If you’re a frequent Jen’s Jewels
reader, then you know about my not-so-secret fascination
with becoming an F.B.I. agent. Of course, it must
include donning a stunning evening gown with a
pistol discreetly strapped to my thigh. If you
throw in secret powers along with the hot dress
and gun, I would be on the next train out of there!
Kind of like I Dream of Jeanie meets James Bond.
That would be me!
You might be surprised to learn that I’m
not the only one who dreams of espionage and celestial
beings. New York Times Bestselling Author Cherry
Adair is here this month talking about her latest
paranormal action-packed suspense novel entitled
NIGHT SHADOW. If you’re one of her many
loyal fans, than you know that this is the final
book in her latest explosive trilogy. And if Cherry
Adair is a new name to you, then hold on to your
hat! You’re in for a wild ride.
As part of this interview, Ballantine Books has
generously donated five copies for you, my lucky
readers, to win. So, don’t forget to look
for the trivia question at the end of the column.
And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels
part of your reading adventure. I’m so glad
you’re here.
Jen: From Cape Town, South Africa to San Francisco,
CA, your lifelong experiences have attributed
to your panache for writing award-winning novels
that consistently top the bestseller lists. So
that my readers may have a better understanding
of the talented woman behind the successes, please
tell us about your educational and professional
background that led to you becoming a writer.
Cherry: I was born and raised in Cape Town, South
Africa and went to school there, graduating from
the University of Cape Town with degrees in business
and interior design. In my early 20’s I
moved half way across the globe to the United
States in search of adventure. J I eventually
settled in San Francisco and opened an interior
design business, which I loved for the endless
creative challenges. I’ve always been an
avid reader and between seeing clients I could
always be found with my nose in a book. Eventually
my brain became crowded with characters and stories
of my own and they demanded to be told. I eventually
sold the business and started to write full time.
These days I live on the banks of a lake in my
dream home where my office has nine-foot ceilings,
two plush overstuffed armchairs, a fireplace,
a television and built-in bookcases that house
several thousands of my keepers.
Jen: As you know, the publishing business is
a hard nut to crack. I read that you had written
seventeen novels prior to selling to Harlequin.
What perseverance! Was there a defining moment
along the way that stands out as “the”
turning point in your career?
Cherry: For many writers the BIG moment is hitting
the New York Times Best seller list. But for me
the major turning point was when I created a career
plan for writing. I’d sold one book THE
MERCENARY, and then not sold again for a period
of almost five years. Once I began to treat writing
as a job and not just something I loved to do,
it changed my entire perception of what I was
doing and why I was doing it. To this day I still
get dressed for work (hair, make-up, shoes lol)
just as I did with the interior design business,
even though the commute just down the stairs is
considerably shorter.
Jen: And now, in respect to your craft, in what
areas have you experienced the most growth and
how so? Would you agree with the statement that
we, as writers, are never truly satisfied with
our work and continually strive to reach the highest
plateau?
Cherry: I know I’ve
experienced tremendous growth in my posterior
region with all the sitting. I like to think I’ve
grown in every aspect of my writing, and I would
agree with your statement. I’m continually
striving to improve my craft. Learning and reaching
is a natural extension of the desire to learn
new things and grow in our abilities. The reason
people hold world records is because they are
constantly challenging themselves to go just that
little bit further. As an author I feel compelled
to do the same. My last book isn’t my measure
of success, it’s always the book I’m
working on that demands more.
Jen: From conception to completion, what is the
most challenging part of a novel to write and
why? What is the most rewarding part and why?
Cherry: To me writing is like building a house,
and not that dissimilar to the business I used
to be in – interior design. The first draft
is the blueprint for the building of the house.
It’s a lot of left brain functions and by
necessity -logic and reasoning. The hardest part
of the book for me is writing the first draft.
Once I have that done, I can go back and do all
the fun things I love. (The choice of carpets
and drapes and artwork, the colors and textures
that take it from an interesting, but anyone could
do it house, into a home filled with color and
life.) Layering in description, fine-tuning dialogue
so that it zings, rewriting passages where the
pacing is too slow or find places to insert a
bit of research to make something more authentic.
