Interview with Cynthia Racatte - Author of Windswept

I would like to introduce  Cynthia Racette, she is the author of Windswept.

Cynthia, tell  us about yourself:   

I'm a writer, a chemist, a photographer, a watercolor artist, and a scrap booker. I love to read and start to break out in hives if I don't have at least one other book to read when my current one is done. I love to travel but despise long car rides. We drove to FLA this past winter and it was torture. We like our pool in the summer and entertain a lot then.

Do you prefer

Milk chocolate or Dark?

Milk chocolate, hands down! Although if you have a chocolate covered cherry that's sweet, dark is okay.

Coffee or tea?

Either one. I like my morning coffee but I'm a cup a day. Tea in afternoon or evening.

Vodka or tequila?

Sorry. I can't drink. Meds. If I could still drink though, it'd be a bottle of Cayuga White wine or a Margarita. I miss them!

Romance or a Thriller?

Are you kidding me? This is a romance blog, isn't it? Romance!!!!!  Love, desire, kisses, angst, sex….

Mystery or Horror?
Mystery. I'm not a big horror person. Scares the living *ahem* out of me! I hate being scared. Give me a nice mystery—with Dr. Alex Kellerman and Sturgis, or Hierenoymus Bosch, etc.

Did you always want to be an author?

Since about my mid-twenties or so. Life got in the way and still I collected novels under the bed. I got more serious about it around ten years ago and RWA was my pathway to publication.

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult?

Caroline Keene of the Nancy Drew books. It sounds funny but her books started me reading non-stop, then other authors crept in. At school we read all those classics and they were excellent. When it came time to read a book for English everyone else groaned and I cheered.

Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer?

My chemistry teacher in high school influenced me to become a chemist but I had to wait until after college for inspiration to write. My college roommate is renowned science fiction writer Nancy Kress and she inspired me to write. Now, I have influenced my daughter, who is multi-published erotic romance writer Cassandra Carr.

What is your writing atmosphere like?

Quiet. I can tolerate background noise like when my daughter and I write at a local café, but music and TV drive me nuts.

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your Least Favorite?

My favorite aspect of writing is the actual doing of it—sitting there with the words flowing under my fingers and the high of writing into and then through a big scene.

My least favorite is promotion and worrying about whether the book is selling.

Your current book  your promoting is:

Windswept. It's about a family that is torn apart when the husband is unfaithful. The wife, Caroline, must learn to cope on her own after David moves out. Her friendly neighbor tries to take advantage of the couple's split to make a move for Caroline. She wants to reconcile with her husband but David is guilt-ridden and not sure they should get together. It all revolves around Windswept, the family's beloved sailboat.

How did you come up with your story line?

My hubby and I are both sailors and had a sailboat for years that we adored. I wanted to write something about sailing but also show that in a broken relationship, both parties are hurting.

How do you choose your characters names?

Ouch! Sore spot alert! I have the darndest time coming up with the names. I'll choose one, then after a chapter it doesn't seem right so I'll choose another. Then I decide to change one of the other names to match the first better and on and on. I'm a total mess by the time I'm happy with all of them.

~*~

Cynthia has been writing all her life, as a newspaper reporter, editor and novelist. She even asked for (and received) a play typewriter for Christmas when she was about ten.

To be near her children and granddaughters, she and her newly retired hubby, moved to the Buffalo, NY area. Through her daughter, who is also a writer, she got hooked up with RWA (Romance Writers of America) and good things started to happen.

She is now writing more novels, taking lots of trips and relaxing by the pool on gorgeous summer days in Western, NY.

 You can find the author on line:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

 

Windswept is a romantic novel of redemption and family values and fighting for what is important. Sailing Windswept has always been a family affair and many of Caroline and David Hartford’s fondest memories have taken place on Chesapeake Bay sailing in all kinds of conditions and exploring the bay.

When husband David is unfaithful and commits the ultimate betrayal by bringing his mistress aboard Windswept, Caroline’s world is shattered. He leaves her and she is forced to rely solely on herself for the first time in her life. She has to be a single parent to her daughter, Lily, and to decide if she can forgive David for tearing her family apart.

As David and Caroline work to put their marriage back together, events and other people conspire against them, over and over.  Their relationship begins to heal, but the couple is caught in a horrific storm and waterspout on the bay, heading straight for Windswept. They want a chance to love again but Mother Nature might have other ideas.