Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Cheryl Pierson is here!

One word comes to mind when I’m searching for a way to describe Cheryl Pierson—Exciting! Months ago, I began to see her name on the Cactus Rose blog for The Wild Rose Press when her book appeared as a Coming Soon novel. Every time I read the blog or posted, I’d see the startlingly beautiful cover for Fire Eyes, and wonder—who is Cheryl Pierson?

Now that I know her, I believe we are kindred spirits in many ways. She’s a native Oklahoman and I’m a native Texan, and while our favorite football teams meet at the Red River for an annual showdown, we pretend the border isn’t there. After all, how different can we be?

But she is different. She has a full portfolio that showcases her talent and life as a writer and teacher. In addition to a full-length novel, Cheryl is the author of several short stories published by Adams Media for their Rocking Chair Reader Series; many articles for the premiere newspaper of the state, The Oklahoman; and numerous short stories for the Chicken Soup anthologies. She is also co-owner of her own editing/research company, West Wind Media.

As you can see, she is a woman with many talents. Her novel, Fire Eyes, is a western historical romance filled with heinous outlaws, innocent young hostages, a courageous U.S. Marshal, and a beautiful, brave young woman with unique skills as a healer. What more could you want? I read this book, not only to follow the plot, but also to learn “what makes Cheryl tick.” Cheryl does everything whole-heartedly, all-out, to the max, and full-tilt. Fire Eyes gives the reader the full effect of her writing efforts.

I love this story! The main thing I appreciate is the intense emotion the author pulls from the reader. Jessica has the heart of a warrior every bit as much as Kaed does. Neither character gives up. As a fan and author of Western Historical Romance, I highly recommend Fire Eyes. Try it—you will be happy you did!

Now, let’s meet our guest.

Cheryl, what was the name of your first novel—whether published or not—and what happened to it?

“Oh, that one was the love of my heart, and the one that got it all started for me! I called it “Brandon’s Gold” but my husband said I should have named it “Matamoros” since that was the location of the “showdown.” I’m still kicking it around, wanting to re-edit it, and shorten it some. It was my first one and quite an undertaking—and it ended up being around 1000 pages long! A western historical takes place over roughly a one-year time span. Here’s the blurb for it:
Gunslinger Johnny Brandon is tall, dark, and lethal. Now, a dangerous secret has caught up with him, and it’s up to Johnny and his tenderfoot brother, Nick, to settle old scores, save the fiery Katie McLain, and learn to forgive in the unforgiving badlands.
It’s going to be a rough sell because of the length, unless I do it strictly e-pub first. I’m still looking at all the options. I’m working through revisions on some of my later stuff and getting it ready to submit. “Brandon’s Gold” is still the one that’s nearest and dearest to my heart. My baby!”

Good luck with Brandon’s Gold, and I prefer that title, if my opinion is worth anything.
I know you co-own a media/research/teaching company. When faced with a class of new students, what is the first thing you tell them?

“Usually, we try to let them know that writing a book is not for the faint of heart. Most people who have never tried it believe that they will “knock it out in six months” and be on the NYT bestseller list shortly after that, with Hollywood producers knocking on their door to option the movie rights. That scenario is very, very rare—but you can’t believe the people who come into class with those kinds of ideas about writing. We let them know that it is going to be lots and lots of hard work, very time-consuming, and that out of every 100 people who start writing a novel, only 3 will ever finish writing one. So even if your novel isn’t published, to FINISH one at all is beating some astronomical odds, and should be considered a success story. We want to be encouraging, but we also want our students to realize that they are going to really have to want it to make it happen.”

I knew you would have an interesting answer—especially the statistics. Back to Fire Eyes. Marshal Kaed Turner could be the prototype for a hero in a romance novel. Of all his sterling characteristics, which might set him apart from other mythical heroes?

