Being published has definitely made my life much busier and fuller, and I
always try to remember my roots when frustration strikes. It took me decades to
get published, and I am so thrilled that my dream has come true. Here’s a little
glimpse into the journey…
I was
born in Chicago, Illinois, the second of five children, and I began writing at
birth. (*smile) No, really, my earliest memories are of writing
(or "scribbling" as it was in the beginning). I knew I wanted to write from a
very early age. It has always been a passion of mine—like breathing. I was one
of those kids who squealed with excitement over pads of paper and pencils in my
Christmas stocking. I used to ‘write’ stories in my head as a teenager, while I
delivered newspapers in the predawn hours along the streets of Chicago. Even
now, I love to get up super-early when the rest of the world is sleeping. My
best writing is done then, and by eight o’clock when everyone is just beginning
to wake, I feel like I still have a full day ahead of me—and I do.
Most of
my earliest childhood memories are centered on writing (or "pretending" to
write). I attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and received
a teaching degree in Special Education, then moved to East Tennessee where I
spent thirty years as a middle school teacher and then as an intermediate
school administrator. (What fertile ground for story ideas)!
A decade
ago I had the opportunity to attend my first RWA conference. I was unpublished
and starry-eyed over meeting all of the "famous authors" there. It was an
incredible opportunity to make connections and learn more about the craft. When
I returned home I was so fired up that I wrote with new-found energy,
submitting my work to every contest I could find. Just a few weeks before I got "the call" my daughter said—out of the blue as we were driving home from school
one afternoon—“Mama, I know you’re gonna get published soon.” Wow, that just
warmed me from my heart to my toes!
This
July I will attend my second RWA conference as a retired-from-my-day-job,
full-time published author. It is my hope that I can pass on a bit of my
knowledge and experience to unpublished writers setting out on their journey. I
have been richly blessed. What a difference a decade makes!
~~~~~
Recreational Therapist Ava Kennedy is in charge of Valentine’s Day festivities for shut-in patients at Honeysuckle Cove Children’s Hospital. When a winter storm threatens to derail planned events and steal the children’s joy, Ava calls on longtime friend and firefighter Nick Jones for rescue. The two have been close, platonic friends since kindergarten, but Ava soon finds her heart whirling like the drifting snowflakes outside her office window.
Nick Jones is skilled at extinguishing fires, so he doesn’t count on kindling a flame with lifelong friend Ava Kennedy. But he’s got a sweet spot for kids and women…especially when one particular woman—Ava—possesses a soft heart and laughter that draws like an electron magnet. Despite Nick’s valiant efforts to resist, he finds himself caught up in the attraction.
Will these friends’ new feelings weather the shifting tempest…or is this simply a passing storm?
Nick Jones is skilled at extinguishing fires, so he doesn’t count on kindling a flame with lifelong friend Ava Kennedy. But he’s got a sweet spot for kids and women…especially when one particular woman—Ava—possesses a soft heart and laughter that draws like an electron magnet. Despite Nick’s valiant efforts to resist, he finds himself caught up in the attraction.
Will these friends’ new feelings weather the shifting tempest…or is this simply a passing storm?
~~~~~
Mary Manners
is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime exploring her joy of
writing. She has two sons and a daughter, as well as three beautiful
grandchildren. She currently lives along the sunny shores of Jacksonville Beach
with her husband Tim.
A
former teacher as well an intermediate school principal, Mary spent three
decades sharing her love of learning with students from kindergarten through
middle grades. While growing up in Chicago and as an undergraduate at the
University of Illinois, Mary worked her way through a variety of jobs including
paper girl, figure skating instructor, pizza chef, and nanny. Many of these
enriching and challenging experiences led to adventures that bring laughs and
insight to her stories. Mary loves long sunrise runs, ocean sunsets, and
flavored coffee.
Connect
with Mary at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com. “Like” her author
page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
