{Author Interview} Cynthia Cooke Author of Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies

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?

Website

Twitter

Facebook 

Goodreads 

Amazon

Barnes andNoble  

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.