The third book in the Cutter Cay series, Vortex (holy Amazing cover!!!), releases May 22nd.

Cherry, Welcome to The Book Pushers

Cherry: Hi Nicole. Thanks for having me. Is it OK if I sit here near the cookies and ice tea? Perfect. Yes, please, more ice. Great chocolate chip cookies, btw.

The Book Pushers: What can you tell us about your newest release, Vortex?

 Cherry: Here’s a quick sound-bite summary of ALL my books to start- Danger-shooting-explosions-running-chasing-sex-shooting-sex-running-chasing-fallingdown-wild monkey sex-happy ending . . .rinse and repeat. Lol For the Cutter Cay series, add SCUBA diving for treasure.

Logan Cutter is the oldest of three brother’s. He’s not a guy who asks a lot of questions, so he isn’t fazed when he pulls a mystery woman out of the ocean at midnight, and miles from the coast. He figures she’ll tell him everything when she regains her memory and/or when she’s ready. Ha! Her memory is just fine thank you very much, Daniela lies to Logan from the second he hauls her on board is luxury mega-yacht (my heroes are never poor lol). She’s just full of secrets, and although she spoon feeds him what he absolutely has to know, when he absolutely has to know it, she doesn’t tell me everything. Danger-shooting-explosions-running-chasing-sex-secrets- shooting-sex-running-chasing-fallingdown-wild monkey sex. J Oh, a little Scuba diving, too.

The Book Pushers: Will there be more books in the Cutter Cay series?

Cherry: Yes, I love this series, and so, apparently, do my readers. Yay. A win-win. Anyone who know me, knows I have superior math skills (not!) So this trilogy will be at least six books. Lol The next will be Stormchaser -Spring 2013.

The Book Pushers: What was the inspiration behind the Cutter Cay books? (MinnChica – I absolutely LOVE the pirate/treasure hunter storylines!!)

Cherry: I live in Seattle – think cold/drizzle/rain/grey skies when everyone else is having Spring then Summer! I wanted ‘warm’!!  I thought of clear, aquamarine-colored water, hot sand, tropical, fruity drinks. . .I come up with a small Caribbean island called Cutter Cay. But once I’d ‘built ‘the small island  I knew I’d be bored into a coma after they’d walked around their island a couple of times! I wanted swash and buckle – I wanted danger, I wanted hot, wild money sex, I wanted dive boats, and guys in tight wetsuits,  I wanted treasure, gold and emeralds. . . Ta Da – the Cutter brothers. Rich, sexy, not afraid to get their hands dirty, honorable, sexy (oh, yeah I mentioned that wetsuit thing ), and they all have those Cutter blue eyes. . . It was love at first sight word.

The Book Pushers: What kind of research did you do for the Cutter Cay books?

Cherry:  I always do a LOT of research for all my books. I want them to have verisimilitude. I first do a lot of research on line, then find people who have been there, done that. I have someone who is an expert on all things Spanish treasure ships (she’s absolutely fascinating, and even though I have only a grain of information she’s shared with me, it’s the real deal.I also know real treasure hunters who happily share their experiences with me. What it’s like to dive, what they’ve seen, what it’s like to bring millions of dollars’ worth of treasure to the surface for the first time.. Exciting stuff. Then there’s all the other stuff that needs research – the ship, the weapons people use, the workings of a mega-yacht, how many people on board and what they do. . . As  said – there is a great deal of research involved

The Book Pushers: When will the third book in the Lodestone series be released? Can you tell us who the hero and heroine will be?

Cherry: Stormchaser will be out next Spring. I could tell you more, but then I’d have to kill you. lol

The Book Pushers: How many more books do you have planned out for the T-FLAC series?

Cherry: I’d be so freaking happy if I could write T-FLAC books from some senior center between diaper changes lol  (hopefully that’s a long way off! Lol) I just finished a new T-FLAC book – ICE COLD (out this Fall)  – it’s been a while since I did a straight T-FLAC story, and it was SO much fun to write it and get back into my counterterrorist world.

The Book Pushers: Do you have any new books/series that you are planning or thinking about?

Cherry: Oh, yes! I have the next 5  books plotted, and know the who, the where and the why.

The Book Pushers: What are you currently working on right now?

Cherry: I’m writing the next Lodestone book – set in Egypt. We’re. . .debating lol. . .the title now. (No this is NOT Gideon Starks book – just saying.) There will be at least 4 books in this trilogy (I told you math is my Super Power!! Lol)

The Book Pushers: What is the most interesting or scary fact you’ve come across in your research?

