Title: Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies
Author: Cynthia Cooke
Publisher:
Entangled Publishing (Dead Sexy Imprint)
Release Date: May 12, 2012
Synopsis:
Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored.
After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future...as well as their very lives.
Interview with Cynthia Cooke
Kristin: Tell us a little bit about yourself and where
you live?
Cynthia: I’m a
mom of three kids. My youngest, boy-girl twins, just graduated from high school!
I’m still recovering. I spent most of my life in California but now live In
North Carolina. I love the beaches here, and especially love to scuba dive.
~My oldest just graduated and I cried my eyes out
the whole ceremony.
Kristin: What is the name of the book you are
currently promoting and would you like to tell us a little about it?
Cynthia: It’s
the first book out in Entangled Publishing’s new Dead Sexy Romantic Suspense
line.
It’s an action adventure book a lot like Alias or Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Lot
of sexy fun!
Here’s a small
excerpt to give you a hint:
Kyle
stared in disbelief at the odd, mushroom-shaped structure rising up from
the cracked, dry earth of the Nevada desert.
“There
she is,” the voice of Johnny Garino, his crew chief and closest friend, buzzed
in his earpiece.
Genie
stood on the roof of the strange house. Three black SUVs were corralled on
the ground far below her. She looked incredible, breathtaking, silhouetted
against the brilliant blue sky. Kyle sucked in a breath as
she clipped a cable to her belt.
“She’s
getting ready to fly!” Johnny called out, his voice rising in pitch.
“Hold
on, baby. I’m almost there.” Kyle pushed down on the throttle urging the
bird faster, even as he willed Genie to turn and see him, to hold on until
he could sweep her away from the danger. And once he did, once he had
her safe and secure in his cockpit, then what?
Then
he’d try not to kill her himself.
Kristin: Where did you come up for the idea for your
book?
Cynthia: I loved
that show Heroes, and I thought it would be really fun to write a book about
Government agents that had special ‘abilities’.
It took off from there. I have three really strong women with special
talents and the trouble those abilities cause themselves and the men in their
lives.
Kristin: Tell us a little about your main
character(s).
Cynthia: Genie,
my heroine, is all about family, and when her family is in trouble will
sacrifice everything and does to help them. She also has a big secret she’s
trying desperately to keep, even when she knows keeping it just might cost her
everything she loves.
Kyle is all
about the job. He is a really good at what he does, and when his job is to
rescue Genie, who 8 months earlier had abandoned him and left his heart broken
in a million pieces all over the ground, he pulls up his bootstraps and jumps
in, because if nothing else, Kyle is always a good soldier. And luckily, Genie
knows that.
Kristin: Who is your favorite character from your book
and why?
Cynthia: That’s
a toughie. The all have so many issues. Genie is a triplet and both her sisters
have their own secrets and fears that I can’t wait to delve into. And Kyle
always wants to do the right thing, but he also wants to help Genie, and
sometimes he just can’t have it both ways, and that’s really hard for him.
Kristin: Do you feel like you put parts of yourself in
your characters?
Cynthia: Probably,
how can you not? These characters grow from inside us. I’ve never had sisters,
but have always wanted one. I loved the idea of always having a best friend out
there who is family, who will always be there. But of course, that is my
fantasy of what having a sister would be like. Watching my own girls, sometimes
I wonder if once they’re out on their own if they’ll ever talk to each other
again. Writing the bantering / fight scenes between Genie and her sisters was a
kick in the pants. But there was still a lot of love there. They might not be
best friends, but they are certainly family. And for them, family always comes
first.
~I have a sister and I’m sure my mom thought we’d
never talk again once we left the house, but now we’re closer than ever and I’ll
fight anyone for her.
Kristin: Will there be a sequel or do you have another
project in the works?
Cynthia: Yes, I
will be working on Cat’s book next, which won’t be easy since she is already
married with kids. But then, she’s been lying to her husband and keeping a
doozy of a secret. This isn’t going to go well once he finds out. And how will
his deal with that, considering, he’s been keeping a dark secret himself. And
then there is the third sister, Becca. Becca is going to need a lot of work to
bring her character around. She is a handful to say the least. A big one.
~I think I like Becca already!
Kristin: How long did the entire process from writing
your current work to getting it published take?
