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Introduction
Cecelia Conway is a multi genre romance author based in Southern Wisconsin.
She loves creating characters and losing herself in imaginary worlds whether as a writer or avid reader.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison, she holds a BA in English/Creative Writing as well as a BS in Agriculture from Oregon State University.
Away from the keyboard, she works in special education and volunteers with several non profit organizations. Some of her favorite hobbies include: reading, spending time with her cats, horseback riding, and photography.
Her debut series, Door County Dreams, is a series of five contemporary, small town romance novels set in Door County Wisconsin.
Cecelia’s Books
Interview with Cecelia Conway
Q: Let’s get started with an introduction. Can you tell me a little about how you first got into writing and what it felt like publishing your very first book?
A: I actually started writing back in high school, majored in Creative Writing, and then wrote absolutely nothing for 10 years. Then I attended a writing retreat at Write On in Door County on a whim. While I was there, I wrote the short story that became my debut novel in about forty five minutes. It’s a surreal experience to not only publish your first book but to do it yourself.
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies (other than writing)?
A: I have way too many. Reading, photography, horseback riding, gardening, working out. I also sew, spend too much time on social media, and teach therapeutic riding in my spare time.
Q: I see that you volunteer at some non-profit organizations, can you tell us more about them?
A: I started riding horses after I graduated from college the first time, and got involved with therapeutic riding during my gap year. I became a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor about 12 years ago and I currently volunteer and teach our veteran’s lessons at Horse Power Healing Center in Eagle WI. I’m also the current president of the NEW Dressage Association, an organization focusing on promoting grass roots dressage in Wisconsin. I’ve also served on the board of the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association for the last eight years as their Schooling Show Chairman and Awards Tabulator.
Q: What book (other than your own) do you recommend to everyone that they have to read?
A: It might reveal a dark streak, but I adore Manacled and never stop talking about it. For those less adventurous I tend to recommend Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, and Kennedy Ryan.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your writing process? Note taking; favorite place to write uninterrupted; etc?
A: Oh lord, I’m a bit of a chaotic writer. I’ve tried to become a plotter but about half way through an outline the story drifts too far off and I have to scrap everything I thought I was going to do. That might be why I’ve been doing so many shorter projects and novellas this year.
As far as note taking, I inevitably start a Pinterest board for inspo pics and take frequent breaks to Google random questions as the story rolls along.
When I started, I hand wrote my first two novels but quickly discovered it takes way too much time deciphering my own handwriting. Now I write on a laptop and a Freewrite so I try to squeeze in time wherever I can. Usually that’s at five in the morning before work or nine at night before I go to sleep.
Q: Tell us a little about what inspired your latest release.
A: My latest release is a novella in the Total Fireworks collection called Zero Excuses. It’s a bonus epilogue novella to my Door County Dreams series featuring everyone’s favorite main character Ben and his happily ever after. It’s very important to me to be inclusive in my writing so I was especially excited to feature a queer and multiracial romance so predominantly.
Q: Which one of your books was your most favorite to write?
A: I have a special spot in my heart for Sarah and Bret in Two Nights in August. In so many ways Sarah is the character I identify most with so it felt like telling an old friend’s story.
Q: What is your favorite strange food combination?
A: My doctor would cringe but I used to always make peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar sandwiches. It’s like a peanut butter cookie…but in sandwich form. On a healthier note, I saw a Tik Tok recently for a prosciutto salad with feta, cantaloupe, and balsamic vinegar that’s been my new thing. Fruit with balsamic is #ChefsKiss
Q: If you were to ask your friends or family, what would they say your greatest “Superpower” is?
A: Multitasking 😛
Q: If you could be any fictional character (cartoon, movie, show, book, etc), who would you be?
A: As a kid my answer would have been Eowyn from Lord of the Rings but there are so many now!
I think because of Dramoine fanfics, Hermione would be high on my list, but I also wouldn’t say no to Rose in Stalked by the Kraken, or Bones from the TV Show or the Books.
Q: What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
A: Your first draft IS going to be terrible, write it anyway and don’t fix things until you’re done.
After you’ve fixed your first draft, hire an editor who gets you and your writing style or get an alpha and beta team going. Don’t be afraid to ask for samples to make sure it’s a good fit.
Writing for ten minutes a day is better than no minutes a day. Plus, once you sit down those ten minutes will go by so fast.
And if you decide to publish independently, you don’t have to spend money on ads but you do have to market yourself as much as you can. (My marketing budget is still $0 but I’ve found wonderful communities online and my ARC readers are phenomenal.)
Whatever your path is, it’s also going to take time. Be patient, have faith in your writing, you can do it!
Q: You have 50 words or less to convince an audience why they should read your books. Go!
A: Different tropes for different folks but HEA’s are always guaranteed!
Follow Cecelia
Cecelia Conway is a multi genre romance author based in Southern Wisconsin.
She loves creating characters and losing herself in imaginary worlds whether as a writer or avid reader.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison, she holds a BA in English/Creative Writing as well as a BS in Agriculture from Oregon State University.
Away from the keyboard, she works in special education and volunteers with several non profit organizations. Some of her favorite hobbies include: reading, spending time with her cats, horseback riding, and photography.
Her debut series, Door County Dreams, is a series of five contemporary, small town romance novels set in Door County Wisconsin.
Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
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