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My review:

Old wounds run deep. Some spend their entire lives rehashing the past. Others live haunted by it, fearful of making another move. Then there are those who make peace with the past, learning to love again.

Lexi Taylor is a woman whose past has kept her from love. She works at Thursday’s Child, a nonprofit organization for youth which is on its last leg. To raise money for the youth center, she agrees to participate in an online dating auction. She’s disappointed when Cooper Jackson, an ex-NFL star and her ex-fiance, wins the auction.

Now that Lexi is stuck with Cooper, she tries to keep their relationship superficial. However, Lexi is about to discover she cannot keep past wounds and secrets buried for much longer. Cooper still loves her and he goes to great lengths to win her heart.

Tender Mercies takes the reader on a journey into the lives of imperfect people grappling with learning to trust those who have hurt them. It also deals with how fallen people learn to rethink their priorities, challenging the idea that money is more valuable than love.

Tender Mercies is a tale of love, forgiveness and sacrifice. Readers will find themselves engrossed in Tender Mercies from beginning to end, leaving them hopeful that true love can wait – again.

I’m psyched about today’s interview on The Literary Mama. Mary Manners is an award winning author whose latest novel, Tender Mercies, releases next Friday, Jan 14^th. I’m pleased to welcome Mary to The Literary Mama.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with The Literary Mama. Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee after college. I have taught middle school math and English for 25 years. I am married to my wonderful husband, Tim, and we have one daughter, Danni, who has just learned to drive (Yikes)!

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What is Tender Mercies about?

When Lexi Taylor resorts to hosting an online auction to raise money for her fledgling youth center, Thursday’s Child, the last thing she expects is to be matched for a date with…Cooper Jackson…hometown hero and former championship-winning University of Tennessee quarterback.  Lured by the promise of a lucrative NFL career, he broke off their engagement without so much as a backward glance six years ago.  Now he’s come home to Knoxville to nurse an injured knee and his wounded pride–and he wants Lexi back.

 A heartbreaking secret stands between them…and Lexi plans to keep it that way.  But when Cooper’s gentleness and renewed faith coax the secret to the surface, will forgiveness draw them close…or will their love be shattered forever?

Where did you get the inspiration for Tender Mercies?

My husband loves football, and it’s a huge tradition here in the Knoxville, TN area. I wondered what it would be like for a player after the glory wears off and he’s just a regular guy again (well, as regular as a well-known player can be). And I also wondered what would happen if he ran into the girl he’d hurt years before, when the lure of fame and fortune swept him away. There you have it…Tender Mercies.

In Tender Mercies, Thursday’s Child, a charitable organization, is an important part of the story. Can you tell us how you came about included this charity in your novel?

One of the local news stations runs a weekly segment to adopt out older kids with special needs, and it’s always touched me. It gave me the idea for Thursday’s Child in Tender Mercies.

How did you know you were called to write?

I was born writing! Seriously, I have very vivid memories of ‘writing’ stories before I actually knew how to print. I’d scribble on paper, then ‘read’ my stories to my baby brother and sister.

What did you do to learn the craft of fiction writing?

I WROTE, WROTE, WROTE and continue to write every day. I also submitted my work to as many contests as possible, and listened to the feedback. This really helped.

What’s the story behind landing your first publishing contract?

I entered the OKRWA’s Finally a Bride contest and finaled. The wonderful and brilliant Nicola Martinez from White Rose Publishing was a final round judge. She liked what she saw and offered me a contract. That’s how my debut romance, Mended Heart, came to be.

In addition to writing, you’re also a Mama and a teacher! How do you balance it all?

Wow…I have the most amazing and supportive husband and daughter imaginable. They are so helpful and so proud of my accomplishments, because they both know and appreciate what a long journey the road to publication has been. I could not do what I do without them.

Tell us about Mended Heart, your first novel.

Mended Heart  is the second-chance-at-love story of Jade McAllister and Shane Calkin. Shane was the town’s privileged rich kid who jilted Jade during high school, while Jade, being the daughter of an alcoholic, struggled to fit in. When they meet each other ten years later, they find time has changed them both. But have the years taught them how to trust…and to love again? 

For the avid Mary Manners fan, what other new releases do you have coming out this year? 

Brenna’s Choice, a Dollar Download, will be released by White Rose Publishing in February. And Light The Fire, the story of Rena and Cody, who both find love amid unimaginable loss, is due to be released sometime late spring/summer.

How can readers get in touch with you?

Readers can visit my website, www.MaryMannersRomance.com, visit the Author Pages at www.WhiteRosePublishing.com or they can visit my Author Page on Amazon.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Mary.

My review of “Tender Mercies” posts next week, Friday, Jan 14^th. You can order copies of Mary’s books on Amazon or www.whiterosepublishing.com