Connealy was born in Oakland, Nebraska, and grew up on a farm in rural Lyons, Nebraska. She is the third of eight children of farmer and social worker Jackson Moore, and social worker and pianist Dorothy (Frew) Moore.
Connealy attended Jefferson School, a one-room country school house, for eight years during elementary school, and graduated from Lyons High School in 1974. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications, graduating magna cum laude from Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska,[1] in 1976.
Career
Connealy wrote for ten years before she got her first book published, and had 20 finished books when she made her first sale.[1][3] She published her first books with Barbour Publishing.[4] After writing nineteen books for Barbour Publishing, she signed with Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in 2011. Out of Control appeared on the Christian Booksellers Association national best-sellers list in September 2011[5] and also on the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) national fiction best-seller list.[2] Connealy is also published by Thomas Nelson Publishing, a division of HarperCollins Publishers LLC. Connealy was a finalist for best first book in the American Christian Fiction Writer's (ACFW)[6] 2008 Carol Awards with Petticoat Ranch. Doctor in Petticoats was a finalist for a 2011 RITA Award finalist-Best Inspirational Romance. Calico Canyon was a nominee for a Christy Award. Calico Canyon was best known[by whom?] for its opening line: "The Five Horseman of the Apocalypse rode in. Late as usual."
A Match Made in Texas (Bethany House Publishing 2014) ISBN0764211765
Four Weddings and a Kiss (Thomas Nelson Publishing 2014) ISBN1401688543
The Homestead Brides Collection (Barbour Publishing 2015) ISBN1630586862
12 Brides of Christmas (Barbour Publishing 2015) ISBN1630584894
With This Ring? (Bethany House Publishing 2016) ISBN0764217720
Lassoed by Marriage (Barbour Publishing 2016) ISBN1634091205
12 Brides of Summer (Barbour Publishing 2017) ISBN1634090292
The Calico and Cowboys Romance Collection: Love Is a Lighthearted Adventure in Eight Novellas from the Old West (Barbour Publishing 2017) ISBN1683224027
Hearts Entwined: A Historical Romance Novella Collection by Mary Connealy/Karen Witemeyer/Regina Jennings/Melissa Jagears ISBN0764230328
Three Christmas Novellas: Longhorn Christmas, The Sweetest Gift, The Christmas Candle (Amazon Digital Services LLC 2018) ASINB07HQ46F3F
Carol Award Finalist—4 Time 2009[9] Best Long Historical Romance-Montana Rose, Two time Best Short Contemporary Romance-Buffalo Gal, Clueless Cowboy, Best Short Mystery-Of Mice...and Murder [citation needed]