Havan's Heavenly Haven: Let's Chat...Con Riley @con

I shared with you previously Con Riley's beautifully classic feeling cover for her new book Recovery...well I want to share more with you now—and I was lucky enough to get the wonderful Con to answer a few questions too *winks*

So let's dig into this cookie...um...great now I want cookies *heads desk* lol

A quick hello about Con Riley: Con Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.

Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time instead. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.

When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don't disturb her—she's probably thinking up new plots.

Find Con Riley here:

Read more: http://conriley.com
Tweet more: https://twitter.com/con_riley
Talk more: con.riley.fiction@gmail.com

And now for the interrogation...muahahahah *coughs and sips coffee* sorry, lost it there for a moment lol...

Question time:

What is your writing regimen? Do you have a certain word count you have to hit daily? Are you flexible with your writing times or strict?

I’m a little unusual in that I don’t have a year-round writing regimen, and I avoid specific word-count targets. Numbers scare me!

Like many authors, I have a day job that demands much of my time and attention. Thankfully I’m extraordinarily lucky; I love my work. It’s valuable, rewarding, and fills my heart as well as my head. So, writing happens in fits and starts, squashed between day-job deadlines. Last year I worked part time, and I wrote a lot. This year, I’ve worked full time, so I’ve written less. I’ll be working part time again next year, so I’ll enjoy the luxury of a little extra time to finish some writing projects.

Where do you get your ideas from?

I’ve had an interesting and varied career working with families under pressure. The people who had the most profound impact on me — the ones who left lingering impressions — find their way into my books.

Are you a pantser or plotter – tell us how it works for you.

I hoard story ideas like treasure. I note down every passing thought on my phone, and then mentally turn them over and over until I’m sure the story is fully formed. I write the last line of the story on a Post-it and stick it on the wall next to my desk. That visual reminder of my ultimate goal is my entire plan.

Do you prefer unusual names for your characters or classic names? List a few of each that you've used.

I had a very narrow escape with an unusual character name in my first book. The Internet lied to me about a name’s authenticity. AFTER BEN was midway through the production process when a friend read an ARC and told me I needed to change it. Talk about a lucky escape!

Since then, I double and triple check my name choices. I use census records to ensure they are appropriate for the age of the character, and I try to make surnames region-specific too, if I can.

Choosing some names can be easy. Joel, Morgan, and Jamie were names I simply knew were right. Gabe and Ariel in SALVAGE belonged together right from the get-go. Other names take forever to select. One character in RECOVERY had three names before I settled on a final choice. Poor guy!

I’ve learned to keep an ongoing list of names. After five novels I’m running out of easy choices!

You've hit a wall in the story you're writing...how do you blow that obstacle out of your way?

I can’t recall hitting a wall in a story, but I have struggled with epilogues. I’ve had to rewrite several from scratch, and on reflection the reason is obvious: I never want the story to end!

The ending of RECOVERY has made every reader so far cry. Pushing through that wall to give the book an ending that connects with readers on an emotional level is worth the struggle.

Thank you for having me!

And thank you for coming back to us...*winks*

Now...a book that can bring me to tears...this is a book that piques my interest! Let's hear a bit about it...

Now...for the blurbage:

San Diego is a city of second chances for Jamie Carlson. His new career as a photographer is taking off, and with the support of a loving surrogate family, he’s finally putting his party years behind him. The Bailey family helped him solve his drinking problem, but there’s no easy solution to staying sober now that Belle Bailey’s dying. Her last wish is a challenge Jamie can't overcome without help.

Solving problems is Daniel Priest’s specialty. More than twenty years older than Jamie, he’s successful and experienced. He makes his living resolving corporate crises—but his personal life has been far from perfect. Now that his marriage is over, Daniel’s determined to make up for lost time. One night with Jamie isn’t nearly enough for him.

Daniel’s honest offer of help is more than Jamie expects from a one-time hookup. Even so, fulfilling Belle’s last wish is a tall order. Repairing her damaged family as she requests proves difficult when Jamie has to face his own past as well.

Jamie could risk his hard-won recovery by admitting why he hit rock bottom in the first place. If he wants a future with Daniel, he'll have to address those reasons head-on.

Pick up your copy of Recovery here:

DreamspinnerPress

AmazonUS

AmazonUK

All the cool places that Con Riley will be: