Interview with Cherry Adair
SR: When
did you start writing and how did you get started?
Cherry:
I started writing before I really even knew how to write. A toddler’s version
of shorthand which I would 'read' to my mother every night. <g> Unfortunately,
my handwriting hasn't improved much, but the good side is my stories have
become a little more cohesive.
SR: How long had you
been writing before you were published?
Cherry:
I wrote about 17 complete manuscripts before I was published in 1994. Needless
to say, they were all training exercises, and were duly, and with great
ceremony, shredded many years ago, never to see the light of day.
SR: Tell us a bit about
your first book THE MERCENARY. Do you expect it to be reprinted in
the near future?
Cherry:
I'd love THE MERCENARY to be reprinted one day. I took out more than 100
pages, and would love to tweak it and reinsert those scenes. I think that
reader’s would enjoy seeing the bigger story, too.
SR: Why was there so
long a gap between the publication of THE MERCENARY and KISS AND TELL?
Cherry:
Life happened. I was still writing, but not
consistently, and nothing I'd want anyone to see <g>. Then Life settled
down to a dull roar and I was able to enthusiastically dive right back
into my writing. KISS AND TELL was the result. Now with a consistent writing
schedule I’m able to produce books more regularly and get them out into
the hands of eager readers.
SR: As our theme this
month is exotic locales, could you tell us a bit about the settings of
your books? How do you do your research?
Cherry:
I consider the location of my books to be almost another character. And
as such, I research as much as possible. I draw on what I know, then add
verisimilitude by talking to people who live there, or have recently visited
the place I'm writing about. The library is a wealth of information, as
is the internet. I listen to music from the region, and try to immerse
myself in the feel and taste of the place as I write. (I particularly enjoy
the 'taste' part of the research <g>)
SR: Could you tell us
a little bit about KISS AND TELL and HIDE AND SEEK? Please tell us about
the fascinating family that you've created and what we can expect from
them in the future.
Cherry:
I had no idea Marnie Wright had brothers until she started coming alive
on the page as I started writing. I had to work pretty hard to keep the
four strong personalities from deciding the book was about them and not
their sister. <g> Every time I thought I could push the Musketeers into
the background, something would happen to make Marnie (and me!) remember
them. I had no choice. By the end of KISS AND TELL I knew I had to give
each Wright brother a book of his own.
Kyle demanded to be next –
so he got to go to the jungles of South America. And deal with Delanie
Eastman. And the heat. The snakes. The bad guys (and lady) and a multitude
of other problems. I thought he handled them all admirably <g>
Next up (as it were <g>)
will be Michael Wright. No longer a Navy SEAL he's a wounded warrior sailing
the world in search of inner peace. Poor baby, he had no idea just how
much trouble I could churn up for him when I put my mind to it (and I certainly
put my mind to it.) You can always find more details about upcoming
books on my website at www.cherryadair.com.
SR: What attracts you
to men in the special forces and this type of adventure based book?
Cherry:
I love action adventure. Reading it, writing it, or seeing it in a movie.
Men (and women) in special forces have that certain something the we admire.
They tend to be strong, ethical, honorable, larger than life. They have
to make difficult choices in a split second.
SR: How do you come
up with the fabulous adventure stories in your books? In HIDE AND SEEK
the story includes a psychotic woman involved in the slave trade.... how
do you do research on this type of thing?
Cherry:
I have an over active imagination <g>.
I try to get my characters into tricky situations. . .and then make it
MUCH worse. It's a lot of fun, and much more productive than
therapy <g>.
SR: Have you thought
about writing other types of books?
Cherry:
I write what I love to read. Romance. And I'll always write romance because
there aren’t enough happy endings in the world. We need something that
gives us the opportunity to sit back and relax for those few hours before
we dive back into the grit of real life. Romance gives us that and
much more. They are the stories we read when we need a respite
from our busy lives. The books we turn to when we are sitting by the beside
of a loved one in the hospital. Or when we've had one of those
days. I want to continue writing stories that can transport
my readers somewhere magical, somewhere fun, somewhere where they don't
have to do anything more strenuous than put their feet up, sip a cup of
tea and hang on for the ride. A $6.00 vacation if you will. If I can continue
to give readers that kind of an experience, why would I want to write anything
else?
As for writing different types
of books, I feel I already do. The books I write for Temptation or
Blaze are different from my Ballantine Single Titles. I enjoy writing the
shorter length as a change of pace. They are still romance, but don't usually
have any running-jumping-falling down-shooting in them. <g>
SR: What all do you
have planned for the future?
Cherry:
Each of the Wright brother will have his own book. Then I have to write
Huntington St. John's story, then there's Darius, and Alex. . .and. . .and.
. and. . .the list is endless. <G>
SR: How do you get your
ideas?
Cherry:
I get idea's everywhere. T.V news. The newspaper. A snippet of conversation
in a grocery store. I have more idea's than I know what to do with.
I just wish I wrote faster so that I could write more of them!
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