“I think what sets Kaed apart in some respects is his ability to deal with what life has dealt him and yet keep the ‘human’ side of him. When he first meets Jessica, he is not looking for love at all; in fact, he’s pretty well written off that part of his life after the tragedy that befell him years before. But Jessica brings out the teasing side of him, the love, and the need that he thought was long gone. As tough and strong as he is, he is still human, with wants and desires, and to discover that side of himself again comes as a surprise, and leads him to a lot of introspection considering what he wants out of life from that point on.”

Jessica Monroe is a natural healer of the body as well as the heart. Did you have a model for her character—a woman in history or one of your ancestors? Or did you just create her in your mind?

“I’m smiling at this one, because I always say that in a Cheryl Pierson story, you know one thing is going to happen: the hero is going to be wounded somehow! It’s like on Star Trek when the landing party went to the planet’s surface—you just knew the guys with the red shirts wouldn’t be beaming back up to the Enterprise. All joking aside, I think a lot of Jessica’s character is just created from my mind. I always wanted to be a nurse when I was younger, but my parents discouraged that, so I didn’t go through with it. But I’ve always been fascinated with medicine and the healing arts. I think, in my family, through the generations all the women have had to be healers. My grandmother had eleven children, and raised them all to adulthood. My great-grandmother had a large family as well. Many of the skills they used were passed down through the generations.”

We know your h/h have the requisite characteristics for a romance novel. Does either or both have a flaw? A weakness?

“Yes, I think that the hero and heroine must always have some kind of flaw or weakness, or they don’t seem human. Kaed’s flaw was his putting the job before everything—he was a “workaholic.” He buried himself in work and the law to try to forget what happened with his wife and kids. I think, also, after he gained his vengeance, he felt that he would carry a badge and do the right thing for others, too. This was never stated in the book, but in one of the conversations between Jessica and Kaed, she lets him know that she doesn’t fault him for what he did—she understands. If he had continued on in that vein, though, it would have been seen as lawless—the reader understands that, and so, too, do the characters.
Jessica’s flaw is a little tougher. In a way, she has shoved her head in the sand by staying there on the homestead that she and Billy had started together. I would say stubbornness was her flaw. It’s obvious that what she’s doing is dangerous, because Fallon is still out there, and she is a single woman with a baby trying to survive alone there. Even the Indian chief, Standing Bear, is worried about her! LOL”

Cheryl, I thank you for agreeing to being my first “live” guest author on my somewhat new blog. Please hang around in case a reader leaves a comment. Celia
(See the Blurb for Fire Eyes below.)
*****************
Beaten and wounded by a band of sadistic renegades that rules the borderlands of Indian Territory, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner understands what the inevitable outcome will be for him: death. But Fate and a war party of Choctaw Indians intervene, delivering him instead to a beautiful angel with the skill to heal him. Jessica Monroe has already lost a husband and a brother to the outlaws who tortured Marshal Turner. As the rugged lawman lies bleeding on her bed, she faces a difficult decision. Can she afford to gamble with her heart one last time? For when Kaed recovers, he is sworn to join the other Territorial Peace Officers in their battle to wipe out the renegade gang once and for all. When vengeance is done, will Kaed keep riding? Or will he return to claim his future with the beautiful woman the Choctaw call "Fire Eyes?"
BUY LINK FOR Fire Eyes:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/fire-eyes-p-1259.html
READ CHERYL’S BIO and SEE HER PHOTO HERE:
http://www.cherylpierson.com/Cheryl_Pierson/Biography.html
CONTACT Cheryl Pierson here:
WEBSITE: http://www.cherylpierson.com/
BLOG (WESTERN HISTORICAL): http://www.westwindsromance.blogspot.com/
BLOG: (WRITING TIPS): http://www.cherylpiersonbooks.blogspot.com/

56 comments:

  1. Hi Celia and Cheryl, thanks for a very interesting post.

    That is a beautiful cover, excellent depiction of the heroine.

    I must ask - how many words is your 1,000 novel? A quarter of a million or something? That is incredible.

    A couple of questions if you have the time. Was there a particular reason you picked the Choctaw, and how hard was it to do the research for your setting and characters?

    Thanks so much, and good luck with your release.

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  2. Good morning friends--Cheryl will pop up any minute. I'm thrilled to have her as my first interview--we write the same genre and for the same publisher--makes for a good friend.
    Welcome Elizabeth--and thanks for stopping by! Celia

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  3. Gorgeous cover, Cheryl.

    Celia, you did a great job with your first interview.

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  4. I loved the interview! It's interesting to hear how characters and plots take shape. I agree with Elizabeth-- you nailed the cover on the book. I wish that I had your cover artist working on my book!

    Other than possibly revising Brandon's Gold, do you have anything else on the horizon?

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  5. Ha ha, Celia. I hope I'm a LIVE guest. That brought me quite a chuckle on this flurried Thursday morning.

    Cheryl is a great and gracious guest, and I adore her writing. I was so captivated by the excerpts of her work posted at The Book Spa that I knew I had to have a print copy for my keeper shelf.

    For you Cheryl, I would wade through 1000 pages of a western.

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  6. Fascinating interview, Celia and Cheryl. I agree with everyone too, that's a stunning cover.

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  7. Terrific interview about a terrific book. Like the twists and turns of the plot.
    Carol

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  8. Morning Celia and Cheryl,
    Great job ladies. Quite an interview. Love the cover and the story. I too would enjoy knowing more about Brandon's Gold. Sounds like an epic. Could it possibly be spit into a series and published soon? Sounds fantastic.

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  9. Cheryl & Celia - wow! Great interview. Cheryl, I've been intrigued by your title Fire Eyes and now I know I have to read it. Congratulations, and best of luck! nice to know more about you!

    Ashley

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  10. Great interview and wonderful job by the interviewer, too. It's so interesting to learn about authors' backgrounds and what shapes their writing.

    I finished Fire Eyes this month and really enjoyed it. I must say-the cover is indeed riveting!

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  11. Hi Cheryl, your cover rocks. This is definitely a book I want to get. Celia, thanks for showcasing this wonderful writer today!

    Your fellow Cactus Rose,
    ~Tanya
    www.tanyahanson.com

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  12. Hi Elizabeth,

    Thanks so much for your compliments on my cover. I owe that to the wonderful artistic talent of Nicola Martinez, one of The Wild Rose Press cover artists. She also did the cover for my short story that will be released in December, A Night For Miracles, also a western historical.

    I'm laughing about the word count on the 1000 page novel. I went back and checked and it was like 285,000 or something like that. LOL Can you IMAGINE? But once I get it re-edited, I'm hoping to make it more manageable and "get it out there" in some venue. I love the story.

    I also love research questions, such as the ones you're curious about. I picked the Choctaw tribe because although all tribal history is readily available here in Oklahoma, I use the Choctaw a lot in my books because I have a student in one of my writing classes who can translate for me if I need it, and also because where this story is set is actually in what is now the Cherokee Nation, but at that time, the Choctaws were near there, as well. In Oklahoma, the state is also divided into tribal nations. The Choctaws are a little farther south and west now, but at the time, the lines were not so well drawn. If you are writing anything about Native American history in your works, feel free to contact me offlist and I will be glad to share research and links. www.fabkat_edit@yahoo.com is my e-mail, or you can go to my webpage at www.cherylpierson.com and contact me there. I also have a historical blog you might be interested in, also accessible from my webpage.

    Thanks for your interest and comments, and let me know if I can help!
    Cheryl

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  13. Hi Sandy,

    Thank you! I love the cover too. Nicola did a fantastic job, I think.