Cynthia: I
actually came up with the idea for this book a while ago, but then put it aside
as other contracts came in. When I finally had a free moment and heard about
Entangled Publishing opening a new Romantic Suspense line, I took out the story
idea and started reworking it. All in all, it took about five to six months to
get it molded and shine like the story I wanted it to be.
Kristin: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Cynthia: TV, movies, other books, the Internet,
my children. A picture. Life. Really everywhere.
Kristin: Do you have any “rituals” when you write?
Cynthia: Coffee.
:D
~A girl’s gotta have her coffee!
Kristin: If you couldn’t be an author, but anything
else…what would you be?
Cynthia: I would
love to paint. I don’t paint. I tried once, but I’m too much of a
perfectionist, and need a lot more time to work on it than I have. I’d also
love to learn how to make jewelry. I like to make things with my hands.
Kristin: Independently published, commercially
published, or self-published?
Cynthia: I’ve
been writing for Harlequin for the past nine years. Other than this Dead Sexy
book, I should have two werewolf books coming out from Harlequin Nocturne in
2014.
Kristin: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring
writers?
Cynthia: Write.
Read. Learn. Join writing groups. Do not stop learning. Do not give up.
Persistence, discipline and faith in yourself is everything.
Kristin: When did reading and writing become important
you?
Cynthia: I’ve
always been a huge reader and from that grew my love of writing.
Fun Stuff
Kristin: The apocalypse is coming…what do you do?
Cynthia: Oh, do
you mean Zombie Apocalypse, because I totally LOVE the Walking Dead. :D Though,
really I would think taking over an island would be the best thing to do. A
tropical one, of course.
~I’m with you. A tropical island sounds like the
safest place when it comes to Zombie, or any other kind of, Apocalypse.
Kristin: If you were stranded on an island, name the 5
things you could not live without?
Cynthia: Oh,
funny considering my last answer. Other than food and water? I suppose I
couldn’t have my e-reader or iPhone? Hmm. Insect repellent. Pen and notebook. Sunscreen.
Knife.
Kristin: What 5 things are within your reach right
now? No cheating?
Cynthia: Water.
TV remote. Sunflower seeds. IPhone. Computer.
Kristin: Favorite Food?
Cynthia: Tacos
Kristin:
Favorite Movie?
Cynthia: Don’t
have one. Terrible, I know.
Kristin: Favorite TV show?
Cynthia: General
Hospital, CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, Vampire Diaries, Medium (when it was on)
Fringe, Supernatural – I have lots.
~It appears we could be best friends based solely on
television. I haven’t watched General Hospital in some time though. Might need
to get on that.
Kristin:
Favorite Song?
Cynthia: Bring
on the Rain
Kristin:
Favorite singer or band? Right now?
Cynthia: Adele.
~I do love all things Adele! As one of my favorite
authors would say…she’s made of awesome sauce.
Kristin: One food you would never try?
Cynthia: Turtle
soup
~Um…ick!
Kristin:
Health nut or junk food junkie?
Cynthia: Junk
food junkie though I won’t eat beef. I really wish I could be a vegetarian. I
try not to eat a lot of meat.
Kristin:
The most exotic food you have ever eaten?
Cynthia: Snails
Kristin: Day on the beach or snow skiing down a
mountain?
Cynthia: Beach.
Love the beach. Don’t care if I ever see snow.
~I despise snow.
Kristin: If you could move anywhere on this Earth,
where would it be?
Cynthia: Hawaii
so I could dive all the time.
Kristin:
Two books you think everyone should read. (Yes, you can and should include
yours.)
Cynthia: Mine,
of course, and The Sookie Stackhouse series – because I loved it. Her humor is wonderful.
Kristin: Places my readers can stalk you?
I'd like to thank Cynthia for stopping by Better Read Than Dead and answering a lot of questions. In case you missed the banner at the top of my blog, be sure you check out Entangled Publishing's new Imprint...Dead Sexy. Entangled has so many great authors and imprints, it's beginning to be hard to keep up with them all but I've yet to read anything from Entangled that I didn't love! Be sure to check out some of titles.
*Review coming later this week! Just from the excerpt I'm wishing I wasn't a day or so behind on my reading. The kids are home for the summer and well...it's insane around here.
