Saturday 27 October 2012

Cyndi Tefft: The Interview Part II

And a happy Saturday to everyone, we're back with Cyndi Tefft's Interview part two of three. If you guys have any questions for Cyndi that you think everyone would be interested in knowing (within reason) leave it in the comments, email me or you can talk to Cyndi directly in the 'Follow Cyndi' tab up top. And if you haven't already marked it on your calendars remember that Aiden will be chatting on twitter on November 3rd from 7-8PM CT. Enough with that, let's get to the interview:

Where did the idea for ‘Between’ come from?
I wanted to write a good versus evil story, but I felt that angels and demons had been done quite a bit, so I was looking for something different. I landed on the idea of a guide who meets you and transports you to heaven, which allowed me all kinds of freedom to create the world where that meeting takes place. And, of course, being a huge fan of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, my guide had to be an 18th century Scottish Highlander!

Can you talk a bit about your writing process?
Well, I’d like to say that I have a steadfast routine, that I write every day, and that I have a bunch of quirky habits, but none of that would be true. Sometimes I write during my lunch break at work, and I often write on Saturday mornings at my local coffee shop. Classical or Scottish folk music is on my laptop while I write (since I find songs with lyrics distracting, as I like to sing along). And even if I have loads of time to write (which is highly unusual), I can only really write for about an hour or two before I’m tuckered out. Tapping into the creative side of my brain is a bit like holding my breath under water!

Any hints about Book 3 (a title yet)?
The third book in the series does have a title, but I haven’t released it yet. I plan to do so in conjunction with the release of the first chapter. Hmm... maybe in the next month or so!

How do you balance writing and family life? How often does one get in the way of the other?
Family life always comes first, which is part of the reason that I don’t write very fast! I carve out time when I can to make progress on the book, but it’s sporadic. Many authors talk about going “into the cave” to write and ignoring their family to meet deadlines. I’ve never really wanted that. I do wish I had more time to write, but not at the expense of the ones I love. Life is too short.

Do you have a tagline for readers who’ve never read your books?
I usually tell people, “Between is a time travel love story between a girl who dies in an accident and the 18th century Scotsman who comes to take her to heaven.” Does that sound good to you? I’m open to suggestions! LOL I think the “elevator pitch” is one of the hardest things to come up with!
 
Favourite movie of all time?
You’d probably expect me to say Braveheart or Rob Roy, but it’s actually When Harry Met Sally. I love a good romcom. Other faves include While You Were Sleeping, 13 Going On 30, What Women Want, and the Cutting Edge (toe pick!).

Saturday 20 October 2012

Happy Birthday to Cyndi Tefft

Happy Birthday Cyndi *throws confetti*. Today is Cyndi Tefft's birthday and to celebrate we have an amazing treat for all you Aiden's Angels. An exclusive interview with the illustrious creator of our beloved Aiden in not one, not two but THREE parts. Part one is here for you today as a special bonus gift. Not only that but the swag contest ends today. I'll announce the winner tomorrow. So everyone wish Cyndi a happy birthday and tune in next Saturday for the second installment of....The Interview! with Cyndi Tefft

What inspired you to start writing?
In 2009, I was watching an interview with Stephenie Meyer and she said that she was a stay at home mom who had a dream and decided to write about it. She seemed so normal--not like some die-hard writer who’d spent years in academia, learning how to craft the perfect novel--and I thought to myself, “Hey, if she can do it, maybe I can, too.” So I started, just to see if I could do it. And boy, have I learned more about writing (and myself) than I ever expected to during this process!

Did you always plan on being self-published?
Not at all, actually! After receiving over 100 rejections from agents and editors, the roller coaster of hope and despair was more than I could take, and I tried to throw in the towel. I tried to walk away, but Aiden MacRae kept pulling me back. I couldn’t leave him. So I decided to share his story in whatever method I had available. My goal was not to sell a gajillion copies, but simply to finish what I’d started. Meeting incredible people who have fallen in love with Aiden is more than I ever dared to dream.

Who reads your book first?
When I wrote the first draft of Between, a coworker of mine read it as well as my mom. My coworker kept me motivated to continue while my mom (though she loved the story) was horrified by all the sex. LOL This was, of course, before I revised the book from adult to YA, but truthfully, she still thinks it has a lot of sex in it. Sorry, Mom. I mean, it’s Aiden. How can it not have smoking hot scenes? :)

What would you do if you met Aiden in real life (like what would you think of him)?
Ha! I’d probably stop dead in my tracks and stand there with my mouth hanging open if I saw his hotness walking by. If we *met*, I’d be a mess. I’m married. *this would not be good* So it’s probably best to keep him on the page, though I wouldn’t mind going to the casting auditions for the movie version of Aiden. hehe

Coffee or Tea (or neither)?
Coffee, for sure, though I usually drink decaf because caffeine makes me all kinds of psycho jittery! Cream and two packets of Splenda. Good thing I live in Seattle, huh?

