Wednesday, June 8, 2011

"Oh, brain! Oh, brain! Why have you deserted me?"

Please welcome back to Over Coffee, one of my favorite romance authors, Cheryl Brooks.


I've love visiting Cheryl's version of the galaxy. And those Zetithian's are hot. But more than sexy heroes, what won my heart for this series was her delightful secondary characters. I look forward to each book to see which hero will be showcased but also what fun new characters will show up. 


Wait until you meet, Kots, Waroun, and Quinn. Oh and, Threldigan, is an intriguing character who whets your appetite for more about who and what he is. If you haven't yet read any of her Star Cat Chronicles, you are missing out on a fun sexy series filled with exotic place, sexy heroes, adventures, battles and love. 


The Virgin does well as a stand alone and a great place to start.  Just sayin'. :-D


Cheryl's discussion is one I can certainly relate to. Enjoy.


There was a time when my brain never forgot a single thing. It could recall facts, figures, and bits of trivia in an instant. It could interpret 99% of all situations correctly. What it didn’t already know, it could easily absorb. Problem solving was its specialty. Given enough time, it would come up with the perfect solution all by itself. People used to borrow my brain when theirs got tired. But now that I’m working full-time, writing for two publishers, and trying to get a book ready to self-publish on Amazon, my trusty noggin has deserted me.

Granted, this desertion began at the time of life when most women’s memories decide to retire, but since it’s about ten years prior to the accepted retirement age and I need it more than ever before, the timing couldn’t be worse. At present, I’m using every spare moment to write and the things I used to do in my spare time have slowly been preempted. My garden is neglected. My horse herd has dwindled from five down to two, and neither of them have worn a saddle in years. I could probably figure out just how many years it’s been if I gave my sluggish mind enough time, but that would be too depressing. I still ride, but it’s a half hour lesson at a local stable once a week instead of the day long riding/grooming marathons at my own barn. My horses don’t complain, but on those days that I spend an hour or so brushing and clipping and spraying for flies, their appreciation is quite clear. They miss me.

But these are the things that happen to anyone who begins a second career later in life without relinquishing the first. True, I could have quit my nursing job when my first book, Slave, was published, but let’s face it: Romance writers do not enjoy the same kind of income that nurses do. At least, not in the beginning. With all the money some of my fellow authors are making by self-publishing on Kindle and other e-book formats, I’m beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But in order to jump on this bandwagon, I must work on three projects at once. I have thirteen unpublished manuscripts to play with, but now that my seventh book, Virgin, is about to be released, I find that I have grown as a writer. I can’t simply reformat those manuscripts, piece together some cover art, and throw them out there. They must be rewritten, polished, edited, and proofread. But for that, I need time and a clear head.

So, what else am I doing now that I never did before? I’m taking naps. I once read a humorous essay by a woman who wanted to know who that “old woman” was who had taken up residence in her house. The one who climbed stairs so slowly, the one who took naps in the afternoon, and whose bedtime coincided with that of her grandchildren. I’m here to tell you, that woman is me. Me, who used to walk briskly, could stay up all day and then work all night with no ill effects, and who seldom forgot anything. I could sure use her brain—and her body—right now. Wonder if she’d let me borrow them?

What about you? What changes have you seen in yourself as time goes by?


VIRGIN BY CHERYL BROOKS—IN STORES JUNE 2011 

 He’s never met anyone who made him purr…

Starship pilot Dax never encountered a woman he wanted badly enough. Until he met Ava Karon…

 And he’ll never give his body without giving his heart… 
Dax is happy to take Ava back to her home planet, until he finds out she’s returning to an old boyfriend…

 As their journey together turns into a quest neither expected, Ava would give herself to Dax in a heartbeat. Except he doesn’t know the first thing about seducing a woman…Excerpt: you read the first chapter on Amazon 
My review of The Virgin



Cheryl Brooks is a critical care nurse by night and a romance writer by day. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America. She is the author of The Cat Star Chronicles series and lives with her husband, two sons, five cats, five horses and one dog in Indiana. For more information, please visit http://www.cherylbrooksonline.com/.