Thursday, June 21, 2007

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindy K. Green, although a California native, now resides in North Carolina with her husband and two young sons. Growing up, she loved reading and writing; but her heart always lay in teaching. After graduating from college with a degree in history, Cindy taught Jr. High in just about every subject. She currently stays home and writes as well as homeschools her children. She loves reading, photography, scrapbooking, spending time with family, and working with the youth at church. She writes Contemporary, Suspense, Inspirational, and Historical – from sweet to sensual. Her publishers are By Grace Publishing, Moonlit Romance, and the Wild Rose Press. To find out more about Cindy and her books, visit www.cindykgreen.com.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

BLURB:

WAssociate history professor, Kari Montgomery, has carried the feelings of loss and inadequacy ever since she broke off her engagement. As she attempts to make it through a rain storm the day of her cousin Emily's wedding, her feelings change when she looks into a pair of steel blue eyes. Even though Kari begins to feel compelled toward this inexplicable man, she isn't sure if she can love again or if she is even worthy of his love.

Youth pastor, Randy Steele, has a sense of humor, a pair of remarkable eyes, and a desire to serve God which attracts most of the women he meets. After meeting Kari, he endeavors to help her see her own worthiness and ability to let God heal her heart. But can he reach Kari and show her how wonderful life can be with God in control of their futures and their hearts?


EXCERPT:

Walking with her head tilted toward the sidewalk, she wasn’t looking beyond her own two feet through the pouring rain when she smacked hard into something and started to fall backwards. With her arms flailing out hoping to grasp onto something, her belongings flew into the storm. Her heart jolted inside her chest as she moved closer and closer to the ground.

Before hitting the pavement, a hand came out of nowhere, wrapping around her left wrist and pulling her into an upright position. Before she knew what was happening, her savior hoisted her closer to him until she was shielded from the rain under his umbrella. She was so close to him, she could feel his heat. Her eyes clung to his humorous, kindly mouth until he gave her an irresistible grin she found impossible not to return. Her mind clouded over as her heart continued to beat rapidly. It was almost as if she was moving in slow motion and for the moment had forgotten where she was or what she was doing.

This was hardly the time to stop and stare with a torrent of rain storming around them and time ticking away until she was to walk down the aisle as maid of honor.

“In a hurry, aren’t you,” he said with a trace of laughter. The timbre of his voice was friendly and soothing. It reminded her of how she felt on rainy afternoons while curled up in her mother’s afghan, reading a book in front of a fire.

She withdrew her hand quickly as a new and unexpected warmth rushed through her. She watched as he picked up her suitcase and book from a puddle on the ground. After handing the suitcase back to her, he glanced down at the cover of the book, Pride and Prejudice, her favorite novel.

He looked back at her with intelligent yet humorous blue eyes. His dark hair ruffled in the billowing wind with a single lock falling forward on his forehead. And for the first time in a long time, she forgot about her heartache. A sudden shiver skittered down her back. She wasn’t sure if it was caused by her soaked condition or the man who somehow sent her senses spinning.

Kari pushed her wet tawny hair back from her face before accepting her waterlogged book from him. “I’m so sorry,” she finally said after releasing the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “It’s just this rain…and I’m late.” Her voice wavered. “I can’t seem to find the place I’m supposed to be. I’m in a wedding this afternoon.” She tried to hide how awkward and strange she felt standing a few inches away from a stranger.

He smiled teasingly as he looked over her outfit of Capri pants and tennis shoes. She’d never seen such an authentic smile. It was as if it started in his eyes and traveled down to his genial mouth. “And that’s what you’re wearing?” he asked as his eyes returned to her own.

“No, of course not. I…” She shivered again.

“Well, maybe I can help you out with directions.”

She replied with the name of the church, and he provided her with yet another devastating smile. “Sure I know the place. You passed it at the beginning of this block. Just turn down the street and you’ll see it. If you don’t mind, I could come along with you. It’s on my way.”

“No need and I’m really in a hurry. Thanks.” She started to head off when he stopped her, causing her to jump at the gentle touch of his hand on her arm.

“Here take my umbrella,” he offered.

She faced him again, taking the handle of the umbrella. “Are you sure? You’ll get soaked. I don’t want to impose, and I won’t even know where to return it.”

“Consider it a gift then. And who knows, we just might bump into each other again sometime.”

“Yes, but hopefully it will be less jarring in the future,” she said with the hint of a smile on her lips, trying to be just as witty.

He tipped his head close to hers. “I doubt that.” This time he replied in a smooth, deep tone, the playfulness gone from his eyes.


