AUTHORPALOOZA INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY - CINDY ROESEL

This giveaway is now CLOSED!  The lucky winner of Cindy Roesel's e-book, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED, is Meredith Schorr!  Congrats, Meredith, and thanks to everyone who left a comment!


Joining me for Authorpalooza today is Miami-based journalist-turned-author Cindy Roesel.  Cindy recently released her fun, fast-paced Women's Fiction novel VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED, and she's here to tell you more about it.  

Cindy has generously offered to give away one Kindle copy of her e-book VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED.  So, be sure to leave a comment, including your e-mail address, below to be entered for a chance to win.  This giveaway is open to US residents only!

Take it away, Cindy . . .

1) Can you give us a brief overview of VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED?

In my novel, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED the sensationalism shown on television can only be topped by the drama that happens behind the camera! After being fired from her job in Los Angeles, Charlene “Charley” Thomas moves to sizzling Miami and begins working as news director at a local television station. Real life begins to mimic the drama of broadcast news when station personalities face life and death all for ratings and Emmys!  VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED is a modern day “Sex and the City” meets “Broadcast News.”

2) What's your favorite quality about your hero/heroine?

My favorite personal quality of Charley’s is her loyalty to her staff and her backbone.  She sticks up for people no matter what happens.  The moods change quickly in a newsroom, the right thing isn’t always the popular thing, so sometimes you’re going to have to make a few people angry when you make a decision, but Charley backs her people if that’s what it takes to do her job despite possibly losing a popularity contest.  People may not like her at times, but they respect the fact she is consistent with her decisions.

3) What made you want to write this book?

I’ve been in broadcast news for nearly two decades, I’ve won an Emmy Award, so I thought I had a platform I could turn into a novel and sure enough VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED was born.

4) What are you working on now?

What I’m doing now is promoting VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED by being a part of events like Authorpalooza, I’m also going on a Web-Tour, which is like a book store, but you meet up with readers on the web, I’ve been doing lots of giveaways, and oh yeah, I want to write another book.  You know how hard it is to find time to write, but it’s important.  It’s what this whole journey is about, and juggling time is what all of us have to learn how to do well.

5) What comes first for you -- character idea, plot idea?

For me, I just had a flash of a woman being fired with Led Zeppelin blaring in the car and out of that moment, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED was born.  So you tell me.  I come up with plots while walking my shih tzu, Sassy.  I just start talking to myself and put them on my story board and begin writing.  The characters arrive, they’re very organic. I don’t have to think about them.  They’re either meant to be in the story or not.

6) How do you think of titles?

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED was a phrase I heard on the cable channel FX in the early 2000’s when television programming was getting kind of risque.  The language was spicy and the actors were showing skin.  I thought it was a clever warning, so I stuck it in the back of my mind and said one day I’ll use that and sure enough I did.  I even have the domain name.  Sometimes producers include “is”, but I think that slows it down.

7) What are your thoughts on love scenes in books?  Do you prefer to read/write sweet/romantic encounters between your hero and heroine or spicy ones?

Writing love/sex scenes can be very intimidating.  I remember when my stories had none and readers asked me “Where’s the sex?” “You said this was a romance?” “All they did was kiss?”  Finally a few years ago, I wrote some real explicit sex scenes and took them to a writer’s group.  I was petrified.  I was told in a class once that if you’re not squirming while you’re writing, they’re not working. Well, I was squirming. They were too much.  But now with some trial and error, I’m comfortable writing my sex scenes.  They may be too much for some people, but I’m happy with my ability to write sex scenes.  It’s not for the faint of heart.  It takes work.

8) Who are the authors who inspire you?

Two authors who inspire me immensely are Charles Dickens and Mario Puzo.

9) What genres do you like to read?  Do you stick to one or are you eclectic in your reading tastes?

I’m an eclectic reader of everything! Right now WIFE 22, BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES, THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS, THE WEIRD SISTERS, BEST KEPT SECRET, and anything by Elin Hilderbrand.

10) What was the last book you read that really WOWed you?

THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY by Sere Prince Halverson just WOWed me and that was her debut! I can’t wait for her sophomore novel.

11) Do you prefer a series or stand alone novels?

Stand alone

12) If you could be plopped down in the middle of any book, which one would it be?

GONE WITH THE WIND - But when it was finished, I’d like to come right home, immediately to my family.

13) If you could invite any five people (living or dead) over for a dinner party, who would they be and why?

Without a doubt, I would invite Dorothy Parker and four of her friends from the Algonquin table over, or I could make it easy and go to their table.  The conversation would be out of this world.  I can’t even imagine observing the one up-man-ship in person.  It’d be brilliant beyond my dreams!  I’m sure I could only stomach one night though. 

Fast and Flirty 


Favorite scent?  Hyacinth
Favorite color?  Pink

Favorite food?  Stone crabs

Favorite word?  Plethora
Dream vacation spot?  Maui

Favorite time period in history?  '20s-'30s 

Favorite girl's night out drink?  Watermelon Martini  

Favorite date night activity?  Drinks, dinner, live music 

Coffee or tea or soda?  Diet peach Snapple 

Strong but lean or built and burly?  Built and burly

Scruffy or clean-shaven?  Clean-shaven

Dark-haired or blond?  Blond 

Celebrity hottie on your laminated list?  Jeremy Renner 

Novel hero crush?  Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn novels)  

Thanks so much for participating in Authorpalooza, Cindy!  Best of luck with VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED and all your future writing endeavors!

Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite TV news program is and you'll be entered to win a Kindle copy of VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED.  Don't forget to leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win!  Contest is open to US residents ONLY!  Drawing will take place on Wednesday, June 27th, so get your comments in by midnight on Tuesday, June 26th.

Purchase VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

Visit Cindy Roesel at:

Website

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