Please Welcome Cynthia Eden

I am so excited to have my first guest author today. Please welcome Cynthia Eden, who graciously agreed to doing an interview with me.

Can you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?

Sure, but first—thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Greta!  J 

Hi, everyone!  I’m Cynthia, and I write paranormals. And I write them, because, well, I love them. Love vampires and shifters and demons…oh, my.  LOL. 

How long have you been writing? 

Hmmm…I’ve written as long as pretty much can remember, and I completed my first manuscript when I was 18 (a long, long time ago…), but for the last five years, I would say that I have been really buckling down and focusing on my craft. 

What is your writing process like?   

I write 10 pages a day, pretty much everyday when I am working on a manuscript. I go through the first draft in about 40-45 days (no weekend breaks), and then, when I’d finished with that draft, I let the story sit for about a week. I like that “sitting” time because it allows me to get some distance from the story so that when I go back for my editing, I can look at the writing with a more critical eye.  I generally do one long, editing/revising check which lasts about two weeks. 

Midnight Sins

 Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming release – Midnight Sins?

 MIDNIGHT SINS is the second book in my “Midnight” trilogy (HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT was the first releases.)  The hero in MIDNIGHT SINS is Detective Todd Brooks (Colin’s partner) and his heroine, well, she’s a succubus.  I think of this story as Basic Instinct meets The X-Files. 

Where did you get the concept or idea for this book?

The hero and heroine for this book were both introduced in HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT.  Cara, the heroine, was the succubus who wanted love, not sex (she was one of Dr. Emily Drake’s paranormal patients).  And, meanwhile, Todd was the unsuspecting human—the guy who didn’t know about all the supernatural beings in the world around him. I really wanted to pair Todd up with one of the Other and Cara seemed perfect for him. So, I started this book with the characters, and the plot developed from their interactions.   

Hotter After Midnight

Midnight Sins is the sequel to Hotter After Midnight, will there be anymore books in this series?

 Yes—one more.  J 

In July of 09, MIDNIGHT’S MASTER will hit the bookshelves.  That book—well, it’s my demon Niol’s story.  Niol also plays a very important role in MIDNIGHT SINS.  I won’t tell you exactly what he does, don’t want to be spoilerish, but the story wouldn’t be the same without him!

Other than paranormal, do you write in any other romance sub-genre? If not would you like to and if so what sub-genres? 

Oh, good question! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and I’d enjoy also writing romantic suspense stories.  I’ve had so much fun with the suspense elements in my paranormals that I think I’d like to try straight RS. I’d also be open to writing paranormal YA.  Over the holidays, I might try writing one, just for fun. 

Do your characters talk to you?            Yes!!

(If so who talks more your heroes or heroines?)

Well, that depends on the story.  For my March 09 release, IMMORTAL DANGER, my heroine Maya talked to me—and she talked loudly. All the time. 

But, when I was writing the first book in my paranormal bounty hunter series (still untitled, sorry!), Jude (the white tiger shifter hero) talked to me more.  He stayed in my head to the extent that I would literally tell my husband, “You know, Jude would never do that…” Or “Jude would say…”  At one point, the hubby told me, “You know he’s not real, right?”  I just gave him THE STARE in reply. 

As an author, you must be an avid reader. What books do you enjoy reading? Who are your auto-buy authors?

I do so enjoy reading. I love paranormals (of course!) and funny contemporaries. My auto-buys?  Christine Feehan, Larissa Ione, Angela Knight, Alyssa Day, Lora Leigh, Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Howard…oh, I don’t think I have enough space to write them all.  I have way, way too many favorites!

 What books are on your keep shelf? 

I have piles and piles of keeper books.  I’ve got books that are old and yellow from the 80s (the old Jayne Castle Guinevere Jones books), and I’ve got new books like Lora Leigh’s MERCURY’S WAR.

Do you read books other than romance books?

Sometimes I read horror novels, but I really like my happy endings, so romances are my primary books. 

What was the first romance book you read?

THE ASKING PRICE by Amanda Browning. It was a Harlequin Romance. After that—I was addicted to romance novels.   

If one of your books was made into a movie, which book would you like it to be and which actors would like to see as the lead characters?   

I’d love to see HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT made into a movie. (A girl can so dream.)  But, honestly, I have no ideas about the actors.  Maybe Kate Beckinsale as Emily Drake and Gerard Butler as Colin.  Hey—if I’m dreaming, I’ll dream big!

If you could switch lives with one of your characters who would if be & why?

Oh, I don’t know if I’d want to switch lives with them. They have a lot of drama going on—I like my easy, quiet life better, I think.

Immortal Danger

What will be your next release after Midnight Sins?

IMMORTAL DANGER will release on March 31, 2009. It’s set in the same world as my Midnight books, but none of the Midnight characters appear in this book. My heroine is a vampire and my hero is a dragon shifter.  This book has a strong urban fantasy feel—or, at least, I think it does. 

What are you currently working on?

My second paranormal bounty hunter book.  My heroine has just been attacked by an Ignitor (like Drew Barrymore in the Firestarter movie).  Trying to put out the flames now…

 When you are not writing or reading, what do you enjoying doing in your spare time? 

I go to the movies—a lot. I love the escaping into a good movie (just like I enjoy escaping into a good book).

 Thank you for taking the time to interview me!  I had a great time responding to these questions.  

***Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Midnight Sins from Cynthia***

Winner will be announced tomorrow!