Cynthia Woolf - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Author Cynthia Woolf. She writes in the Sci-fi Romance and Western Romance genres.

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Author Genre: Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Website: Cynthia Woolf - from Cowboys to Space Captains
Author's Blog: Cynthia Woolf blog
Twitter: @CynthiaWoolf
E-Mail: cindy@cynthiawoolf.com
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Author Description: Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2000, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. Let’s start with what’s next. Do you have another book on the horizon? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease.

I'm currently working on the second in the Matchmaker & Co. series. It's called Heiress Bride. I hope to have it released in March 2013.

Here is a short excerpt:

The storm passed in the night leaving a dusting of snow and clear blue skies. Ella Davenport dressed with care for her final meeting with Mrs. Selby. She would get her train tickets for the trip west to the Colorado Territory and Mr. Nathan Ravenclaw.

She went down to breakfast. Cook prepared her favorite eggs, sausage and mushroom toast. Joshua was already there.

“Good morning, brother.”

“Good morning. You look particularly fetching this morning.”

“It’s my final meeting with Mrs. Selby. I get my tickets today.”

Joshua put down his paper and stared at her. “Are you certain this is the right course of action for you? There are dozens of men who would be happy to marry you.”

“They only want my money or pity me. I don’t want a marriage based on either one of those things. Mr. Ravenclaw knows about my scars but Mrs. Selby said he carries scars of his own because of his heritage. Being half Arapahoe Indian has outcast him from both the whites and the Indians.”

“Have you thought about the fact that if you marry this man you’ll then be outcast as well?”

“Have you not looked at me lately? Do you not see the scars on the left side of my face? Do you not see that I have my collars made especially high to cover the ones on my neck? If these are the ones you can see, have you never wondered at the ones you can’t? Not only those on my body but those inside? Am I not already outcast?”

You have a large following on Twitter. (over 15K) How important are your social media relationships to your writing success?

I wouldn't be as successful at all if it wasn't for Twitter and Facebook. That is where I do 90% of my promo.

Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when is your next place where your readers can see you?

I do them but I don't have any personal appearances scheduled at this time.

Have you create a book trailer for any of your books to promote them online?

No, I don't have a book trailer.

I see you belong to the Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America, two great groups. Do they help you with writing, marketing and the publishing process or are they more for support?

I wouldn't be published now if not for these two groups. Through them I have learned my craft and am still learning it with classes and workshops offered by them or through them.

You have a great blog. What is your primary goal? And where in the world to you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?

I like to have guests on my blog most of the time. I may only blog myself once or twice a month. As to the time involved, I have insomnia, so I get in a lot more working time than most people. I work (writing, workshops and promo) about 18 hours a day.

Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, your marketing and the relationship with your readers and fans?

If it weren't for ebooks, I wouldn't be published. My books don't fit in the traditional publishers slots. I write shorter than traditional publishers want, but then I charge less than half what traditional publishers charge for their books. On average, my books are 2.99 each, Traditional publishers charge 7.99 and up for their ebooks. They charge the same for the ebook as for the paperback, even though the ebook cost them much, much less to produce.

Have you ever done a book tour? How was that experience and did you see any results in sales and exposure?

I did my first book tour with Tame A Wild Bride. It was wildly successful. The book shot up the charts. I'm doing tours with each of the new books that I have out. The tour for Capital Bride has started and the tour for The Swords of Gregara-Honora is being scheduled now.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I do giveaways with every blog hop I participate in and whenever I write a blog myself, I do a giveaway. As a matter of fact, for this blog I'd like to do a giveaway. I'd like to give four commentors prizes. Two will receive ebook copies of my latest books, one for Capital Bride and one for The Swords of Gregara-Honora. Two additional commentors will each receive a $5 Starbucks card.

My main goal in giving away free books is to get readers to my site so they can see the books offered. I want them to take the time to read the blog and leave me a comment. The longer I can get them to stay on my site, the more likely they are to remember me when they are looking for something new to read.


Author's Book List
The Swords of Gregara - Honora
They stole her love, her life and want to steal the secrets secured in her mind. Secrets that could topple world governments and decimate quadrant security forever. Now she’s on an epic quest to find out why and make those responsible pay.

Honora Reyestat gave up everything to become a member of the esteemed Gregarian Guard. No family, no friends, no connections--nothing that can ever be used against her. Captured and enslaved, she's become a prized gladiator for her master. Given the task of training a new slave, she recognizes a fellow Zolthor and the son of a tribal leader at that. Her mission changes from discovery of the enemy's tactics and secrets to returning Joridan to his people.

