Interview with Author Cindy Gerard and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to RFTC author Cindy Gerard. Cindy is celebrating the recent release of her book Killing Time and has stopped by to answer a few questions. Please give Cindy a warm welcome.

The only thing Cindy had in mind when she started writing her first book was finishing it. The issue of actually selling it came much later. Only after she made that life-altering first sale did she realize that one book would never be enough. Now, over 20 books and numerous awards later, Cindy laughingly admits that she can barely remember life before...well, was there life before writing?

Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines."

Cindy's writing has netted her spots on bestseller lists, numerous RT nominations and awards, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a National Reader's Choice Award and two RITA nominations.

Between writing and working full time you wouldn't think Cindy would have much time for anything else. And while she does find her work and her writing rewarding, there does have to be more. Cindy has more. Much more. She is happily married to the perfect man. Tom's a cowboy, ladies!

Both Tom and Cindy enjoy gardening and have recently expanded their annual beds into a perennial garden. Cindy says she can hardly wait for spring and the promise of all that reawakening and the colorful blooms.

In addition to the horses, the Gerards have two dogs, Ellie and Boomer, who pretty much get anything they want. Tom and Cindy have one son, Kyle, who, after years of keeping them in suspense, found Eileen, the perfect woman.

Places to find Cindy:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

First off, can you tell us a bit about you? 
Oh drat. I'm so boring. I didn't want anyone to figure that out. Okay - I love to read (natch) love my family and friends. Have slowed down on the traveling over the years but have many fond memories of girls and family trips. My DH and I have 1 spoiled Brittany spaniel named Margaret and two house cats, Buddy and Sly. Last year, I decided I wanted to try my hand at an aquarium and now I have 3. Yikes. A 5 gallon with a blue betta named Turbo, a 30 gallon tetra tank with 2 lunker apple snails called Ping and Pong and a 90 gallon cichlid tank (my most recent tank) set up in my office with parrot fish, severums, congo tetras, a gorgeous blue angel and a few others. Love the constantly moving colorful living art and have had many a zen moment watching my fish when I should be writing LOL

Did you always want to be a writer?
Actually, no. I was always a reader. It was when our son graduated from high school that I realized I needed another outlet for my energy and sat down to write my first book. With Lavryle Spencer and many others as inspiration, I set out on a path I had no idea would lead me where it has.

What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter? 
A little bit of both. I always write an outline. It gives me a feel for my characters and where the story is going to go. But it's not carved in stone. I liken it to a road trip. How boring would it be if you stuck to the designated highway all the time? Every once in a while you have to turn off on a side road. I LOVE side roads. They lead to some of the best moments in my books.

Where do your ideas come from? 
As soon as I figure that out, I'm going to bottle and sell it because I get asked that question all the time. I honestly can't tell you anything specific because I never know where I'm going to find inspiration. Could be a newspaper article, a song lyric, a scene from a movie, a photograph ... it just happens and I'm so happy that it does. That's not to say that once I settle on an idea I don't work really hard to pull it together into a plausible and exciting plot. I do. But that initial idea - that's a gift.

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less. 
KILLING TIME is an action packed, suspenseful, romantic adventure that involves a man coming to terms with his past because a woman forces him to own up to the truth. I think that might have been more than 140 words but Twitter is not my strong suit :o)

What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read? 
Thrillers. Give me a Jack Reacher book and I'm in hog heaven. I also love Deb Webb's Faces of Evil series. GREAT books. Anything by Rob Browne.

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it? 
That would be a toss up between LaVryle Spencer's Hummingbird and Tom and Sharon Curtis's WindFlower. Both are older historicals but those are the books that drew me toward the idea of writing something of my own. Amazing reads.

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write? 
Transitional scenes. The action or the love scene might have been hot and fast and furious then I have to transition back to another plot thread. It's difficult to both tone things down yet keep the momentum going.

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why? 
Tara Janzen, Debra Webb and Kristin Higgins - why? Because they are all amazing writers and all great friends.

Last question, are you working on anything right now? 
So glad you asked :o) KILLING TIME, featuring Mike Primetime Brown, which you know is out this month, is book one of my new One-Eyed Jacks series. I had initially planned 2 more books in the series - RUNNING BLIND and TAKING FIRE. I've been given the opportunity, however, to write a 4th book, one that will actually come out next December (just in time for Christmas!!) that's a bonus book in the series. I'm so excited about THE WAY HOME that is a homecoming story featuring Tyler Brown (Mike's brother) and is a little different book than I usually write. Still romance, still suspense, still features our black ops warriors, but THE WAY HOME has a little something extra ... something that has taken me down one of those amazing side roads and is leading me on a very special journey.

My question to blog followers: What makes a book special for you? What makes it memorable and unputdownable?

An exciting new series featuring Mike "Primetown" Brown, a character from her popular "Black Ops, Inc." series.

For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different--until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan. CIA attorney Eva Salinas has her own theory behind what happened to Mike's team--which included her husband--in Afghanistan eight years ago, and she's determined to prove foul play. Though she doesn't trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can't live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

KILLING TIME Blog Tour Schedule

1/14 - Books-n-Kisses

1/15 -  Under the Covers

1/16 -  Just Romantic Suspense

1/17 -  United by Books

1/18  - Reading Between the Wines

1/19 -  - Book Monster Reviews / Literal Addiction

1/20 -  Book Lovin Mamas

1/21 - The Reading Café

1/22 - Cocktails and Books

1/23 - Romancing the Book

1/24 - Ramblings From This Chick

1/25 - Sizzling Hot Books

1/26 - Bookworm 2 Bookworm 

1/27 - My Secret Romance

1/28 - All Things Books

1/29 - RR@H Novel Thoughts

1/30 - Romance Crush Junkies

1/31 -  Pimpin' Reads

2/01 -  The Book Nympho

Check out whats up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 lucky winner will win a copy of Whisper No Lies 

To Enter:

• Please answer Cindy's question: What makes a book special for you? What makes it memorable and unputdownable?
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form. 
• US/Canada Shipping ONLY

**Cindy is hosting a grand prize drawing for a $25 Gift Card + a signed copy of Killing Time to 1 lucky winner that follows the tour and leaves a comment at each stop. Click here to enter. 
Good Luck =) a Rafflecopter giveaway