Interview with Cyndi Tefft!

Let's all give a hearty welcome to Cyndi Tefft!!! If you missed my review of her novel, Between, yesterday, click HERE to read it! Cyndi and I "sat down" for an interview together:

Welcome to the blog, Cyndi! What inspired you to write Between?
I was watching a video with Stephenie Meyer where she was talking about being a stay-at-home mom who had a dream and wrote it down. She made it sound simple and I wondered if I might be able to do the same. Having been through it now, I can tell you that writing a book is not simple, but it is something that you can do if you set your mind to it.

About that same time, I was reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and completely fell in love with Scotland and the history of the nation. I wanted a Scottish hero of my own, so I wrote one!

Well, you definitely wrote a great one. What are some of your favourite hobbies?
I sing in church a couple Sundays a month, which is something I really enjoy. I sing everywhere I go, truthfully. It’s a running joke that whenever I go into a store with music playing overhead, once I get back into the car, I’ll start humming the song I last heard. I am not even aware I’m doing it! Music and writing are intertwined for me, two ways to express my creative side.

I also love to play ping pong (and some might even say I’m not half bad)! At my last job, I played every day at lunch with people who routinely wiped the floor with me. That just spurred me on, since I have an over-developed competitive spirit. This video is one of my favorites!

LOL! Defintely hilarious :). Do you adore chicken (prepared in any way)?
I like chicken prepared in many ways, but I don’t like fried chicken with bones. I don’t eat anything with bones in it, actually. I think it’s a throwback to a long-buried traumatic memory from my childhood (or because it grosses me out, one of the two).

Really? Well, to each his own, as my mother would say. What can we expect from you after Between, and its sequel, Hell Transporter?
After the launch of Between, I’ll turn my attention to finishing the sequel (which is about one-third complete right now). Truthfully, I’m not sure what I’ll write after that. I have several unfinished stories on my hard drive at the moment. Whatever I decide on, there will definitely be a love story component. I am a sucker for romance!

As we all are, Cyndi :). What do you always make sure you have with you when you're preparing to write?
Brian Crain’s piano music is always playing in the background. I must have listened to his album, Sienna, at least 1,573,459 times (give or take)! I usually write on my laptop in the living room on the couch, though sometimes I retreat to the bedroom if I needed some peace and quiet. I work a full-time job, so I mostly write in the evenings and on the weekends.

I try not to snack while writing because I am so focused on the story that anything I put in my mouth would be empty calories, but I love Diet Pepsi and always have a glass of that at my side when I start!

That's quite a large number! What's your favourite colour combination?
Hmmm… I’d have to say yellow and white. Springtime colors bring me joy! I have some bright yellow mums on the table right now, and white gerbera daisies on the deck outside. I love flowers of every shade and variety!

Yellow is actually my favorite colour; I am a sucker for flowers as well. Who are some of your favourite authors?
I mentioned Diana Gabaldon already (my all-time fave). I love historical fiction and romance. Nora Roberts’ Born in Fire trilogy is stellar. Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl is a fascinating read. In the YA category, Stephenie Meyer, Richelle Mead and Stephanie Perkins top my list of faves.

I haven't read Gregory's work yet, but Meyer and Mead are two of my faves also. Did you love to read as a child growing up?
Honestly, I didn’t read much growing up. I did, however, write constantly. I kept a journal and wrote poems every night (usually about the guys I was in love with). It was a way for me to let out the emotional energy that built up over the course of the day. Writing was an outlet to say on paper the things I couldn’t say out loud. I still keep a journal for just that reason!

A very good reason to keep one, I'd say. Do you like the word "hippopotamus"?
Funny you should ask, since I collected hippos when I was a teenager! I had a favorite stuffed animal named Rosie, a pink hippo with a joyous smile on her face, so I decided collecting hippos would be fun. Little did I know that it made every Christmas, birthday and graduation present that much easier for friends and family members. Soon, every square inch of my room was covered in hippos!

Literally LOL-ing :). Too funny; I've never really been obsessed with an animal before. Maybe I should start! My followers and I would love to be able to keep up with you!
Here are some ways to connect with me:

www.cynditefft.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorCyndiTefft
www.goodreads.com/cynditefft
www.twitter.com/cynditefft
www.shelfari.com/cynditefft
Thanks for having me on the blog. I had a great time!
 
And thank you, Cyndi, for coming on the blog! We really appreciate your time!
 
Have a happy Friday everyone!! :D