Shelter My Heart received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author L.G. O’Connor.
Shelter My Heart was published in May 2017 by Kindle Press (as a Kindle Scout selected novel) in digital, and in paperback by Collins-Young Publishing. It’s the second book in the Caught Up in Love series about three women from one family, their secrets and redemption, and their second chances at love.
What’s the book’s first line?
I like to pull the reader immediately into the midst of the action, so I usually start with dialogue. The book’s first line: “What’s the matter, Jen?” Russ asks, his voice all early-morning gravel.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
An engaged young woman agrees to spend two weeks with an ailing young CEO-in-training due to inherit his dead father’s conglomerate—if he can convince the board he’s healthy and going to marry.
That’s the gist, anyway! But it’s more than that. A tangential thread throughout the series is a crime syndicate investigation that brushes lightly against the family in every book, and in this book, Devon’s life is in danger from more than just illness. As you get further into the story, there are strong romantic suspense elements.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
LOL, yes and no. The first book in the series was meant to be a standalone novel. It’s a May/December romance about a widowed romance writer and a troubled young landscaper who she convinces to be her cover model when she spots him planting trees on the grounds of the local hospital. That was the inspiration, because it happened to me. Kind of.
In August 2013, I was visiting a close family friend when I spotted a group of guys planting trees, and one of them looked exactly like a character in the book I was writing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t muster the courage to stop. Missing that opportunity haunted me for months until it spun itself into a novel in my head and became Caught Up in RAINE (2017 IPPY Award in Romance). In the first chapter, Jillian stops the car, and offers Raine, a part-time college student, $300 to pose as her cover model. He accepts and the rest becomes their love story!
CUIR got me an agent, and when we decided to go on submission, the idea morphed into a series about Jillian, her niece Jenny (Shelter My Heart), and Jillian’s older sister, Kitty (featured in the upcoming third book, Surrender My Heart).
Since the series features heroines of different ages and blurs the line between Women’s Fiction and Contemporary Romance, we couldn’t find it a traditional publishing home. So I decided to indie publish.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This book (and the entire series) isn’t just a romance. The stories have underlying threads of redemption, hope, transformation, and sacrificing for the people you love. Family is a strong theme, along with how the dead play their part on the living. In each book, the heroine is shackled in some way to someone who has died.
Another reason to read this book and the rest of the series: It takes place in New Jersey! The books are set in towns where I’ve lived (Summit, Chatham) or where I’ve spent time (Morristown, Spring Lake). You can walk the steps of the characters in places like the Morristown Green, the Summit Train Station, the beach on Spring Lake, and more…
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Jenny, a recent college grad with a love of photography, is twenty-three and just finding her way in the world. She’s engaged, but naïve about what she really wants, and as a result, when we meet her, she’s weighed down by ghosts from her past and what she thinks is expected of her. On the other hand, she’s smart, loyal to those she loves, bighearted, and when necessary, she’s fierce and fights for what she wants. She’s stronger than she realizes, and when it counts, she’s there with bells on.
To me, Jenny reminds me of my three nieces and who they are all growing up to be–but without the ghosts!
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Alex Pettyfer as Devon (sandy-haired, can pass as a young CEO) and Megan Fox as Jenny (dark hair and blue eyes with spunk.) Both are hot young actors under thirty who come closest to how I picture Jenny & Devon in my head!
When did you first decide to become an author?
Hmm. I didn’t really decide, it just…happened. During a slight career shift in late 2009, I took a novel writing class on a lark and started my first manuscript. Trinity Stones, became the first book in my Paranormal Romance series, The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles. Since then, I’ve published more than seven novels when I count the shorter works.
Is this the first you’ve written?
This was the sixth book that I wrote.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m a global marketing executive in a Fortune 250 company. I’m fortunate to be able to do two things that I love! When people ask me if I ever plan to quit my day job, I laugh. People always wonder how I can be so prolific with a demanding career, but I’m more productive as a writer having another professional focus. It makes writing a reward and keeps it pleasurable for me.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
15 – 25 hours per week.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best: Fan mail! I love when someone tells me how much they enjoyed my book, and that they couldn’t stop thinking about the characters and/or the story; that it touched them in some way, making them laugh or cry. I feel my characters deeply, and it’s very rewarding when someone else catches that same feeling.
The hardest: Discoverability, proving your work has been properly vetted, and having time to thoughtfully connect with bloggers, other authors, and readers. I have my inner circle, but quickly came to the conclusion that I couldn’t do everything. In my case, time is scare and worth money. I pick and choose as I see fit, knowing that the price could be less readers who find me. I’ve cut down on live events. Although it might be fun to meet other authors, events are usually woefully short on readers. I always have to balance if an afternoon on a weekend is better spent writing.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Absolutely, if the deal’s worthwhile. I have to finish both of my series first before I can go back out on submission with my agent (if she’s willing!) – which means 2018 /2019.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
What motivates me? Readership. Connecting. Impacting people’s lives in a positive way through my stories. Seeing one of my books on film or TV would be awesome, too. Oh, and did I mention hot guys with abs? (Kidding!)
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Wow, who to choose? I’m an avid reader, and there are so many authors who I admire. I don’t think I could choose just one.
Which book do you wish you could have written?