INTERVIEW:

Why did you become a writer?
It has always been a desire of my heart but as with many things in life, you have to put those desires to the side for a time. Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life? I started writing when I was a kid. I wrote silly children’s stories for my younger siblings (there are four of them). In jr. high and high school I won a couple poetry and fiction contests. I started about 50 book length stories and never finished them. I have a file full of ideas. In college, I studied history and began writing non-fiction. I graduated with honors and even won some awards for some of my papers. For instance, I won the Jack Chinski Memorial Award for Holocaust Studies. I got married, had a child, began teaching jr high. The last thing I had time for was writing. After I had my second son, I was able to stay home with him. I was homeschooling my oldest and attending graduate school. And then we decided to move from California to North Carolina . That changed everything for me. I started to write again. I finally had the time once more. I want to go back to teaching eventually, but for now I am happy being home with my boys and writing my stories.

What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike?
Being an author is great. It is a lot of hard work though. I’ve learned that being a writer is much different than being an author. When I was a writer, I could live in my own little world and write and do as I liked. Being an author is another “story”. You are writing for an audience, sometimes with deadlines. Then there is the editing, and the editing, and the editing. Did I mention the editing?? Of course, even after your book is released there is the promotion. That is like another job all by itself. Becoming an author is like having a full-time job in getting it all done. But on the other hand, I can’t imagine not writing. It is still like a dream. Most authors will admit that there is this overwhelming pull to write. Some people call it their muse. Whatever it is, it leads you down that path and you really can’t deny that impulse, that desire. It is something within you that you must release. Ah, but I wax philosophical.

How do you balance your personal and writing time?
The question of the ages. It is a struggle in my household. I have made an agreement with my husband. :) Tuesdays and Thursday evenings and a couple hours over the weekend are mine to use for writing. I also fit it in during the day between educating and spending time with my boys. I just keep working at it.

How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
I am a very character driven writer, reader, and viewer. But I have found that I tend to plot before developing characters. I come up with a genre that I am writing towards. I figure out when and where the story will take place and come up with the “what if” scenario to figure out my plot. I try not to plot out too much. Just a basic goal for each chapter. That way I stay on a certain path without stifling my creativity. Then I name my characters and develop them a bit before I start writing.

What genre(s) do you write?
I write several genres. I write Contemporary, Historical, Inspirational, and Suspense. Why do you write the stories that you write? Ideas just come to me. There never is a lack of ideas. It’s more…will I ever have the chance to write them all. But I am inspired by things that I read or watch. For example, last March I finished reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion (for the umpteenth time) and I knew I wanted to write my own Persuasion-inspired story. I plotted it out in 1830’s Pennsylvania but the heart of the story is very Persuasion-like. There is a similar feel of emotion. At least, I hope there will be. It is titled “Since Last We Met.” I hope to get a good chunk of this written this summer along with a historical western that I’ve also started.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
Mostly I create them fresh. I will pull characteristics and such from observances but overall I don’t base them on anyone. There was this one time though…my sister and I were watching a marathon of a certain tv show that we absolutely love and out of that I started writing a short called Meeting Mr. Right On-line. The plot is all mine, but the character of the hero is based very closely on the hero of that show. It was written all in fun for my sister but it turned out so well I had to submit it. It releases May ’08 with By Grace Publishing. And Kari in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding” is named after my sister. They do share some similarities but not completely.

Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?
Randy from “Funny Thing...” is my favorite hero to date because he is so sweet, humorous, and caring. He is fun to be around, he will protect you if you need it, and he wears his heart on his sleeve.

What would you want readers to take away from your books?
I write sweet stories. I want people to finish my stories with a good feeling inside of them. I hope to touch them to the heart and maybe change them in the process.

Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
Keep reading and keep writing. That is the best advice. Read in the genres you plan to write in. Read books on the writing craft, hone those skills. Join a critique group. And keep reading and writing.

What are you reading right now?
Oh goodness, I am reading so many things. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (written 1855), A Taste of Summer by Jessica Raymond & Nell Dixon (a duet from Moonlit Romance), Holding Out for a Hero by Phyllis Campbell (Champagne books), Recipe for Love by Kara Lynn Russell (Wild Rose Press, miniature English Tea Rose).

If you could be anyone or anything that you wanted, who or what would you be?
I would love to be a history professor at Harvard writing solid history as well as historical romance novels. :D Wouldn’t that turn heads.


REVIEW:

This is a fun, refreshing, non-preachy read. Faith is simply part of the main characters' lives. The people come across as being real and imperfect, but still individuals who are decidedly Christian. If you find it a challenge to find wholesome romances that are not sappy, the problem is now solved. Cindy Green is proving that nice does not mean wimpy.
- Amanda, Huntress Reviews



A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding
by Cindy K. Green
ISBN: 1-60154-072-8
Category: White Rose
$5.00 from The Wild Rose Press



Purchase "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding" by Cindy K. Green HERE!!