Drawn to this fierce woman as no other, Joridan Dolana tries to explain she is wrong. He's not Zolthor, he's Centauri. He was raised on Centauri with his sister. Faced with proof of a father's ultimate betrayal, he must choose between revenge and the protection of this woman who has sworn to never return his love.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Capital Bride
Matchmaker & Co.
Unexpectedly homeless, un-wed mother Sarah Johnson has few options. They could go live with her cousin William, but Sara believes there’s something untoward about his offer and it leaves her feeling uncomfortable. She's qualified to be a governess, but no one will have her because she wasn't married when she had her precious MaryAnn. Matchmaker & Co could be her salvation as mail-order-bride to Mr. John Atwood.

Single father, John Atwood, is raising his daughter the best he can in the wilds of the Colorado Territory but knows he needs help. No woman he knows wants to take on the raising of his daughter who hasn't spoken since she saw her mother brutally murdered during a bank robbery. Can Sarah, John and their two daughters overcome their pasts and find happiness together?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Swords of Gregara - Riza
Book 2, Swords of Gregara Series
Riza Lamrona was a highly sought after plastic surgeon on Alarcon. In a society dependant on machines for their health care, she’s one of the few who can change the human body not just fix it like a machine. Unfortunately she has the misfortune to be the best at her job and when notorious space pirate wants to evade the authorities by changing his appearance he finds Riza.

Now that the job is done he wants her dead to keep his new identity a secret. Darick Remaul is a former Space Patrol Detective who now owns a profitable kalcion mine on the planet Gregara. It’s as far away from his former life as he could get. Darick has secrets of his own but recognizes someone in trouble when he sees them. Especially when it’s a beautiful woman. When a bounty hunter threatens her life he offers her a safe haven at his mine as their new doctor. But who will keep her safe from him?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Tame A Wild Bride
a western romance (Tame Series)
Rosie Stanton climbed on a west-bound train to answer his ad for a wife and mother, everything she wants to be. But Tom Harris lied. He doesn't want a wife, merely a mother for his two abandoned children and a cook and cleaner for his ranch. Betrayed once, he's vowed never to let another woman into his heart. Sexy Rosie upsets all his plans and threatens to invade his scarred heart. How will he maintain his vow to keep his hands off her as she charms his children, his cow hands, his life?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Tame A Wild Wind
A Western romance (Tame Series)
Former Texas Ranger Sam Colter isn't looking for love. Neither is pretty widow Cassie O'Malley. But when a man stalking Sam for killing his brother kidnaps Cassie, Sam discovers it's more than duty that sends him racing to her rescue. Will Cassie realize the truth about her own feelings before it's too late?
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Centauri Midnight
Book 3 Centauri Series
Kitari ‘Kiti’ Dolana wants justice for her murdered brother. She’s trailed the man responsible to a distant planet where swords outmaneuver blasters. Garrick Marcus, Spaceship Captain, is on a mission to hunt down a ruthless killer. The same man Kiti is after. But Kiti and Garrick discover an explosive attraction that makes it hard to keep their minds on their goals. As they try to bring down the killer, they find that love and vengeance are a volatile mix.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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Centauri Twilight
Centauri Series, Book Two
Lara Danexx suffered years of torment at the hands of the evil and twisted Ranzon Slaverian. But she escaped and raised an army of rebels to destroy him. Victory is within her grasp when an unwelcome intruder hunts her down and spins wild tales of her lost family and royal blood. This arrogant invader stirs her long dead emotions and threatens to ruin all of her plans. She can’t allow herself to desire his touch, or believe his lies…too much is at stake. General Anton Coridian gave his word that he would find his beloved queen’s long lost sister, Princess Jondalara. He expects a pampered princess. Instead he finds a guerilla leader with an army of loyal cut-throats and rogues at her back. Every instinct he has demands that she is his lifemate and he must steal her away to safety. But the dark determination and pain in her eyes reminds him of his own tortured past. She offers him redemption and the chance to right an unspeakable wrong.

Destiny must be laughing, because now he’s fallen in love with a woman who will stop at nothing to free her people…even if it means sacrificing herself. Anton is determined to join her, both in bed and in battle. Now he must convince Lara that his love can save not just her life, but her battered heart.
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Centauri Dawn
Centauri Series, Book One
Audra is a normal grad student in law school in Boulder, Colorado. Until the day she finds out she isn't. She's a princess from the planet Centauri. Her mission, whether or not she chooses to accept it, is to marry an alien and save the world, in order to save her family. Darius is charged with delivering his brother's bride home to Centauri, ready to be queen. Falling in love isn't just forbidden, it's a death sentence for him and for his world.
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Tame A Wild Heart
He's not her brother, but Duncan thinks Catherine sure needs one. A woman has no business trying to run a ranch. Not in 1880s Creede, Colorado. Even though she's loved him forever, she swears she doesn't need his help, but in between stampedes, fires and a kidnapping, the ex-bounty hunter and gunslinger becomes determined to do more than protect the ranch. Working together to catch a dangerous outlaw might just be the best thing that ever happened to them both.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner.
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.