Hi Cynthia! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us. I know that I appreciate this opportunity to visit with you as I am sure that the readers out there are too.

In your new book, Quest for Survival – Beast of Dreams, you have created a story that is receiving wonderful reviews for its erotic passion as well as its humor and remarkable characters. If you were going to describe this story to someone that has never heard of it, what would you tell them?

Beast of Dreams is both a science fiction story and a romance. The heroine, Amanda, is strong, resourceful, and determined to help save the genetically engineered human sub-species called wolfan. The hero, Karrick, is a wolfan alpha-male, a leader who must determine whether he can trust Amanda—especially since his pack was nearly wiped out thirty years ago by sabotage to their space ship. Together, they must find a way to save the wolfan sub-species before the entire race is marked for extinction.

Can you give us an idea where the idea of this story was born and what this book meant to you?

I’ve always been a fan of science fiction, especially because it explores the ethical issues behind scientific discovery. For me, this series is as much about the ethical questions the characters must face as it is about their relationships. I’ve also always been a big fan of science fiction and paranormal romance. When I had read everything I could get my hands on by authors like Kate Douglas and Anne McCaffrey, I decided to write my own stories. To me, this book represents a vision of the future that really could happen and if we want to live in peace with ourselves, we need to strive for high ethical standards before we embark on creating new sub-species of humans.

Do you plan to create a sequel or follow-up to Quest for Survival – Beast of Dreams?

I’m in the very final edits for the next book in the series, Beast of Awakening. It carries on the story begun in Beast of Dreams and is Sirus and Danni’s tale. It should be coming out at Ellora’s Cave as an e-pub sometime later this fall.

Per your website, you also have another new release in the form of an anthology, Things That Go Bump In The Night V. This book offers readers three tingling paranormal stories ranging from witches, wizards, vampires, and beyond. What was it like to work with fellow authors to create this?

B.J. McCall and Melani Blazer are very talented writers and when I was told I would be in the same anthology, I did a happy dance. Each of us has very distinct styles and I think we compliment each other very well. I love the high level of sexual tension that B.J. brings to her stories—from the first page to the last, it’s like being on one long, sexy ride. Melani pulls me in emotionally—her stories can make me laugh out loud or cry. I always want to reread them right away. Both B.J. and Melani are some of the nicest authors out there to deal with. They are very down to earth. When I have questions or need information from one of their stories, they’ve been very giving.

In your individual story, Cassandra’s Enchantment, readers will be engrossed in a story about witches and wizards. Have you always been interested in things that go bump in the night and the mystical world in which they are from?

Absolutely. I have always been a big fan of paranormal stories. When I was a little girl, my dad and I would stay up at night, munching popcorn and watching the old black and white scary movies like Dracula and the Werewolf. We had a real cool thing going with that, even though I was only 3 or 4 years old. My mother put a stop to it, though. I really believed all that stuff and one day, she couldn’t seem to shake me from my belief that I was “Frankenstein.” She took me to the doctor, frightened that I’d hit my head or something. Of course, after two hours of nearly scaring my mother to death because I would only grunt in response to her questions, I opened my mouth at the doctor’s office, telling him that my dad and I watch scary movies all the time. That was the end of our fun but my fascination with creatures of the night never, ever really went away. By the way, I’ve always sided with the monsters in stories. I wanted the Beast in Beauty and the Beast to stay just as he was—I was disappointed when he turned into a handsome prince. I always thought the Phantom in the Opera should have got the girl, too. In my stories, the monster always gets his woman!

On a more serious note, I recently became a member of the Minnesota Paranormal Investigators. During my work with them, I have been fortunate enough to see the real thing when it comes to hauntings and paranormal activities. Have you seen the show “The Scariest Places on Earth” on ABC? There are similarities to that but what people don’t see is all the investigative work—the painstaking labor that goes into researching the site and collecting data. Natural causes for the phenomena are always looked for first but sometimes after you eliminate all the possible causes, you are left with no other explanation than the paranormal. You can expect to see some of that reflected in my future stories in mid 2006 and beyond.

Can we get a teaser for what you are working on right now?

I’d be delighted to give that to you. Here’s a teaser from Beast of Awakening:

Stretched out on the large bed in the cabin his niece, Amanda, had previously occupied, Sirus smiled as he dreamed. His last thoughts before he’d fallen asleep were of holding Danni in his arms. She’d tripped earlier in the evening when they were both outside in the dark. For a brief moment, he’d had his arms around the warm, fragrant, tigran woman and had almost given in to the impulse to kiss her soft lips. He’d played the gentleman and suppressed his desires, but his unconscious did not play by civilized rules and beckoned him to slake his thirst…

The clouds hiding the moon moved on, allowing him enough light to see Danni’s lovely face. He looked down into her luminous blue eyes, the hot breath from her lips fanning his neck.

She smelled lightly of the flowers that surrounded the cabin he was staying in, and of warm feminine musk.

He gave in to temptation and kissed her softly. It was a sweet kiss, a comment on how beautiful he found her, and one that left him hoping it was only the first of many.

They walked for a short while, content to just stroll with their arms about the other’s waist. He found a comfortable bench, sat down, and invited her to share it with him. A secret smile touched her lips before she climbed onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

A dimple appeared just to the left of her sweet grin and she ran her fingers through his thick, black locks, enjoying the texture of his hair. “You’re so handsome, Sirus,” she purred.

He chuckled, and then, turning more serious, kissed her lightly on her cheek.

