Interview with Cherry Adair

SR: When did you start writing and how did you get started?

Cherry: I started writing before I really even knew how to write. A toddler’s version of shorthand which I would 'read' to my mother every night. <g> Unfortunately, my handwriting hasn't improved much, but the good side is my stories have become a little more cohesive.

SR: How long had you been writing before you were published?

Cherry: I wrote about 17 complete manuscripts before I was published in 1994. Needless to say, they were all training exercises, and were duly, and with great ceremony, shredded many years ago, never to see the light of day.

SR: Tell us a bit about your first book THE MERCENARY. Do you expect it to be reprinted in the near future?

Cherry: I'd love THE MERCENARY to be reprinted one day. I took out more than 100 pages, and would love to tweak it and reinsert those scenes. I think that reader’s would enjoy seeing the bigger story, too.

SR: Why was there so long a gap between the publication of THE MERCENARY and KISS AND TELL?

Cherry: Life happened. I was still writing, but not consistently, and nothing I'd want anyone to see <g>. Then Life settled down to a dull roar and I was able to enthusiastically dive right back into my writing. KISS AND TELL was the result. Now with a consistent writing schedule I’m able to produce books more regularly and get them out into the hands of eager readers.

SR: As our theme this month is exotic locales, could you tell us a bit about the settings of your books? How do you do your research?

Cherry: I consider the location of my books to be almost another character. And as such, I research as much as possible. I draw on what I know, then add verisimilitude by talking to people who live there, or have recently visited the place I'm writing about. The library is a wealth of information, as is the internet. I listen to music from the region, and try to immerse myself in the feel and taste of the place as I write. (I particularly enjoy the 'taste' part of the research <g>)

SR: Could you tell us a little bit about KISS AND TELL and HIDE AND SEEK? Please tell us about the fascinating family that you've created and what we can expect from them in the future.

Cherry: I had no idea Marnie Wright had brothers until she started coming alive on the page as I started writing. I had to work pretty hard to keep the four strong personalities from deciding the book was about them and not their sister. <g> Every time I thought I could push the Musketeers into the background, something would happen to make Marnie (and me!) remember them. I had no choice. By the end of KISS AND TELL I knew I had to give each Wright brother a book of his own.

Kyle demanded to be next – so he got to go to the jungles of South America. And deal with Delanie Eastman. And the heat. The snakes. The bad guys (and lady) and a multitude of other problems. I thought he handled them all admirably <g>

Next up (as it were <g>) will be Michael Wright. No longer a Navy SEAL he's a wounded warrior sailing the world in search of inner peace. Poor baby, he had no idea just how much trouble I could churn up for him when I put my mind to it (and I certainly put my mind to it.) You can always find more details about upcoming books on my website at www.cherryadair.com.

SR: What attracts you to men in the special forces and this type of adventure based book?

Cherry: I love action adventure. Reading it, writing it, or seeing it in a movie. Men (and women) in special forces have that certain something the we admire. They tend to be strong, ethical, honorable, larger than life. They have to make difficult choices in a split second.

SR: How do you come up with the fabulous adventure stories in your books? In HIDE AND SEEK the story includes a psychotic woman involved in the slave trade.... how do you do research on this type of thing?

Cherry: I have an over active imagination <g>. I try to get my characters into tricky situations. . .and then make it MUCH worse. It's a lot of fun, and much more productive than therapy <g>.

SR: Have you thought about writing other types of books?

Cherry: I write what I love to read. Romance. And I'll always write romance because there aren’t enough happy endings in the world. We need something that gives us the opportunity to sit back and relax for those few hours before we dive back into the grit of real life. Romance gives us that and much more. They are the stories we read when we need a respite from our busy lives. The books we turn to when we are sitting by the beside of a loved one in the hospital. Or when we've had one of those days. I want to continue writing stories that can transport my readers somewhere magical, somewhere fun, somewhere where they don't have to do anything more strenuous than put their feet up, sip a cup of tea and hang on for the ride. A $6.00 vacation if you will. If I can continue to give readers that kind of an experience, why would I want to write anything else?

As for writing different types of books, I feel I already do. The books I write for Temptation or Blaze are different from my Ballantine Single Titles. I enjoy writing the shorter length as a change of pace. They are still romance, but don't usually have any running-jumping-falling down-shooting in them. <g>

SR: What all do you have planned for the future?

Cherry: Each of the Wright brother will have his own book. Then I have to write Huntington St. John's story, then there's Darius, and Alex. . .and. . .and. . and. . .the list is endless. <G>

SR: How do you get your ideas?

Cherry: I get idea's everywhere. T.V news. The newspaper. A snippet of conversation in a grocery store. I have more idea's than I know what to do with. I just wish I wrote faster so that I could write more of them!

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