Going back and rewriting is the fun part for me.
Jen: Your latest release, NIGHT SHADOW, is the
third and final book in your highly popular paranormal
romance trilogy. For those readers who are not
familiar (yet!) with the storyline, please give
us a quick overview of the series. Do you have
to read the first book in order to understand
the overall common thread that links these books
together?
Cherry: NIGHT FALL,
NIGHT SECRETS and NIGHT SHADOW, are a trilogy
within the continuing T-FLAC series. All three
operatives in these stories are wizards who were
mentored by the same powerful scientist Mason
Knight. When they find their powers short-circuiting,
at the worst times, they begin to realize that
something is wrong and connected to all three
of them. Eventually we discover that a rogue army
of wizards is directly related to them and that
their existence may be the biggest threat to the
people they love, the organization they serve
and the world they’ve sworn to protect.
Of course these books, like all my books, are
best summarized best this way; running, shooting,
chasing, shooting, sex, running, love, hot sex,
shooting, chasing, sex, running, vanquishing the
bad guy, and getting the girl kick-butt-his-equal-in-every-way-woman.
Jen: On the first page of the book, it reads:
Moscow 55 45 08 37 36 56 02 10 08. What do these
numbers represent? And, what significance do they
have in relation to the plot?
Cherry: While I’d love to give it away,
(no I wouldn’t! lol) that’s part of
the plot that readers will uncover as they read
NIGHT SHADOW.
Jen: Your reputation for writing action-packed,
hotter than fire romantic suspense novels is what
keeps your readers coming back for more. First
of all, how much research goes into each book?
Secondly, why write about anti-terrorist cells?
Do you come from a military family or is it just
simply something that interests you?
Cherry: To answer the first part of your question,
I do a tremendous amount of research for every
book. Each book has its own 12” binder filled
to overflowing with information on everything
from weapons to details about careers, information
on the different exotic locations in the book
and scientific or specific information. I like
to talk to people who talk the talk and walk the
walk, and have met and spoken to some fascinating
people along the way. For example- Jacques-Yves
Cousteau’s grandson Fabien Cousteau helped
me extensively (the fact that he’s as delicious
looking as one of my heroes didn’t hurt
either! J) with research and interesting bits
and pieces for IN TOO DEEP which had the hero,
ex-Navy SEAL Michael Wright, sailing around the
world, living on his boat and fighting his fear
of water.
I write T-FLAC and counterterrorist stories because
the safety of the world is a relevant topic in
today’s climate. I’m fascinated by
military personnel and what it requires for these
true-life heroes to go out every day to make the
world a safer place for the rest of us.
Jen: A quirky, yet endearing, part of this book
is that the main characters share the same name…Alex
Stone. Of course, the protagonist is Alexandra
and her love interest is Alexander. Why did you
choose to write it in this way?
Cherry: One of the reasons
I did it was to help me showcase the difference
in operatives. People assume that when you are
dealing with military personnel, they are all
interchangeable. They’re soldiers. But that’s
not true. Each and every one is an individual
with families, hopes, dreams, fears and needs.
The same can be said of my characters. While they
might dress the same, learn the same things, and
in this case share the same name, they are still
unique individuals with their own worries, fears
and strengths. (And because I knew the same name
thing would irritate Lexi no end. )
Jen: Tacking on to that last question, besides
the same name, how else are they similar? And
who is the stronger character and why?
Cherry: Both operatives bring their own strengths
to the table. I deliberately made sure one wasn’t
stronger than the other, but that they need the
strengths of each other to come through their
mission, each offering an essential contribution.
Jen: The sexual tension between these two characters
is hard to miss. From one novel to the next, how
do you manage to keep these scenes fresh without
going overboard? Do you find love scenes difficult
to write or just par for the course?
