Author Interview – Colleen Connally

What motivates you to write? Life. Life experiences affect my writing. I’m also a history buff. I get inspired by others’ lives. With Broken Legacy, I drew from an inspirational woman, Irena Sendler. I write about strong women. Irena Sendler saved thousands of lives during WWII. Even though Broken Legacy is set during the French Revolution, I drew from Ms Sendler’s courage and strength to create Eloise.

What writing are you most proud of? This is a hard question to answer. I love all my books for different reasons. But if I have to pin-point one book at this moment in time, it would be Seductive Secrets. I feel the story is original and heartfelt. Seductive Secrets is a free ebook and the response has been amazing. Seductive Secrets has given me confidence in my writing.

http://www.amazon.com/Seductive-Secrets-Secret-Series-ebook/dp/B008K881HS

What books did you grow up loving? One of my favorites was To Kill a Mockingbird. It still is. I also loved all the classics, including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. When I was younger, my favorite was The Hardy Boy Mysteries and Nancy Drew.

Who is your favorite author? I love J K Rowlings, Suzanne Collins, Steven King (his early books), Kathleen Woodiwiss, Mary Higgins Clark, and Margaret Mitchell. But if I had to choose my one favorite author—Victoria Holt. Absolutely love all her work under all her pen names, Jean Plaidy and Phillipa Carr.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you live now. I’m a Southern girl at heart. I was born in the deep South. My roots are Southern. I always say you can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl. But I have lived the last twenty-eight years in New England. My husband is Boston bred. It’s my home now. You can’t get much different from the conservative South to the liberal Northeast. I do believe that my experiences have influenced my writing. It’s given me a better understanding of other people’s views.

How did you did you develop your writing? I had always dreamed of writing, but once the decision was made to write, I didn’t have a clue on what it entailed. I graduated college with a science degree. I never took creative writing. I had to teach myself. I took every bit of criticism, praise…basically any feedback until I gained confidence in my writing. I believe everyone has their own style of writing. It’s your voice. I believe you need to keep that voice. Don’t try to imitate someone else.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you? My husband is the best. He has always supported me in my dream. I will never forget my first Mother’s Day. He surprised me with a typewriter. (I am dating myself. It was before computers.) Though, it was a few years before I got serious with my writing that gesture touched me greatly. It does help beyond words to have someone who believes in you in that way.

I am fortunate with my family and friends. The only thing that gets confusing is my pen names. I write under three names. I will admit one of my daughters questioned who Colleen Connally was when I first released Seductive Secrets.