Molly Cannon

Tell Me Your Story Tuesday

WELCOME

MOLLY CANNON

 I am so excited to finally have Molly with us. I have been pestering her to come play for a while. Today, she is talking  about her debut release Ain't Misbehaving, the oddest job she ever had and ballroom dancing! 

Let's get to know Molly!

  Tell us about Ain't Misbehaving. Love the cute dog on the cover. Does he make an appearance in the book? 

  Sometimes even good girls need to be a little bad...

Marla Jean Bandy might be down, but she's not out. Even though her no-good ex-husband left her for another woman - a Bookmobile-driving librarian twenty years her senior - Marla Jean won't settle for another lonely night. She's not ready for Mr. Right, but why not have a little fun with Mr. Right Now? The only wrench in her plan is her childhood crush. Jake- and the memory of the one toe-curling kiss they shared on a hot summer night years ago. 

I’m so excited Marla Jean and Jake’s story will be released June 26, 2012. I can’t wait. The first chapter is available as a free read on my website. As for the little dog Sadie, she plays a very important part in the book. Marla Jean and Jake find her abandoned and all alone in a rain storm. They end up sharing custody, and that special bond makes it impossible for them to ignore the way they feel about each other, even if they wanted to. Go, Sadie!

 You are represented by Kim Lionetti, what was it like getting "The Call"? 

Oh, that was so exciting! Kim shopped the book around, but no one had shown any interest yet. One morning she called to say we had an offer, and I was bouncing around, laughing, screaming -- did I cry? I might have cried. Let’s just say I was happy. But it was still out with some other editors, so she needed to let them know we had an offer. Before the day was over we had three offers. I did all that bouncing around, laughing, screaming and crying stuff all over again. I was thrilled to sign with Grand Central Publishing, Forever Romance. It was a long-time dream come true!

Other than writing, you like to take dance lessons. What kind of dancing is your favorite? 

My husband and I started taking ballroom dance classes when our kids started getting married. It was lots of fun, so once we ran out of kids, we decided to take some classes just for the heck of it. My husband is a really good sport, so we’ve taken Swing, Latin, Country and several variations of Ballroom. I enjoy foxtrot, rumba, and the two-step.  But west coast swing is a challenge I’m still trying to conquer! And I want to learn the Viennese waltz so I can twirl in never-ending circles like they do in the movies.

Not Molly and her husband, but I'm sure they look just like this!

What is your writing process like? What is your favorite part of the process? 

I come up with the two main characters in a beginning scene - some situation that intrigues me, and I usually have a vague idea for an ending scene, too. Then various in-between scenes pop into my head, and I write toward those scenes, and the rest of the story fills itself in along the way hopefully in an entertaining manner. I sort of know where I’m going, but not exactly. It’s a lot of pondering ‘what if’, and my favorite part is surprising myself with an idea when I think I’ve written myself into a dead end. 

 What did you do before you were a writer? What made you decide to write? 

This is a record.

I was a stay at home mom, raising three children, though with three active children there wasn’t a lot of ‘stay at home’. But I’ve had a variety of other odd jobs through the years. I’ve been an office manager for different places, and I ran the adult soccer league in my town for a long time. But does anyone remember records? LPs? Albums? I had a job making records. You’ll be relieved to know I didn’t sing on them. Instead I picked up blobs of black plastic and threw it onto a big, stinky, hot machine that pressed it into a finished 33 rpm record. That was probably the oddest job I had, and the one that makes me happiest to be a writer these days.

What's next for you? Do you have a current WIP? 

CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE, is book #2 in this series. 

When her grandmother dies, Etta Green returns to Everson, Texas only to find out Donny Joe Ledbetter, a smooth-talking womanizer has inherited part ownership of her grandmother's house. Making her even more suspicious, she discovers Grammy Hazel has agreed, with Donny Joe’s help, to turn the beloved family house into a B&B.  Etta and Donny Joe form a grudging partnership but can't agree on anything.  He's a country boy.  She's a city girl.  He's meat and potatoes.  She's gourmet cuisine.  He's a good old boy who's always gotten by on his lazy charm.  She's no-nonsense, efficient, and completely immune to his masculine appeal.  Or is she? Sparks will fly, so let the fun begin! 

It should be out in July 2013.

If you could have dinner with any famous author, who would it be and what would you want to ask? 

It’s hard to name just one, so I’m choosing three. I’ll stop there, though I have many more!

Lavyrle Spencer doesn’t write anymore but I love, love, love her books. She wrote contemporary and historical romance and never failed to transport me completely. She was something special.

Laura Kinsale – Oh, my! When I read her books I feel like I’ve been taken apart and put back together again. My cells line up differently. I have quotes from her books on my walls. She simply slays me.

Kristan Higgins is my choice for contemporary, light-hearted romance. Her characters are lovable, down-to-earth, and real. I find them endlessly entertaining.  Gosh, I adore her books. I’m never happier than when I’m diving into one of her love stories. She is an absolute must buy for me! 

I don’t know if I’d ask them any questions. How do you explain magic to a mere mortal? I’d just sit and stare – looking at them adoringly. It would probably put them off their feed. Restaurant security would be called. I’d be hauled off in chains. Maybe dinner’s not a good idea…

Where else can we contact you? Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Website?

My website: www.mollycannon.com

Blog

Twitter: @Cannonmolly

Facebook

Thank you so much for visiting with us, Molly! 

Anything else you want to know about Miss Molly? I'm sure she'll be happy to answer!