Introducing Connie Mann

Please join me in welcoming Connie Mann, author of Angel Falls, set in Brazil, releasing this month from Abingdon.

Welcome, Connie. Please, tell us a little about yourself

The child of immigrants, I grew up on Long Island, New York, with my parents and younger brother. We always attended church, but my parents’ faith didn’t become mine until I was 12. We moved to Florida when I was 15 and though I despised it then, I love living here now--especially during the winter, because I’m a weather-wimp. I’m a USCG-licensed boat captain and I’ve learned that being outside, taking local schoolchildren on the Silver River, gives me the balance I need to go back into my office to write.

How unique! Could you tell us other things about yourself that would surprise your readers?

I happily work around alligators and other wildlife, but I’m terrified of snakes. I have a degree in International Ministries from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. I speak fluent German (Mom’s from Germany; Dad was raised in a German community in Brazil) and am trying to learn Portuguese.

That’s great! Tell us about the journey to getting published.

Angel Falls is all about God’s perfect timing. In 2004, I’d been freelancing for a few years, mostly non-fiction and a couple of novels that were soundly rejected. When I sold Angel Falls, I thought my time had come, but it was later unsold, because the rewrites the publisher wanted would have ripped the heart out of the story. I got discouraged, quit writing for a while and became a boat captain. Then I heard that the freelance editor who had loved Angel Falls had taken a job with Abingdon. I sent her the manuscript and the SAME DAY it landed on her desk, she emailed me to ask if it was still available. It took 10 years for this story to get published, but I believe it’s exactly “on time” in God’s schedule.

That’s an awesome story. Please tell us about the novel.

Set in Brazil, Angel Falls is a romantic suspense where two pasts collide in a deadly race to save an orphaned baby. Orphanage director Regina da Silva will do whatever it takes to protect her best friend’s baby. Burned-out Army Ranger Brooks Anderson won’t protect anyone ever again. The last time he tried, they died. But when bullets fly, they dive headlong into danger to protect one defenseless child. As their pursuer closes in, they’ll have to trust each other to stay alive. Will that be enough to save their little angel—and themselves—from certain death?

Ooh, romantic suspense, my favorite. J What inspired you to write this particular book?

The story was inspired by a trip to Porto Alegre, Brazil, where my father grew up. For years, swarms of street children roamed the downtown area and I started wondering, “What if you were abandoned on the streets as a seven-year-old? How would you survive? Who would you become?” Those questions became Regina, my fiercely protective orphanage director and heroine of the story.

What are you working on now?

I’ve finished a follow-up to Angel Falls, but I think that will depend on how well it does. In the meantime, I’ve almost finished another romantic suspense, this one set in Florida, about pirate treasure. Or maybe it’s not really pirate treasure, but an evil curse instead…stay tuned…

That sounds intriguing. Speaking of pirates…what is the coolest, wackiest, most risk-taking thing you’ve ever done?

On a trip to California to visit a friend, we climbed down into a cave to go exploring underground. Afterward, on a whim, she and I—and her 70-year-old father--decided to zip line across a canyon. I loved every second!

Yikes, you’re braver than I am. If you could have dinner with someone famous (dead or alive) who would it be?

I would love to chat with Katharine Hepburn. She was a fascinating lady.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I long to go to Africa with a humanitarian/mission organization. I want to help in practical ways and gather stories from those who live there, so that I can tell their stories to others when I come back home.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Maybe a writing tip or advice for aspiring authors?

My best writing advice is to get that first draft written, as quickly as you can. Only then go back and edit. And whatever you do, never, ever give up on the dream God has planted in your heart.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Connie. Where can fans find you or your books on the internet?

I write a blog to encourage busy women at:  www.BusyWomenBigDreams.com

My website is:  www.conniemann.com

I’m on Facebook and Linked-In, and you can find me on Pinterest and Twitter as @CaptConnieMann.

Angel Falls is available in both print and e-book, wherever books are sold. Such as:

Amazon    Barnes & Noble and  Christian Book Distributors

Your Turn Blog Readers: Any questions for Connie?

Sandra Orchard is the award winning author of several romantic suspense novels, including the RT’s Reviewer’s Choice award nominee, Critical Condition. She writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense line, and her upcoming June release, Deadly Devotion, debuts her new mystery series with Revell Publishing. She hails from Niagara, Canada. 

Check out fun bonus features for her books such as deleted scenes and location pics at www.SandraOrchard.com or connect at www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard