the High Sierra Sweethearts series snowed in and their bunkhouse full of smoke. Cam can't get the others to wake up. He can't get the door open. Once they get outside, they realize the other cabin is snowed in and full of smoke as well. Trace, from the first book, knows who is behind this. Can they stop him before he kills them?

Cam wants to take his daughter but he will wait until the cabins are rebuilt. Gwen has been taking care of his daughter and his nephew since the wagon train was ambushed. They look up to her like a mother. Gwen opens her heart and helps the children get to know Cam. Can Cam take them away from her when he leaves? Or will Cam and Gwen find the love they have been searching for and make a home for the children?

This story is filled with hope, love, humor, and faith and will engage your heart as you turn the pages. If you enjoy inspirational western romances, you'll love The Reluctant Warrior.



I received a free copy from Net Galley in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.



https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Warrior-High-Sierra-Sweethearts-ebook/dp/B07D6Y95PW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540503386&sr=8-1&keywords=the+reluctant+warrior

The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy (High Sierra Sweethearts Book 1)

Another great story by Mary Connealy. Deborah Harkness is on a wagon train when it is attacked. She, her sister, and two little ones are the only survivors. But when the attackers realize she can identify them will she ever feel safe again?

Trace Riley comes across the massacre and takes in Deborah and the other survivors. Trace will have to keep Deb safe as they track the attackers. Will they find love along the way? Or will Deborah leave as she's planned all along, taking his heart with her?

My favorite scene in this story was of the salvaged Bible. Connealy does a great job with her characters. I could feel Trace's aloneness. The setting descriptions made me feel like I was right there in the story. And the connection between Deb and Trace kept me turning the pages to see how their story would end.

If you love inspirational western romances with a touch of humor, you will love Mary Connealy's books. The Accidental Guardian is no exception. And it's the start of a series, so there are more stories to come!


I received a free copy from Net Galley in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Guardian-High-Sierra-Sweethearts/dp/0764219294/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521503316&sr=8-1&keywords=accidental+guardian+mary+connealy

Too Far Down by Mary Connealy

Too Far Down is the third book in The Cimarron Legacy series. It starts off with an explosion and doesn’t let up. If you enjoy inspirational westerns, you’ll love this story. Mary Connealy’s blend of faith, humor, and romance will draw you into her cowboy stories.

Cole Boden has been to Harvard, but his father’s last will and testament states he must live at the ranch for a full year or forfeit it. He’s now running his family’s mine operation. Until trouble finds his family again. Someone aims to take control of their vast land grant near the Cimarron River. With these explosions he wants to stay in one of the cabins at the mine, but can’t since that’s not on the ranch.

Melanie Blake, a close family friend and in line to inherit her father’s ranch, volunteers to stay in one of the cabins at the mine. Can he let her do that? Will she be safe? What if she’s put in harm’s way when his family is attacked again?

Cole has to come to terms with living back east or staying in the west. What will he decide? If he decides back east, Mel won’t go back with him. She loves ranching. While trying to figure out who is targeting his family, will he figure out where his heart wants to be?

Too Far Down is full of romantic comedy, suspense, and the pull of legacy, love, and family. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, this story can be read as a stand-alone. But you’ll want to read the others to see what’s happened.

I love the cover for this story as it is a mix of what happens in the story. The characters drew me into the story. Their imperfections and Cole’s attitude of not being quite sure what God would have him do made them realistic. Her descriptions of the mining accident and the landscape made me feel like I was right there.

I received a free copy from Net Galley in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.




https://www.amazon.com/Too-Down-Cimarron-Legacy-Book-ebook/dp/B0727S3Y1C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505499453&sr=8-1&keywords=too+far+down

The Boden Birthright by Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy has done it again. The Boden Birthright is a novella that sets up her new series The Cimarron Legacy. Chance Boden escapes Boston with his son and no lace to be found. After Chance's wife died they stayed with her mother and father, who live in a mansion. They will do whatever it takes to turn their grandson into a proper young man.

