Cheyenne McCray

Hi, Cheyenne. Thanks for agreeing to chat with Enchanting Reviews about your books. We love your books! I personally am addicted to your writing, and can’t wait to know more about the person writing them!

1. If we were having this interview in person, what restaurant would we be at and what would you order?
Thai food—I’d order chicken panang, medium spicy. Oh, and Thai iced tea to go along with it. :-)

2. Is there anything about you that you would like to share with Enchanting Reviews and your readers before we get started?
My readers are extremely important to me. You are the reason I write and work as hard as possible to make every book equal to or better than the last. I never want to disappoint you. I want you to get lost in my worlds, feel like you’ve been transported to another place and time where you forget about day to day reality and feel like you’re living in the moment, in a world that’s exciting, that grabs you and holds on to you.

3. When did you decide to become an author and why?
Back in kindergarten I told my parents I wanted to be an author someday. I loved what I talked about above. Getting lost in the worlds the author created and enjoying their fascinating imaginations. I wanted to do that, too. Every school writing project was long—I’d create stories for the class to listen to.

4. Please tell us about your favorite book that you have published and what makes it special to you?
St. Martin’s Press recently purchased the print rights to my novel, currently titled WILD BORDERS. It was my first novel, but I think one of my best. The hero, Rick, is my favorite out of about 30 books and novellas I’ve written. And the heroine, Lani, is special to me and has pieces of me in her. I did a lot of research with this book in regards to illegal immigration, or undocumented aliens as the Border Patrol refers to them. I went on “ride alongs” with the Border Patrol, interviewed ranchers, and did research on my home city of Bisbee, Arizona. The hero, Rick, even lives on a ranch modeled after my parents’ ranch, where I grew up. WILD BORDERS is available in ebook from Ellora’s Cave, but will be in print with St. Martin’s Press, re-titled, in the next year or so.

Of my other books, I’d have to say WICKED MAGIC, my novel that comes out August 28th. I love the dynamics between Keir and Rhiannon. They are fire and fire. Not afraid to do or say what they want. Loyal and will fight for what they believe in. Both are wounded characters, but they heal each other along the way without even realizing it.

5. Is there a hero and heroine whose story you would like to revisit or rewrite?
Interestingly enough, I’ll be doing that with 8 books and 3 novellas that St. Martin’s Press purchased the print rights for, formerly Ellora’s Cave novels. Of the 11 books and novellas, WILD BORDERS is one, and I’d have to say Alexi from Wonderland: KING OF SPADES because she is so kickass. She takes no prisoners.

6. Do you have a set schedule for when you write? Do you have any superstitions or rituals when writing?
When my three sons are in school, I go to the bookstore café, and sit down with iced tea or coffee and write for about six hours. In the summer I do pretty much the same thing. I treat it like a job, because it is, albeit one I LOVE. But I have to write every day that I’m not out of town to feel complete and to reach my deadlines. I like finishing my books early and I’ve never been late on a deadline.

7. How long did it take you to get your first book published? How did you go about picking an agent and/or publisher?
I started writing in 2000 and my first book was published summer of 2002. It’s a young adult, YA, series. Out of the 30 plus books I’ve written, counting my four young adult novels, I’ve had every novel published except for my very first book, a YA. And that one I pulled so that I could rewrite it, and have never had the time.

8. What award that you have won are you most proud of? What award would you like to win?
Winning the Romantic Times BOOK reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Erotic Romance or Erotica for Wonderland: KING OF HEARTS.

Also finagling in the Romantic Times BOOK reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Paranormal Romance for SEDUCED BY MAGIC.

9. Do you prefer to write short stories like the 'Taboo' series or longer books like your 'Magic' series?
Longer books. I have a greater opportunity to develop the worlds and the characters and can go in depth in the story.

10. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Er, write some more? I like traveling with my husband and mom and dad. We usually don’t do just the touristy things, but explore life the locals live. I don’t travel for enjoyment as much as I’d like. Anymore I travel for business—conferences and research. But we are going to Hawaii in January, one place I’ve never been.

11. Who is a writer that you admire and would like to get to know better?
I’ve never met Elizabeth Lowell, who is one of the reasons I started writing romance. I used to write only young adult novels, but found myself wanting to explore adult relationships. I read her novel THE DIAMOND TIGER which she wrote as Ann Maxwell, and I was so hooked. I read everything I could get my hands on by her.

12. If you were stranded on a deserted island with only 3 books, what would they be?
Ack! Tough call, but I’d have to say Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter. Why? Because J. K. Rowling has created the most fascinating world that I fall in love with every time I read them again or listen to them on DVD when I’m driving in my car.

13. What is one item that you could not live without?
Not talking family, food, and water… Jeez, that’s a hard one. No, it’s easy. My laptop. As long as I have a power supply and can write, write, write, I’m happy.

14. Can you give us a sneak peak into what you are writing now? Or a hint of what is upcoming?
I’m currently writing DARK MAGIC, the fifth and final book in the “Magic” series. I just finished the 4th, SHADOW MAGIC. Both will be out in 2008. The third book, WICKED MAGIC, comes out August 28th.

As far as upcoming, I have two brand-new series that I’m starting with St. Martin’s Press, which will be a little of a departure from what I’m doing now. The first is a suspense continuity series set in Boston with a heroine named Lexi. (Did you know Bostonians have their own language? Even found an online dictionary and a couple of books on Bostonian English. :-) Lexi is totally kickass. It’s a suspense series that’s erotic and has elements of romance. The other upcoming series is urban fantasy about a heroine who is Drow, who are Dark Elves. Nyx is beyond kickass. She’s deadly and has more attitude than is good for her. That is also a continuity series with romantic elements.

With the 11 books St. Martin’s Press purchased the print right to, I’ll still have romance novels coming out. They will be extensively rewritten and expanded. They’re currently thirty thousand words short each of what they need to be, so you can imagine the kind of changes and world building I’ll be doing. What an opportunity—to revisit all of my Wonderland series, my Wild Cowboy series, and my “Erotic” novellas. (They’re titled with Erotic at the beginning—Like Erotic Invitation, etc.). All of these books will be re-titled.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. It sounds like it is going to get even busier, and we wish you well with all those editions and revision. In fact, we can't wait to review more work from you in the near future!

Thanks again for choosing Enchanting Reviews.Thanks so much for having me, dawn!
Chey
chey@cheyennemccray.com
http://cheyennemccray.com
http://www.myspace.com/cheyennemccray

Interviewed by dawn
August 2007