Wednesday, January 20, 2010

New Release by EPPIE Finalist Cheryl Pierson


 Congratulations, Cheryl! Just in time for the New Year, you have the distinct honor of making the EPPIE Finalists’ list for your debut novel Fire Eyes. How does this make you feel? Does it make a difference in your writing goals?

CHERYL: I am thrilled to be an EPPIE finalist. I am not a “competitive” person—don’t do a lot of contests and such, so to final in this one was a real surprise for me, and very exciting. I wouldn’t say that it makes a difference in my writing goals, per se, but that it does add another bit of satisfaction and reliance to my own personal goals. I always strive to write the best thing I can, using what I know and trying to make it interesting and a good storyline. Gleaning another little bit of self confidence never hurts.

Celia: In December, your newest release, Time Plains Drifter from Class Act Books, hit the market. The novel is a paranormal romance not confined to one year, or even two…but three. It begins with an exciting train robbery in 1879 Nebraska and the action never lets up. The hero Rafe and his brother Cris are assigned to prevent the robbery. But others interfere, and in the melee, something very strange happens. The cast consists of: angels (good and evil), US Marshals, a modern-day teacher and her high school students, and…a Comet!
I know you love Western Historical Romance. So, where did you get your unique ideas for Time Plains Drifter?

CHERYL: That is a good question! LOL I think the idea came when the agent I had at that time said, “Can you write something with time travel? That’s really hot right now.” Up to that point, I’d written a story that was far too long, one that was shorter but still had a lot of “broken rules” in it (head hopping and such) and was working on yet another historical western. I think my agent wanted something more contemporary; he was not a big fan of historical westerns but liked my writing style. I think we always need to stretch ourselves creatively, and this was a way of doing that. I didn’t want to use werewolves or vampires, so making it a paranormal was, I felt, equal to making it an ultimate “good vs. evil” battle. I wrote a paranormal time travel historical western romance…about as hard to say as it was to do.

Celia: Will we see more Paranormal Romance from you? The genre seems to be the hot ticket right now. I think you made a wise choice to write this one.

CHERYL: Thanks, Celia. Yes, I have a sequel in mind featuring Rafe’s older brother, Cris, and Jenni’s younger sister, Tori. But this time, Cris will be going forward in time to bring Tori back with him to 1895. I think time travel will always be of interest to a broad range of readers. There are so many ways to do it and so many possibilities once the hero or heroine (or BOTH) are displaced from their own time period.

Celia: Just for fun, Cheryl, name two things people might be surprised to know about you.

CHERYL: I think most people would be surprised to know that as a child and adolescent I was terribly shy. To know me now, you would never think that. Another thing people might be surprised to know is that I am a classically trained pianist. Although my two sisters and I all took piano lessons, by the time it was “my turn,” they were both ready to leave the nest. We had moved to a new place, another small town in Oklahoma. My parents were not wealthy, but they wanted good things for all of us girls, and I seemed to have a lot of manual dexterity and an aptitude for the piano. In our small town, it was amazing that I was able to study under a teacher who was so well trained. I sometimes think about what I might have been able to accomplish had I appreciated it more at the time…but who thinks of that when they are a kid? I would much rather have been outside playing with my friends than inside practicing the piano.

Celia: I know the cover for TPD is very special to you. Will you tell us why?


CHERYL: My daughter, Jessica, created it! She always wanted to do one of my book covers from the time she was about 9 or 10 years old. She is an accomplished artist/illustrator and I was so excited that we had this chance to work together on a project.

Celia: Cheryl has an imagination that transcends time—literally! If you're intrigued and like Paranormal/Time Travel Romance, without a doubt you’ll love Time Plains Drifter. I promise—you will thoroughly enjoy this clever, well-written story. Here’s a brief excerpt to showcase Cheryl’s writing:

In this excerpt, Rafe has prepared himself to be honest with Jenni and tell her who and what he is, fully expecting her to reject him. But she surprises him with her understanding and acceptance, and he realizes he's fallen a lot harder than he ever intended.

FROM TIME PLAINS DRIFTER:

He closed his eyes, letting the pleasurable feel of her wet mouth on his body wash over him, along with her voice. “Some things never change,” she’d said earlier. Her Oklahoma accent was a slow waltz to his mind, its lilting cadence urging him to accept what they had between them. Still, he couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t ever be dishonest with her, of all people.

“Don’t you want to know—”

She stopped him, placing two cool fingers across his lips, smiling at the tickle of his moustache against her skin. The smile faded as she absorbed the worry in his expression, the smoldering fire in his eyes, and made it her own.

“Not now, I don’t. You asked me—earlier—if I felt it. Whatever it is between us. I do.” Debating with herself, she hesitated a moment before coming to a decision. “I want you, Rafe,” she murmured. “I trust you.” She nuzzled his neck.“It doesn’t matter now, who—or what—you are.”

