An Interview with Cheryl Brooks Author of The Cat Star Chronicles

Today we have an interview with Cheryl Brooks author of The Cat Star Chronicles. Her newest release is book four of the series, OUTCAST.

Here's a description of OUTCAST from Cheryl's website:

"In book four of The Cat Star Chronicles series, Bonnie Neurath, a homesteader on the newly colonized planet of Terra Minor, is in desperate need of help. Her boyfriend abandoned her with a farm, some really nasty livestock, and a baby on the way. Lynx is a Zetithian who spent ten years as a slave to a harem full of women. Now a free man, he's already forgotten more about pleasing women than most men ever learn, but his experiences have also turned him into an impotent woman-hater. Neither is looking for love, but when circumstances bring them together, danger and hot romance ensue. This one will break your heart, patch it up, and make it BURN!!!!"

Thanks for being with us today Cheryl! Let's get started.

Have you always wanted to be a writer or is it something you discovered along the path of life?

It's just one of those things that happened. It's been an on again-off again thing for most of my life, but lately, it takes up most of my spare time.

How has your writing path evolved? Where did you start?

I started with a science fiction romance about thirty years ago and never finished it. Since then, I've written contemporaries mostly, though some had paranormal aspects to them. Getting a computer with a good word processor helped advance my writing more than anything because I'm such a lousy typist!

Do you commit to a daily writing goal? Like so many words or chapters?

I just write as much as I can until I get too tired to think anymore. Then I try to sleep and even more ideas come to me!

If you could give a new writer one piece of advice, what would it be?

Just keep writing and submitting. You will improve with each rejection, and eventually, you'll find someone who likes what you've written. This is a very subjective business, and sometimes finding the right match happens purely by chance—but you won't get that chance if you don't take one!

Are you a long time paranormal fan or new to the “Other” world?

I've been a sci-fi fan ever since the age of twelve when I first saw Star Trek. I fell in love with the idea, but aside from Captain Kirk's sexual escapades, there wasn't much romance in it. I thought romance with Mr. Spock would be so much more interesting!

How did the idea for your newest book/series come about?

The idea for Outcast was given to me by my editor. I'd written three that were all about my Zetithian heroes and how much they adored their women, and she wanted me to write one where the man wasn't the one doing the chasing—a man who didn't like women and was impotent to boot. Now, this doesn't sound like a very good setup for a Happily Ever After, but I think I came up with a way to do it!

Tell us a little about your newest book, Outcast.

Lynx was sold as a slave when he was seventeen and given to a harem full of women to be their slave, and, basically, they wore him out! He was later resold and has since earned his freedom, wanting only peace and solitude and NO WOMEN! Bonnie is a homesteader on a newly colonized planet. Her current boyfriend has left her with a farm, a mortgage, a flock of nasty birds to raise, and a baby on the way. She doesn't want another man anymore than Lynx wants another woman, but circumstances have brought them together: She needs help with the farm, and he needs a job. What happens after that is pure romance!

So the Cat Star Chronicles are labeled as fantasy and sci-fi, what gives them both elements?

They aren't straight sci-fi because there isn't a lot of technobabble in them. I'm not sure fantasy is a good category for them, either, because though my Zetithians have a lot of fantastic things going for them, there's very little “magic;” it can all be explained by biology and chemistry, not wizardry. The abilities that certain aliens have are normal for their kind, and though I did write about a witch, she was more of an herbalist than a sorceress and her powers were the result of her alien ancestry.

I see that you write erotica, where do you draw the line between romance and erotica?

I think most of what I write could be better called erotic romance, which is simply romance with more erotic details. Erotica is just good sex, and doesn't necessarily include a love story.

How sexy and erotic are the Cat Star Chronicles?

That depends on what you like to read. Compared with some erotic romances, they're pretty tame. Compared with mainstream romance, they're pretty hot. I like to describe male anatomy in detail, so if you aren't comfortable with that, read with caution!

What books are currently on your to-read list?

The latest books of my Sourcebooks Casablanca sisters!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Mary Stewart, Daphne Du Maurier, Georgette Heyer, and JRR Tolkien have always been my favorites, but Robert Silverberg and JK Rowling also come to mind.

If you could entertain a character from a book, who would it be and what would the evening be like?

I don't even want to go there!

What is your strangest habit?

Worrying about everything!

If you weren’t a writer what would your career be?

Right now, I have two careers. I've been a critical care nurse for the past thirty years or so, and if I wasn't writing, I'd just be doing that. If you want me to get fanciful and wishful about it, I'd like to be a horse trainer or play lead guitar in a rock band.

When you are not writing, what can you usually be found doing?

Working at the hospital, sleeping, cooking, playing my guitar, and feeding my horses.

Want to know more about Cheryl and her books?

Visit www.cherylbrooksonline.com