Meet Cindy Green

Today we welcome Cindy Green to the blog. Cindy is a multi-published authors whose books have given me hours of pleasure. We would love to get to know you.
Welcome, Cindy.
Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?
To start with, I’m married with two boys ages 11 and 4. I taught middle school before deciding to stay home and teach my own kids after the second was born. I have degrees in both education and history. To fill the void, I started to write and had my first publishing contract in July of 2006. I have 9 books released at the moment. Four of which just went out of print this December 31st as that publisher went out of business. I have three new books coming this year. I write in several genres: Inspirational, Historical, Contemporary, Fantasy, and Suspense. I have some YA ms I hope to finish one day as well. My publishers are The Wild Rose Press and Champagne Books. (By Grace Publishing and Moonlit Romance just closed their doors) In my free time (ha!), I love reading, photography, scrapbooking, Period Dramas, and spending time with family.
What's your favorite genre to read?
I love reading several genres but I really love Suspense and Historical.
Who or what influences you when you write?
I most definitely see the influence of these authors in my writing today:
L.M. Montgomery – She is famed for writing Anne of Green Gables but did you know she wrote A LOT more books and a plethora of short stories. In the 90’s (when I was in HS) they began republishing her short stories into anthologies with similar themes. Montgomery had a certain fanciful way of turning a phrase. And of course I related to her stories – especially Anne since I’m a redhead too. I still pick up and read one of her books now and again. Last summer, I reread Anne of the Island & Anne’s House of Dreams. They sure read a lot faster than they used to.
Jane Austen – I am a certified Jane Junkie! To this day if you ask my favorite author, I’ll say JA. And if you ask my favorite book, I’ll either say Pride & Prejudice or Persuasion – I go back and forth. (Right now it’s Persuasion – aah Captain Wentworth ) I first read P&P in 8th grade and the story has never left me. JA had a way of creating the best characters: characters to laugh at, hate, and fall in love with. I am always reading one or another of her novels these days. I have all six as e-books on my Palm Pilot so I take them wherever I go.
What do you do on a typical writing day?
I try to get up at least an hour before my kids. That gives me the time to check my emails and prepare for the day. I homeschool so in between schooling I try to catch some writing time or at least promotional time. The daytime hours are very busy with my boys, but two evenings a week are mine to write without interruptions.
Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?
My next book releases February 4th with The Wild Rose Press. The title of this short novella is Dilemma of the Heart, and it is an American Historical set just after the Civil War near Philadelphia. Here is the blurb:
Cassandra Huddleston has a dilemma. Her heart still resides with her sweetheart, Frederick Adair, reported as killed in action at the close of the Civil War. Now she has a new suitor, Emerson Bryce, powerful, attractive, and dominant; he usually gets what he wants. Cassandra must decide if she can forget the man of her heart and learn to love the man offering her a future.
As she struggles with her feelings, Cassandra is faced with the possibility that Frederick’s death might have been greatly exaggerated. If that is true, will Emerson be willing to let her go?
I also have a fantasy romance novel to come out this year with The Wild Rose Press: The Princess and the Rogue.
A sheltered Princess, a masked Outlaw, and a Land forbidden of magic.
Upon entering the Northern province of Thaylandria, pampered Princess Valandra is accosted by the scourge of the region—the dashing and quick-witted Silver Rogue, the best archer in the land and one who practices the arts of the old ways. It is this same scoundrel who not only steals a kiss before pilfering some of her jewelry, but also opens her eyes to the terrible treatment of her people. Yet, she has arrived to marry Lord Tristen, the wealthy, studious and at times conceit Earl of Cumberwick.
With intrigue apparent, everyone’s loyalty becomes suspect and the line between good and evil turns topsy-turvy. Can Valandra place her devotion in the right man and discover the secrets behind her mother’s amulet and the reason for her father’s untimely death before it’s too late?
I also have another NovelTea book coming later this year—NovelTea Takes a Holiday. It is the longest yet at over 40,000 words and takes place on an island in the Outer Banks just off the coast of North Carolina. It has the tone and plot more like a murder mystery.
Please tell us what you have planned next?
I have a full-length sequel to Dilemma of the Heart in the works called Emancipation of the Heart. I’ve taken the antagonist from the first story and turned him into the hero of the sequel.
I also have a sequel to my fantasy called The Prince and the Sorceress. It carries on the plot of the first book but the POV characters and romance follows a new pair. It will be more like an epic story.
NovelTea #4—A NovelTea Christmas is the next in the series. This one will be light on suspense and high on the relationship with lots and lots of humor. I think Grant is ready to propose but situations keep making it impossible to get the words out.
Who is your perfect hero? And why?
I love a Gamma hero—part Alpha and part Beta. Let me give you a literary example. Captain Wentworth is my favorite Austen hero (from Persuasion). He is dashing, handsome, and newly wealthy. He also has a pleasing personality, an interesting intelligence, a lovely sense of humor, and strength when needed. He is in everyway the heroine’s equal. He understands her like no one else in her life does. Persuasion is also a 2nd chances romance which is my favorite kind of romantic story. What stays with me about Wentworth is that even after eight years he is still so very much in love with Anne. It wasn’t a passing fancy built on the passions of youth. It was real, true, and lasting. I think we all want someone like that.
