I’m pleased to introduce fellow Science Fiction Romance author Cynthia Woolf as guest on my blog today. She’s here to answer a few interview questions and tell us about her Centauri series featuring the exciting third book Centauri Midnight which released in January.
I am reading Centauri Midnight now. I love the way her characters come to life. The story is a fast adventure with plot twists that keep me turning the virtual pages. This book is an exciting read for all SFR fans, and anyone who enjoys an intriguing read.
Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?
Well it definitely wasn’t a walk in the park. I’ve been writing seriously, with the goal of publication since 1990. It’s been a long hard process, that culminated with me publishing my books on my own. So I’d have to say it was fraught with peril.
What inspired your latest book?
Centauri Midnight is the third book in the Centauri Series. I used to dream that I was a princess from Alpha Centauri, that was the basis for Centauri Dawn, book 1 in the series.
Centauri Twilight Book 2 is much darker. Lara is the twin sister of Audra in book 1. Lara has been a sex slave since she was a child. Having escaped, she’s now an outlaw and working to free the rest of the slaves who are now her people.
Centauri Midnight Book 3 is about two people from Book 1. Kitari Dolana and Garrick Marcus. They are chasing the person responsible for the death of her brother and the capture and torture of Anton in the first book. The person who gave Slavarien, the villain, the information that allowed the ambush.
My current is called Centauri Midnight and is the third book in the Centauri Series. It was released on January 9, 2012.
Now I’m working on the second sci-fi series called the Swords of Gregara and the second western, called Tame the Wild Wind.
What is your typical day like?
I don’t know that I have a typical day. I’m lucky enough to be able to write full time. I was laid off in June and am taking advantage of it to write while I look for another job.
How has your experience with self-publishing been?
My experience has been wonderful. I highly recommend it for everyone out there who doesn’t want to be constrained by the “big” traditional publisher. For everyone who wants to write from their heart and not according to the industry rules and constraints, self publishing is the only way to go.
Give us an elevator pitch for your work.
I’m really, really bad at this. Luckily I have a good friend who does this for me. For instance the pitch for Tame A Wild Heart is “She’s a beautiful ranch owner at a time when women aren’t supposed to run ranches. He’s a bounty hunter set to capture her heart.”
Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?
I don’t have a view. I keep the curtains closed so the neighbors don’t see in and my desk faces the wall opposite the window. I have a bulletin board with pictures from magazines of each of my characters. It helps me keep them straight, so my heroine doesn’t suddenly end up with black hair when she started out as a blonde.
EXCERPT: CENTAURI MIDNIGHT
Kiti was more than ready to leave when she received her orders to report to the Dremel. She was a tensign in the Army, which meant she had to await orders like anyone else. Her personal relationships with Anton and Audra did not change her position in the service.
She left immediately for the space dock station. By air car, it would take thirty minutes to reach the spaceport, then another fifteen to check in before she got to the ship. Her orders gave her two hours to report. There was no time to stop and smell the roses, to use an old Earth saying. Just one of many she’d been required to learn when they went to retrieve Audra just a few months ago.
She meant to be there in plenty of time to be settled in her quarters and on the bridge for the undocking. She’d heard Garrick always took out the ship himself and it could be quite exciting. Having deposited her bag in her quarters, she walked double time to get to the bridge.
Garrick saw Kitari as soon as she came on the bridge. He was acutely aware of her no matter where they were. He’d kept his feelings to himself for years because she and Anton were lovers. But he always felt her, smelled her special scent in the room even if she wasn’t there anymore. He’d kissed her once at a party celebrating the passing moons. He still tasted her sweetness on his lips. Felt her soft curves against the hard planes of his body. He’d been tempted, so very tempted, to take her and make love to her, but she’d still been reeling from the losses of both Joridan’s life and Anton’s companionship. It would’ve been unconscionable for him to take advantage of her in that state of mind.
Anton found his lifemate in Lara. Now they were the King and Queen of Delaz. Busy rebuilding the country after they’d ended the Slavarien family’s reign of terror.
Kiti was meant for Garrick, and his patience was nearly at an end! He had this time, this chance to achieve his goals and we wasn’t about to let it pass. When the opportunity to go after the traitor Lord Tybold presented itself, Garrick volunteered to lead the mission. He’d wanted to get away from Kiti before he embarrassed himself with declarations of love that she wasn’t ready for. Yet his heart leapt when he heard Darius give her permission to join the task force Garrick was leading. She was going to be on the mission with him. He would be working closely with her for the two week trip to Procon. Together they would learn about Procon and if he had his way, they would learn about each other as well.
Kiti was grieving. Her brother and only living family had died in the ambush organized by Lord Tybold. That one bloody battle had taken both of the men in her life, Anton and Joridan. The losses were different in ways it was true, Joridan’s life and Anton’s freedom and eventually his love.
Garrick wouldn’t take advantage of her grief and he’d see to it no one else did either. Though he would make sure she knew he was interested and available. He intended to court her. It was old fashioned, but something she might appreciate.
“Captain Marcus.” Kiti approached and gave a smart salute. “Tensign Dolana reporting for duty.”
“Welcome aboard the Dremel, Tensign. We’re about to leave space dock. Would you like to stay on the bridge?”
“Aye, Captain. I would like that very much.” Garrick was pleased by her enthusiasm. He liked having her close. She watched the nav screen and he watched her. He’d undocked so many times he could do it with his eyes closed.
Garrick took command of the navigation console and manually maneuvered the great ship from the dock. He accelerated at the start, bringing her about, hard starboard and at the last minute released the moorings.
He heard Kiti’s sharp intake of breath and smiled. It was always that way with first timers
“Don’t worry, Tensign,” he assured her. “I’ve done this a few times before.”
“Why would I worry?”
Her bravado pleased him.
BIO
Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.
She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded the she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.
In 2000, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
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Thank you Cynthia for joining me today and sharing your latest release! And before I forget Cynthia is giving away a copy of Centauri Midnight to one lucky person who leaves a comment!
Kaye
