Introducing Author Gina Conroy

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Gina Conroy on my blog today! Gina is a new Christian Fiction author and she's taken the time to answer some questions for us! Please make Gina feel welcome and leave a comment and check out Gina's new release! Also, please check out her bio and book information!

Bio:

Gina Conroy used to think she knew where her life was headed; now she's leaning on the Lord to show her the way. She is the founder of Writer...Interrupted where she mentors busy writers and tries to keep things in perspective, knowing God's timing is perfect, even if she doesn't agree with it! ;) She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, and her first novella, Buried Deception, in the Cherry Blossom Capers Collection, releases from Barbour Publishing in January 2012. On her blog Defying Gravity and twitter she chronicles her triumphs and trials as she pursues her dreams while encouraging her family and others to chase after their own passions. Gina loves to connect with readers, and when she isn’t writing, teaching, or driving kids around, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.



1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?


I remember in second or third grade, when I got my first diary how freeing it was to be able to put down the thoughts I didn’t know how or was too afraid to express. In school I would always write more than the teacher required and received praise for my writing. I’m not sure the exact moment I knew when I wanted to write, but there was nothing else I saw myself doing. In high school I finally got the nerve to join the school paper, and in college I studied journalism. After I got married, I wrote for local magazines and eventually found that I had a passion for fiction. That’s when I devoted myself to studying the craft and seven long years later, I can finally say I’m a published fiction author.

2. Tell us a little bit about your blog, Writer Interrupted.



I started http://writerinterrupted.com when God told me to stop writing for a season. I was homeschooling at the time and not doing a very good job of it. My priorities with my family were all out of whack and writing and publication fell shy of an obsession. To deal with the "loss" of writing, I decided to interview writing, homeschooling moms who were successful at balancing it all. Over 100 interviews later, I've learned that everyone's journey is different. On Writer...Interrupted I try and offer the busy writer things I've learned about balancing life and handling interruptions and I have other "experts" share in their field!

3. I notice that your novella is set in Washington, D.C. – how did you happen to choose that setting?

Back in 2005 I was homeschooling and took my children on an east coast tour, hitting all the historical spots. Mount Vernon was one of them and as I was walking through the mansion I kept thinking about the antiques and if they were real or replicas. Later, when I wanted to try writing a mystery I kept coming back to Mount Vernon. I thought it would be fun to explore the “What if someone discovered that an artifact at the Mount Vernon mansion was a fake?” The characters, story and plot just grew from there.

My novella, Buried Deception, combines my love of mystery and suspense with my fascination with archaeology. I’m going to steal the words from Vickie McDonough, award-winning author of 24 books and novellas, who said this about my novella, “Murder. Thefts of priceless artifacts. An ornery, little boy with a penchant for getting into trouble. Gina Conroy's fast-paced debut novella has it all and takes readers on an emotional ride. A charming romance winds up this satisfying who-dun-it.”

It’s a fun series of novellas where characters from previous stories have cameos in the others! So if you’re someone who hates to say goodbye to a “friend,” then you’ll enjoy the reunions in Cherry Blossom Capers.

4. Tell us a little bit about your journey to publication.

My journey to publication has been seven active years in the making, plus another ten inactive years. The active years started when my youngest turned two and I thought it was time to pick up my writing after ten years off to raise kids. But I might have been wrong. See question #2. After I wrote my first novel and got numerous rejections, I found ACFW and started learning the craft of writing. I attended writer's conferences, got to know people in the industry (including my agent whom I didn't pitch until I was ready three years after I met him.) After signing me, he couldn't sell my novel, but encouraged me to keep writing and that one day it would happen. That one day came after a couple of manuscripts and multiple rejections later.

5. I notice that you are a mom. Do you have a hard time juggling family time with writing time?

Absolutely! (See question #2) I even wrote a recent post about it! I'm much more relaxed about my writing now, knowing God's timing is perfect and I can't do anything to help along this publication process except to keep writing when I can.

6. Do you have any advice to others who want to pursue commercial publication?

Study the craft of writing through books and blogs, find a community who can encourage you and teach you the ropes, and just write! I’m still working on taking my own advice on the last point! And don't be anxious to publish. If you work hard and never give up, I believe it will happen for you!

7. Why did you choose to write Christian Fiction?

I didn't really choose Christian fiction, in fact, I'm working on a story that could go main stream. What I choose is a story told with a Christian worldview. It's hard to see the world any other way since Jesus is the center of my life. Sometimes my characters aren't Christians or are lost and fallen, but their journey always leads them closer to the Lord.

Book descriptions:
My Novella: Buried Deception
Mount Vernon archaeology intern and widow Samantha Steele wants to provide for her children without assistance from anyone. Security guard and ex-cop Nick Porter is haunted by his past and keeps his heart guarded. But when they discover an artifact at Mount Vernon is a fake, Nick and Samantha need to work together, set aside their stubbornness, and rely on each other or the results could be deadly. Will Samantha relinquish her control to a man she hardly knows? Can Nick learn to trust again? And will they both allow God to excavate their hearts so they can find new love?
Collection Summary, releasing January 2012
Four townhouse neighbors encounter romance and mystery near our nation’s capital. In State Secrets, White House assistant chef Tara Whitley and FBI agent Jack Courtland stop a plot to sabotage a State dinner—and find love still hidden in their hearts. In Dying for Love, attorneys and opponents Ciara Turner and Daniel Evans uncover love while searching for justice. In Buried Deception, archaeologist Samantha Steele and security guard Nick Porter dig up love while uncovering a forged artifact. In Coffee, Tea and Danger, amateur sleuths Susan Holland and Vince Martinelli find love while investigating a string of mysterious accidents.

This book certainly sounds like a winner! I want all of you to purchase a copy - either paperback or Kindle/e-book version! Let us know what you thought about the book once you've read it and feel free to leave some comments!

~Cecelia Dowdy~