Monday, January 23, 2012

Inside The Author's Studio with Cheryl Rainfield

It's time once again for Inside The Author's Studio and this month, my awesome guest is Cheryl Rainfield. For those of you who don't know, her first book SCARS is absolutely stunning. I just received her latest book HUNTED in the mail and can't wait to read it. I am so grateful she agreed to be on my blog. Make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win your choice of either of these books.

What is your favorite word?


Compassion. I love when people care about others (in a real way), and that word has always felt caring to me. I've seen so much hatred (through the abuse and torture I suffered, and also through homophobia and sexism that I've experienced) that I know how very important compassion is, and what an incredible, positive difference it can make. 


What is your least favorite word?


Serpent. It's got a lot of negative connotations for me. In ritual abuse, my abusers threw me (as a child) in a pit with snakes, so...I don't have good associations with snakes. And then there's the way they'd misuse religion--and the whole misogynist thing with Eve and the serpent. It is really not my favorite word.


What turns your current MC on?


In HUNTED, Caitlyn feels good about people who are kind and who stand up to oppression, the way she does. She also falls for Alex who is kind and caring--and athletic. He's a swimmer, just like she is. :)


What turns your current MC off?


In HUNTED, Caitlyn is turned off by people who hurt others. She's experienced a lot of that herself, since she's a Para--someone who has paranormal powers in a world where having any paranormal power is illegal.


What sound do you love?


The voices of people I love, the sound of rain falling on rooftops or the patter of rain on leaves.


What sound do you hate?


Pneumatic drills/jackhammers.


What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?


I wanted to be both a writer and an artist growing up, and I still love creating art (though I'm very focused on my writing and haven't done much art for a while.) I'd want to remain a writer, but be an artist as well. I find both writing and art to be wonderful means of tapping into my soul, my creativity, and helping me express what I need to express.


What profession would you rather bathe in a vat of urine than attempting?


A surgeon. The idea of cutting into someone else makes me shudder.


If John Green exists and sits at your table at a SCBWI conference, what would you like him to say to you?


In a dream world, it would be an incredible thrill if he said he'd read one of my books and found it moving or powerful. Other than that? I'd love to hear him talk about book promotion and writing technique.


Thank you, Cheryl for stopping by.

Don't forget to leave a comment and you'll be entered to win HUNTED or SCARS (your choice).

20 comments:

Miranda Hardy said...

Great answers. I'd like to sit with John Green, too. Great book covers too. I'm off to read about them.

Shell Flower said...

Thanks for the interview. Both Scars and Hunted sound pretty intense and good. Scars has been on my to-read list for a long time.

Kelley Lynn said...

Hi Christa! Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog! Because now I found you! :)

Great interview. I will agree that rain is one of the best sounds in the world. I have a white noise machine that I can change to six different settings on my alarm clock. One of which is rain. :)

Brinda said...

I love all the questions & answers in this interview. Scars and Hunted both sound like very powerful stories.

Deana said...

Thanks Cheryl for being so open and candid in this interview. I think it's a peek into how real your writing is. I have had Scars on my to read list for a while now too. I just got a Kindle so I might have to grab it...or I could win!:)
Thanks Christa for another great interview!

Vivien said...

Loved the interview. I would probably be too star struck to even speak to John Green :) I'm really wishing for copies of your novels. Heard nothing but greatness!

Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

Emily R. King said...

Fantastic interview! I feel I know Cheryl pretty well from those few questions. Interesting choice of favorite words (compassion was a great pick) and I agree about never wanting to be a surgeon. Eww.

Angela Cothran said...

I've never read either of these. They sound so cool!

Jolene Perry said...

I LOVE that you interviewed Cheryl :D
Her tweets always take me to the most awesome places, and I LOVE that her passion shows through in the things she does.

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

Wow, amazing interview, ladies. Cheryl's answers were so poignant and occasionally jaw-dropping. And her books sound amazing, too! Enter me in the drawing, please!

Anonymous said...

Great interview! I agree ... love the sound of rain, hate the sound of jackhammers! Actually, hate the sound of construction, period!

Katy Upperman said...

What a fascinating interview! Cheryl's explanation of her dislike of the word serpent gave me the shivers. Her books are so intriguing... definitely adding them to me TBR list. Thanks, Christa!

Cheryl said...

Thank you, Deana; I so appreciate your saying that! I hope you get to read Scars. It's not yet out in ebook, as strange as that is--WestSide hasn't made any of their books into ebooks. I wish they would. But it is out in paperback and in hardcover. :)

Cheryl said...

Oh, thank you, Jolene; that felt so lovely to read! (beaming)

Cheryl said...

Yes, rain sounds so beautiful, doesn't it? And I don't like most of the sounds of construction, either. :)

Cheryl said...

Christa, thank you so much for having me here; I so appreciate it!

Cheryl said...

I'm so glad to hear you'll check out my books, Katy; thank you! (beaming) And yeah--my experience with snakes was kind of traumatic.

Cheryl said...

I'm glad you liked my answers; thank you! And I'm glad you like the sound of my books. I care about them so much. :)

Unknown said...

I would love to read both Cheryls books. They sound really good. Please enter me in contest.

xosusan said...

Amazing book - inspiring survivor story, well written drew me in so much, I read the entire book in one evening. Thank you Cheryl!