in

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Guest Post with Author Cheryl Douglas


Today I would like to welcome author Cheryl Douglas to the blog. Cheryl is currently on tour for her book Ruthless and has stopped by the blog to chat a bit about her characters from the book. Before I give the floor to Cheryl, let's get to know her a bit.

It took me thirty-seven years to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought I'd found my calling. In fact, I worked as a nutritionist for twelve years before I finally admitted to myself that while I enjoyed my work, I couldn't imagine doing it for the next thirty years.

My sub-conscious knew that I wanted to be a writer long before the conscious part of my mind decided to get with the program. While my sub-conscious was hard at work creating character profiles, plots and storylines, my conscious mind was telling me it was crazy to give up a successful business on the off-chance one of my manuscripts might rise to the top of someone's never-ending slush pile. After years of listening to that negative voice, I was finally ready to stop making excuses, face the fear and follow my dream of becoming a full-time writer, no matter the outcome. I'm so thankful I did.

I love bringing my characters to life and I am so grateful to have readers who love those characters as much as I do.

When I take a break from writing it's to spend time with my husband (a.k.a. my real life hero), my son, and my writing partner, Tia, a spirited Havanese who enjoys tapping her paw on my keyboard whenever I need a little comic relief.

Places to find Cheryl:
| Site | Blog


What can you tell us about Luc?
He’s complicated, to say the least. In book one, I think he’s the guy everyone loved to hate, but in book three there are a few surprises that shed some light on his past, and give readers a little insight into the kind of man he is. His character took me on quite a journey, and honestly, but the end of the book, I had fallen in love with him. LOL! I would even go so far as to say, he was my favorite character in the entire series and that’s saying a lot because Trey from book one and J.T. from book five were a lot of fun to write as well.

What can you tell us about Marisa?
We got to know Marisa quite well in book one, since she’s Trey’s sister and Sierra’s best friend. I don’t think there were a lot of surprises with her character because readers already had a good understanding of who she was and how she felt about Luc. In book three, she’s finally at a point in her life where she wants a family, and she’s ready to settle to down. She’s struggling to come to terms with the fact that Luc, who she’s been in love with forever, doesn’t want the same things she does, and she knows it’s time for her to move on.

Can you give us some insight into their relationship?
Luc has been Marisa’s brother’s best friend for years. There is an age difference between them, so it was a long time before he was willing to consider a serious relationship. Now that she’s old enough, he’s still not willing to make the kind of commitment she needs. He loves her, but he can’t promise her forever.

Would you consider Luc and Marisa likeable characters?
After reading books one and two, I have readers tell me they’re not sure if they’ll be invested in Luc’s story because he’s not an easy guy to like, but by the end of book three, readers who got a sneak preview of the book are telling me they love Luc. Is he likeable? Yes, but I think it may take a while for readers to figure that out. As for Marisa, she has a kind heart; she’s a good friend to Sierra and sister to Trey, so I think readers like her for that reason alone. For those who have followed this series from the beginning, fair warning, there are times when Marisa will earn the title of ruthless, not Luc.

When did you decide to write this story?
I didn’t decide, my muse did! I started to write Shameless, book one in this series, and within no time it became pretty apparent that I had some pretty strong secondary characters in this book. Those who have read the first two books know that Luc is a strong character. Not to have given him a book of his own would have been a sin, in my opinion, because characters like him don’t come along every day.

You mentioned your muse, how did that figure into the writing of this book?
My muse wrote this book, I didn’t. I’m serious. I outlined the book before I started, and once I sat down to write, the character of Luc took on a life of his own. I had no choice but follow along for the ride. I didn’t try to control it. I just went with it!

What do you want your readers to know about Luc and Marisa?
They’re both complex characters who’ve made mistakes, especially Luc. There’s nothing I love more than a hero who’s on the road to redemption and Luc is definitely that guy, In Ruthless, he decides he’s taking Marisa, the love of his life, along for the ride!


Marisa Turner has wanted Luc Spencer forever, but she also wants a baby, and it seems Luc isn’t up to the challenge. She has to choose between the man she loves and the family she hopes to have. Fortunately, there’s another man waiting in the wings who would love to make her baby fantasy a reality.

Luc Spencer is tired of hearing about marriage and babies. He loves Marisa, but he’s not a forever kind of guy. After two years together, she tells him it’s over. He’s not worried; he believes she’ll be back. But what will happen when he finds out there’s another man waiting to take his place?


Places to Purchase:
| Amazon






2 comments :

  1. Thanks so much for taking the time to feature my new book, Ruthless, on your site. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I truly need to read this series. :) Great interview. And sometimes, it takes the hero awhile to be likeable.

    Marika

    ReplyDelete