Free For All Friday - Meet Author Cindy Green!

Hello everyone! Today I'm talking with fellow Wild Rose Press author, Cindy Green!

Cindy is one of those talented authors who can write in many genres and so them all justice! She is one busy lady :) Please stop by her website, www.cindykgreen.com, to find out how to purchase her fabulous Christmas story, and then come back and get to know Cindy!

1. When did you start writing?  What made you want to be a writer?

Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer. I’m the oldest of five kids in our family and so I wrote stories for my younger siblings as far back as I can remember. I still have a folder full of my scribblings between the ages of 12 and 18. My favorite authors were Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen and LM Montgomery. They were great inspirations to me. Once I got into college, my focus changed and I started writing serious history. I even won a couple awards for my scholarship. It was about six years ago when we moved from CA to NC and I found myself a stay at home mom that I started writing again. It began as something cathartic for myself and eventually I sought publication. My first book released at Christmas time in 2006.

2. Tell us about your genre.

Let’s see, where do I begin…Whenever I’m asked this question I seriously have to make out a list. And I make no excuses for it. I love skipping from genre to genre, stretching my writer’s legs or fingers—or to be more precise my imagination and my writer’s niche. It keeps the writing fresh and exciting. My subgenres of romance include: Inspirational, Young Adult, Historical, Historical Western, Mainstream Contemporary, and Romantic Suspense. I’ve even written a high fantasy. I told you it was a lot.

3. Do you have a critique partner(s)?

I do have a critique partner. I started out in a whole critiquing group but that kind of fizzled out. Then I met my current cp. We write for the same publisher and our writing style and view of the world is similar. She’s really helped me grow as an author. Sometimes it’s just nice to have someone to talk to who knows what it’s like being an author—the trials and tribulations, the frustrations and the joys. We’ve become very close over the years.

4. Tell us about your WIP.

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!

5. Who was your writing influence?

Without a doubt—Jane Austen. She’s been a favorite since I first read Pride in Prejudice as a twelve year old girl (Although her novel Persuasion is now my favorite.). Through the years I’ve come to appreciate and love her writing. Miss Austen had a special gift, a talent if you will, not just in writing but in knowing people. Think about it. Here is this prim and proper (though some would argue this point) Regency era woman, unmarried, and coming from the middle of the social pool—and she has this uncanny ability to write the most terrific characters. She wrote characters to hate, laugh at, and fall in love with. Some of the other greats of classic literature also had this remarkable ability—Dickens for instance and Shakespeare. Think of their casts of characters that once read will never be forgotten.

A modern day author who inspires me is Janet Evanovich. Her characters crack me up. I’d love to write like her too. Meg Cabot also for the YA author in me. I love to laugh and make others laugh.

6. Do you have a new release?

Yes I do. All I Want for Christmas is 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.

Here is an excerpt from All I Want for Christmas:

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 (just reduced to 2.99), All Romance e-books and Amazon.

(Join my Newsletter this month as I’m sending out a FREE READ Prequel to All I Want for Christmas. How Kat & Nick first met.)

Stop by my website to learn more about my Christmas Contest.

Thanks for having me today, Jennifer.

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Cindy K. Green is a multi-published author with degrees in History and Education. Previously a middle school English & History teacher, she now homeschools her own children and writes in several genres: Inspirational, Contemporary, YA, Suspense and Historical romance. Find out more about Cindy and her books at www.cindykgreen.com. You can also visit her on her Blog. In addition, she has a Homeschooling Blog and a Teen Fiction Blog. She can be reached by email at cindy@cindykgreen.com. She’s on Myspace Facebook Twitter and Twitter for her YA friends. And she has a Newsletter.