A few of us utterly awesome suspense authors are doing a blog hop! In the mash-up of names, I had the privilege to interview Connie Mann. If you’d like to win a copy of her book, leave a comment, like it, or let me know on my Facebook page.
Connie Mann loves stories of suspense, adventure and second chances. She offers encouragement to busy women on her blog: www.BusyWomenBigDreams.com and is an active member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She’s also a USCG-licensed boat captain, so when she’s not writing, she’s usually on Central Florida’s waterways with local school children or her fabulous family. Please visit her online at: www.conniemann.com.
Q and A with Connie!
Q: Where did the story behind Angel Falls first spring to life?
Angel Falls began on a trip to Porto Alegre, Brazil, where my father was born. I was horrified when I learned about the hordes of street children who used to roam the downtown area. I started wondering: What if you were six years old and your father dropped you off in the big city and left you there? How would you survive? Who would you grow up to be? What if you were rescued? How would that change your life? Those questions became Regina, the heroine of the story.
Q: It’s taken ten years to get Angel Falls to press. What was the hardest part of that journey and how did it make you a better writer?
A: The hardest part was finding the inspiration to keep going, keep trying. Self-doubt, questioning: am I really supposed to write? Should I just do something else—something more “important”? Should I become an EMT, teacher, astronaut? After a while, the rejection got to me, and I didn’t write at all for several years. But like most writers, the stories wouldn’t leave me alone, so I eventually tiptoed back to my keyboard. This time, though, I had a stronger sense of purpose and a much thicker skin, both, I think, as necessary as a good grasp of grammar and style.
Q: Writing is not your only job. When you’re not putting pen to paper, what is your other job and how did you get into that?
A: My other job came out of my writing crisis. I realized that if I didn’t escape my office every so often and spend time outside around people, I’d lose what was left of my mind. So I got a job piloting glass bottom boats and earned my USCG captain’s license. These days I work for our local school board and several days a week, I get to take 5th graders out on the Silver River in a 33-foot pontoon boat. I even get to show some of them their very first alligator. It’s such a fun job, and it gives me the people fix I need to allow me to hide in my writing cave on the other days.
Q: Tell me about your blog www.BusyWomenBigDreams.com. Where does the name come from and can you help me find an extra hour each day? 
A: After I started blogging, I realized so many women I knew were fighting the same creative battles, trying to juggle family and dreams, and maybe, just maybe, I could offer a bit of encouragement for the journey. So that’s where the title and theme for the blog came from. I wish I could hand you an extra hour each day! I have learned, though, that if I dive into my writing first thing in the morning—before my internal editor is awake—I avoid all those hours of procrastinating and save tons of time!
Q: If you had to relay the single most important message within Angel Falls, what would it be?
A: I would tell people that our God is a God of second chances. No matter what your past is like, what your failures and hurts, God offers hope and healing for the future. He delights in new beginnings and do-over’s.
Q: And, lastly, what should the punishment be for a husband who accuses his wife of using too much toilet paper? Arguing that proportionately speaking, she consumes more than any of the males in the house? (Make it rough. My husband will be reading this.)
A: Ooh, now there’s a great question. Clearly such a serious infraction of the living-in-harmony rules should carry serious consequences. I would think a 10-day confiscation of the TV remotes was in order. Not only would no channel surfing be allowed, but the mandatory viewing schedule would includes Hallmark movies, chick flicks, and the occasional soap opera, all of which would have to be viewed in their entirety.
There you go, Charles, Connie has spoken. Prepare to suffer! 
Thanks so much for the chance to be here, Heather. It’s been such fun! I’m very excited that the e-book version of Angel Falls will be discounted to $3.99 for May 15, 16 and 17 ONLY. Now’s a great time to grab a copy. http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Falls-ebook/dp/B00BFGOONM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368591431&sr=1-1&keywords=angel+falls+connie+mann
WEB PLACES:
Website: www.conniemann.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaptConnieMann
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II8IWqaxakI
TAKE a stroll on our blog hop! Check out Connie’s interview of my pal Jordyn Redwood: http://conniemann.com/suspense-author-blog-hop-meet-jordyn-redwood/
OR, see my interview at Margaret Daley’s blog: http://www.margaretdaley.com/2013/05/heather-james-suspense-blog-hop/
