Author Cheryl Brooks - Guest Post and Giveaway

Today author Cheryl Brooks is here to celebrate her new release, FUGITIVE.  I just started reading this series and I am loving it! She is a talented author and wonderful person to chat with!  Here is what Ms. Brooks had to share with everyone!

Cheryl Brooks Guest Blog, author of Fugitive

Hello, there! My name is Cheryl Brooks, and I’m the author of The Cat Star Chronicles series of erotic futuristic romance. The latest installment, Fugitive, is now on the shelves, so I’m making the rounds of all the terrific romance blogs to promote its release. Today, My Overstuffed Bookshelf has asked me to discuss my favorite part about writing Fugitive and what my ideal writing day would be like.

Aside from all the steamy love scenes, my favorite part about writing Fugitive was creating the fun supporting characters. When I first began this series, I envisioned a species of alien men who were the best lovers in the galaxy, and I’ve got another hot one in Manx, but to add to the fun of Fugitive, I came up with the ultimate housekeeping droid, Klog. His name is an acronym for Keeping the Lid On the Garbage and though he doesn't talk, he's a terrific cook and always knows just exactly what you're craving. An astute judge of character, he instinctively knows the good guys from the bad, and if it comes down to a fight, he’s got your back. He can clean your house, wash and mend your clothes, smooth out the sand on the beach, squirt whipped cream out of his “finger,” and whip up one helluva margarita. And he does all of this while speaking only in beeps, chirps, buzzes, and mumbles. So far, every woman who has read the book wants a Klog and a Manx, in that order!

Then there is Zef, the eltran, who has a mouth like a drunken sailor and a heart of gold. He’s an ugly, lumpy, aging amphibian who looks like a mudskipper with a bad case of poison ivy. He loves to talk, and has taken on the role of matchmaker/go-between with Manx, the sexy Zetithian hero who has taken refuge in the jungle of Barada Seven, and Drusilla, a wildlife artist who has been too busy painting to notice the lack of love in her life. Writing Zef’s dialog was a liberating exercise in unrestrained comments on life, love, and the world in general.

As fun as it was to write Fugitive, the days that I spent writing it were far from ideal. Distractions and setbacks abound during the penning of a novel, but if I could just have that one perfect day—or two or three—just think how many books I could write in a year! I might even be able to keep up with my original attempt to write a 90,000 word book every three months. Alas, those days when I could just write books are a thing of the past. Now that I’m published, I’m writing blogs, editing, promoting, and revising all the time. But since I’ve been asked to describe my ideal writing day, I must ponder this question, so here goes:

That perfect day would be one in which I didn't get hungry—or at least had Klog here to do the shopping and prepare my meals for me. It would be a day in which the words would flow without interruption or hesitation. I wouldn't get tired and feel the need to dive into my bed (which is right next to my desk) when fatigue overcomes me. I would have brilliant ideas and always have just the right words to convey them to my readers. My feet would be warm. My hip wouldn't hurt. My chair would be comfortable. My computer wouldn't lock up. The phone wouldn't ring. Emails could pop up but would not tempt me away from my work. My puppy wouldn’t wet on the carpet, but would bark cheerfully to call me to the door to let her out. And above all, my house would be clean!

On that day, I wouldn't feel the need to check Facebook to feed my fish on Fishville or harvest my pineapples on Farm Town. I wouldn't fret over whether or not my editor will like what I've written; I would simply write it the way I want it and not get upset when I have to make revisions. I wouldn't think of something else I needed to do and have to stop in the middle of a sentence to address the situation—like I just did while I was writing this blog. I could focus on one thing at a time, instead of having to multitask.

All that being said, any day spent writing is a good one. I enjoy what I do and wouldn’t have missed this experience for the world. I’ve loved interacting with my readers and hearing their comments on what I’ve written. Romance readers are the best fans in the world and they make it all worthwhile.

Now, if I could only find a Klog of my very own…

About the Author

Cheryl Brooks is an Intensive Care Unit nurse by night and a romance writer by dayt. Previous books in The Cat Star Chronicles series include Slave, Warrior, Rogue and Outcast. Hero, book six, will be in stores August 2010. She is a member of the RWA and lives with her husband and sons in Bloomfield, Indiana. For more information, please visit http://cherylbrooksonline.com/

FUGITIVE BY CHERYL BROOKS—IN STORES JANUARY 2010

When a Zetithian fugitive meets a beautiful Earth woman, their passion may cost them both their lives...

Manx is a Zetithian fugitive with a feline gene that gives him remarkable sexual powers. He has been in hiding in the remote jungles of Barada Seven ever since being marked for extermination by the violent Nedwuts.

Artist Drusilla arrives on Barada Seven, enticed only by the promise of finding a nature paradise there. But she discovers a wildlife she wasn’t expecting when she encounters Manx. Reckless with desire for the beautiful Earth woman, Manx risks his life to win her as his mate.

It’s only a matter of time until the Nedwuts find them, but it will take all of Manx and Drusilla’s passion, skill, and ingenuity to survive.

 

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to Soucebooks, I have 2 copies of Fugitive to giveaway.  This prize will come straight from the publisher!  So 2 copies means 2 winners!!

To enter the contest:

1. Be a follower of my blog!

2. Leave a comment with your email address and if you have a question for Cheryl or just want to say hi, give her a shout out!

3. USA and Canada only. No PO Boxes!

That's it! Contest will end on Feb. 1rst, 2010 with the winners being announced the following day!

GOOD LUCK!

Thank you so much Cheryl for joining me at My Overstuffed Bookshelf today! I wish you all the success with your current books and all future books!