Any tips for aspiring writers?
No matter where you are in your writing process (haven't started, just finished a draft, ready to go with a polished manuscript), start social networking now if you haven't already done so. Create a blog and get followers. Set up an author page on Facebook. Play and connect with other writers (and readers) on Twitter. Join communities on Goodreads, LinkedIn, AbsoluteWrite, Authonomy and others. Marketing is about getting your book in front of people, so the more eyes you have access to, the more successful you will be when the time comes. Above all, be friendly and supportive! And no matter what, never give up. Believe in yourself and give yourself the freedom to make mistakes. That’s how we learn and improve.

Saturday 13 October 2012

Aiden MacRae According to Jessica Baker

The lovely Jessica Baker (also known as @makesmeworse12) from http://justabooklover.blogspot.com/ tells us just what it is she loves about Aiden MacRae.


Aiden MacRae. That Hot Scot. We all know him, and well love him; we simply can’t help it. In every sense of the word, Aiden is irresistible.
Let’s look at this systematically, shall we?
His accent. Personally, I have a thing for accents. Especially when they are used to say amazingly sweet things. Aiden’s accent ALONE could be enough to make me—and I’m sure others, too—love him.
His looks. I’m going to keep this appropriate, and simply say that AIDEN IS FREAKING HOT. There is no way anyone can deny it. I mean, honestly, the guy wears a kilt! Zachary (another Hot Scot from another wonderful series called Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready) was completely correct when he said that a kilt is like male lingerie to us. No one can deny this either—kilts are hot.
His personality. Our boy Aiden is as sweet as can be. He’s a gentleman, but he knows when to…not be a gentleman. I’m going to focus on the sweet gentleman thing, though, because I’m still keeping this appropriate. Remember in Between when he and Lindsey were in the car with her parents, and he mom was telling her she should find a man who can play an instrument, then her dad said she should wait for a guy who loves her, trusts her, wants her only to be happy, and will never ever leave her? And then her mom said she’ll never find someone like that and Aiden (along with her dad, but that’s not the point) said “She will” rather forcefully? Well that was our boy being sweet. He is sweet and caring to a fault and I love him for it. We all love him for it.
Another thing about Aiden—he’s brave. And protective. He is, by all definitions of the word a MAN.
So, this was an attempt to rationally define why we all love Aiden the way we do. Why we are all devoted to being his angels. But what about the part that can’t be rationalized? The part where we just love him because we love him? Because that IS a factor in this equation, too. And there really isn’t an answer to this. It’s just a part we acknowledge, and let it be.
Because we all know that, whatever the reason, Aiden will always be our irresistible Hot Scot. ;)

Leave a comment to tell us what you love about our favourite Scotsman. And don't forget that the Aiden's Angels Giveaway ends next Saturday so if you haven't entered yet, get on it for a chance to win free swag!

Thursday 11 October 2012

Fake Scotsmen Twitter Chat


Pull up your kilts and lace your socks lassies because Aiden is coming to you. Not only Aiden but also the salacious Zachary and Martin from the series “Shade” by Jeri Smith-Ready. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, not one but three salacious kilt-wearing gods are going to be chatting with you via twitter on Saturday November 3rd 2012 from 7PM-8PM (CT). Be sure to follow all three Scotsmen to get in on all the action: @moore_zachary, @connelly_martin and @AidenMacRae. And follow hashtag #FakeScotsmen so you don’t miss any of the fun. If you can’t make it no worries, you can always check it out after the fact and I’ll be posting a transcript of sorts because you can’t see this one just once am I right?

 
So get ready to drop your kilts and unlace your socks because the Scottish are invading and you don’t want to miss it.

 
For more info go to http://www.kiltandkeeley.com

Sunday 7 October 2012

Aiden's Angels Giveaway

This is Cyndi Tefft's birthday month and to celebrate we're giving away swag from the Aiden's Angels Cafepress Site. If you win, you get your pick of one item from the store. It's open to US/Canda Residents only and closes on October 20th (Cyndi's Birthday!!). We'll have some fun things planned for next Saturday so look for that. In the meantime, stay lovely and recruite Angels.


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Saturday 6 October 2012

Review of Between by Reading Angel

As I frantically scrounged for a post this week I met the lovely and agonizingly awesome Reading Angel. She gave me permission to use her review of Between. Everyone should follow this blog as it is wicked cool.
Between by Cyndi Tefft Review
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (April 21, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1460937104
ISBN-13: 978-1460937105
Received From: Author via Teen {Book} Scene

4 Butterflies