Please
welcome Cynthia Woolf to the blog today. Cynthia writes, among other things,
science fiction romance—my favorite sub-genre. She also writes
western historicals.
Welcome,
Cynthia, tell us about yourself.
I’ve
been writing toward publication since 1990 and decided that after all that
time, self publishing was for me. It’s
been the best decision of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I
agree about self publishing. My best decision, too. When did you first realize
you wanted to be a writer?
I
started writing at age ten. When I was
graduating from high school I realized I couldn’t make a living as a writer and
wasn’t trained to do anything so I headed to college and a degree in
Accounting.
How
long does it take you to write a book?
A
book usually takes me a couple of months to write. Less if the story flows out and more if I
have to dig every word out of my brain.
Then the book has to go to editing.
From the time I start the book to the finished product is 3-4 months.
You
are a very fast writer! What does your family think of your writing?
My
family is very supportive of my writing.
My husband is one of my proofreaders.
How
many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I currently have out 10 books and
2 short stories. My favorites are the Tame series, with Tame A Wild Heart as my
most favorite.
How
many hours a day do you spend writing?
Between
writing and promo, I spend about 16-18 hours a day in my office, in front of
the computer, much to my husband’s chagrin.
90 % of that time is spent on promo.
I
know promo is important so it’s a good thing you write fast. What do you hope
readers take with them after reading your work?
I
want my readers to be entertained and to feel good after they are done
reading. I’m not trying to write the
next ‘great American novel’. I just want
to entertain my readers and take them out of their everyday lives for a few
hours.
Great
answer. Tell us about your latest book.
My
latest book is Heiress Bride. It is a
historical western romance. In it Ella
Davenport has been horribly disfigured in a carriage accident. She cannot find a husband because of the
disfigurement and decides to become a mail order bride. The agency she works with, Matchmaker &
Co, pairs her with a half Arapaho Indian man, named Nathan Ravenclaw. Nathan had his own internal scars to deal
with. These two young people help each other
heal.
Blurb for Heiress Bride
Nathan
Ravenclaw was run out of town by the father of the girl he was
courting once he discovered Nathan’s Arapaho heritage. It didn’t
matter that Nathan was a successful rancher, businessman, and a positive
member of society. The white community suddenly saw only a
half-breed. Even his money couldn’t buy him a wife. That was ten years
ago. He moved and rebuilt everything that cold rancher once
took from him. He has it all...except a wife. Matchmaker &
Company promises to send him a woman willing to start a new life with
him. But Nathan's battered heart lacks the ability to trust. He
longs for children, not romance. His new bride, scarred
and cast aside like himself, promises to be perfect for him. Until
he meets his mail order bride. Fierce desire and an even more
dangerous hope roar back to life within him. Two things
he swore never to indulge in again.
And love? For these two
battered souls, that's the biggest risk of all
Excerpt
from Heiress Bride
She arrived in Denver on
April 6, 1871. A date she would forever
remember as the start of her life. It
was almost like another birthday.
The weather was
cold. The wind rushed off the plains and
collided with the mountains to the west, keeping the chill in the air. The buildings weren’t as tall as in New York,
but the wind still whistled between them and over the platform where she stood. She was glad of her good wool coat and lined
boots. They kept her warm while she
waited for Mr. Ravenclaw to find her.
There wasn’t anyone else wearing a veil so she didn’t think he’d have
much problem identifying her.
She wasn’t really sure
what she expected, but it wasn’t the tall, devastatingly handsome man that
approached her. He had a square jaw
shaved clean and a tiny dimple in his chin.
Black eyebrows slashed over his eyes, the color of which was hidden by
the shadow from his hat, pulled low on his head. For once she was glad of her veil. He wouldn’t be able to see her mouth hanging
open, gawking at him.
“Miss Davenport?”
“Yes. Are you Mr. Ravenclaw?”
“I am.”
Ella was surprised to
find her hand trembled as she held it out to him. “Ella Davenport.”
He removed his glove and
enveloped her hand in his big one. His
fingers brushed the skin of her wrist just above her glove. The tingle that traveled clear to her toes
was unexpected and her gaze snapped up to his.
She looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes. They seemed to question the chemistry between
them as much as she did.
He held her hand for
what seemed like a lifetime and they simply starred at each other.
“Miss Davenport….”
“Ella. Please.”
“Ella. I would like for you to lift your veil.”
“Are you sure you wish
to do this in public. It can
be…shocking.”
“I’m sure.” He squeezed her hand and then let go.
“Very well.” She lifted the heavy lace, prepared for him
to be taken aback by the ugliness of it.
She wasn’t prepared for him to lift his hand and gently trace the thin,
putrid purple scar all the way from her left eye over her cheek and down her
neck to the top of her collar.
There was no disdain on
his face. His blue eyes took in
everything and accepted it, but even so he said the last thing she expected.
“You are a very
beautiful woman.”
She stood there with her
mouth open until he raised her chin with his knuckle.
“Why are you
surprised? Surely you have heard the
compliment before.”
She shook her head to
clear it and find her tongue. “Not since
the accident, except from my brother. But he’s biased. He loves me.”
“He but states the
obvious. Your scars do not detract from
your beauty.”
“I must thank you
because good manners dictate it.
However, I believe we should see about getting you some glasses.”
He laughed. A rich, deep baritone. “I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”
“Who was joking?”
Heiress Bride is available at:
Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00BWX9H30
Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/297289
Barnes & Noble
-http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heiress-bride-cynthia-woolf/1114864489?ean=2940016187310
Wow.
This sounds so interesting. One last question:
Where can readers find you?
My
website is www.cynthiawoolf.com.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/CynthiaWoolf
Twitter
@CynthiaWoolf
Thanks for being here today, Cynthia. Best wishes on your new book.