    Celia is a great interviewer and I am thrilled to be her first guest. She asks all the good questions!LOL

    Cheryl

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  14. Hi Tony,

    Yes, Nicola is a wonderful artist, and I was lucky to get her. Thanks so much for the compliment, and I will let her know how much everyone liked the cover. It looks even better in "real life" than it does on the computer! LOL

    I am really excited about what I have coming up, Tony. I have another historical western that has a twist--it's a time travel/paranormal called "TIME PLAINS DRIFTER"--which deals with the forces of good and evil vying for the soul of one of the people who have been thrown back in time from 2010 to 1895, Indian Territory. The characters are diverse and wonderfully different, and this was one of my favorite projects to work on. Yes, it's a romance, but very very "twisty" as far as the plot and the time travel/paranormal aspect of it. It will be released in early December with Class Act Books, both in e-book and print form. And my favorite part of this project? My daughter, Jessica, is designing the book cover for me. We got permission from the publisher, and Jessica's design was so striking that the publisher has asked her to come aboard and work on some other cover projects there.

    I also have a contemporary action/romance story under consideration with TWRP (The Wild Rose Press), publisher of FIRE EYES. Right now, the working title is "THE SUGAR RING", but there has already been talk of maybe "changing" that. LOL So if anyone has a good title running around in their heads that they aren't using, send it my way.

    Tony, thanks so much for your comments and your interest. You can visit my website at www.cherylpierson.com and from there go to both my blogs for more information on upcoming projects and news/excerpts.

    Cheryl

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  15. Maggie,

    LOL YOU ALWAYS BRING ME SUCH JOY! Maggie, you have such a way with words, in your writing and in your comments such as these. I am pleased to be Celia's first interviewee. (Is that a word?) I love her thoughtful questions, and they were very easy to answer. I truly enjoyed this interview, because I didn't have to try to "come up" with a "correct" answer.

    Thanks so much, Maggie, for your kind words. I really had fun with Fire Eyes, and enjoyed writing it, but as I said, Brandon's Gold was my first, my "labor of love" -- and at some point, I will go back and rework it. Maybe it won't be QUITE 1000 pages after I'm done...my fear is that it will be 1001!!!

    Thanks for coming over and commenting! I appreciate the kind words.

    Cheryl

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  16. Breathtaking cover! What a wonderful interview. The blurb is very enticing too!

    Wishing you much success with this book!

    Smiles,
    Chiron O'Keefe
    The Write Soul: www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

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  17. LYN!!!

    Good to see you here!!! I know Nicola will be thrilled to know how much everyone loved her good work on the cover.

    So glad you stopped by and that you enjoyed our interview. Celia is a wonderful interviewer, as I've said before. I think she needs her own talk show--she's a lot more interesting than some of what's on tv right now!

    Cheryl

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  18. Hi Carol,

    Thanks so much! I appreciate that. You know, I've been really blessed in so many ways with the publication of Fire Eyes, but the best thing that has come out of it is making so many new and wonderful friends. I appreciate you and the group at Sweet and Sensual Romances so much. Thanks for commenting on the interview--I'm so glad you enjoyed Fire Eyes!

    Cheryl

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  19. I agree, that cover is great. I enjoyed your interview Cheryl.
    I do so love to learn about other TWRP authors.
    Great first interview Celia!

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  20. HEY REBECCA!!!

    Good to see you hear, girl! Thanks for popping over and reading and commenting.

    Yes, I've had the suggestion before about splitting up Brandon's Gold, but because it takes place in a one-year time period and kind of brings things around full circle, it would be really hard. For one thing there are a lot of characters--which is necessary in this type of "saga." This is not just a quick beach read, so it might not appeal to a lot of people. Because it was my first one, I did a lot of head-hopping that needs to be fixed. My main character, Johnny Brandon, has a dangerous reputation as a gunman, but he's really working for the US government in the newly created office under the Dept. of the Interior--he's an undercover agent trying to find out why there have been so many Indian uprisings in NM Territory--right where the railroad will be routed. It just happens that he has not seen his father in over 25 years, and coinciding with this mission he's been given, his father sends a letter via a Pinkerton agent that asks Johnny to come home for a year. ("HOME" is a huge cattle ranch--a vast empire that Johnny doesn't care if he inherits or not. There's a lot of animosity/angst between him and his father over the past.) When he arrives, he discovers that he has a half-brother, Nick, who has also been "invited home" after a lengthy separation such as his was.
    The love interest is Thomas Brandon's ward, Katie McLain, who he has raised since the age of 7 when she lost her parents. LOL I could go on and on, but won't here. That's just a bit more about the story, and maybe someday it will be "out there."

