Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Wednesday promo- Cheryl Pierson


I'm happy to showcase another Wild Rose Press author this week. Cheryl Pierson and her debut novel Fire Eyes in the Cactus Rose line at The Wild Rose Press.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a little girl, I had a lot of books. Most of them have some very careful lettering of my own inside them. I think my mom realized it long before I did--she would always keep a pen and scrap paper in her purse and no matter where we went I could occupy myself for hours with writing and drawing. I'm no artist, so I guess I practiced my writing more than my drawing.


Why do you write historical romance?

I was the weird kid in school who actually LOVED my social studies and history classes. History was my minor in college. I love pretty much every bit of history, in every culture and country, but it would be really hard to write all kinds of historical romance without focusing on one specific time period, I would think. So, being raised in the heart of the west, in Oklahoma, western history was my first love. I do write some contemporary, but western historicals are the first books I ever wrote, and the ones that grab my heartstrings and hang on.

Which character in Fire Eyes do you feel the strongest connection to? And why?

I think I would have to say Jessica. She is a very strong person, but doesn't think of herself as such. It's amazing what kind of strengths we develop as we go through life. Sometimes, those strengths are very evident to other people, but we don't see it. She has gone through so much hardship and sadness, but she is just trying to live her life and take care of Lexi. She hasn't been alone for long, but in that harsh land and those times, even a few days would have been risky for a beautiful woman like her, let alone a few months. Even though Kaed was wounded so badly when he came, I still felt a sense of relief for Jessica, that she was not alone anymore.

BLURB:
Beaten and wounded by a band of sadistic renegades that rules the borderlands of Indian Territory, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner understands what the inevitable outcome will be for him: death. But Fate and a war party of Choctaw Indians intervene, delivering him instead to a beautiful angel with the skill to heal him. Jessica Monroe has already lost a husband and a brother to the outlaws who tortured Marshal Turner. As the rugged lawman lies bleeding on her bed, she faces a difficult decision. Can she afford to gamble with her heart one last time? For when Kaed recovers, he is sworn to join the other Territorial Peace Officers in their battle to wipe out the renegade gang once and for all. When vengeance is done, will Kaed keep riding? Or will he return to claim his future with the beautiful woman the Choctaw call "Fire Eyes?"

Excerpt:

Jessica laid the knife aside on the nightstand, surprised at the slight trembling of her hand. She'd done this plenty of times before. Her throat felt tight, like a knot had formed in it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She cleaned the blood from his lip, and he closed his eyes, allowing it. "Are you all right?"

His breathing became steadier. "Finish it, Jessica."

"But—"

"Don't wanna think about it." His dark hair fanned across his forehead, his swollen eyes shuttered, closed against her worry. His split cheek had reopened, and had begun to bleed once more.

He looked like a fallen angel, Jessica thought. A once-beautiful, perfect angel who now lay before her beaten and bruised. But not broken. He was too tough, too proud.

And still beautiful.

Through all the blood and bruises, Jessica could still see the dark planes and lines of his features, the tenacious set of his jaw. He opened his eyes slowly once more, and Jessica's breath caught at what she saw there. The pain in his ebony gaze was obvious, but beyond that, there was a concern she had never expected to see. He was worried for her, rather than himself.

She nodded. "All right, Marshal." She turned and walked to the fireplace, thrusting the knife in the fire.

www.CherylPierson.com

2 comments:

Helen Hardt said...

Cheryl, great to see you here! Fire Eyes is a wonderful book!

Cheryl Pierson said...

Hey Helen!

I'm out of town right now and on limited computer time, but this was the first thing I checked out this morning when I got on! I'm so glad you stopped by to comment. I love Fire Eyes too--my baby. LOLLOL

Thanks for the kind words!
Cheryl