Cherry: Oh, there’s always so weird factoid that I come across that I can’t resist using. Lol In Black Magic it was the fact that snakes have two penises (or is that pini?) You bet I used that one. lol

The Book Pushers: For our fun question – you are captured by an evil mastermind who is keeping you in a hidden hideaway. You have a choice to call an Arnold Schwarzenegger, a James Bond or a Jason Bourne type hero – which one would you like to rescue you and how would they do it?

Cherry: Pfft!  James/Jason- unless the evil mastermind was a younger vision of Alan Rickman, in which case Bond could take his time coming to get me. Lol I would hope by the time help arrived I could meet him outside the dungeon where I was being held. I’d figure out how to get out on my own. lol

The Book Pushers: And finally who is your ultimate warrior hero? They could be a combination of fictional characters or a real one.

Cherry: Hard to boil down to just one.  My favorite changes with every new book I write, or new action movie I see. I love smart, resourceful, sexy, take action kinds of men, which is why I love to write what I write.

Thanks for inviting me over, Nicole, I enjoyed chatting with you, and appreciate the tea and cookies. In fact – hang on a sec- let me look in my tote- yes. I have a little prezzie for your readers if they e-mail me (adairadmin@msn.com) their snail mail address I’ll send them a little something. <g> AND, if you’d like to draw a (!!) name – I’ll give away 3 copies of  VORTEX.

Cheers,

Cherry

You heard it folks! Cherry is giving away 3 copies of VORTEX!! So leave Cherry a question or comment, and you’ll be entered to win! The giveaway is open to US folks only and ends May 29th. Good Luck!

Interview & Giveaway with Cherry Adair is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

While I do not have any aspirations at becoming an author, I have found that attending panels at Book Festivals and Conventions focused towards authors aspiring or published has deepened my appreciation for the amount of work and skill that goes into the craft of writing a story. Thank you authors for putting that work and time into creating something that I can sit back and enjoy.

Now I think it is time to announce the last winner. Congrats to…. Cari Bella!

Please check your email for instructions on how to claim your prize.
Happy reading!

Winner – TFOB Flash Giveaway 10 (Last One) is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

This week’s prize is a copy of Hellbent by Cherie Priest.

Comments:
World Building:
- What to make it as easy as possible for your readers to step into your world – Robin Hobb

- Sometimes even accurate research details will pull the reader out of the story – Maxwell Alexander Drake

To enter leave a comment talking about “things that make you go hmmm,” while reading.

Tucson Festival of Books Flash Giveaway 10 (Last One) is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Today we’ve got Cynthia Justlin to talk about what it’s like being a brand new author!

Explain to us your journey to publication:

I’ve always loved the written word and wrote short stories from a very young age. As early as junior high, I dreamed of what it would be like to publish a book someday. It wasn’t until my children were born, though, that I really started pursuing that goal. I wrote a couple of contemporary romances aimed at Harlequin that will probably never see the light of day. And then I got an idea for a romantic suspense book, a genre that I’d never considered attempting to write—and found my voice.

I shopped that first book around and received great feedback, but ultimately, the romantic suspense market was too tight and I couldn’t find an agent or editor interested in taking a chance on it. So, I wrote another. This one finaled in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart, which got my foot in the door, but still led me to the same dead end. So I wrote one more, a book so dark and different that I actually wondered if I was crazy for writing it. But I felt compelled in a way I’d never felt compelled before, so I finished it. That book was Edge of Light.

I was diagnosed with cancer just as I finished the book. I started shopping it around to agents while I was going through chemo and was almost universally told that the writing was great but they didn’t know how to sell it—it was too much of a thriller to be a romance and too much of a romance to be a thriller. But, if cancer had taught me anything, it was that life is too short to wait on your dreams. So I took my first two romantic suspense books and self-published them and then pitched Edge of Light to Carina Press, the only publisher I thought might take a chance on something outside of the box. And I’m thrilled to say, they did!

What’s your first published book about (start of a series, a stand alone, we want details!):

Edge of Light is the story of Oliver Shaw, a CIA agent who has been held captive in Cambodia for over two years. After witnessing the slow execution of all his team mates, he’s the only one left. He’s broken. Defeated. He’s lost the will to fight and is just going through the motions of each day.

In comes Jocelyn Hewitt, a forensic anthropologist with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command on a mission to find the truth about her dad’s disappearance. Armed with his letters and vague clues to his whereabouts, she heads into the Cambodian jungle with her team. But a ruthless group of anarchists believe her dad’s letters hold the key to an ancient red diamond mine and she is taken captive, placed in a cell next to Oliver.

Through the metal wall that separates them, her strength and hope breathes new life into Oliver. Together, they fight to escape and take down their captors.

