INTERVIEW WITH CYNDI RAYE!

Dear Readers, please welcome Cyndi Raye to the blog. She and I are in a multi-author project, the Pinkerton Matchmaker Series. Her book, AN AGENT FOR CARI, releases today.

Please tell us about growing up.

I grew up in a small town called Denver, but not in Colorado. It’s located in Denver, Pennsylvania. I think there was one barber shop and a cut rate at the time. It was quiet and friendly and like all small towns back then, everyone knew your business. I had 4 brothers and 2 sisters. We lived in a farm house that was built in 1772. If you are wondering if it was haunted, the answer is yes. I heard noises and saw ghosts many times throughout my childhood. One night I woke up in the middle of the night. My two sisters and I shared a bed and I looked at them and there were three bodies in the bed not including myself. Who was the other body? I remember throwing the blanket over my head and praying like crazy until I fell back to sleep.

Were you the shy kid or the tomboy? Married, single? Children?

  

I was kind of in between shy and talkative in school. I definitely was a tomboy. My favorite thing to do was hang upside down in the big tree on our property. It didn’t take much for me to go fishing with my brothers or find nightcrawlers after a storm. I was quiet in elementary school, but I still have lifelong friends I went to school with. I  kept in my own circle in high school. I did love being the president of the library club. I know, I was a bit nerdy in some areas even though I hung out with the cool kids in school. I loved writing poems and tried to draw and paint at times. 

Cyndi's two eldest grandchildren

Cyndi's youngest grandchild

I have been married now for 40 years with three kids and 3 grand children. We’ve raised German Shepherds over the years and had to say goodbye to some as well. 

Rowdy, the German Shepherd

When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge?

 I love being around my family and since we have two acres and a firepit, we have plenty of room for family and friends and plenty of cookouts over the warm months. Being with my family is my idea of relaxing even if they do get loud sometimes.

How long have you been writing?

 I feel like I’ve always been writing. In my teen years, I loved writing poems and over the years I’ve put together some short stories. It wasn’t until the early nineties when I wrote a book, tried to get it published and was rejected by the big publishers. So, when I started again in 2014 and found indie publishing, I haven’t stopped since.

Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

I like writing at my desk on my computer. Sometimes if I hear outside noises (meaning my hubby has the tv up too loud) I’ll put on classical romance music to drown out the noise.

Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily? 

I write every day. I have to have my coffee first so I have a set routine. First, it’s coffee, checking email and facebook. I am in an accountability group where we check in each morning. After I wake up I get right down to business and set a timer for 45 minute intervals. It’s important to get up and stretch, so I try to do that. 

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise readers.

I have my motorcycle license. Most people don’t know that about me. 

What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Don’t fall into the trap of buying every piece of advice out there. Write, edit, publish and repeat. Build a backlist of books and don’t try to do everything at once. Learn your craft. Relax and enjoy the journey, but make sure to write a good book.

What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

 Many times a reader will email me and tell me how my book gets them through something tough they are going through. Many of my readers are older or disabled and reading is very important to them. They love that I take the time to answer them back when they write. I guess I hope to bring a smile to my readers face. It’s just as important for me to put out books that they love as much as it is for them to read a good book. They bring out the best in me. I hope that I’ve made a difference.

Tell us about your latest release.

I’m in a multi-author project called The Pinkerton MatchMakers. It’s a fun serious with a bit of mystery and romance.

In this book, I dedicated it to my dear friend, a young lady who is battling colon cancer. A portion of the profits will be going to help her through this rough time. Not only do I want to help her and her young family, but I also want to bring awareness to this terrible disease.

Buy Link at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Cari-Pinkerton-Matchmaker-Book-ebook/dp/B07VYK2B98

Give us the summary:

A woman who breaks all the rules - A man who lives by them - Can opposites attract while bringing down a notorious swindler before he kills again?

Cari Kyllikki won't allow her disability to hinder her dream of becoming a Pinkerton Detective. She has become a master of hiding her daily struggles. What she didn't count on was the Pinkerton Agent who is determined to uncover her secrets. All of them!

Michael Durango works strictly by the book; there is no deviating even a little bit. When he finds out what his new wife is hiding, he has a decision to make -- tell the agency and risk her losing her job or keep her secret and complete the case. If only he could tear his thoughts away from her long enough to decide.

What does Michael do to protect his partner and solve the case? Will their suspect kill again, or turn his attention to the Pinkertons on his trail? Will Michael and Cari find love along the way, or will her secret tear apart everything they believe?

Where can readers find more about you? 

To see my author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cyndi-Raye/e/B00ENA1WEG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

My facebook readers group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856224058000936/

My website is www.cyndiraye.com

P.S. If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll automatically get a free short story. It’s a historical western romance.