New Kid on the Block--Mary Moore!

Missy Tippens, here. I'm excited to welcome New Kid on the Block, debut Love Inspired Historical author Mary Moore. Mary's generously offered to give away a copy of The Aristocrat's Lady to one lucky commenter! I'll do a random drawing. Just be sure to tell me you'd like to be entered.


Welcome, Mary!

Hi Missy,

Thank you for this opportunity; you’re my first blog!

Can you tell us about The Call for your first sale?

I absolutely do remember the call from my agent, Jenni Burke.  It was wonderful!  She had sent it out to several publishers, of course, but the first one who wanted it was Love Inspired.  I was so new; I didn’t even know who they were!  It was in October 2010 and the editor, Rachel Burkot, had an open slot for September 2011 if I could get all of the editing they required done by January 1^st!  I said good-bye to Thanksgiving and Christmas and got it ready in time.  And I believe God was in every part of it and it its where I am supposed to be.

I wanted to tell you how adorable my agent was about it all.  We had worked on the manuscript for almost a year to be sure it was spic and span ready to submit to publishers.  During all of that time, the title of the book was “Scent of a Rose” which Love Inspired ended up changing.  But imagine my surprise when the day after the contract was signed I received a dozen beautiful roses to celebrate my first book and my first sale.  I cried the whole day!  So, yes, I absolutely remember everything about getting that first contract.

 What's something readers may not know about you?

Readers won’t know this but everyone who knows me at all knows that I am a John Wayne fanatic.  I became obsessed with him in my early teens and I even named my dog after him.  (My dad refused to call John Wayne in to dinner, however, so it was shortened to J.W.)  I had posters on my wall and many scrap books devoted to him.  I realize I will be showing my age here, but I saw many of his movies when they were new in the theaters!  I remember getting sympathy cards from a few crazy family members and friends when he died.  I have a wonderful collection of all his movies, but they are all on VHS, and I can’t afford to go out and buy DVD’s or Blu Ray or whatever the latest medium is.  To this day, if I find a John Wayne movie on TV, you won’t get my attention back until it’s over…PILGRIM!

 What are you working on right now?

Right now, I’m working on things that I need to do for the release date of September 6^th.  I’ve scheduled a book signing at a few venues locally.  This is hard because I am definitely a behind-the-scenes kind of gal.  But I really wanted to do something to get established in the community and this will be a good start.  And several other authors have volunteered to give me some blog time, which I really appreciate.  My agent and I just finished the proposal for my second book, another Regency, that I hope LIH will be interested in.  So it’s still pretty busy.  Having now gone through the entire process from beginning to end, I hope, Lord willing, that the next time will be a little more organized and a lot fewer mistakes!

Thanks for visiting, Mary!   

BIO:

I have been an avid student of the Regency-era since the 1970’s and I am a member of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s historic fiction community as well as a member of the Faith, Hope and Love and Beau Monde chapters of the RWA.  I have been writing historical fiction for over fifteen years.  I had to put my writing on hold due to some health issues, including a bout with breast cancer, but I’m now even more excited about my writing as I incorporate some of my struggles throughout my books; dedicated to encouraging others in the Lord and using my stories for His glory.  A native of the Washington, DC area, my husband and I now live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia, with our black lab, Darcy.  When not writing, I enjoy time with my husband, watching romantic movies, reading and weekend get-aways.