I am so pleased to bring you this Coffee chat today with Mary Manners! Please take a few moments to relax and get to know this lovely author with me!

PM: Thank you so much for joining us today, Mary! So happy to have you here! I see from your bio that you are a Tennessee girl! Have you lived there all your life or are ‘transplanted’ from someplace else?

MM: Thanks so much for hosting me today. I am thrilled to be here! I was born just outside of Chicago, in Elmwood Park, and later moved to Itasca. Following my time at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbad south to the Knoxville, TN area and have loved every minute of my time here. I am a country girl at heart, so the mini farm my husband and I call home is the perfect place for me.

PM: I see you are an author in The Potter’s House series, which I love! How are you enjoying working with everyone on such an amazing journey?

MM: Oh, my…I have been blessed beyond measure by my time with fellow Potter’s House authors. Such a generous group of people, and I have learned so much and grown as a writer while working with them. I am so thankful to be a part of this faith-based journey.

PM: If we were to open you your refrigerator right now, what would we find in it?

MM: Yikes! A pitcher of unsweet tea laced with orange wedges (I know…definitely NOT southern, but I can’t stand all the sugar), a half-eaten breakfast casserole, loads of veggies from my garden, and multi-colored farm-fresh eggs from my flock of chickens. And ice cream…chocolate for me and blueberry for my husband.

PM: If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?

MM: I would be Kinsey Millhone, from Patricia Cornwell’s mystery series. I love Kinsey’s spunk and sense of honor, and the fact that she’s always getting herself into fixes, yet remaining honorable to friends and family, as well as clients, while she unravels the mysteries and figures things out. She’s got a great sense of humor, too, which always helps.

PM: If you couldn’t be a writer, what career path do you think you’d choose to be on?

MM: Well, I spent 31 years as a teacher and principal of both special needs and middle school children and absolutely loved my time in the school setting. I retired to full-time writing two years ago. Although I miss the kids, I am thrilled to realize my life-long dream of penning stories for a living.

PM: What is one thing about you that your readers would be shocked to know?

MM:I don’t know if it would shock anyone more than give them a good chuckle, but I sing my chickens a lullaby every night when they return to the coop. They seem to enjoy it, and so do the dog and cats. I also enjoy distance running, and have completed three marathons to date (not while singing, though).

PM: What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite gender?

MM: I grew up with three sisters and only one brother, and I have a daughter, so I haven’t had a whole lot of experience around guys. Sometimes getting their emotions down can be a challenge. But I read a lot and like to people watch, so that helps me figure things out pretty well.

PM: Do you have any family pets that currently own you?

MM: Yes! One of the perks of living on a farm is the ability to have pets that have room to roam. I have a rescue dog named Axel, two rescue cats named Colby and Rascal, six chickens (Pearl, Susie, Honor, Rosie, Cinnamon, and Spice), and twelve fish. They are all precious and full of spunk. I’ve been trying to talk my husband into a pig but so far, no luck.

PM: How can readers keep up with you and your new releases?

MM: I love to chat with readers through my website: http://MaryMannersRomance.com and also love to share tidbits about my family, upcoming books, contests, and free reads through my newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/f6w0j6

PM: Finally, coffee or tea? Cream, sugar?

MM: I love both coffee AND tea, but black coffee is usually my go-to drink. I love the flavored varieties…French vanilla, hazelnut, and mocha. Yum.

Mary has so kindly offered a free copy – PRINT or ebook – winners choice! Of Her newest book to be released 10/02/18! Simply comment on this post and tell us about your family pet (or lack of one) to enter to win! Contest will run for one week from post and winner will be notified via email! Good luck!

Here is the information on Tragedy & Trust:

ONE WRONG TURN AT A FORK IN THE ROAD…

When Chloe Rylin flees New York City and her dream of becoming a Broadway
performer, she returns to her hometown harboring a life-altering secret and the
shame of a shattered past. Best friend Kelsie asks her to help build a house
through the local Shelter the Homeless program, where Chloe meets Zack Coleman and his
mischievous Saint Bernard.

Zack is dealing with a devastating loss of his own, yet his gentleness and patience melt Chloe’s resolve never to trust, much less fall in love, again. But what will Zack think when he discovers the shame of Chloe’s past? Will he reject her, or can their fledgling love heal hurting hearts and blossom into a happily-ever-after?