    Rebecca, thanks so much for popping over! TTYL

    Cheryl

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  21. Hi Ashley,

    Thanks for being here and your comments. The untold story about Fire Eyes is this. My daughter, Jessica, used to always ask, "Mom, why don't you ever name any of your heroines 'Jessica'?" So when she asked that question, I had just gotten the idea for this book, and I thought, "Why not? I'll call the heroine Jessica." I also made her look like my Jessica--brown hair and eyes, a very caring personality, kind of a "fixer". When my Jessica was about 8 or 9, she said, "I don't know what my Indian name is." (We are part Cherokee and Choctaw) I told her she could pick an Indian name and that would be it from now on for her. She picked "FIRE EYES" for her name. Now, my son, Casey, was about 5 or so. He was overhearing all this, and he pipes up and says, "I have an Indian name, too." I said, "What is it?" He says, just as serious as can be, "Eagle Talon." I just nodded my head and said, "OK." LOL

    The capper to the story is that Nicola did the cover from my description on the sheet they use to go by. When the book came out, everyone asked, "Who took that picture of Jessica?" I can't tell you how many people, even relatives who haven't seen MY Jessica in a while, all think that it is actually HER. She gets a huge kick out of that.

    I'm so glad that Fire Eyes sold first, and this is why. This story I've just told you about the naming of the heroine and all--it means even more to me that it was the first book I ever sold, and the second one, my daughter Jessica will be designing the cover for.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Ashley!

    Cheryl

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  22. Thanks, Diane! I appreciate Celia and her questions more than I can tell you. It felt really effortless, and I am so honored that she asked me to be the first guest on her blog!

    Cheryl

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  23. Hi Dani!

    I'm so glad you enjoyed Fire Eyes! I've been meaning to ask you if you finished it--when I googled myself the other day it came up that you had written somewhere that you were on P. 45, and I was thinking, I know she's done with it by now! LOL

    I enjoyed doing this interview with Celia. She is a wonderful friend. Thanks for the cover compliment--I've mentioned before how I appreciate Nicola, and believe me, I DO!

    Cheryl

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  24. Hi Tanya!

    I've done interviews before, but this was the one I've enjoyed more than any. Celia asked some very thoughtful questions, and I enjoyed this so much. Glad you like the cover, Tanya. I love it, too. Thanks for stopping by to comment, and for your kind words!

    Cheryl

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  25. Hello, Skhye!

    Thanks for coming by to read!

    Cheryl

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  26. Hi Chiron,

    Thanks for stopping by to comment. I was very pleased with the cover, too. It's different, and intrigueing. I had my very talented daughter Jessica write the blurb for me. She is a great blurb writer--much better than I am. LOL And it takes her minutes whereas I agonize over it for hours. She writes all my blurbs.LOL

    Thanks again for commenting and for your kind words!

    Cheryl

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  27. Hi Mary,

    I'm like you about loving to learn about other authors! I have met so many wonderful people since I started writing and submitting my work, and that has been one of the most rewarding things of all about this "writing journey."

    My website is www.cherylpierson.com and my blog links are www.cherylpiersonbooks.blogspot.com and
    www.westwindsromance.blogspot.com

    I always have "stuff" on there about history (the westwinds romance one) and the cherylpiersonbooks one is more about writing. Though lately I've cheated and put the same blog on both--life got hectic!
    Thanks for commenting.

    Cheryl

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  28. CELIA!!!

    I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you having me for this interview! You asked the BEST questions, and I have enjoyed being here. I'll be popping back over if anyone has any questions they want to ask, or any more comments.

    Thanks again, my friend--YOU ROCK!
    Cheryl

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  29. Hi Cheryl,
    I enjoyed reading your interview and learning more about you and your work. It is always intresting to learn the story behind the story. Beautiful cover. Nicola Martinez has done my two TWRP covers, too. She is wonderful.