His hand closed in a fist around the shimmering satin of her copper hair, his chest filling with a sweet peace at her quiet words.

Dead...alive...Mexican...American...man...ghost...angel...

His mind churned as Jenni kissed him once again. Accepting him, for whoever he might be. She loved him. She hadn’t said it yet, but he knew it by the gentle way her lips grazed across his, then claimed his mouth completely, as if that was the only way she had to let him know how she felt. They breathed together, as one.

He answered her wordlessly, his tongue going into her mouth, fingers splaying and tightening against her scalp as he pulled her to him.

She came across his bare chest, the stiffness of the material of her own blouse gliding with gentle abrasion across his nipples. He groaned in pleasure and felt her smile against his mouth. She made the move again as she lifted her lips from his, emerald eyes sparkling into his searing gaze.

“We’ll talk later,” she assured him.

“It’ll be too late to change your mind about me then,” he said, half-jokingly.

“I won’t change my mind, Rafe.”

The sweet sincerity in her voice and the promise in her eyes reassured him. He pulled her down silently. As their mouths melded once more, he rolled, taking her with him, changing their positions so he lay atop her.

You may purchase TIME PLAINS DRIFTER here:


Thank you so much, Cheryl.

Please leave a comment for Cheryl—I know for a fact she LOVES to talk!

Interview by:

Celia Yeary

“Romance…and a little bit o’ Texas.”

www.celiayeary.com

TEXAS BLUE-eBook and Print-Jan. 29

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook--now

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-eBook and Print-now










26 comments:

  1. CELIA!!!
    Thanks so much for having me here on your blog! Yep, you are soooo right--I love to talk---so y'all stop by and leave a comment and chat some!

    Thanks again for having me!
    Cheryl

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  2. Hey Cheryl,
    What? You shy? **Maggie holds onto her desk to keep from falling out of her chair**

    I enjoyed reading about you Cheryl, and I'm very excited about how your writing career is taking off.

    I'll bet all those piano lessons helped with your writing in many ways. They taught you about theme and movement and best of all, about moving your fingers fast!

    Keep up the great work! I'm a fan.

    www.maggietoussaint.com

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  3. Hi Maggie,

    See, I KNEW there were a couple of secrets about me that no one knew! LOL Oh, yes, I was shy in a lot of ways to the great disappointment of my mother. Piano did help me a lot, but every one of my fellow students got so terribly nervous when it was contest time, and I was in "good company"--I just learned to hide it better than some of the others. I wouldn't say it helped me get over being shy (which I think is one reason my parents insisted I do it) but it did make me into an excellent typist. LOL Here's another secret--at my prime, I could type upwards of 100 words per minute!

    I'm so glad you came over and commented, Maggie!

    Cheryl

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  4. Hi Cheryl and Celia,
    You ladies are always a load of fun and this was a great interview. I would love to hear some of your music, Cheryl. Do you still play? I'd love to have some piano music for background for a book video. (hint, hint)
    Love your work and you keep writing those western themes and beating up on your heroes. It's your trademark now. LOL

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  5. Hi Rebecca,

    I taught piano for YEARS! LOL My number one rule? NO RECITALS AND NO CONTESTS!!! You'd be surprised at the parents that just couldn't stand that. But the kids were so grateful.

    I still play, and need to be more diligent about my practicing. I have fallen out of the habit of doing it as I should. When I was in middle school/highschool, we were expected to practice no less than 2 hours every day.

    Lord, woman, you might be better off to get someone who actually has kept up with it better than I have to do your background music. I've been trying to get my son to open up a website to feature his music (kind of like Kevin MacLeod's)(SP?)If he ever gets that going I'll let you know.LOL

    Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! I'm off to work on another beaten up guy...LOL

    Cheryl

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  6. hi Cheryl, I know I will enjoy Times Plains Drifter. I love Nebraska.

    Celia, thanks for the great interview.

    Here's continued good wishes,

    ~Tanya
    www.tanyahanson.com

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  7. Hi Tanya,

    I hope you do enjoy it. It kind of "hops around"--starts out in Nebraska, 1879, then the main part of the story takes place in Indian Territory, 1895. But the heroine? She's from the future--2010. LOL

    Thanks so much for coming by and commenting, Tanya! I'm looking forward to the next "Marrying" book!

    Cheryl

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  8. Hi Cheryl and Celia,
    Great interview. I love your writing Cheryl, and fancy you being an accomplished piano player. You'll have to insert that into one of your stories, somhow.
    Regards
    Margaret

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  9. Hi Margaret!

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! What a nice compliment! Yes, I probably wouldn't have been if not for my mother. She was determined. I was stubborn. I think I would have given up the battle but she never did. LOL I WILL have to put in my writing somewhere! I never even thought of that.

