Author Introduction - Meet Shirley Connelly

STEPH: Welcome to Desert Breeze. Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up?

SHIRLEY: Thank you for the welcome, Stephanie. It’s great to be here at Desert Breeze. As a graduate of Institute of Children’s Literature who started off writing for children, I now wear different hats. On my creative side, I pen fiction romances laced with nuggets of inspiration. When I’m wearing my more logical thinking cap, I write lighthearted nonfiction devotional books. I’m also a teacher, I speak at women’s retreats and luncheons, and at home, I’m an active mom and grandma. I love rearranging furniture, cross-stitching and doing needlework. My evenings are spent watching classical movies on TCM. And last but not least, I adore animals, especially chickens, dogs, cats, ducks, geese, you name it. You can find me often on the Social Networks, over at ACFW, or Hearts Thru History, and also FHL when I’m not at my blog promoting other authors or sharing writing tips. I’ve traveled extensively but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. I seem to have back ended here again.


STEPH: Who were some of your favorite authors growing up?

SHIRLEY: Beverly Cleary was one, and whoever wrote The Hardy Boys, and The Bobbsy Twins, and some ballerina book I read till it fell apart (didn’t concentrate on who authors were back then). When I started reading romances, it was Kathleen E. Woodiwiss all the way. (Since the heroine tried to be good until she was married most of the time, I didn’t have to skip too many pages. smile)

STEPH: What romantic subgenre do you write?

SHIRLEY: Historical-Inspirational a bit on the edgy side. I like stories that are realistic as life itself.

STEPH: You have an upcoming release with Desert Breeze. Tell us about it.

SHIRLEY: Say Goodbye to Yesterday is about an unwed mother who is booted from town when the truth is revealed about her and her daughters. Now without a home, she must take her girls to locate the father and force a forgotten wedding pledge. What she won’t anticipate is how love will beckon her instead to an irresistible man, already quite married.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

SHIRLEY: Yes, I do. I got myself a Kindle last summer. I love it. I’m always telling others to check out this ebook stuff.

STEPH: Do you have any other books that are availabe?

SHIRLEY: I do, Stephanie. I’ve already written two novels, Flame from Within is still available, but my first story, It Happened Near the Cliff Rock is now out of print. I have two lighthearted devotional books available and one coming out any day now. (Great stocking stuffers, by the way.) I See God in the Simple Things, I See God in the Thorns ~n~ Thistles, and I See God on the Narrow Road.

STEPH: Can you tell us about the state you live in?

SHIRLEY: I live in Oregon. I grew up not liking it much except for the greens and the beautiful trees and Crater Lake and going to the coast. Other than that, I’m not too much of a drizzly rain girl. We lived in Washington for a while, up in Seattle. Although it looked similar to Oregon, I have many more fond memories of my five years there. But if I had my preference to living anywhere, even though I know you didn’t ask me, I think it would be back east again. There, I love the history. I love the tradition. I love the seasons, especially fall.

STEPH: What country would you like to visit that you haven't?

SHIRLEY: The rest of the United Kingdom, I think, also Italy.

STEPH: Did you do NaNoWriMo this year?

SHIRLEY: I didn’t do NaNoWriMo this year, but I’m a part of FINISHTHEBOOK which is probably similar if it means finishing a book in a specified time. Tell us about it. Can I tell you it was there I made it the first time through the book now being published at Desert Breeze?

STEPH: Where can we find you on the web?

SHIRLEY: Readers can visit me at Shirley Kiger Connolly ~ Author over at http://shirleykoinonia.tripod.com/ but most of the time I’m at my blog http://apenforyourthoughts.blogspot.com/ Would love to see you come by anytime.