Chance plans his escape and heads west, finally stopping in New Mexico. He starts working for Frank Chastain and his daughter Veronica. A shooting, a hasty wedding, and finding unexpected love fill this novella with page-turning anticipation. Will Chance's in-laws find his son? Who shot Frank and left him for dead? I didn't want Chance and Veronica's story to end. Chance has to work through losing his first wife, but he recognizes Veronica's worth and tells her so. I love him as the hero. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.


https://www.amazon.com/Boden-Birthright-Cimarron-Legacy-Novella-ebook/dp/B01CRHOTJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465840048&sr=8-1&keywords=the+boden+birthright

Tried and True By: Mary Connealy

Kylie Wilde and her two sisters disguise themselves as boys to fight in the Civil War. Their brother was killed and their pa encourages them to do so. With the land exemptions they earned from fighting in the war, they set up homesteads. She is going to work her time, then sell her land and move back East where it is civilized.

Aaron Masterson is the land agent assigned to making sure the homesteads using the land exemptions are improving the land. When he sees Kylie, she is trying to fix her roof, in a skirt, and he rescues her from falling. He wants to then meet her brother. What is she to do? Kylie’s brothers (sisters) are better at building and repairing than she is. She is just biding her time till she can move back East. Can Aaron convince her they can make a life in the West?

Kylie really doesn’t feel like God wants her life to be spent in the West, in uncivilized territory, without even a proper bonnet shop or tea party to be found. She feels so far out she thinks even God wouldn’t be able to find her.

Aaron’s life is ruled by hate. He fought for the Union; his neighbors were killed and destroyed by the North and the South. When he comes back home the ones left run him off for his part in the Union fight. Kylie shows him there is no room for hate. He should love his enemies, and pray for those who persecute him. How can Aaron do that when his neighbors hated him and one even tried killing him for a war he had no control over? How do you get a new start? Only with God’s help can he release his hate and experience peace like never before.

Mary Connealy’s use of humor, God’s love and forgiveness, and people just being human makes for a wonderful story. I love the characters and can’t wait to read more about them. If you love great western historical Christian fiction you will love this book!

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Stuck Together by Mary Connealy

I love these western romances by Mary Connealy. She blends western fiction and romantic comedy into inspirational romance. Stuck Together is the third book in the Trouble in Texas series. You do not need to read them in order to know what is going on and who is who. If you’ve read the others, you already know the characters and what they’ve been through, and you are not pulled out of the story as they are introduced or their past talked about.

Tina Cahill is Jonas’ sister. She is on a rampage to obliterate devil’s rum from her town. She establishes a picket line and is not afraid to tell everyone they should not enter the saloon. Her past plays a big part in her future. Her parents died and she went to live with her aunt. She never felt like she fit in and was unwanted. As soon as she could she tracked down her brother Jonas and lives with him. She feels like her place with him is precarious and she will be asked to leave. She thinks she will always be alone and no one will love her for who she is. She must learn that God loves her no matter what. Tina works hard, has a servant’s heart for serving and helping others in their time of need. That draws her to Vince, but can he let go of his own past to have a future with her?

Vince Yates grew up without his parents’ love. His father was very controlling and stern. His mother would come to visit him as he was growing up; he was not allowed to touch her or show emotion. When he came back home after the war, she didn’t remember she had a son and was afraid of Vince. He has to learn to trust God to take care of him. He’s used to being on guard, watching over everyone else. He let fear control him; fear of becoming like his parents, scaring his wife and kids or not remembering who they are, keeps him from thinking about marrying anyone. Vince has to learn to forge own path to his own future.

Mother Yates has issues with her memory, doesn’t remember she has a son, calls him by his father’s name, but she is such a sweet lady. I liked how this sickness was dealt with in this story. There was no cure, but the whole town pitched in and helped when they needed it.

For a great inspirational western romance, pick up this great book by Mary Connealy!