When did you first decide to submit your work? Please, tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.
Becoming a published author has been something I’ve always wanted, but it wasn’t until I quit teaching school, moved to North Carolina and began homeschooling my son that I decided to take the writing idea seriously. I began working on a YA WWII era novel which went on for about 100,000 words. This book is still unpublished. It was more my learning curve to writing fiction which is very different from academic non-fiction writing. I wasn’t sure I wanted to submit it. My sister told me I needed to. After that I wrote a contemporary Inspirational novel, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding. While that novel was sent out to a couple publishers, I met my friend, Rebecca Goings, who introduced me to By Grace Publishing. This was in 2006. I wrote a book especially for By Grace and received my first contract.
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I always start out with at least a basic outline of plot and a simple character sketch of my main characters before I start writing. In my longer works, I might even write a chapter by chapter outline while most of my shorter works are written much more pantser style.
What was your first published work and when was it published?
My first published book was called The Spirit of Christmas. It was published with By Grace Publishing. And it went out of print this past December. I was told by my friend Rebecca Goings to check out this publisher in the summer of 2006. They were acquiring Christmas short stories and novellas. I thought to myself, ‘I can write a Christmas novella.’ And I did…a 25,000 word book in six days. They accepted it within a couple weeks and it released December of 2006. I really love this book and plan to rewrite it some and submit it to a new publisher sometime in 2009.
What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? MySpace site? Blog? Message Board? Group?
I love receiving emails from readers. You can contact me at cindy@cindykgreen.com. My website is located at http://www.cindykgreen.com/ and my main blog is at http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/. Please friend me on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/cindykgreen. And if you like romantic suspense, I have a blog just for my NovelTea series at http://www.novelteaseries.blogspot.com/. If Inspirational romance is more your cup of tea, I blog with the other White Roses at http://whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com/. I’m also one of the hostesses at The Romance Bistro so come on by and visit us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romance_bistro/.
Thanks for having me today.

And thanks for sharing with us.
Here’s a teasing taste of two of Cindy’s books:
Dilemma of the Heart and Relationship Rescue
Dilemma of the Heart
Excerpt #1:
Placing her hat on the bench, she removed the golden charm from around her neck and held it in the palm of her hand. She opened it and admired the lock of lovely golden brown hair held inside. She touched the strands of Frederick’s hair, the softness causing deep emotions to stir within her. A hand came to her mouth to stifle the sob forming in her throat. With him, she had formed all her hopes and dreams. All that was gone. Now the future only seemed to spread before her like an empty, desolate land.
Lord, why? Why did you allow Frederick to die? Why did he have to leave me? Why? Huge tears began to tumble down her cheeks.
Snapping the locket shut, she shot to her feet as her hands bunched into fists. These thoughts were a poison to her soul. It was as if she was determined to make herself continue in perpetual grief. Her life had become a vale of tears and she was tired of it. She had to let him go if only to allow her heart to rest. She knew that would only come by allowing God to heal her pain but she couldn’t. If she permitted herself to stop hurting over Frederick, it would be like admitting she had forgotten him.
Excerpt #2:
Frederick began to move toward her, his strides determined and sleek. “And how shall I address you when you’re married?” His voice drawled into a low and provocative tone, making her heart give a little leap.
She made the mistake of gazing into those deep, wonderful eyes of his and forgot to breathe as his eyes, no longer playful, seared into her, down to her beating heart. When she was finally able to gulp some air, her lungs began to pump again. “You may call me Cassandra as you always have…I hope.” Her voice came out breathy and weak.
“Oh, no, I don’t believe that would be proper.” He stepped right in front of her face and touched his forehead to hers. In that moment, it felt as if a dozen butterflies had been released inside her stomach. He grabbed her around the waist, but before he had the chance to kiss her, she returned to her senses. Pushing off from his chest, she moved down toward the stalls, keeping her back to him as she held a hand over her galloping heart.
Excerpt from CAPA Nominated--Relationship Rescue
“You know, Robynn, I think we’ve been set-up.”
“Set-up? Yes, I was set-up. It was a blind date, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why Marina and Chad thought I would have gotten along with Norman Clark.”
“That’s my point. Marina and Chad set me up on a blind date that never showed. You had the date from a sitcom episode.”
Robynn sat up straight. “We were set-up!”
Mitch glanced at the counter again. Robynn turned around to look as well, her face close to his, sending his pulse racing. As he glanced down, she turned her eyes up to him and they locked onto each other. The pull to kiss her here and now was intense. “Robynn, I think they were hoping we might bump into each other tonight and talk just like we have.”
Realization entered her eyes. She began to nod her head as she spoke. “I know Marina was terribly disappointed when we didn’t get married.” She swallowed hard on the last word, her eyes glistening again.
“I think there were several people disappointed about that but maybe we don’t have disappoint them tonight.”
“What do you mean?” A stony expression entered her hooded eyes as she deeply assessed him. She didn’t trust him any further than she could throw him and he couldn’t blame her.
After taking her hand firmly into his, they sat back into the couch. It seemed like an eternity since he’d held her hand so intimately. It gave him the courage to go on. “Come take a walk with me…
Now Available at The Wild Rose Press ($1.50).