    And Celia, you did a great job with the interview. Your kind personality shines through your presentation of your guest author.
    All in all, a read well worth the time.

    Good luck to both of you with your books. I'm not a Western fan but I read yours, Celia, and I think Cheryl has convinced me to venture out west again.

    Linda

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  30. Hey Linda!

    Well, I certainly hope I can convince you to "saddle up and ride" into the past, out west, one more time at least! LOL (Now, we might make a western fan of you, yet, since Celia and I both have some other stuff in the works!)

    I can't express how lucky I am to have a western historical colleague such as Celia. It's great to have someone you can talk history with, for the same time period, and bounce some ideas off of.

    Thanks again for stopping by and reading the interview and leaving a comment!

    Cheryl

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  31. Nice interview Cheryl and Celia! Fire Eyes is a book on my TBR! It is a wonderful cover! And "Brandon's Gold" sounds like it would be another good book! Best wishes!
    Martha

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  32. Hi Martha!

    WOW, I have had so many compliments on the cover, and I appreciate that so much. The cover is ssssooooooo important, even though we've all heard that old adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" and we know that to be true, still....LOL

    I'm glad to hear that Fire Eyes is on your TBR list, Martha! I appreciate that so much!

    Thanks for coming by!
    Cheryl

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  33. Hi Cheryl and Celia,
    Great interview. I have been a western fan for years. Used to read Znae Gray when I was young.
    Cheers
    Margaret

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  34. Great interview, Cheryl and Celia! Celia, don't give up on Brandon's Gold - pitch it as a series! Congrats on your success with Fire Eyes - sounds like a great read.

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  35. Wow, all these comments! Great interview Cheryl and Celia!

    Cheryl, my Rehearsal books are 285,000 words -- print them in 10 pt TNR font and it's "only" about 620 pages for a trade paperback size. ;-) LOL! I like rambling stories and look forward to when you can get this one out, as well as finishing "Fire Eyes" which I'm enjoying.

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  36. Hi Margaret!

    I have loved westerns since I was a little kid. Marty Robbins was and still is my favorite singer! Glad you came over and said hi!

    Cheryl

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  37. Hi Loraine!

    yes we have had a wonderful time here today! So many nice comments and lots of participation, and I'm so honored to be Celia's first interviewee. She's a great interviewer, and I have enjoyed this so much. Thanks to everyone for making it so successful!

    Loraine, I'm like you about loving those long novels that you can just get lost in and get to know the characters so well in. That's why I enjoyed Brandon's Gold so much--I really knew those characters well. No other book that I've written since then has grabbed my heartstrings like that one has. I know it's because when I wrote it, that was truly how I was meant to write and those characters are as real as real can get. Even the secondary and minor characters. LOL I'm so glad you are enjoying Fire Eyes! I'll be anxious to know what you thought of it. Someday soon I intend to claim some reading time back out of my days and start on my TBR list.

    Thanks for coming by and commenting!

    Cheryl

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  38. Hi Cate,

    Thanks so much for the congrats. Fire Eyes has brought me so much personal satisfaction, even if I know it'll never be on the NYT bestsellers list. I have something even better than that--all these wonderful friends--you and everyone I've met. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview with Celia and thank her again for having me.

    As for Brandon's Gold--thanks for the support. I would love to figure out a way to do it as a series, but it's so interconnected, it would be really really hard. I have a publisher in mind for it, but they only do e-books. The day they add print to their venues, I'll be there in line with Brandon's Gold in my hand!

    Thanks again, Cate.
    Cheryl

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  39. Hi Cheryl and Celia! Another fabulous interview; Celia is the new Oprah... and Cheryl, with your 250'000+ novel you're breaking...word records, haha!

    I had no idea only 3 people in 100 finish writing a book, so I'm feeling rather proud of myself this morning.

    Oh, and Celia, I've tried to post comments on your blog quite a few times recently but they never stuck. I hope this one does...

    xx Francesca

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  40. Hi Francesca!

