Guest Author: Cherry Adair

Today’s guest author has often said she must wear heels to gain extra height, but IMHO, as amazing as her shoes always are (even a popcorn box on shoes she wore to RT’s CinemaCraptastique-see picture below!), she could do without them because when she enters a room, she is larger than life! 

I’m talking energy plus (maybe from her daily Mocha Frappuccino!), always a splash of colour (which you’d probably expect considering she was a very successful interior designer in San Francisco), an abundance of warmth and always a funny story to tell.

I met NY Times Best Selling author, Cherry Adair, at my very first RT Convention back in New Orleans in 2014. A few months later, Cherry was guest speaker at the RWAus conference in Sydney and her ‘Plotting by Colour’ introduction inspired me to take her Master Class at RT in Dallas in 2015.

It’s my very great pleasure to have Cherry as my guest author today.

                                

Welcome Cherry and thank you so much for agreeing to be my guest.

Thanks, Alyssa, I'm delighted to be here with you.

First, would you tell us about your latest release and whether it posed any particular challenges to write?

WHIRLPOOL, which came out earlier this year, was a real challenge to write. It's the 6th book in my Cutter series. The first challenge was making sure a reader could read this book without having read the first 5, and still get who was who etc. (although it's better to start at Undertow and read forward.) So making it read as a stand alone was a challenge. Because if someone had read the other books, they wouldn't want the last book to just repeat things they already knew.
But more difficult than that was in Whirlpool I needed to bring back the other 5 couples. I knew that when I plotted the book, and I was excited at the challenge of seeing them again and finding out what they'd been doing since they found their HEAs. The thing I hadn't anticipated was that once each couple was on the page, I remembered how much I loved them, and I didn't want to let them go! Lol I had to be strong and kick them off stage so that Peri and Finn could have their time together. I did have my cake and eat it as well at the end when I was able to bring everyone together.

Next up is a novella A Killer Christmas out this November. You know those heartwarming small town Christmas stories scented by pine trees and hot cinnamon cookies, with sweet tail-wagging puppies, and angelic children? A Killer Christmas isn't that. lol

Your website is full of fantastic information for writers and you give so much to other authors and aspiring authors in the way of information, workshops, and encouragement. Did you have any mentoring as you first worked your way to publication?

No, I didn't. Which is why I'm now so passionate about mentoring and helping new authors.

And for those authors or aspiring authors looking for some help, check out Cherry's fabulous WRITERS' BIBLE. 

You moved from Cape Town to San Francisco and now live in Seattle where I believe you have fabulous views of the lake and Mt Rainer. Your home and garden sounds idyllic (especially a writing room where you can store 3500 paperback ‘keepers’!), but is there any particular place that’s topping your list of travel destinations?

Always Italy. I love everything about it. My Italian is atrocious, but I always try to speak to people when I'm there. I love the language, the food, the colors and the history of all things Italian.

That explains your Tuscany-inspired kitchen!!

You’ll be at the Booklover's Con in NOLA in May, 2019. For first-time visitors to New Orleans is there anything in particular you think is an experience not to be missed?

New Orleans is a wonderful city. There's so much history, and so much to see. The food is amazing. Café du Monde  is a must ­ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_du_Monde where you sit outside and sip coffee, people watch and eat powdered sugar-coated beignets (similar to doughnuts)

Here are other things to see and do in New Orleans https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60864-Activities-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html
 
What’s next for you as an author?

Write. Write. Write. Lol That's what I love to do.

I have dozens of pages on Facebook. My author pages of course, which I love to visit multiple times a day to have fun with my readers. And many, many pages dedicated to helping other authors. Anyone is welcome to join us. On BICC I motivated, and kick butt to keep people writing. I'm there every day, doing sprints, motivating, threatening, cajoling and generally reminding people to sit their arse in the chair and just write!!

I’m looking forward to seeing you again at NOLA in May. Thanks again for being here today, Cherry!

Thanks, I can't wait. I'll be doing an all day Plotting by Color class there, and also games and fun things with readers later in the week. It's going to be a blast. AND I have awesome, fun shoes planned. Lol  

I highly recommend the Plotting by Color class. The story I plotted at that class will be published in April 2019. Sometimes I start writing without plotting and then I go back and do the plotting by color as it really shows me where I need more of something - or less of something! But, don't take my word for it, sign up for Cherry's class and all will be revealed!

For more information on Cherry and her fabulous romantic suspense novels, visit Cherry’s website: www.http//cherryadair.com (Stuff for writers -under Writers tab ☺☺)

Join me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CherryAdairAuthor/
Butt in Chair Group on FB - https://www.facebook.com/groups/642785459094433/
Come and see the images from all my books on Pinterest Cherry Adair

I spend WAY more time on line that I should. I love, love, freaking LOVE Facebook. Come and play!

Thanks for having me, Alyssa. This was fun.

Cheers
Cherry

PS – anyone reading this who is going to New Orleans- contact me beforehand, and I'll take you for coffee while we're there. ☺




Thanks for visiting the blog today. I hope you'll be able to come and visit next Saturday for my guest author Victoria Dahl. Have a great week and Happy Reading!

Best wishes,

Alyssa J. Montgomery

 _____________________________________________________________________________
About the Blogger:
Alyssa J. Montgomery is an Australian contemporary romance author who is published by Escape Publishing (Harlequin Enterprises, Australia). She also 
writes medieval romance as Alyssa James,




 

http://www.alyssajmontgomery.com/ 




















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