Hi C.J! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today about your upcoming
release, Unraveled. I just to have say that I loved the first book in the
series, Unearthed, and this newest release was so much fun to read!
Q: C.J.
could you tell us about yourself, why did you decide to become a writer?
A: Thanks Goldie and Hi everyone! It’s great to be here.
By day, I work as an
Information Technology Manager for a plastics manufacturer. By night, I
write futuristics. In between, I am a wife and mother of two great
kids. When I’m not doing all that, you can find me puttering around
in my garden or throwing a party for some of our friends.
My love of writing started from a love of reading. I grew up reading
science fiction and that passion has stayed with me since. About six
years ago, I picked up my first romance: Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann
Krentz. I couldn’t believe that someone had combined SF and romance
into one wonderful package. After devouring every futuristic I could
get my hands on, I decided to try to write my own. Much to my amazement
and delight, I found that people who weren’t even related to me liked them!
So I decided to pursue it seriously. That was five years ago and now
I’m having the time of my life.
Q: Tell us about Unraveled. So
did anyone help you come up with the wonderful storyline? Specifically,
the wild adventures Rayce and Tru have during the
story.
A: I generally plot my
storylines solo. Not because I don’t want the help but I usually
have a very definite kind of story in mind when I start. With this
book, I wanted to include the pyramids on Earth, specifically Cheops which
I’ve always been fascinated with. Tons of research followed.
When I realized I could create a pyramid in the stars, the rest of the
story evolved from there. Plus the idea of crafting six individual
and distinct worlds was too good to pass up! <g> I
wanted them to be very different from each other and played off the Earth,
Wind, Fire, Water and Fifth Element theme. It was one of those
stories that took a long time to come together but I was very pleased with
it when it was finished.
Q: We know that Tru's father discovered the
artifact, but where exactly did he find it?
A: Good question! I left
it ambiguous so the reader could decide. <g> Tru did not
know how her father ended up with the artifact herself and there’s a very
good reason for that. I will say that it was given to him from
someone on the outside. He recognized it as part of the legend and
planned to hire Rayce to help him acquire it. (That’s how Tru found
Rayce’s contact information.) But her father died before he had the
chance and that’s when Tru stumbled upon the artifact and developed her
own theory. I don’t want to spoil the story but her father was not
what he appeared to be.
Q: You have just contracted for
another futuristic, Unleashed, scheduled to be released in May 2004.
Will we be seeing Rayce and Tru in this next installment? What is
the story about?
A: Yes, you’ll hear from Rayce
briefly in the next book. Unleashed is Zain’s story. He is a
stellar cartographer who gets shot down and stranded on a desert planet
with a lethal secret. In order to solve it, he temporarily beams
Lacey Garrett, an Earth computer programmer into his ship. Despite
his best efforts, she gets trapped there with her cat. What they
discover together could change Earth, the galaxy, and each other
forever. The mystery of Stonehenge and its origin is a key part of
the story.
There will also be a fourth book in this series
featuring Zain’s sister, Torrie titled Unmasked. I expect that book
to be released in 2005.
Q: So when will Unraveled hit the
bookstores? Any upcoming appearances scheduled?
A: Unraveled will hit the
stands September 30th and be available everywhere.
I will be
scheduling some signings next month so check my website for updates.
I will definitely participate in a double signing in Massena, NY with my
sister Cheri Revai who is also a published author. She writes ghost
stories of Northern New York and has two books coming out this fall.
Other than signings, I’m giving a workshop on October 25th
sponsored by the Southern Tier Authors of Romance chapter entitled “Help
I’m Published and I Can’t Get Up.” I will be posting more
information on my website shortly.
Q: It has been such a pleasure
to have you with us today C.J. Any final thoughts for your readers?
A: My pleasure,
Goldie. Thanks for having me.
To my readers, keep
reading! Your loyal support of the futuristic genre has allowed me
and other new authors a chance to tell our stories. I can’t thank
you enough.
And as always, shoot for the
stars!
