Interview with Author Cynthia Cantrell:
Hi Cynthia. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...
- Please tell us about your latest book.
Wolf’s Shadow is due out next (soon) and it is the second book of my Wolf Series. It follows up the story of Flame and Ghost from Flame’s Ghost, which came out May of 08.
Blurb - Wolf's Shadow
Flame's legacy lives on...
Flame has her forest and her wolves. Now, she and Shay have children, too. Jade is Flame's daughter, in all ways. She carries gifts that even her mother can't believe.
Joe and Mercedes Wolf also have children. One of them is called 'Wolf'. He carries all the gifts of his Great-Grandfather, just as he should. He can speak to and through the wolves. He's able to see through their eyes. His trusted wolf, Shadow, is more than a friend to him; it's Wolf's link to 'his Jade.' Jade is his first shadow, and this is a life-long commitment.
Together they bring love, laughter, and psychic phenomena of amazing depth to the forest Wolf, just as Grandfather meant for them to do. His spirit still lives in this forest, in the people, and wolves that pass through it.
You can read more blurbs and excerpts at www.myspace.com/cynthiacantrell_books.
- How do we find out about you and your books?
www.myspace.com/cynthiacantrell_books or through my publisher at www.MundaniaPress.com.
- How may readers contact you?
CynthiaCantrell_books@msn.com (there is an “underscore” between Cantrell and books)
- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?
Of course! I love hearing from them and their comments are taken to heart! I just love suggestions!
- Why did you decide to write romance novels?
Because that’s what I love to read!
- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
Way too much! 
- When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?
I was disabled in 1995 and kept a book in my hands at all times. I finally had to get those “voices” out of my head and on paper! It’s a great outlet for my crazy dreams and I cannot tell you how much I love doing it! Writing something that someone else enjoys reading is the greatest feeling in the world!
- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the book. Sometimes six months, but the last one took over a year.
- What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?
With my family there are constant interruptions! I just try to pick up where I left off! It’s not always easy, but I manage.
- What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?
Why read, of course!
- What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?
My family motivates everything I do, my writing especially.
- Where do your ideas come from?
Those crazy dreams!
- Do you feel humour is important in women's fiction and why?
Oh yes. I can’t seem to write without using a touch of humor! I’d rather laugh than cry, and it’s so great when you can do both while reading a great book!
- What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?
I love reading them in someone else’s books, but have a hard time putting them down in my own. I’m not sure why really…maybe it’s that I know my kids will be reading it.
- Would you like to write a different genre than you do now, or sub-genre?
Yes! I’d love to write more horror, but don’t seem to get totally into it. It seems my characters are always interested in love!
- Fill in the blank favorites -
Dessert. – Banana Lumpia
City. – North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Season. – Spring! (new life!)
Type of hero. – Sexy, alpha male!
Type of heroine. Sexy, strong, (needs no help from anyone, but appreciates it when she gets it), beautiful-inside and out-woman!
- Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?
Oh yes! Dean Koontz! Not really a favorite book, but I’m loving the new Stephanie Meyer vampire series at the moment!
- Who are some of your other favorite authors to read?
Dean Koontz, Laurel K. Hamilton, oh…so many!
- Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.?
Yes, a new member of EPIC, The-Dark-Moon, and I do reviews for a review company.
- What do you think of critique groups in general?
Very important! They are so helpful, though sometimes very critical, but that’s not always a bad thing!
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ha! Best-selling author!
- How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?
Started in 2001, but no, I haven’t always wanted to be a “book” writer…I used to write television commercials!
- How many books have you written, how many have been published?
I’ve written 4, with all 4 being published within the next year (one on the market now). I’m working on #5 now, the second in my Vampire Series.
- After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever buy it and/or read it?
Yes! I have read Flame’s Ghost twice now, since publication!
- Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
My favorite book so far is The Curse of Amun Re but my favorite character is Kat, from the first book of the Vampire Series, Kat.
- What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?
The easiest was Kat, because it just flowed, but the hardest was The Curse of Amun Re, as it had more research and an occurrence during the writing… I was writing about a mummy that hadn’t ever been found, and in the midst of my writing (after nearly 3,000 years) it was found! The most fun was Flame’s Ghost, because it was the first. I felt like a kid with a new toy!
- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
The characters; they seem to come alive and tell me the story!
- Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?
Oh, they control me all the way! Frankie, from Flame’s Ghost, was always surprising me!
- What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Hearing someone tell me they loved it!
- If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?
God only knows. I wouldn’t be a very happy person right now.
- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
Never let someone tell you that you can’t do it. Keep trying!
Thank you very much for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
Personal Website: None MySpace Page Email Blog: None
RaH Links:
Interview Review Review
Purchase Links:
Buy Cynthia's Books At Amazon
Buy Cynthia's Books at Mundania Press
Buy Books at Mundania Press
