Lea: Many writers have an 'idol' who has helped them along in their writing career, by studying their genre, their style. Do you have a favorite writer? 

 

Cyndia: I love authors who write fully evolved characters. The kind that make me feel what they're going through. Martha Grimes and Elizabeth George are wonderful at putting me in their characters' heads. I also like novels with issues and a surprise or two. Minette Walters and Dennis Lehane are also among my favorites.

 

Lea: What are some of the 'high's' and 'low's' you have experienced as a writer while establishing your career?

 

Cyndia: Discovering a love of reading doesn't mean a person can write was a low. I knew nothing about the actual process of putting words on paper in an understandable, meaningful, active and involving way. Every time I conquered a concept, such as keeping a point of view consistent, I'd be thrilled to pieces. After years of work learning to write, then trying to sell Amanda's Rib and receiving many rejections, being offered a contract was definitely a high. Trying to get my name and book known is difficult and can be discouraging. Getting an email from a stranger who enjoyed my book offsets that particular low. Highs and lows don't seem to end, but they do balance.

 

Lea: Do you find an agent a necesary step in your writing career? If so, what are some of your experiences and feelings with any initial agent contact? If no agent, then

how did you come about choosing your present publisher?

 

Cyndia: I don't have an agent and came upon Mundania Press because they were, and still are, recommended by Preditors and Editors and they accept unagented submissions. It was a combination of luck and persistence.

 

Lea: Did you start off with writing goals? If so, which ones have been achieved and what are your future goals?

 

Cyndia: I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought I'd write a book and sell it and wouldn't that just be wonderful?! Ha! I ended up setting mini goals so I wouldn't be overwhelmed and give up. Learn to write. Finish the book. Find an agent/publisher... It's kind of like losing weight. If you think you have to lose fifty pounds it can be daunting. If you think in terms of losing five pounds, then five more, it's manageable. At least for me. So I take it all in stages. Finish, edit, make it the best book I can, query. I'm back to step one with my second book. Finish. Then I'll tackle editing.

 

Lea: Being a writer, I know time management is a heavy duty load to handle with family and outside commitments. How do you handle time management?

Can you give us a brief timetable of your day and/or methods you use to prod you to write?

 

Cyndia: I'm almost embarrassed by my good fortune. I don't have an outside job any more (I closed my accounting business when I began writing), so my time is pretty much mine. I can't write in spurts, so if I hit the 'zone', I like to keep going until I drop. My husband understands and leaves me alone in my 'cave' when I'm in that mood. I play solitaire on the computer for a while each morning, and plot as I play. Then, when I know where I want to go with my work, I start writing.

 

Lea: Writers need a constant source of writing articles and outside motivation. Do you find your immediate circle of friends understanding to the time you devote to writing?

 

Cyndia: My friends don't understand at all. But, bless their hearts, they don't pass judgement on me either. Writing is just plain lonely, so we have to learn to be happy entertaining ourselves. I'm comfortable with that. I don't think non-writers will ever *get* it, so the best we can ask of our friends is to  let us be us and endure our eccentricities. Many of the things they do baffle me. But if they're happy, I'm happy.

 

Lea: Your book Amanda's Rib recieved a great review on The Muse Book Reviews by Alice Berger. What was your inspiration and purpose in writing this book?

 

Cyndia: I wanted to write a book I'd like to read. One which ultimately surprised me, and also tackled an issue. Domestic violence is a sub-plot because I was sick of victims of abuse being blamed for their situations. Who would ask to be hit? They deserve empathy, not derision. I gave Amanda every advantage, she had a loving family and financial resources of her own. Yet the insidious process of abuse caught her and she felt trapped. I wanted to get across how a person could find herself in such a violent relationship and why she would feel stuck in it.

 

Lea: Do you write in more than one genre? If so, which is your favorite?

 

Cyndia: I only write mystery/romance, but I switch from darker books, like Amanda's Rib, to humorous ones. Oblivious, the novel I'm working on now, is great fun to write and I laugh a lot. The one noodling at the back of my mind waiting to get out is another 'issue' book. It deals with a missing person, a murder suspect, but no body. There will be a few twists and turns in that one!

 

Lea: Where can our readers hook up to find out more on your writing career and any new projects in the works?

 

Cyndia: Email me. I love hearing from readers. Visit my web site, www.cyndiadepre.com I'm starting a newsletter and thinking of serializing Oblivious at my site.

 

Lea: Do you have any words of wisdom to pass on to new writers?

 

Cyndia: Learn the rules, but write the way you want. By that I mean have a firm understanding of POV, punctuation, plot, characterization, etc, but don't let anyone tell you how or when to write. If you get creative at three in the morning, then write at three in the morning. If you start with the ending and write to it, like I do, that's fine. If you need an outline, use one. If you don't, don't use one. We're constantly told we HAVE to do so many things. Piffle. All we have to do is produce the best book we are capable of creating. Above everything else, believe in yourself. Don't wallow in pity at each rejection. Congratulate yourself for trying, then send out more queries.