Please Welcome CD Hersh to The Bodice

Help me welcome authors CD Hersh to The Bodice. So, what can you tell us about yourselves?

We are a husband and wife writing team who have been married for 43 years. We met in high school, got married in college, started writing plays and dramas for our church about 16 years ago, and paranormal romance about 6 years ago. We like to travel, go to movies, and just hang out together.

Wow! 43 years is a long time! And it sounds like you totally enjoy your time together. That’s awesome. Do you have a day job?

Up to two years ago Donald worked for the government and Catherine worked from home as a freelance writer. Donald is now retired.

That’s great. Husband and I are now talking about what we’ll do when he can retire from his government job (I have a ways to go before I can retire from mine… Unless I win Powerball. Right now, that’s my early retirement plan). So, how do you balance writing with all of your other obligations? (I ask, because I have yet to find it!)

We are working that out on a day-by-day basis. Retirement hasn’t made it easier because we keep finding more things to do. Catherine likes to garden and now has pulled Donald into doing day labor. He says “So much for relaxing.” LOL. The rest is just keeping our calendar updated. Smartphones are a help with that.

What’s your favorite book of all time, and why? (Because I’m a lit geek, I’ll let you get away with listing more than one)

Donald’s would be Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, and Sherlock Holmes. They fueled his love of SiFy and mystery. Catherine’s is Lord of the Rings because she loves the fantasy world created there and Stranger in a Strange Land again because of the SciFi element.

Who is your favorite movie/TV character and why?

We love Gibbs on NCIS because he is able to communicate so succinctly. We’ve even used some of his characteristics for one of our characters.

We like Gibbs in this household too. What are your interests outside of writing?

Reading, movies, traveling and gardening. Catherine’s hillside garden is an award winning garden.

I like to travel, even if it’s just for a car ride. I’ll happily go anywhere, but I love hearing about vacation spots (seriously, I missed my calling as a travel writer). Why don’t you tell us about your favorite vacation.

There are so many favorite vacations because we like to travel. In fact, we’ve managed to travel a lot since Donald’s retirement. Our favorite destinations that we have consistently gone back to are Williamsburg and Disney World.

If you’re willing to share, what’s one of your most embarrassing moments? The only reason I ask is because I am the queen of the embarrassing moment.

Catherine seems to have the habit of falling up the steps, down the steps, out of the closet and out of the flower beds. Good thing we have good insurance.

Let’s talk a little about your writing. Answer as many or as few as you want. Here’s the cover.

 

Is there a particular author who may have influenced you?

We can’t really think of any particular author as we both read many genres. Of course, our favorite books would lead to those authors influencing our work.

Tell us a little bit about what inspired this book.

A road sign in New York. We often do our plotting as we travel, because it makes the time pass. On one trip we were looking for something new to write about and we saw the sign for Turning Stone, New York. One idea led to another and the Turning Stone Chronicles series was born.

What is your favorite sentence or quote in your new release?

We have several but probably the best is: “Grief is a midnight indulgence when no one else can hear.”

 

I like it!

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?

Get involved with a critique group and local writing group and learn your craft.

 

Where can your readers stalk you?

Website: http://cdhersh.wordpress.com/

Soul Mate Publishing: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DUMODKI/

Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CD-Hersh/1374333942788724

Twitter: @AuthorCDHersh

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh

 

Tell us about your new release:

The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles) is the first book in a paranormal romance series. A magically based shifter society is living among us, and the good and evil factions are fighting for control of the world.

In the wrong hands, the Turning Stone ring is a powerful weapon for evil. So, when homicide detective Alexi Jordan discovers her secret society mentor has been murdered and his magic ring stolen, she is forced to use her shape-shifting powers to catch the killer. By doing so, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.

Rhys Temple always knew his fiery cop partner and would-be-girlfriend, Alexi Jordan, had a few secrets. He considers that part of her charm. But when she changes into a man, he doesn’t find that as charming. He’ll keep her secret to keep her safe, but he’s not certain he can keep up a relationship—professional or personal.

Danny Shaw needs cash for the elaborate wedding his fiancée has planned, so he goes on a mugging spree. But when he kills a member of the secret society of Turning Stones, and steals a magic ring that gives him the power to shape shift, Shaw gets more than he bargained for.

The book was just released in ebook form for Kindle July 10, 2013.

 

Do you have an excerpt?

The woman stared at him, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Return the ring, or you’ll be sorry.”

With a short laugh he stood. “Big words for someone bleeding to death.” After dropping the ring into his pocket, he gathered the scattered contents of her purse, and started to leave.

“Wait.” The words sounded thick and slurred . . . two octaves deeper . . . with a Scottish lilt.

Shaw frowned and spun back toward her. The pounding in his chest increased. On the ground, where the woman had fallen, lay a man.

He wore the same slinky blue dress she had—the seams ripped, the dress top collapsed over hard chest muscles, instead of smoothed over soft, rounded curves. The hem skimmed across a pair of hairy, thick thighs. Muscled male thighs. Spiked heels hung at an odd angle, toes jutting through the shoe straps. The same shoes she’d been wearing.

The alley tipped. Shaw leaned against the dumpster to steady himself. He shook his head to clear the vision, then slowly moved his gaze over the body.

A pair of steel-blue eyes stared out of a chiseled face edged with a trim salt-and-pepper beard. Shaw whirled around scanning the alley.

Where was the woman? And who the hell was this guy?

Terrified, Shaw fled.

The dying man called out, “You’re cursed. Forever.”

It was great to have you guys here! Good luck with this release. It sounds great!