Angela Correll lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband, Jess. Her novels are Amazon bestsellers and have been adapted to the stage for sold-out audiences at the Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theater. She loves canning vegetables from her garden, exploring the Tuscan countryside, and spending time with her family.
Q: When you started the May Hollow trilogy, how far ahead and thoroughly did you plan? When did you realize it would be a trilogy?
A: I wrote Grounded as a stand-alone novel, but I always knew there was more to the story. Since I didn’t know how well it would be received since I was a debut author, I felt doing it as a stand-alone would be a better approach, but I created the ending in a way that I could pick up with a second book. When Grounded was so well received, I knew there would be a second and a third. I also felt like three was a good number and a good place to stop with that story line.
Q: How do you set up your writing area? What inspires you to write?
A: Space is very important to me, so I can’t write in a cluttered and disorganized environment. I have a chair and ottoman that faces a bookshelf filled with classics and that’s one of my favorite places. I’ve also written large sections of two of the novels in Italy, so I’m pretty adaptable as long as the seat is comfy, I have a hot cup of coffee, and the space is not cluttered. I’m not always inspired to write, but I know when I’m putting a book together that I have to write a certain number of words per day, so sometimes it is simply a matter of getting myself in the writing chair.
Q: How do you schedule time to write? What kind of pressure did you put on yourself to complete your trilogy?
A: When I’m writing, I’m pretty disciplined. I find that’s the only way to complete a project. I use Scrivener software, which is amazing for keeping you on track with word count per day and it helps in organizing the manuscript. I did put pressure on myself, especially in the middle of the second book. Writing can sometimes be a little agonizing and painful, so knowing I had to do one last book to complete it felt overwhelming at times. It also felt really good once I got into the third book, knowing I was bringing some resolution to the characters that my readers would enjoy.
Q: Do you currently have any new characters and stories in the works?
A: I have LOTS of ideas, always! I’m currently working on a cookbook to pull out all the food references in the May Hollow trilogy.
Q: To what do you credit your unique success? What would you say was your most successful marketing method?
A: Three things are key for me:
I worked hard to hone my craft. It’s much easier to sell a book people enjoy reading.
I worked hard at learning the marketing side and I tried everything, especially on the first book. I’m always learning something new and things change.
I own my own retail shop and we carry books, so it made selling my book much easier.
As far as successful marketing method, we recently implemented a Launch Team with the release of Granted. We called for volunteers, gave each one copy of the book for participating, and asked them to spread the word and write reviews. We also gave them special emails with behind-the-scenes videos and early access to signings. I think it made them feel special and they did a great job getting the word out about the books. I will do that again, for sure.
In Grounded, when cutbacks and a failed relationship ground New York City flight attendant Annie Taylor, she decides to leave behind her jet-setting lifestyle to regroup at the family farm in Kentucky — a place she’s avoided for years. Though the country quiet haunts Annie with reminders of a complicated family past, she finds hope for a second chance at love and an unexpected passion for the simple life.
Guarded continues Annie’s journey of reconciliation as she works to save a dilapidated stone house filled with family secrets, repair old relationships, and grow her newfound love. When Annie finds a World War II connection in the house, it sends her across the world to Italy to get to the bottom of the mystery. As it unfolds, she is forced to face her own past. Will Annie let history sabotage her future?
Granted takes readers from Kentucky farm country to old-world Tuscany in the company of Annie and Beulah. Annie is embracing her country roots and racing toward a future with her sustainable farmer fiancé, but wedding plans are complicated by her new job, a mysterious ex-boyfriend, and a narcissistic father. Meanwhile, Beulah is facing a shakeup in the last place she ever thought she would – home. A crisis on May Hollow Road follows a friend’s betrayal, challenging Beulah’s forgiving nature. An unwelcome diet, a new houseguest, and a possible overseas trip will all stretch her spirit – if she lets it.