He loved the feel of her weight on his lap and ran his hands over her curved bottom and up the sides of her slender back. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer, and slipped the fingers of his free hand under the fabric of her dress, beneath the folds covering her long, lithe thighs. Her white tigran fur was very short and the satin feel of it against her skin intoxicated him. His hand followed the long length of her leg, starting from the tips of her dainty toes, moving along the curves of her calves and thighs, and slowed as he approached the heat of her femininity. His hand stopped when she pressed her thighs firmly together, trapping him within a hairsbreadth. She wore no undergarments and the soft curls at her juncture tickled against the backs of his fingers like the softest silk.

She snuggled against him, the soft curves of her breasts pressing hard against his chest. He felt the blood draining into his arousal, his desire for her making him painfully hard.
He stared down at her, longing in his dark blue eyes. Not a word passed his lips but the masculine question in his gaze demanded she answer. She smiled at him, and he suspected that the sparkle in her eyes hinted at a seductive sense of humor. He wondered if she would tease him this night.

Just as he was about to ask the question, Danni responded with a low, throaty purr, leaning in to rub her soft cheek against his. He closed his eyes, immersed in the velvety texture of her fur, absorbing the sexy murmur of her answer. Deep within, the primitive male part of him recognized her acquiescence.

He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. They were soft, a little damp. She opened her mouth slightly and he ran the tip of his tongue between her lips. She trembled in his arms and his control snapped. His hand fisted her long hair and he pulled her harder into his embrace. She moaned and opened her lips, letting him devour her as his mouth covered hers hungrily.

Together they went up in flames, and soon kisses were no longer enough to satisfy them.

He slid his fingers into her heat, the slick wetness telling him she was ready. He pulled back from the kiss and used both hands to straddle her across his lap.

He unfastened his trousers, gazing with heated lust into her eyes. His voice was gruff with emotion. “Danni, this might hurt a little bit at first, darling…”

An abrupt blinding pain suddenly shot through Sirus’s head, expelling him from the dream. Forced into complete wakening, his senses screamed danger at him. He opened his mind and could feel two menacing presences approaching the cabin. Immediately he climbed out of bed, moving very quietly to the door.

As he realized who sought him out, surprise changed to determination. His eyes narrowed and a thin smile marked his lips.

What inspired you to sit down and try your hand at writing a story?

I’ve always wanted to be an author. This desire was fed a meager diet by my day job as a technical writer for many years but that wasn’t enough. I have a very active imagination and like to daydream. One day, after running out of my favorite kinds of romance, paranormal and Sci-Fi, I decided to just write one of my own. I sat down and wrote the kind of story I would want to read. When I was done, I’d realized that I could do this—make a story come alive. I was shocked in a way that I could. A part of me had always thought I couldn’t do it. This really was a case of “I didn’t know I could do it until I tried.”

How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?

Watching my kids play sports or making hot monkey love with my hubby when we can find the time and privacy.

Do your outside interests contribute to your writing?

Yes. Watching sports has helped me to better choreograph action scenes and the hot monkey love is very inspirational for writing sex scenes, LOL.

FYI, my interest in the Minnesota Paranormal Investigators is already giving me all kinds of valuable information so that I can accurately convey the details of what these kinds of investigations are like.

How do you keep your ideas fresh and imaginative?

I try to write stories that I would like to read. That means looking for inspiration amongst the scientific advances going on and latest paranormal news. When I review those things I think about what it would be like to love someone that was human—but just a little different from me or what it would be like to fall in love while having to deal with a paranormal situation.

How does a story develop for you? Do you imagine a particular scene and build from there or do you work sequentially until a work is complete?

First, I write a synopsis that roughly covers the main story line. The synopsis might be about 5 pages for what will wind up as an 80,000 word story. I then write scenes as they appeal to me. Often this is not in sequential order but rather more of what is demanding at that time to be put down on paper. The scenes then get strung together like a string of pearls. Finally, I revise again and again, have my husband and other critique partners’ review and give advice, and fine tune the story to ready it for submission to my publisher. Once it gets reviewed and given the okay (work is contracted), my publishing house editor takes a crack at the story and finds things that need further fine tuning or sometimes culling from the story. Truly, a lot of the credit belongs to my husband, critique partners, and editor for the quality of my stories.

To date, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your writing?

To hear back from fans is the most rewarding aspect of my writing. Fans can reach me at Cynthia@cynthiawilliams.net.

As a writer, do you also take time to read other works? If so, do you have a particular author or style of book that you enjoy?

I love anything by Piers Anthony, Laurell K. Hamilton, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Susan Sizemore, and the other authors who write for Ellora’s Cave. Amongst the EC crew, it’s a pretty difficult choice with so many authors whose work I love but my very favorites are Kate Douglas, Ann Jacobs, JC & CJ Burton, Lora Leigh, and Stephanie Burke.

What would we find on your bookshelf?

Books by all the above authors.

Can you tell us who is your favorite character in television or movies and what it is about that character that make him/her your favorite?

Dr. House on House. He’s far more sexy than many of the “pretty boys” that seem to abound in television series. He looks real and he’s crabby. Crabby men can be very sexy—especially when you find ways to make them stop being crabby and give you a sexy smile.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Only that I love your site because you give some of the more detailed reviews on books. I don’t want to just know a book is good or bad, I want an in-depth opinion on why the reviewer feels that way. I think Fallen Angels does a very good job of that. You are amongst the best on the internet.

Thanks so much for the interview Jessica. It was a lot of fun talking with you!

Thank you so much for stopping by Cynthia. For anyone looking for a sizzling, tantalizing tale mixed within a wonderful world of paranormal, look no further. Stop by the Cynthia’s website, http://www.cynthiawilliams.net, to see what you don’t want to miss. It has been a pleasure talking with you and I know I hope that there are many more stories out there waiting to be told by you.

Interviewed by: Jessica