Interview of Author Sam Cheever

Today I'm pleased to present an interview of romance author Sam Cheever.

Latest Book: Cybele’s Angel
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BIO:
Sam writes as Sam Cheever for mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for m/m romantic suspense and fantasy. Sam’s published work includes 40+ works of romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. Her books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated for and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award.

Sam is published with Changeling Press; Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Musa Publishing; and Electric Prose Publications (her own imprint).

Visit her websites to find out more about her work and activities: http://www.samcheever.com or http://www.declansands.com

Q: What part of the book is the easiest for you to write? Why?
A: I find the beginning the easiest to write. When I have an idea for a book the first few chapters really flow. I think it’s because the story possibilities are wide open at that point. Once I get to the point where I know I need to focus the story it gets more difficult.

Q: What part of the book is the hardest for you? Why?
A: Definitely the middle. This is where I need to start reigning in the story and focusing it toward a conclusion. At that point I need to take a step back and plan how I want to move the story toward conclusion. Once I do that things become easier again.

Q: Do all your heroes and all heroines look the same in your mind as you “head write”?
A: Definitely not. But I’m always afraid that I don’t adequately describe their physicality to make them unique in the reader’s mind. That’s a constant struggle for me. Emotionally and intellectually I think I create strong, unique characters. But I sometimes feel I’m in a descriptive rut with their looks. The good news is that every reader creates a picture of the character in her mind and no two readers see the character the same way, so, in effect, the reader does some of that work for me! #:0)

Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: I have 13 dogs. Nope, that’s not a typo. LOL So they keep me pretty busy. I also try to take regular walks and do power yoga to keep my mind and body strong and elastic. I also love to go to the movies with my daughters on the weekends.

Q: What’s your strongest point as a writer?
A: I write great, natural-sounding dialogue. I’ve also been told I create characters a reader can relate to.

Q: What genre would you like to try writing in but haven’t yet done so? Why?
A: Steampunk, or any other type of historical romance. At this point in my career I don’t have time to do all the research that would be required. But someday I’ll definitely dip my toe in those waters.

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
http://www.samcheever.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sam-Cheever-Author/102117321982
https://twitter.com/#!/samcheever
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1812031.Sam_Cheever
http://samcheever.com/blog
http://about.me/samcheever
http://www.amazon.com/Sam-Cheever/e/B002ZN3P84

BLURB: Cybele’s Angel is Book 2 of my Royals of Sheoldris dark paranormal romance series. They’re the authors of their own demise. The victims of a driving lust. But in the end, it’s their hearts that may serve them ill.

Cybele doomed herself to slavery to give her brother the mate he’s waited so long to claim. But the slavery she anticipated was not the bondage she found. The dark angel she faced across the bars of her prison was as much a victim of their forged plots as Cybele. What she doesn’t realize is that Kadeg doesn’t intend to stay a victim for long. He plans to turn the quill on Cybele. If only his heart doesn’t stay his hand.

EXCERPT:

Cybele stood tall before the bars, listening to the fast, heavy footfalls of the man who surely would have just realized what she’d done. She smiled, knowing how her presence there would tear at him, pulling him in two directions and causing him great consternation.

For the moment at least, she’d won. Only time would tell if she’d won the battle only to lose the war.

He slammed to a stop before the bars of her prison and Cybele sucked in a breath, her body warming immediately upon sight of him. With dark gold hair that fell in thick, shiny waves over his head, and a line of dark gold hair running from beneath full lips to cover a wide chin in a short, sexy goatee, he was stunningly handsome, even with murder dancing in his dark blue eyes. “You witch! What have you done?”

Cybele tipped her head and allowed her lips to curve into a smug smile. “You left me no choice, scribe. Now perhaps we shall find a way to work together, rather than endangering everyone with our little games.”

He clutched the bars with strong, wide fingers, his square jaw tightening with anger. “I don’t play games, demoness. I fight a valiant fight for control of a viable territory.”

Cybele slid her gaze over his delicious features, her loins tightening at the sight. Her adversary had a strong nose and long, thick-lashed blue eyes. His jaw was square, with sexy creases on either side of wide, sculpted lips. The dark one’s shoulders were broad, his waist narrow, and his long legs were lean and just the tiniest bit bowed. He wore cream-colored leather pants and a tightly fitting, round-necked black shirt that skimmed snugly over his delightful attributes. “We shall see how viable it is, scribe. Perhaps my brother will see the Hades Mountain territory as ripe for his plucking.”

“Never!”

Cybele’s only response was to continue smiling. Behind the smile was a world of doubt and fear. But she’d die a thousand deaths before she ever let him know it.

Cybele shivered as a gust of grave-scented air swept through her cell. She didn’t need the panicked widening of the dark one’s gaze to know what had appeared behind her.

Cybele’s stomach twisted with fear and she fought to hold her ground, knowing that what was about to happen needed to occur. But gooseflesh crept over her arms and her breath came fast and panicked through her lips.

Cold, bony fingers clamped around her arms, dragging her against a hard, putrid-smelling body. Before the ghouls could whisk her into their subterranean dimension, she stiffened her spine and said, “Remember, this was all your doing, dark one.”

His gasp nearly made her smile. Unfortunately, as the world fell away and a bone-chilling damp told her she’d entered the terrifying realm of the dead, Cybele couldn’t find it within herself to smile at anything.


Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks so much for letting me stop by today. I’ve really enjoyed our little chat! Let’s do it again soon.

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