Between by: Cyndi Tefft, Interview with the Author, GIVEAWAY!

Between is very different than what I am used to reading. Sometimes, like in this case, different is a WONDERFUL thing.

Aiden lived in the 1700's and was refused the glory of walking through the gates of Heaven when he died. Instead, Aiden was stuck between Heaven and Earth as a transporter for three hundred years. Then he met Lindsey. Lindsey died in a car accident so Aiden was supposed to show her the way to Heaven's Gate.

Aiden and Lindsey spent time together in the magical place between Heaven and Earth and they fell in love.

An angel told Aiden long ago that the love of a special woman would redeem him and he would be able to join her in Heaven. Aiden and Lindsey knew that woman was her.

While Aiden and Lindsey were in the middle of having smores one evening in the magical place between Heaven and Earth, doctors on Earth were busy recovering Lindsey. She disappeared right before Aiden's eyes. When Lindsey woke up she was lying on a hopsital bed and she had no memory of Aiden at all.

Will Lindsey ever get her memory of Aiden back? Will Lindsey and Aiden ever have their Happy Ever After?

Well I guess you will have to read the book to find out for yourself! LOL

This book was utterly amazing and I recommend this book for ALL young adults. This one is a very YA novel.

~Christy

Interview with Cyndi Tefft



First of all we would like to say thank you so much for the opportunity to interview you and host a giveaway for your book. We really enjoyed reading your book Between. It was an extraordinary book.

Now for the good stuff:

Where are you from?

I live in Seattle, though I’ve only been here for about three years. I grew up in Oregon and have lived in the Pacific Northwest most of my life.

How did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I didn’t!  *grin* Actually, I’ve always wanted to be a singer. Writing, singing, acting, dancing—all of the creative expressions have come more easily to me than math or science. However, I am straight-up awful at physical art like drawing or painting. My mother and my daughter both have that skill in spades, but it’s one that skipped over me!

How many books have you written?

Between was my first novel. I’ve written poetry most of my life (very little of it is any good!), mainly as a way to express my thoughts so they don’t rattle around in my head for too long. My blog is useful for that as well.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I was watching a video of Stephenie Meyer in early 2009 where she mentioned that Twilight started from a dream she had. She decided to write it down and then just kept going. She seemed pretty normal to me—not a rock star celebrity or anything—so I got to thinking that maybe I could do that, too.

Can you tell us where you got the idea for Between?

I wanted to write a good-versus-evil story but I felt that angels and demons had already been done quite a bit. The grim reaper is a well-known concept, but hasn’t shown up much in romance novels. I figured that I could do whatever I wanted in the afterlife, since there are no set rules. The hero is Scottish because I was reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series at the time and was completely enamored with Scotland. Still am!

Do you have a “day job” or is writing your career?

I work full-time managing employee benefits for a mid-sized corporation. I never intended writing to be a career and I’m not sure it would be fun anymore if I had to depend on that to pay the bills. I like writing when the urge strikes, rather than being a slave to deadlines.

If you had to choose one character from the book, which one would you say is most like you?

Lindsey is very much like me, as a matter of fact. However, I intentionally gave her traits I don’t have (like the fact that she can cook and I could burn water). Still, the way she thinks and reacts is often how I would, under the circumstances. There is a little of me in each of the characters (both good and bad).

Other than your own, what are some of your favorite books?

I mentioned Outlander already (my all-time fave). I love historical fiction and romance. Nora Roberts’ Born in Fire trilogy is stellar.  Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl is a fascinating read. In the YA category, Twilight, the Vampire Academy series (particularly Spirit Bound) and Anna & The French Kiss top my list of faves.

If you had to choose, which author would you consider your mentor?

That’s a tough question, since I think of a mentor as someone who comes along side you and teaches you. Diana Gabaldon is the author who has influenced my writing the most, but I’ve received helpful feedback and critique from Elizabeth Isaacs, the author of The Light of Asteria.

What book are you currently reading?

I just started reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I’d heard good things about it online, so when I saw it at the bookstore, I picked it up.

Which new authors have grasped your interest?

Stephanie Perkins (of Anna & The French Kiss) had a fantastic debut. To be honest though, I rarely look to see if an author is new or has a bucketful of books when I start reading. Mostly, I make my book selections from recommendations (Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, friends, etc). Often, I only realize that an author is new when I finish one book and look to see if there are any more!

How did your interest in writing originate?

My mom is a great writer so I think it was just always something around me as I was growing up. I’m a lot like her (even more so the older I get). We both like writing and singing, and are horrible cooks to boot. Ha! As a teen, I journaled nearly every day as a way to “scream” on paper the things I couldn’t say out loud.

What would you say is the most challenging part of writing?

The hardest part of being an author is the vulnerability that comes with sharing your work. Rejection is guaranteed at some point along the way and no matter how many people love your book, there will be those who don’t. Learning to deal with rejection and move past it has got to be one of the most difficult parts for me. Still, there are NY Times bestsellers that I have rated as one star, so it’s important to remember that everyone has different tastes. It doesn’t mean the work is bad!

Do you have any advice for new writers?

You can spend a lot of time reading books about how to write, how to craft characters, how to build tension, etc. That’s all good and you should do that. Still, the most important thing is to sit down and write the story you want to write. Don’t worry about all that other stuff; you can learn it as you go. Have fun with it.

And when it gets hard (because it will!), remember why you started writing in the first place. It probably wasn’t to earn scads of money or to be on Oprah. It was probably because you had a story in your heart that you wanted to get down. Or maybe it was because you came up with a crazy idea and wanted to see how it would play out. Whatever the reason, let that be the fuel that keeps you going when the words fail you.

Don’t write for validation from others. Write because you enjoy it, because you want to, because you have to. If that’s not true, then rent a movie instead because being an author is not for the weak of heart. Still, if you want it, you can make it happen!

Do you always read reviews about your books when they are brought to your attention?

Absolutely! A person has approximately 1.7 gajillion books to choose from so when someone chooses mine to read, I am flattered. If you take the time to reach out to me and tell me about your review, I will definitely check it out.

Can you share some of your current work with us?

I’ve been spending most of my free time preparing for the launch of Between. Once that is past, I will turn my attention to finishing the sequel, Hell Transporter. Aiden MacRae is a Transporter who takes souls from earth to heaven. In the next book, we meet his counterpart. The first draft is about one-third completed right now, but I haven’t looked at it in ages. I am looking forward to getting back to writing again!

Thanks so much for having me on the blog. I had a great time!

Cyndi, we really enjoyed your book and the interview! We can't wait for book 2! Aiden and his accent are both enthralling and we can't wait to see how things turn out for Aiden and Lindsey in the sequel, Hell Transporter!

GIVEAWAY!

Cyndi Tefft has offered to give away an e-copy of her novel! YAY! Rules are as follows and contest will be closed on June 5th! Please make sure you share the contest with your friends, the more you share the better your chance of winning!

1) You MUST be a follower so if you aren't...just scroll back to the top of the page, find the box that says "followers" on the right side, and click "follow"! You know you want to :)

2) Comment on this post leaving a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS as well as your favorite part of the interview.

3) Share this contest on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or all of the above! *OPTIONAL* remember the more you share the better your chance of winning!

Email your links to us at middleroadreviews@yahoo.com, or leave them in a comment on this post. If you choose to email them please be sure to include the name under which you follow our blog!

E-format means ANYONE (that has an e-reader of some sort) can win! This contest is NOT limited to the US!