    Thanks for reading and commenting, Margaret!

    Cheryl

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  10. Great interview, Cheryl and Celia! Love the cover for Time Plains Drifter, Cheryl - your daughter did an amazing job. Loved the excerpt too. Best of luck with your release.

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  11. I love time travel. And there's nothing more seductive in a story than when the hero or heroine accepts the other person unconditionally, no questions asked. Kudos to your daughter for the cover, Cheryl!

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  12. Hi Cate,

    I love that cover, too--just glad it's MINE. LOL Thanks so much--I will pass the compliment along to her--she'll be thrilled.

    Thanks for your kind words, Cate--I'm so glad you enjoyed the excerpt. This is a hard book to choose excerpts from because of the plot and storyline.

    Cheryl

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  13. Hi Liana,

    I think that working out the "logistics" of time travel and the paranormal aspects of the book were the hardest for me, since this is the first one like that I've ever written. I love Rafe because he is worried about a lot of things--not only the fact that he's dead and been 'brought back' and doesn't know if he even has any kind of future, but one of the main things he worries about is that she'll think he's 'old-fashioned'--which just endeared him in my mind even more. LOL

    Oh, Liana, Jessica will be so glad to hear that her cover was a hit. Thank you!

    Cheryl

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  14. Hey Cheryl and Celia! I'm late because I was out running, but you already know my thoughts about TPD. ;-)

    I hear you about wishing you'd done more about piano than you did. Kids. Can't tell 'em anything.

    Continued good wishes for this book and future ones!

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  15. Hi Loraine!

    Yes! Thanks again so much for your wonderful review of Time Plains Drifter. I appreciate you so much! And I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

    Yes, the piano thing...it was a huge bone of contention in our house. I'm glad that I have it NOW, because I can pretty much play anything I want, but being classically trained left little room for any type of creativity. I think that's one reason why I gravitated toward the guitar. LOL

    Thanks so much for your kind words! And thanks for stopping by.

    Cheryl

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  16. Good interview Celia and Cheryl! That is neat about your daughter doing the cover for TPD!! I didn't know that!

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  17. Martha!

    Yep, my daughter did that cover and that was her first one! She also did my blurb -- she's a great blurb writer, too. She does all of mine.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Cheryl

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  18. I took piano lessons a bazillion years ago when I was a kid. It's been ages since I tried to play anything. I don't know if I even remember where to put my fingers or how to read the music.

    Congrats on your new release!

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  19. Hi Penny,

    Well, I was about to shut this thing off and go to bed FINALLY. LOL

    I would so much rather teach adults. They are the ones who WANT to be there at the piano lessons. LOL I can say that truly in all my years of teaching, I had only a handful of kids who really loved it and wanted to do it. The others looked at it as drudgery. I always tried to make it fun for them by getting them music they might know--Disney stuff, etc. My teacher NEVER did that. LOL You better love Mozart, taking from her. LOL

    I'm so glad you stopped by. This was a fun day. Thanks for the congrats!

    Cheryl

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  20. Just a parting note to say thanks again to my friend Celia who comes up with the best interview questions ever. Thanks, Celia, for having me on your blog, and thanks to everyone for stopping by and commenting. I really had fun!

    Cheryl

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  21. CHERYL AND FRIENDS-thanks for helping us make this fun! Cheryl, you did well--your vivacious personality always shines through in your notes and comments. Celia

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  22. Hi Cheryl,
    I'm getting here late but I wanted to say I enjoyed your excerpt. I can't even imagine how you put all those elements together! Congrats to your daughter for the lovely cover. Best of luck in the EPPIES.

    Jana

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  23. Hi Jana!

    BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!! LOL I'm so glad you came over and commented. It means the world to have the friendship and support of my fellow authors. I'm nervous about the EPPIES, and having to wait so long is not helping. LOL So glad you enjoyed the excerpt! I will pass all the lovely compliments on to Jessica about the cover--she will be so thrilled.

    Thanks again, Jana.
    Cheryl

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  24. Wow, am I ewver late, like about 5 days. I missed the announcement. But I did want to say how much I enjoyed learning more about you, Cheryl and also reading the excerpt. And isn't it nice to have kids who can help with our work? My son-in-law, with input from my daughter, makes my book videos. I wish you much succes with all your books, and to you, too, Celia, my dear friend.
    Linda

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  25. Cheryl, beautiful excerpt!

    Celia, why don't you have Cheryl guest at HAPPILY EVER AFTER, if she'd like to.

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  26. Hi Savanna,

    THANK YOU! I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. I am an excerpt fiend--love to read them and post them. LOL I would love to do another guest spot at Happily Ever After--it's been forever since I guested over there. Thanks for thinking of me, Savanna, and thanks for commenting here!

    Cheryl

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