Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself?
To be short and sweet: I'm Cindy K. Green, author, teacher, maid, mother, wife and accountant. I've been married for 15 years. I have degrees in history and education and taught middle school up until about six years ago. Now I stay home and homeschool my two boys. I was born in California but now live in North Carolina out in the country about a ½ hour from Raleigh . I’ve been published since 2006 in several genres of romance and now young adult. I spend my (non-existent free time) reading, watching period dramas and doing my best to keep this house one step away from becoming a disaster area.
What genre do you write in and why?
Defining my genre is hard to do. I write in several genres: Inspirational, historical, contemporary, fantasy, young adult and suspense. Those are also the genres I like to read. Also, I find switching genres keeps the writing fresh.
What comes first for you when you sit down to write a book? Plot or Characters?
It really depends on the project. There have been times that the characters come to me very clearly, and I have to build a plot around them. Other times, it’s the story that evolves first. When I was writing a short story called Snow Kissed, the characters came to me—a heroine who loves snow and a hero who hates it—but I had no idea what the story/plot would be. Eventually, it came to me and it all revolved around this Winter Wonderland Carnival.
Do you "cast" your characters using pictures or actors to help inspire you when you're writing?
I would say about 85-90% of the time I do not need pictures to help with my characters. They all come out of my imagination or maybe they are an amalgamation of people I know. Other times, it does help to have a picture or even just to imagine an actor in the place of my character and have their voice saying the dialogue in my head. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
How long does it take you to finish a book from start to finish?
It varies. I’ve had short stories take months to complete, and I’ve finished a full-length novel in a month. It depends on the time I have and how inspired I become. My latest full length manuscript took me about six weeks, but I’ve been rewriting, polishing and editing it for about two more months.
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
All I Want for Christmas originally came about as a call from my publisher. I wrote that first draft in about two weeks. I was truly inspired and just felt like a vessel to my muse. It’s a best friend’s romance, an office romance. My heroine, Kathryn, hates Christmas and there is a history of why behind it. She’s a magazine writer who would love to get into some serious journalism instead of writing puff pieces all the time. Her co-worker and friend, Nick, loves Christmas and decides to improve Kathryn’s Christmas spirit by sending her gifts from a Secret Santa during the 12 days before Christmas. It’s a romance, a holiday story, it’s fun and humorous and touching too. For Kathryn, she has a lot of growing to do by the end of the story.
How much does reader reaction mean to you as an author? Do you read your own reviews?
I love hearing what readers think of my stories. I save those emails in a special place. I do read my own reviews. And even though I’ve had over ten titles published now, I open each review with trepidation pounding in my heart and rejoice ecstatically at the outcome.
What are you working on now? Anything you want to tell us about?
I’m just finishing up a romantic suspense/romantic comedy called Nora Sleuths the Detective. It’s a first person humorously written novel. Nora is in a major financial crunch—bills she just can’t pay. She’s about to be canned from the temp agency because she’s had so many mishaps and as a last resort she’s sent to a private detective’s office. Poor Nora has a whole lot going on and then she’s sent into a situation of intrigue and excitement. And of course on her first day of work, she discovers the dead body of one of their clients and is later captured and tied up in a closet with her attractive boss. It’s great fun!
What books are currently on your nightstand/bedside? Anything coming you are dying to read?
I’m currently reading How to Murder a Millionaire by Nancy Martin. Enjoying it so far. I’m also finishing up Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. I’m looking forward to reading Janet Evanovich’s 16th Stephanie Plum novel, Sizzling Sixteen.
If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why?
It would depend on their reading taste. If you like a sweet contemporary, I’d suggest, All I Want for Christmas. If you read Inspirational, try Snow Kissed. If romantic suspense & humor is your forte, read the first book in my NovelTea series, A Night of NovelTea.
If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?
Definitely Jane Austen, but she might not have been able to afford my services. The Austen’s were never well-off. I could have learned a lot from Jane as a writer. She knew people very well and wrote them just as she saw them. Great characters! Characters to hate, to fall in love with and to laugh at. And characters really are what make a great book.
What do you see for the future of publishing and e-books?
E-books are definitely the way of the future. I think print books will be with us for a long time yet, but more and more reading is already being done electronically. I think it’s great! I love that I can bring a whole slew of books with me wherever I go. I hope as a teacher and a YA author that having books available on technological devices will encourage more reading with the youth.
Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her/it/him when she/he/it refuses to inspire you?
I’ll admit, I don’t always follow my muse. Sometimes I have to plow ahead with or without her. But if I can…I usually try to give her the lead. It’s so much easier that way. If we aren’t agreeing, I will usually do something else—switch to another ms, do a little research, go do something out of doors. Then it seems to go so much smoother.
If there was a soundtrack to your latest novel, what genre/songs would be included?
The novel I just finished writing is a funny, romantic suspense. I suppose a little Coldplay, a little Duran Duran, and something like Taking Care of Business.
Which of your characters would you most likely fall for if they were real?
Nick is my Christmas book (All I Want for Christmas) is a good one to fall for. He's sweet and thoughtful, but also strong when need be. He's a guy who knows how to love and also a guy you could actually live with. :)
Besides the bedroom, what's the sexiest part of your home in your opinion and why?
The novel I just finished writing is a funny, romantic suspense. I suppose a little Coldplay, a little Duran Duran, and something like Taking Care of Business.
Which of your characters would you most likely fall for if they were real?
Nick is my Christmas book (All I Want for Christmas) is a good one to fall for. He's sweet and thoughtful, but also strong when need be. He's a guy who knows how to love and also a guy you could actually live with. :)
Besides the bedroom, what's the sexiest part of your home in your opinion and why?
The bathroom. It's my own little spa. My place away from the rest of the family. Plus in the shower is where I do my best plotting.
Where can readers find you on the ‘net for more information on you, your books and other fun stuff?
You can find me on my Website, Blog, or on Facebook and Twitter. Join my Newsletter and I also include a FREE READ.
From All I Want for Christmas:
Blurb:
Best Friends or True Love? Only Santa Knows.
Kathryn Graham hates Christmas. She hates the snow, the decorations, the whole nine yards. Nick Pringle on the other hand can’t get enough of the season. He may be her best friend and fellow writer at Redburn Weekly Magazine, but sometimes his exuberance gets on her very last nerve. Now they’ve been assigned to cover the orphan toy drive story. It’s just a puff piece not the serious journalism Kathryn hopes for, but maybe—as Nick says—there are no old stories just new angles.
Nick Pringle has been in love with Kathryn practically since the day they met. When he realizes that she’s lost her Christmas spirit, he figures he’s just the guy to help her find it again. He enacts a plan to send her anonymous gifts from Secret Santa, but will any of this really make a difference in her? Will she ever see him as anything more than her smart-aleck partner even after their passionate kisses? Then again maybe he’ll get what he wants for Christmas after all.
Excerpt:
Halfway through the film, Nick’s fingers brushed over Kathryn’s wrist and a surge whipped through her like an electrical charge. His hand ended up on her knee, and he leaned over close to her ear. “You have any more of those Milkduds?”
“Huh?” Oh, candy. He just wanted more snacks. Well, of course, what other reason would he have for touching her like that?
“Here,” she whispered and held out the container to him.
His face remained close to hers, his warm hand still molded to the shape of her knee. She accidentally moved in too close and her forehead bumped his cheek. Looking up at him, Kathryn saw he wasn’t smiling. His eyes had grown serious and all thoughts of candy dissipated. His attention dropped to her mouth and suddenly Kathryn couldn’t swallow. Could he possibly be considering kissing her? Just then, he turned his attention back to the movie and lifted his hand from her knee.
An unexplainable inclination took over as Kathryn pushed his hand back to her knee. His face whipped back to her. Questions filled his features. His chest moved up and then down. He smoothed his hand over her pants from her knee to her thigh and back again. Her skin pebbled under the material at his touch. This was soon followed by heat tingling from her stomach to the tips of her toes.
She leaned in towards him and he met her halfway. And just like that their lips met. Giddiness spun through Kathryn’s head with sparks tingling her skin. The kiss was light and sweet yet searing all at once. Lucidity began to return to her the next moment. What was she doing? Oh, right, she was kissing Nick Pringle. She was kissing a co-worker. Worse yet, she was making out with her best friend. What was she thinking? She had to stop and yet it was the last thing she wanted to do.
The whole idea was ludicrous. An outrageous act and yet somehow her body’s sole response was that it wanted more. Whoa! Had it been that long since she’d had a date? Time to reign in those annoying hormones which threatened to take over her sanity.
She broke off the kiss and rested her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart speeding at the rate of a train. A train wreck is more like it. Ay-yi-yi! How was she going to get herself out of this one?
Available at Champagne Books, All Romance e-books and Amazon.
Best Friends or True Love? Only Santa Knows.
Kathryn Graham hates Christmas. She hates the snow, the decorations, the whole nine yards. Nick Pringle on the other hand can’t get enough of the season. He may be her best friend and fellow writer at Redburn Weekly Magazine, but sometimes his exuberance gets on her very last nerve. Now they’ve been assigned to cover the orphan toy drive story. It’s just a puff piece not the serious journalism Kathryn hopes for, but maybe—as Nick says—there are no old stories just new angles.
Nick Pringle has been in love with Kathryn practically since the day they met. When he realizes that she’s lost her Christmas spirit, he figures he’s just the guy to help her find it again. He enacts a plan to send her anonymous gifts from Secret Santa, but will any of this really make a difference in her? Will she ever see him as anything more than her smart-aleck partner even after their passionate kisses? Then again maybe he’ll get what he wants for Christmas after all.
Excerpt:
Halfway through the film, Nick’s fingers brushed over Kathryn’s wrist and a surge whipped through her like an electrical charge. His hand ended up on her knee, and he leaned over close to her ear. “You have any more of those Milkduds?”
“Huh?” Oh, candy. He just wanted more snacks. Well, of course, what other reason would he have for touching her like that?
“Here,” she whispered and held out the container to him.
His face remained close to hers, his warm hand still molded to the shape of her knee. She accidentally moved in too close and her forehead bumped his cheek. Looking up at him, Kathryn saw he wasn’t smiling. His eyes had grown serious and all thoughts of candy dissipated. His attention dropped to her mouth and suddenly Kathryn couldn’t swallow. Could he possibly be considering kissing her? Just then, he turned his attention back to the movie and lifted his hand from her knee.
An unexplainable inclination took over as Kathryn pushed his hand back to her knee. His face whipped back to her. Questions filled his features. His chest moved up and then down. He smoothed his hand over her pants from her knee to her thigh and back again. Her skin pebbled under the material at his touch. This was soon followed by heat tingling from her stomach to the tips of her toes.
She leaned in towards him and he met her halfway. And just like that their lips met. Giddiness spun through Kathryn’s head with sparks tingling her skin. The kiss was light and sweet yet searing all at once. Lucidity began to return to her the next moment. What was she doing? Oh, right, she was kissing Nick Pringle. She was kissing a co-worker. Worse yet, she was making out with her best friend. What was she thinking? She had to stop and yet it was the last thing she wanted to do.
The whole idea was ludicrous. An outrageous act and yet somehow her body’s sole response was that it wanted more. Whoa! Had it been that long since she’d had a date? Time to reign in those annoying hormones which threatened to take over her sanity.
She broke off the kiss and rested her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart speeding at the rate of a train. A train wreck is more like it. Ay-yi-yi! How was she going to get herself out of this one?
Available at Champagne Books, All Romance e-books and Amazon.
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