Do you have anything in the works? (contracted or not?)

I’m currently working on another romantic suspense for Carina Press (not contracted, as of yet!). This one takes place on a pirated merchant vessel and features an undercover NCIS heroine with eidetic memory and an Army hero who is fighting to regain huge gaps in his memory. If any of you have read Edge of Light, you may be able to guess who the hero is going to be! I’m excited about this book. It’s going to be another gritty, emotional read.

What are your overall dreams, goals and expectations for your future as an author? (want to stick with specific genre, try multiples, different pen names, etc.)

My main goal as an author is just to write compelling stories. I like intense, emotional books, and that’s what I want to bring to readers. I love exploring theme and symbolism and giving readers something to think about when they reach ‘The End’. If I can accomplish all that, I’ll consider myself a success! Eventually, though, I’d love to write in more than one genre as well, but for now, I’m concentrating my efforts on building a career as a romantic suspense writer.

What’s your writing process like? Has it changed from when you first started writing?

My writing process changes from book to book and, unfortunately, I have yet to find a foolproof method that works every time. But I do start every book with a firm foundation, which begins with getting to know my characters. What values do they have? What baggage do they have? What are they afraid of and how is that keeping them from getting what they want? From there, I tend to go with the “write a little, plot a little, write a little, plot a little” strategy.

I’m a very linear writer, so I have to start at the beginning and work my way towards the end. When I get stuck on a scene, it’s usually because I haven’t solidified what comes before it. And then I backtrack in the hopes of getting it right. I am NOT a vomit the first draft and clean it up later kind of writer, although I wish I was! I’m too much of a perfectionist to let go of a chapter before it’s perfect.

When did you start writing? What was your very first story about?

I won’t go back to my junior high days! My very first book was a contemporary romance about a woman who travels to Colorado for her best friend’s wedding. She no longer believes in love and marriage, but as the maid of honor, she tries to put on a happy face for her friend. She’s horrified to find herself paired up with the best man—an equine doctor with a passion for healing—especially when she realizes he’s got his sights set on her.

I love the characters in this story, but it’s one of those ‘better-off-under-the-bed’ books!

Who were some of your inspirations for becoming an author?

I got my love of reading from my dad. He was never more content than when he was reading, and that was a trait that was definitely passed on to me. Now, writing, he avoided like the plague, so I didn’t get that talent from him, but, he gave me my love of books, and I truly believe that cultivated my writing.

Give us the story about when you got “The Call.”

Unfortunately, we were in the middle of a move when “The Call” came. I remember stopping at home to pick up more boxes and seeing that there was a message on the phone. I checked the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number and area code. And then I listened to the message from Angela James telling me that Carina loved my book and wanted to contract it. She followed up with an email, and I danced around the house and then crashed back to reality when I realized how much more work still needed to be done. I held off on celebrating until we’d moved and I signed the contract. Hopefully next time I get the call, I’ll be home!

Who is the author you would most like to meet living or deceased and why?

Beverly Cleary. Because her Ramona books shaped my childhood and I’d love to tell her thank you for that. I am in awe that her books are still popular and relevant and finding new readers who love Ramona and Beezus every bit as much as I do.

Ms Justlin, thank you for joining us today. Ms Justlin is also sponsoring a giveaway of one digital copy of Edge of Light. Open internationally and ends May 24th. To enter leave a comment talking about the author you would most like to meet living or deceased and why. Good luck!

Debut Author Feature & Giveaway: Cynthia Justlin is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

Contest is open to US only, and ends May 23rd. Good Luck!

Take Our Books! is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Congrats!!!! Please check your e-mail for instructions on how to claim your prize.
Happy reading!

Winner – TFOB Flash Giveaway 9 is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

This week’s prize is a copy of Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro and a deck of romance trading cards.

Comments:
World Building:
- Don’t be shy about saying, “I am writing a book,” when asking for help on research – Maxwell Alexander Drake

To enter leave a comment talking about what topic you would most like to find out about and why.

Tucson Festival of Books Flash Giveaway 9 is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Writing BDSM

Of course everyone has heard about Fifty Shades of Grey now. Everyone’s whispering and giggling about mommy porn… or so the media wants us to think.

Meanwhile some of us have been reading and writing BDSM fiction for a very long time.

As with anything, there is well- and badly-written BDSM fiction out there. Whether you enjoyed 50 Shades or couldn’t get past all the blushing, mumbling and tripping without rolling your eyes, I’m thrilled that at least people are READING. Reading any book, reading BDSM, reading what floats your boat.

