MONDAY MORNING SPOTLIGHT WITH C.P. SMITH!
We are so excited to have C.P. Smith with us for this Monday’s Spotlight. C.P. is the author of the outstanding A Reason to Breathe, A Reason to Kill and the standalone, Restoring Hope. C.P. is an automatic one-click for us. She writes about tough as nails, alpha males who, when they meet the right girl, fall hard. We asked C.P. 20 questions. You can see her answers below. Plus, links to check out all her books and our reviews. ENJOY!
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20 Questions with C.P. Smith
1. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I had no idea I had the ability to write until last year. I wrote a short story for fun, and the writing bug took hold. Now I can’t imagine my life without writing. I’ve been a creative person my whole life, started as a singer and then acting in my twenties. I guess writing is just another extension of that creative side of my brain.
2. Has it become a full-time job for you, or do you have another profession?
I’m a stay at home mom. When I’m not hauling the kid’s places, I’m writing full-time.
3. Where do your ideas come from?
EVERYWHERE, commercials, youtube, poems, songs…..my friends. I have quite a few single friends and hear tons of stories about dating. I also have a vivid imagination and spend most of my time in my head, just ask my former teachers.
4. I would think that writing is something that happens when inspiration strikes as opposed to a 9-5 job. Have you ever been in the middle of dinner with your family when an idea hits, and you have to get to the computer stat?
I have once, but most of the time I will excuse myself immediately after and do it.
5. Do you have a favorite line or scene from any of your books?
Favorite scene from one my books has to be when Jenn is caught outside the cabin, and Jack calls to find out where she is….The whole arms in the air, and him shouting obscenities still makes me laugh.
6. Are there any characters you relate the most to in your books?
Hope, she is most like me.
7. What are your biggest distractions?
Kids, Facebook…Life. I have an addiction to Farm Heroes and play that game too much I’ll admit!
8. What is your least favorite part of the writing or publishing process?
Editing and promoting….I LOVE writing, HATE Editing…..LOATH promoting!!!
9. Do you find it difficult, or challenging to write from a male POV?
No, I actually prefer writing from a male POV….men are more rational, and women are so emotional that I sigh in relief when I get to write direct and to the point alphas.
10. What activities do you enjoy outside of writing?
Reading of course, aside from that, I enjoy going to the gun range to practice, and I LOVE to go out hunting treasures at garage sales and flea markets.
11. Do you have a favorite author?
Hands down my favorite author is Jane Austen…Mr. Darcy is the original Alpha Male. But, a close second is Kristen Ashley and rounding third is Linda Howard.
12. Are there any books you wished you had written?
Good question, I’ve never thought about that. If I had written them, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed them as much as reading them for the first time. So, I guess the answer is no.
13. Do you have multiple stories swimming in your head at once?
Yeah, and it’s crowded in there. Luckily, the alphas get along, and the women are headstrong and snarky so it’s entertaining.
14. How much research goes into your books before you can start writing?
I’ll spend a day or two reading and watching videos before I start writing.
15. What does your writing workspace look like?
Cluttered…I have an office off my kitchen with lots of light and a huge old oak table that my computer sits on. I love my space.
16. Sharing your baby with the public has to be scary. How do you respond to negative reviews?
Better than I used to!!! You grow a thicker skin as you continue to write and publish, but I try for the most part to ignore the nasty reviews. I personally have NEVER read a book that deserved less than a three star in my life. I’m easily entertained, and if the book drags, I’ll skim till it picks up. The amount of time and energy it takes to write these stories, in and of itself, deserves a three-star rating. Those reviewers on GR and Amazon, who spend hours tearing a book apart and give it a one-star review, I ignore. A true reader, a lover of the written word, can find something positive in any book.
17. If you could cast the Reason series, who would you choose?
Jack- Mark Wahlberg
Jenn-Jennifer Garner
Max-Henry Cavill
Mia-Adrianne Palicki
18. Can you tell us what you are working on next?
Slo Ride…..It’s a book for older women though I think younger women will enjoy it. The main characters are three friends in their late forties and early fifties who find love again in the form of bikers. However, these guys aren’t your traditional bikers. They aren’t in an MC they have day jobs. They’re bikers in the sense they live the creed. “Live life to the fullest and slide into death going 80.”
19. What is in your purse right now?
Hmmm, wallet, keys, pain reliever, mints, half-eaten cookie, and chap stick.
20. Where do you hope your writing career is in 10 years?
In ten years, I hope to have a following of rabid fans who look forward to my books releasing. I write for me I publish for you. Anything good that comes from that is just a bonus. I don’t have expectations other than hoping people still like to read what I write that I’ve grown leaps and bounds as a writer and that I’m still alive!
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PURCHASE A REASON TO BREATHE
PURCHASE A REASON TO KILL
PURCHASE RESTORING HOPE
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OUR REVIEW OF RESTORING HOPE
OUR REVIEW OF A REASON TO KILL
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More about C.P. Smith
C.P. Smith is a stay-at-home mom. The need for more stories featuring older couples is the driving force behind her writing. Love isn’t just for the young it’s for everyone. A first kiss at 18 or 50 is still a first kiss–full of wonder and expectation.
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