Have you always had a passion for writing?
My passion for writing began many years ago. As a young divorcee completely disillusioned by romance, I sought enjoyment in reading. Then, finally, on a lonely New Year’s Eve, I tucked my two young son’s into bed, poured myself a glass of wine, then pulled out my old Tower typewriter. With a strong belief in a ‘happily-ever-after’ I began to craft a love story which would contain all the elements I felt a true hero should possess. THAT was the night I gave birth to a Civil War love story, NO GREATER GLORY, which ultimately became a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist, which landed me my fabulous agent. Lo and behold, my journey toward publication began.
Does what you read influence what you write and what are some of your favorite authors/books?
I love historical romance. The elements I look for in a novel that I read for pleasure are a captivating love story, characters who I can fall in love with, and detailing that sweeps me right straight back into the time period. I have many romance novels on my keeper shelf, but as I glance at them several stand out to me, and are as timely & moving as they were when I first them: THE OUTSIDER by Penelope Williamson. GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell. LOVE & WAR by Patricia Hagan. Good heavens, the list goes on and on.
What are your biggest inspirations?
PEOPLE…So many wonderful people motivate me to do better, strive harder, and reach farther. Their successes are what inspires me to continue in my quest every single day. And HISTORY…I truly enjoy the research side of writing in my chosen genre.
Do you have a technique in how you choose characters and/or locational settings?
Some of my characters have been born in my mind before I even start writing a book. And others only after I’m in the process of creating. They literally ‘talk to me’…lol. For example, Dillon [the hero of my third novel & sidekick of Jackson Neale] just would not take a back seat in my second novel [With Open Arms…the love story of Callie Cutteridge and Jackson Neale] until I promised him he could have his own dang book!! And I always place my characters in settings that I love myself. ♥
Do you listen to music while you are creating your masterpieces?
Absolutely…especially when crafting a love scene or writing involved conflict. And my music choices vary so greatly from Enya to Garth Brooks to The Eagles to Beethoven. See? I’m a writer, so my mood changes with the wind.
What do you do to stay motivated and avoid writer’s block?
I always run things past my husband and we’ll sit down & discuss upcoming scenes and potential plot twists. Oh, and bottles of wine….lots and lots of organic Pinot Noir…lol. ♥
How has becoming a published author changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be?
I didn’t realize how extremely busy my life would become upon being published. I find myself with less time to actually write, so I must be even more focused than ever before and follow guidelines that I have set for myself. I love the opportunities and ‘opened doors’ that being a historical romance writer has presented to me. From interacting with so many amazingly wonderful authors that I have admired for years, to meeting incredibly supportive bloggers, readers, and leaders in the publishing industry, I cannot ask for a better ‘career’ than this one.
What are your biggest challenges as an author?
Balancing my time and attention between writing, social media, my family and my friends…and, of course, finding just that perfect word to use in a sentence…after all, it’s all about the emotions.
Do you have any pets?
Two spoiled-rotten Shetland Sheepdogs….Shelties, of course. Our oldest boy’s AKC name is Charleston’s Own Captain Rhett Butler Nord, but we just call him Buddy. And our little girl is Atlanta’s Own Katy Scarlett O’Hara Nord, otherwise affectionately called Katy.
What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?
Gardening. RV camping and traveling. Hiking. Bicycling. And going on luxurious cruises with the hubster. ♥
Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?
Too numerous to pick just one…from the Mayan Ruins deep in Mexico’s core to the beauty and splendor of the Grand Canyon to the hauntingly poignant monuments of the bloodstained Civil War battlefields across this nation, each and every place has burned a spot inside our heart. ♥
Tell us about your latest work in progress or most recent published work…
I am currently writing BY ANY MEANS, book four of my bestselling The Cutteridge Family series…debuting the winter of 2017. ♥
AN UNLIKELY HERO [Book Three just debuted!!!]
He’s a hard man with a broken past…and she reminds him of everything he’s lost…
Rugged army scout Dillon Reed has met his match in spoiled Boston debutante Alma Talmadge, but an unwanted assignment escorting the beauty across the wilds of America soon evolves into a journey of monumental change for them both. With killers hot on their trail, the odds of staying alive are stacked against them…and yet, falling in love was nowhere in their plans for survival.
ZIP OVER HERE TO READ THE OPENING: https://amzn.com/B01HMVIAYW
NO GREATER GLORY [Book One & a USA Today Lifeblog ‘Recommended Read’, as well as the #1 Civil War Romance at Amazon for over one full year]
Amid the carnage of war, he commandeers far more than just her home…
Widowed plantation owner Emaline McDaniels has struggled to hold on to her late husband’s dreams. Despite the responsibilities resting on her slender shoulders, she’ll not let anyone wrest away what’s left of her way of life—particularly a Yankee officer who wants to set up winter camp on her land. With a defiance born of desperation, she defends her home as though it were the child she never had…and no mother gives up her child without a fight.
Despite the brazen wisp of a woman pointing a gun at his head, Colonel Reece Cutteridge has his orders. Requisition Shapinsay—and its valuable livestock—for his regiment’s use, and pay her with Union vouchers. He never expected her fierce determination, then her concern for his wounded, to upend his heart—and possibly his career. As the armies go dormant for the winter, battle lines are drawn inside the mansion. Yet just as their clash of wills shifts to forbidden passion, the tides of war sweep Reece away. And now their most desperate battle is to survive the war with their lives—and their love—intact.
ZIP OVER HERE TO READ THE OPENING: https://amzn.com/B008GWOI9S
WITH OPEN ARMS [Book Two, as well as a #1 bestselling western historical romance]
A war-weary ex-soldier. An untamable hellion. Love doesn’t stand a chance in hell…
Hardened in childhood by the death of her parents, then left to run the family’s southwestern territory ranch when her brother rode off to fight for the Union years before, Callie Cutteridge hides her heartbreak behind a mask of self-sufficiency. Breaking horses for the army proves she’s neither delicate nor helpless. When a former cavalry officer shows up claiming to own her brother’s half of the Arizona ranch, she steels herself to resist the handsome stranger’s intention to govern even one single aspect of her life. After all, loving means losing…to her it always has.
For months, Jackson Neale has looked forward to putting the bloodstained battlefields back east behind him. Callie isn’t the agreeable angel her brother led him to believe, but he’s damned well not the useless rake this foul-mouthed hellion thinks he is, either. His quest for calm stability contradicts sharply with her need for control, yet still their heartstrings tangle. But how can these mistrusting partners transform their fiery passion into a happily- ever-after when all Callie knows how to do is fight…and all Jackson wants is peace?
ZIP OVER HERE TO READ THE OPENING: https://amzn.com/B00KT23WO0
Cindy’s bio: Say hello to Bestselling Historical Romance writer, CINDY NORD…the USA Today Lifeblog ‘Recommended Read’ author of NO GREATER GLORY, a #1 Civil War Romance at Amazon for nearly a year, and book one in her four-book ‘The Cutteridge Series’. WITH OPEN ARMS, book two, is a #1 bestselling western historical romance. AN UNLIKELY HERO, book three, just debuted last week and has zoomed to a Top 100 Romance spot at Amazon. Also, Cindy is pleased to be a contributing author in the delightful SCRIBBLING WOMEN & THE REAL-LIFE ROMANCE HEROES WHO LOVE THEM [all proceeds of this book go directly to the Women In Need shelter in NYC]. She is a member of numerous writers groups, and her work has finaled or won countless times in competitions — including the prestigious Romance Writers of America National Golden Heart Contest. A luscious blend of history and romance, her stories meld both genres around fast-paced action and emotionally driven characters.
Please join Cindy at her Facebook page for her Monday-thru-Friday morning “Coffee Klatch” — as well as on Twitter at @cnord2. Indeed, true love awaits you in the writings of Cindy Nord.
MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
My webpage: https://www.cindynord.com
My Amazon Author page: https://amazon.com/author/www.cindynord.com
Barnes & Noble NOOK Author link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Cindy+Nord?_requestid=853257
Cindy’s Facebook ‘Coffee Klatch’: https://www.facebook.com/cindy.nord.9
Cindy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnord2