Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Guest Blogger, Cheryl Brooks

I’d like to welcome author Cheryl Brooks to Thoughts in Progress today as our special guest blogger.

Cheryl writes a series that combines romance and sci-fi. Her books explore another world filled with romance, danger, intrigue, and the paranormal. She will be giving away a copy of her book to one lucky person who comments on her post today through 8 p.m. (EST) Sunday, Jan. 24. The winner will be announced Monday, Jan. 25.

Here’s a blurb from the back cover of her latest book, “Fugitive” : When a Zetithian fugitive meets a beautiful Earth woman, their passion may cost them both their lives … Manx is a Zetithian fugitive with a feline gene that gives him remarkable sexual powers. He has been in hiding in the remote jungles of Barada Seven ever since being marked for extermination by the violent Nedwuts. Artist Drusilla arrives on Barada Seven, enticed only by the promise of finding a nature paradise there. But she discovers a wildlife she wasn't expecting when she encounters Manx. Reckless with desire for the beautiful Earth woman, Manx risks his life to win her as his mate. It's only a matter of time until the Nedwuts find them, but it will take all of Manx and Drusilla's passion, skill, and ingenuity to survive.

I have to say, Cheryl was a little reluctant to agree to guest blog since she doesn’t write murder mysteries. I explained that I wanted to share the work of authors from diverse genres. She finally agreed. I’ll let her tell you the rest of the story.

Hello! My name is Cheryl Brooks, author of The Cat Star Chronicles series. When Mason asked me to guest blog here, I wasn’t sure she knew what she was getting into. She told me she hadn’t read any of my books, but since she is a regular visitor to the Casablanca Authors blog, she had seen enough to pique her interest. 

However, upon visiting here on Thoughts in Progress, I discovered that the focus is primarily murder mysteries, and I thought to myself, “I don’t write murder mysteries, I write erotic science fiction romance! What on Earth will I talk about?” 

Then it came to me. My series is one gigantic murder mystery. The planet Zetith and all its inhabitants have been destroyed, and there is a bounty on the survivors. The evil Nedwuts redirected an asteroid to blow up that world, and they’ve been hunting down the survivors ever since, but who is paying for it? 

The Nedwut homeworld is relatively poor, and the snarling beasts aren’t all that smart, so someone else must be behind the dastardly plot. Someone with lots of money and a very good reason for his or her actions. But who? And why?

These questions will be answered in Hero, book six of the series, but there is a bit of insight into it in book five, Fugitive, which is the current release. One reviewer said she had hoped that the villain would be revealed in Fugitive, but for that answer, readers must wait until August 2010. Sorry about that, folks, but it’s my job to keep you guessing—and reading!

Murder mysteries are all about creating suspense, and romance novels are no different. You might already know whodunit, but watching the detective sift through the clues to unravel the puzzle is half the fun. The other half is in not knowing what dangerous twists and turns and red herrings our hero or heroine will encounter along the way.

In romance novels, you may safely assume that the hero and heroine will find their happily ever after, but it’s the rocky road to romance that keeps the reader engaged. In this series, those twists and turns involve romance—of the sizzling hot, highly erotic variety—but it is also set in the distant future, in outer space, with starships and aliens and strange new worlds.

In Fugitive, I have a delicious hero in Manx, a Zetithian who has been on the run from the Nedwut bounty hunters for so long that secrecy is second nature to him and risking everything for love is the very last thing on his mind. However, this changes when wildlife artist, Drusilla Chevrault visits the remote world of Barada Seven, and finds not only fabulous birds to paint, but also the elusive and intriguing Manx hiding out in the jungle. 

Throw in a fabulous lakeshore house run by a meddling computer, a housekeeping droid with a flair for always knowing exactly what you’re craving, and a lake-dwelling eltran who loves to play matchmaker, and you’ve got the perfect setting for an idyllic romance. But the Nedwuts are still on the hunt, and they are not the only ones searching for the last Zetithian. Have Drusilla and Manx found love only to be torn apart by greed and hatred? 

I love stories with humor, a little action/adventure, offbeat characters, tough, but loveable heroes, and strong, independent heroines. I’ve tried to incorporate all of those things in my writing to create fun, sexy, exciting adventures, and I hope I’ve succeeded. 

Now, I realize that this type of novel is not everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who like their “tea: Earl Grey, hot”—and if you’re following me on that quote, you’ll have some idea where much of my inspiration comes from—you might want to give this series a try.

Cheryl, thanks so much for stopping by. There is a lot of mystery blended in with your writing. I’ve recently gotten a copy of the second book in Cheryl’s series, "Warrior," and it has been fascinating to say the least.

You can visit Cheryl’s Website at cherylbrooksonline.com. She also blogs at Casablanca Authors and Wickedly Romantic. Thanks again Cheryl for stopping by.

Cheryl will be dropping back by during the day to answer any questions you might have and response to your comments. Remember, she is also giving away a copy of her book to one lucky person who comments on this post. Visitors can comment between today and 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24. The winner will be announced on Monday, Jan.  25.

Does the remote world of Barada Seven sound intriguing? What about a Zetithian hero like Manx trying to save the earth woman, Drusilla Chevrault?

30 comments:

  1. I think a meddling computer rules my house, too!

    It sounds like a really well-developed alternate universe, peopled with interesting characters. Thanks for introducing us to Cheryl!

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder
    Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen

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  2. No Question, just to let those who stop by know that Cheryl's fans support her where ever she goes. Thanks to Mason for inviting Cheryl to visit, her blog was eye opening , I never thought of her books as mysteries. But they are in their own way. It's sorta cool. Way to go Cheryl!!! ;)

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  3. Thanks, Elizabeth!
    I only WISH that a computer ran my house!

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  4. Hi Jessica,
    I never thought about the mystery aspect, either, but I guess it was there all along.
    Thanks for your support!

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  5. I love my tea: Earl Grey, Hot. And I most definitely get the reference :) Your book sounds great!!

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  6. How wonderful these guest blogs are! A great opportunity to meet new people, and it's such a pleasure to meet you Cheryl!

    The more guest blogs and book reviews I read, the longer my wish list of books gets! I love the entire concept of this book! Another added! :)

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  7. Mason - Thanks for opening up your blog this week : ). I'm learning such a lot! Cheryl, thanks for sharing your stories. I'm not much up on romance or sci-fi genres, and it's always so very helpful to me to learn about what's out there!

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  8. Morning all, thinking about Cheryl's post and yesterday's made me realize - there's romance and mystery in almost every story. It's not always the main focus or even a big part of it, but it's there if we stop and think about it. And for the stories it's not in, the reader can create their own version adding those elements.

    Elizabeth, your post today made me think of that. Looking at stories from various angles.

    Cheryl, thanks for stopping by today and sharing this with us.

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  9. Being a reformed mystery reader turned devote Cat Star Chronicle lover. I find this post very interesting. And I was a immediate convert. Cheryl's books are fabulous and she's just as warm and cuddly as her Zetithians.
    And I love my Hot Earl Grey Hot!!
    And I love the music here today to go along with it. Thanks Mason and Cheryl for starting my day off just right.

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  10. Your book sounds great. I enjoyed hearing about the world-building you've done to set up such unique characters. Thanks for visiting.

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  11. Love the quote!
    Haven't read your work, but it sure sounds fun.

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  12. The series sounds great, with all the attributes you want in a story.

    A computer doesn't run my house, but it definitely runs me.

    Helen
    Straight From Hel

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  13. Hi Cheryl-wow crossing over into the land of mystery. This was a great post; showing a different view of the Cat Star Chronicles. Very interesting! I LOVE this series. Cheryl's world building is so well done that her stories play like a movie in my head. :)

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  14. I'm also looking forward to reading HERO to find the answer to this great murder mytery.

    Will HERO be the last installment to the Cat Chronicles? What's in store, perhaps another series?

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  15. Sounds like some well thought through fiction. I like the idea of putting romance and sci-fi together. And this-

    "Does the remote world of Barada Seven sound intriguing? What about a Zetithian hero like Manx trying to save the earth woman, Drusilla Chevrault?"

    Yes, and yes!

    Marvin D Wilson

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  16. Yay Jemi!
    I knew there were some Trek fans out there somewhere!

    Hi Crystal!
    I'm happy to be able to introduce some new books into your life. You can NEVER have too many books!

    Hi Margot!
    I'm not much up on anything these days. Seems like all I do is write, so the occasional suggestion from others is very helpful!

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  17. Ha! I reformed you, Donna? That's funny. I thought I'd corrupted you... Thanks for being such a devoted follower!

    LSUReader & Carol Kilgore,
    I'm all for the fun stuff, and I hope you get the chance to pick one of my books up someday. Good luck in the contest!


    Good line, there, Helen. I feel like my computer has possessed me!

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  18. They play like a movie in my head, too, Lisa. I'm glad it works the same way for you!

    Not sure what's next, Armenia. I'm currently writing another book in this series, called Renegade. The folks at SB asked me to write three more, but I don't have a firm contract yet. We'll see!

    Thanks, Marvin! Glad the ideas work for you. It has always been my goal to bring romance and sci-fi together, and after thirty years of thinking about it, I'm finally doing it!

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  19. hi cheryl...i enjoyed this posting...my question to you is this: what are your working on now?

    karenk
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(Dot)com

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  20. This sounds like an intriguing series. I enjoy reading mysteries and romance, I just never ventured into Sci-Fi, but this series makes me want to give it a try! I'm also intrigued by Manx's feline gene - what an interesting concept!

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  21. Hi KarenK!
    I'm working on Renegade right now. It's about a virgin Zetithian man and a girl who is half human and half Aquerei (a species of aquatic humanoids). She wants to go back to her old boyfriend, and he's got a ship. She sees him as a temptation she should resist, and he's been unable to find a woman who does it for him, until now. The trouble is, when it comes to enticing females, he's completely clueless!

    Hi Ingid!
    I love sci-fi because the possibilities are endless. Did I mention that the Zetithians can purr?

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  22. Hi KarenK!
    I'm working on Renegade right now. It's about a virgin Zetithian man and a girl who is half human and half Aquerei (a species of aquatic humanoids). She wants to go back to her old boyfriend, and he's got a ship. She sees him as a temptation she should resist, and he's been unable to find a woman who does it for him, until now. The trouble is, when it comes to enticing females, he's completely clueless!

    Hi Ingid!
    I love sci-fi because the possibilities are endless. Did I mention that the Zetithians can purr?

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  23. Hey, Mason!
    Thanks so much for having me here today!

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  24. Cheryl, thank you for guest blogging today. I'm just glad to agreed to do it. See there's a little mystery and love in everything we read. Now a whole new world has opened up for some new readers. :)

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  25. Cheryl, Your book sounds yummy.

    Mason, Another great interview. Keep up the good work.

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  26. You know Cheryl it's sometimes that I get so involved in the good buys I don't think about those nasty nedwuts. They always make me so angry. But at the same time they're so necessary because they need their butts whooped :D

    Great interview :D

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  27. Teresa, thanks so much. I'm just glad Cheryl agreed to the post.

    Ana, thanks for stopping by.

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  28. I love the combination of mystery and romance. I look forward in reading this.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D

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  29. Congrats on the win, LSUReader! I'll be sending the book out as soon as I get your address! I hope you enjoy it!

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.