But if you’re coming into the craze late — and honestly, maybe you want to capitalize on the BDSM hype while 50 Shades is hot and write some yourself — then there are some very important things you should know before you set out to write BDSM. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve probably made mistakes. I’m not living the lifestyle.

However, I’ve always been drawn to BDSM fiction and was writing it in some fashion before I even really knew what BDSM stood for in the first place. That interest has only grown the more I’ve read and researched over the years.

Here are a few buzzwords to consider as you write BDSM.

Sexy. I’d say the number one thing I keep in mind as I write a BDSM sex scene: if I don’t find what the characters are doing smoking hot, then my readers sure aren’t going to be interested, either.
Don’t write BDSM because it’s shocking or titillating. That might get you so far, but it’s really the sexy, emotional BDSM that will keep your readers coming back. It’s only going to be sexy if YOU find it sexy. If you don’t find heavy S&M hot as hell, then don’t try to write it. There are already plenty of authors who can write the heavy, edgy scenes and pull it off wonderfully. Good BDSM fiction doesn’t have to be all whips and chains and latex, you know. There’s plenty of room for “softer” BDSM. Find what makes YOU blush and sweat and squirm…and write that instead.

Limits. Think about what limits you have as a writer and explore them, just like a good BDSM scene will explore a sub’s limits.
Maybe you once swore you’d never write XYZ. (A little known secret:
I once swore my characters would never say the f word. Yeah, they’re still laughing at me.) Maybe you really don’t find toys sexy but you wonder what the appeal is. Sit down and explore that. How could you make this scene sexy and emotional even if you’re uncomfortable?
Exploring your own limits will add emotion and believability to the story, not to mention help you grow as a writer.

Fear. Remember that at the heart of every really good hero’s journey is fear. Fear that we’re unlovable, that we’ll be abandoned and alone, and that we’ll ultimately fail the journey entirely. Fear has a place even in the most carefully contracted and fully consensual scene. Don’t assume that only the submissive is going to be afraid, either. Dominants have a ton of responsibility and may very well fear hurting the sub, failing to satisfy the sub’s expectations in some way, or even going so far in the scene that the sub is emotionally damaged. Play on those fears…and your own… to write the most emotional scenes possible.

Power. It may surprise you, but BDSM isn’t really about sex.
In fact, some really powerful scenes can play out without a single sexual act. At the heart of BDSM is a power exchange. The submissive chooses to give power to the dominant. In this regard, the control rests entirely on the submissive. The power is hers/his entirely to stop the scene with the safe word. The dominant uses that gift of power to play with the sub, whether with mind games, humiliation in some way, or sometimes but not always, sex. Think about the power that your characters are exchanging. Think about how it feels not only to be powerless, but to CHOOSE to be powerless. What kind of person would you trust to take your power away? Who would you trust to tie you up where you can’t move a muscle, let alone protect yourself? How would it feel to have someone look up at you while completely helpless and know that there’s absolutely nothing they could do to stop you (short of uttering their safe word)?

*shivers*

Now go write that, please.

Some recommended reads, both for research and for pleasure:

SM 101: A Realistic Introduction by Jay Wiseman

Sensuous Magic: A Guide to S/M for Adventurous Couples by Patrick Califia

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty / Beauty’s Release / Beauty’s Punishment by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)

The Dom’s Dungeon by Cherise Sinclair

Other websites to consider:

http://www.kinkacademy.com/home/profile/?user=6
http://passionandsoul.com/
http://fetlife.com

~ * ~
Joely always has her nose buried in abook, especially one with mythology, fairy tales, and romance. Find her on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.. Be sure to check out her freereads!

YOURS TO TAKE, The Connaghers #3, releasing May 8th from Samhain Publishing

Joely has graciously offered one ecopy of Yours to Take to one lucky commenter. Just let us know what your favorite BDSM read is, or what interests you about the BDSM genre. Giveaway is open internationally and ends May 15th. Good Luck!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Joely Sue Burkhart is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Please check your e-mail for instructions on how to win your prize.
Happy reading!

Edited to add definations PNR – Paranormal Romance, UF – Urban Fantasy

Winner – TFOB Flash Giveaway 8 is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

This week’s prize is a copy of Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner.

Comments:
Where the Paranormal Hits the Pavement:
- Paranormal Romance is greater focus on the relationship. Hero/Heroine romance moves the plot not a sideline. Must have a HEA (Happily Ever After)

- Urban Fantasy can have romance but is centered on the journey, the world.
Both from Cynthia Garner

To enter leave a comment talking about what book(s) you think actually blur the line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Tucson Festival of Books Flash Giveaway 8 is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter