You can find out more about Cherie and her writing on her website http://www.cheriemarks.com
But come on back and visit with me and Cherie. :)
Welcome and congrats on your debut!
Where is your favorite place
to write?
Wherever I am. Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific writer
space currently. Most of the time, if I
get to choose, I write at the kitchen table—activity central—so I’ve had to
adapt to noise and interruptions during writing time. Otherwise, I write while sitting on the
couch, in bed, at work during lunch breaks, at the local Barnes and Noble, or wherever
I happen to be when time allows. That’s
the nice thing about using a laptop and a USB drive. I can set up quickly and shut down at a
moment’s notice, if need be.
What is the most difficult
for you to write: Characters, conflict, emotions?
Believe it or not—emotions. Yes, yes, I am a
girl and very emotional myself, and in my head, I know how my characters are
feeling, but I don’t always translate that well to the paper. It’s a relatively new skill for me to use a
character’s body language, inner-monologue, and actions to create emotion on
paper, but when it’s right, I do a little dance (inside of course).
Tell us about your real life
romance.
I met my husband a few times before we ever
dated. Once was right after I’d had my wisdom teeth removed. He made me feel
beautiful, even with a bruised, swollen jaw. The next summer, I was working as
a cook at a church camp, and he was a camp counselor for a week. Although we
flirted a little, we were both beginning relationships with other people. The
next summer, we were both summer camp employees, and we were both single. We
began dating, and eighteen years and three kids later, we’re still each other’s
best friend and favorite person to be with. He’s one of my biggest supporters,
and I couldn’t ask for a bigger cheerleader when I’m in writing mode.
What was the best advice you
were given leading you to getting published?
Be persistent. Don’t take a rejection personally or as the
end of your journey. Instead, take it as
a learning experience and keep moving forward.
What is your favorite
dessert/food?
Since Into
the Fire contains lots of info about chefs, cooking, and food, thought I’d
talk about one of my favorite desserts e-v-e-r. It’s a seven-layer chocolate
cake from a restaurant called Longhorn Steakhouse, and though it’s big enough
for two, I rarely share. I just eat half at the restaurant and the other half
later. Twice as nice.
Favorite romance movie?
One of my favorite
romance movies of all time is Love Actually. It is an episodic love story with
several characters. Two of the funniest characters are stand-ins for…uh…adult
video stars. They aren’t adult video actors themselves; they just stand-in to
get the shots set up. It’s so funny how nonchalant they are even as they are
put in very awkward positions. Of
course, in the end, they decide
to go out. Hugh Grant and Colin Firth also star, and their love stories are the
best; not to mention, they’re not bad to look at for an hour and a half.
Blurb
Months after
he stole her affections—then her executive chef position—Shyann and Luke meet
again under sizzling circumstances, competing head-to-head on a televised
cooking show called Kitchen Twist. Each arrives with a motive: Luke intends to
win back Shyann’s heart, even as she wants closure on the not-so-tasty
heartbreak he once served up.
Luke knows
culinary masterpieces require a delicate touch, but that knowledge is tossed
out with the leftovers as he works to show Shyann he’s not such a bad guy. Now
he pushes his skills to the limit to win the competition and satisfy a bet.
Can two top
chefs resist each other as they move out of the pan and into the fire?
Excerpt
Silence
reigned for half a minute before he reached out a hand and touched hers like a
breezy
whisper. Her head went a little fuzzy at the warm contact. He shouldn’t still be able to affect her so
strongly.
whisper. Her head went a little fuzzy at the warm contact. He shouldn’t still be able to affect her so
strongly.
“I regret it
went down the way it did, but why did you show me the exit before giving me a
chance
to explain, not to mention—dress? Enlighten me, sugar cheeks?”
to explain, not to mention—dress? Enlighten me, sugar cheeks?”
With a jerk,
she pulled her hand free. He was really asking for it. Sugar cheeks? Seriously?
Now
she knew he was only messing with her. She could give as well as she got.
she knew he was only messing with her. She could give as well as she got.
“Tell you
what. You win tonight, and I’ll give you your chance. You lose, we go our
separate ways,
and you walk out all by yourself, big boy.”
and you walk out all by yourself, big boy.”
A crooked
grin formed on his face as he reached a hand toward her hair. He fingered an
escaping curl
before she pulled away, leaving his hand hanging in mid-air.
before she pulled away, leaving his hand hanging in mid-air.
“You can
call me big boy all you want, but I’ll do you one better. How about if I win, I
take you to
dinner, and you let me explain the whole situation?”
dinner, and you let me explain the whole situation?”
She felt her
eyebrow rise and knew he’d read it as interest, but she didn’t care at the
moment. “I
honestly don’t want to hear any explanation from you now or ever, but if I win? Which I will, of
course.”
honestly don’t want to hear any explanation from you now or ever, but if I win? Which I will, of
course.”
“Then I’ll
leave it up to you. If you want me to walk away, I will.” He took a step
closer, placed his
hand on her shoulder, and leaned down, his mouth right next to her ear. “But if you want me to call you darling, sweetheart, and sugar cheeks all night long, I’ll do that too.”
hand on her shoulder, and leaned down, his mouth right next to her ear. “But if you want me to call you darling, sweetheart, and sugar cheeks all night long, I’ll do that too.”
Thanks, Cherie!