Cherry: Thank you I
always start with character and emotion when I
write a love scene. There are only so many places
you can slot A into B- and that’s basically
choreography. I’m more interested in who
these people are- to themselves and to one another-
than what body part goes where. That, I think,
is what makes each scene fresh and different,
because no two people are alike.
Jen: Now that the series is complete, are you
at work on your next project?
Cherry: Yes. But it’s top secret at the
moment. Rest assured however, that it will be
jam-packed with my unique blend of action, adventure,
romance and suspense.
Jen: As I have previously said, your books are
most certainly fast-paced, action-packed thrillers
that keep the reader on the edge of her seat!
In light of this fact, a question I just have
to ask … are you a James Bond fan? Do you
plan on seeing the new movie, QUANTUM OF SOLACE?
Cherry: Yes, I’m a James Bond fan, but
I prefer Sean Connery and I have a difficult time
seeing anyone else in the role, although I enjoyed
Pierce Brosnan. That said, I’ll go to see
QUANTUM OF SOLACE because it’s a great action
flick and I love movies.
Jen: Of all the websites I have had the pleasure
of visiting, by far, yours takes the cake. Bravo!
If you wouldn’t mind, please tell us how
you came up with the concept and also take us
on a brief tour touching upon the highlights of
the site.
Cherry: Thanks, I think
my new site is a lot of fun, too. www.cherryadair.com
or www.tflac.com
went live in 2008. Since I’m so visual,
I really wanted to give my readers and visitors
a feel for the T-FLAC world I’ve created.
It opens with a rotating 3-D view of the T-FLAC
command center. Visitors will find dossiers on
my operatives, pictures (so, so cool I can’t
believe that these pictures were found or photoshopped
AFTER the books were written.) associated with
the different missions my characters have been
on, as well as interviews, book excerpts and more
to entertain them.
It takes over an hour just to look at the images
alone (Do something in moderation? Ffftt! Not
me!) considerably more if people want to read
excerpts, or delve into interviews with each operative
or check out their passports. Frankly, while I
find the site engrossing and riveting (lol), I
never expected anyone else to spend hours upon
hours there, so I was stunned to discover that
thousands of my readers are doing just that. And
not only have they looked at, and read every word
on the site – they’ve done it more
than once! And still, they claim they are constantly
surprised by the cool and interesting things they
missed the first time around.
While it was an enormous amount of work for everyone
involved, it was a labor of love, and I’m
extremely proud of it. (and it’s a shining
example of how I can’t seem to do anything
in moderation! Lol)
Jen: Are there discussion guides available for
your books? Also, do you participate in author
phone chats? And if so, how would my readers go
about scheduling one?
Cherry: Yes, each book
has a discussion guide available. Me, talk? Of
course! (see above re: moderation!) I love talking
with readers. The best way for you to get both
the discussion guides or arrange phone chats,
or workshops is to contact Blue Moon Communications
at 360-895-0879 or by email bluemooncomm@aol.com.
And if any of your readers would like one of
my pithy 2’ buttons, (So Many Books, So
Little, Time, Today Requires Chocolate or No Good
Deed Goes Unpunished.) a bookmark or a personalized
signed bookplate – they can send a SASE
to Cherry Adair Free Stuff, P. O. Box 8591, Covington,
Wa 98042.
Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of
your busy tour schedule to stop by and chat with
my readers. I wish you the best of luck in 2009!
Please stop by again! I can’t wait for your
next series!
Cherry: Thanks for the invitation to talk with
you, this has been fun! Don’t forget that
books make the best gifts. They are never the
wrong size, always calorie-free, perfect for every
gender and age and never need batteries. Happy
Holidays!
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Cherry!
Now it’s time for the trivia contest. Be
one of the first five people to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com
with the correct answer to the following question
and you’ll win your very own copy of NIGHT
SHADOW.
Besides www.cherryadair.com,
what is the other address for her website?
Thank you so much for joining me each and every
month. I want to take this opportunity to wish
all of my loyal readers a happy and safe holiday
season.
Next time, I will be bringing to you my interview
with New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Berry.
You won’t want to miss it!
Happy Holidays!
Jen
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