I received this book free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Fired Up By Mary Connealy

I thoroughly loved this book by Mary Connealy! Fired Up is the second in the series. You do not need to read the books in order, but it helps to know what has happened to the characters in the previous story to understand why they act like they do in this one. The characters are believable, lovable, fallible, and engaging. I’m hoping there is another one to follow up with Vince. How far does someone have to go to be unforgivable? Glynna’s two previous husbands would be two prime candidates; but can God’s love help Glynna, and especially her son Paul, forgive the people in their past so they can enjoy the future God has for them? Fired Up is Glynna and Dare’s story. But it also encompasses Paul’s story. He is Glynna’s son and he has had a rough time with the men Glynna has picked as husbands up to this point. He is having a hard time reconciling his past to accommodate his mother’s future. According to him, his mother doesn’t need a man in her life; she has him. That’s all she needs. Can Dare convince Paul that he isn’t like the men that he’s known in the past and that he can trust him to take care of them and not hurt his mother? Will Dare be around long enough to convince Paul to trust him and Glynna to marry him? Someone is trying to kill him, but who is it? Is Paul out to kill him so he can’t marry his mother? Fired Up is a great western romantic suspense read that will keep you turning the pages and thinking about the characters long after your done. Forgiveness is more than letting the person who did you wrong get off scot-free. “The forgiveness is more for you. It does a lot of damage to carry hate around inside.” You will love this powerful story of forgiveness and love!

Swept Away By Mary Connealy

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for a review. What do you do when the family you are in beats you? See what happens when a group of friends band together to seek justice in the Old West. Ruthy MacNeil’s parents died and Ma and Pa Reinhardt take her in to do all their chores and marry their son Virgil. They are headed west in a wagon train when they try to cross a river and are swept away. Only Ruthy survives. Luke Stone’s father was killed and Flint Greer has taken over his ranch while he was gone. Now that Luke is back, he is after justice and getting his ranch back. But how can he do that with all the gunfighters Greer has hired watching who comes and goes? Luke’s friends Jonas Cahill the parson, Vince Yates the lawyer, Dare Rikerthe doctor, and Big John are willing to help Luke, but will the whole town be destroyed in the process? And what should Luke do with Ruthy now that he has saved her from the Reinhardts and the river? She’s the workingest woman he’s ever seen, but is she the woman for Luke? Greer took over Mr. Stone’s ranch and then decided to find a wife. He marries Glynna but soon starts beating her and scaring her kids. How can Glynna escape with her life and keep her kids safe? Dare has been called to the ranch twice to tend to Glynna’s injuries. He finally realizes she isn’t clumsy but is being beaten. Can he help her and the kids escape as he helps Luke get his ranch back? If you enjoy a great Christian romance set in the old West this is the story for you! I can’t wait to read the rest of the stories in this series. Mary Connealy blends humor, faith, romance, and friendship into this series. By the time you finish this first book, you will have found new friends!

Montana Rose by Mary Connealy

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for a review. I have enjoyed everything I’ve read by Mary Connealy. This book is no exception! It is a definite must read for anybody who loves Inspirational romance, the West, and humorous situations. God can fill that emptiness. This is the message in Mary Connealy’s book Montana Rose. Griff had taken everything out of Cass. All that was left was a shell of a person when he died and Red Dawson marries her. She doesn’t even know who she is. Griff had been so controlling and beat her to get the perfect wife. Red is patient, loving, and kind toward Cass trying to teach her what she needs to know. Griff had called her stupid; Red says she just hadn’t been trained. She had no faith in God and no courage. Red is also the town minister and teaches Cass about God. Wade Sawyer is mad because he wanted to be the one to marry Cass. She threatens to kidnap her and give her everything she wants. He doesn’t understand everything Cass wants is right there with Red. Wade doesn’t see that he is empty and needs to be filled with God’s love. He comes to take Cass away and she says whom shall I fear? She and Red invite him into their home and tell him about God’s love. Belle and Anthony are married. She has been married many times to no-account husbands. Once this one dies, she is going to move on. She doesn’t understand why she keeps attracting the same type of men. Why can’t she find one like Red? I was drawn into her story. Her situation seems hopeless, but with God all things are possible. Will Wade listen and be filled with God’s love? Is Cass ready to forget about Griff and live her life with Red? How will Belle deal with her lazy husband? God can take any situation and turn it to His good. Enjoy this book and read the other books in the series!