    Yes, you should feel VERY proud of yourself! Not only did you finish your novel and get it published, but you wrote something with a LOT of humor in it, which is really hard for most people!

    Alas,(sigh) it doesn't do any good to break a word record if you can't get it published for anyone to read. LOLLOL 285,000 words is a LOT, but I'm in good company with Loraine!LOL

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Cesca!

    Cheryl

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  41. Hi, Cheryl! Glad to see this wonderful book is getting out there! And I love long novels! I write them, then have to cut 100 pages because my editor says "cut it". But I keep trying! :)

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  42. Hi Fran!

    I love long novels, too! I like to get to know the characters and spend time with them once I DO get to know them. I hate cutting, like everyone else, because I know what's going on in my mind to put into THEIR minds. LOL

    Thanks so much for coming over and commenting. I know you are really busy.

    Cheryl

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  43. Great interview. I loved your book, Cheryl. And the cover is still just as gorgeous.

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  44. Hi Keena,

    Thank you so much. I appreciate knowing that readers liked the book so much. And I've had so many compliments on the cover! I always pass them along to Nicola, because I think, how awful would it be to have worked on something so beautiful and then not know what anyone thought of it. LOL

    Thanks again, Keena!
    Cheryl

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  45. Celia and Cheryl,
    I enjoyed your interview. Cheryl, I love the cover for Fire Eyes and plan to read it soon. Much luck with sales.
    Linda
    www.lindalaroque.com

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  46. Hi Linda,

    Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I hope you enjoy reading Fire Eyes. I'm working on another historical western right now, and am about 2/3 of the way finished with it. I have a couple more written that I know I need to go back and "re-work." That's the hard part...LOL

    Isn't that cover gorgeous? I wish I could claim credit for that! LOL Nicola Martinez was my cover artist, and I am forever grateful for her thoughtfulness and care in creating that cover. I love it, too.

    Cheryl

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  47. Hi Cheryl and Celia:
    Thanks for the fascinating post. I learned a lot obout Cheryl and her writing background. I agree, Fire Eyes has an outstanding cover and the book is on my TBR list.
    Carol

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  48. Hi Carol,

    Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I hope you enjoy reading Fire Eyes!

    Cheryl

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  49. Hi,

    My TBR pile is growing bigger by the day. This book sounds like a good read and I cannot wait to read it.


    LorettaC
    lbcanton@verizon.net

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  50. Hi Loretta,

    Thanks so much for coming by and reading the interview! I hope you will buy Fire Eyes--if you like westerns, you will enjoy it, I promise. My next western, Time Plains Drifter, will be out in December. For more information, you can check my blogs at www.cherylpiersonbooks.blogspot.com or www.westwindsromance.blogspot.com

    Thanks for commenting!
    Cheryl

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  51. Thank you, everyone, for sharing this time with me and my good friend, Cheryl Pierson. I agree with her statement that she and I share a love of Western romance, and we've found that we work together very well. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to find someone who knows and loves the same genre you do--makes for a good partnership. Please come again, when I'll have some other offering, either about writing or just trivial nonsense in the form of anecdotal stories from my childhood.Celia

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  52. Hi Celia,

    Thanks again for having me--I appreciated the chance to be able to talk about my writing and what's coming up in the future. It was great to see everyone here.

    Cheryl

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  53. Sorry I'm so late, Cheryl and Celia! Fascinating interview, and such fun to find out more about what makes Cheryl 'tick' - I've been wondering that myself! Cheryl, I bet you are a fabulous teacher, and I hope your students know just how lucky they are. :) All the best for the future, nd Celia, thanks so much for a super interview.

    Jane x

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  54. JANE!!!

    It doesn't matter if you are late! With our crazy lives like they are, we're just glad you made it at all. What makes me tick...hmm...well as my niece used to say when she was little, "Ewww...scawy!" LOLLOL Thank you for the kind words, and for coming by to leave a comment. Celia is a great interviewer. She puts lots of thought into her questions.
    Cheryl

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