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Thursday, January 24, 2013

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:


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
1/17 -  United by Books
1/31 -  Pimpin' Reads
2/01 -  The Book Nympho

Check out whats up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

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

42 comments :

  1. what makes a book memorable for me is one that has a compelling plotline, well rounded charactures and speaks to a variety of issues

    parisan_ca@yahoo.com

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  2. Since i´m International, i´m only here for the Grand Prize.
    A memorable book has a great mix of smut, action, suspense and sexual tension imho.
    Happy Thursday!
    //Linda
    fr_larsson at hotmail dot com

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  3. What makes a book memorable & unputdownable are the characters and the action in the story. If I can't relate to the characters or the book doesn't catch and hold my attention in the first couple pages...I usually don't continue to read it.
    Thanks for the chance to win!!

    ehaney578 at aol dot com

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  4. Well... it's the characters really. They have to be likable...

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  5. Thanks for the fun post and congrats to Cindy on the new release! Sounds fantastic! Ummm... I have to be able to lose myself in the story and completely ignore real life :)

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  6. Great post! :) Books that grab me and never let me go usually have a unique premise, fun characters, great humor, with a fantastic love story :D

    readsalot81(@)hotmail(dot)com

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  7. If I am entertained, the story flows and I like the characters then it's hard to put it down.

    international
    alinutza4u2004[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk

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  8. For me books have to have strong characters - if that's missing I just can't get into the story

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  9. I have to be able to connect to the characters, and care about them

    stacey (dot) marin (at) laverne (dot) edu

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  10. What makes a book unput downable for me is having an interesting plot. Storyline that I can relate with or is relative to life.

    Karen

    kpietrusinski (at) msn (dot) com

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  11. Written well, solid characters and a story that flows wells. Also if it is edited well helps, nothing worse than having to put a book down because of a lot of spelling errors or that there was too many goofs in the scene.

    Cindy is one of my top faves!

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  12. what makes a book memorable to me is one that I can connect with. There are so many books that reach out to me in so many different ways. I do love humor in my books, not funny haha comedy but the one liners that sneak in and get ya and before you know it your laughing out loud while everyone turns to look at you.

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Any book that I start reading and can't put down makes it special. I love Angst and and of course those hot steamy scenes!

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  15. I'm an ANGST addict!!! If a book has quality angst, it's not forced, or thrown in at random to create dumb drama, then it will be unputdownable to me! Also, there's just something about a troubled Hero. Maybe one who has a sad past, and doesn't believe he can ever love, but ultimately is healed by the heroine. These are all things I LOVE in my romance. Oh, and it goes without saying...STEAMY LOVE SCENES! DUH!

    Kristin (it wouldn't let me sign in...)
    kristincheee@aol.com

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  16. A book is memorable to me when I can connect to the character and it almost seems real. Not far fetched and crazy. I know I am reading fiction but hey the plot still has to make sense. Like almost yeah I can see that happening

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  17. For the book to be unputdownable: It has to grab my attention and keep it within the first couple of pages. I always finish a book no matter how long it takes....
    For the book to be memorable: It has to touch me, make a connection. That would be through the story line and characters.
    All your books Cindy do this for me. Congrats and Keep Them Coming!
    carolynr0428@yahoo.com

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  18. An interesting story well put together will have me up all night reading it. Also, chemistry between the characters. Thanks.

    kidsue99@yahoo.com

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  19. A book becomes special to me when it makes me think about life and sometimes how lucky I am to have everything that I have.

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  20. Well written and put together stories. Heroes and heroines that have electric chemistry.

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  21. Well crafted characters make a book special for me! As for memorable and unputdownable that's all on the whether it's engaging, compelling and has me on the edge of my seat can't wait to see what happens next!


    taccb UNDERSCORE 1981 AT yahoo DOT com

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  22. I have to really connect with the characters. The story line is important but the characters more so. If I'm invested in the characters then I cannot put the book down. They stay with me long after the book is finished, like with Abbie and Sam Lang :-)

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  23. When you can't stop reading and even when you do, you are still thinking about the characters and storyline!
    modularmates(at)comcast(dot)net

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  24. For me, I have to be pulled in by the characters' story and the plot of the novel. I love a bad boy that's defending an innocent or a sweet woman that finally realizes her worth.

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  25. The flow and the characters totally make the book for me. If it reads smoothly without any "hiccups" and if the characters are well written, that does it for me. :)

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  26. Like most others, the characters are what make it memorable. When I like the characters so much that I find myself thinking about them and almost missing them when I'm not reading. While an avid reader, I'm not one to sit and read an entire book at once. It usually takes me several days. I get attached to good characters and miss them when I'm done with a book. Sue

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  27. I love a book with characters that feel like friends that I want to revisit

    MinDaf @ Aol.com

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  28. The book has to revisit beloved characters. Or introduce something new and unexpected. Or it has to make me laugh. Or cry. Bottom line, the book has to fit whatever needs I might have at that particular time. The one thing that will automatically make a book a keeper is that is makes me feel. I love have an emotional reaction to a book. That feeling that maybe if I shake the book hard enough there just might be a few extra scenes that might fall out of the pages. jepebATverizonDOTnet

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  29. Characters I want to read more about and a HEA

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  30. a book that is not mindless, but actually makes me think about what is going on in my life is the most memorable.
    pepperpenn42 at gmail dot com

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  31. The characters and the connections between them.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  32. I enjoy a book when it is unpredictable. I don't like being able to see what's coming next. The surprise is what does it for me! Strong and diverse characters who are easy to get attached to are also a plus.:)

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  33. For me, it's characters. If there are good, amazing characters, everything else doesn't matter. Really. It could be the weirdest book in the world, but if you make me care about your characters, you have me hooked :-)

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  34. thanks for all the great responses everyone. I'm keeping them all in mind as I'm writing - because it's all about pleasing the readers. Hugs and good luck on t he drawing. cindy

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  35. I like a book that I can get invested in the characters so much that I care what happens to them. I have been known to stay up all night finishing a book that really grabs my attention.

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  36. Likeable characters, consistency in the story, smooth writing, romance and an HEA.

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  37. Connecting emotionally with the characters. A strong male and female character. And even though it's fiction if I connect and the storyline is strong those characters stay with me a long time. :) And of course a HEA.
    Thanks for the chance.
    Carol L.
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  38. An interesting plot.
    Thanks,
    lorih824 at yahoo dot com

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  39. The plot, characters, and the HEA. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  40. Twitter is definitely not my cup of tea either, but I liked your whole answer so if you went over 140, I'm ok with it.

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  41. I would have to say what keeps me reading is a great set of characters. The main characters and especially the secondary characters. A great secondary character usually makes the story for me. I also love a good amout of loving and great sex scenes, either dirty or not.

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  42. It is the characters that make a book unforgettable to me. If they are interesting and have many sides to them then I remember the book.

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