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Friberg, Cyndi
Have you ever been to a party where you didn't know a soul? Maybe it was a company holiday party just after you were hired, or maybe you were dragged by a date to a party where you didn't know anyone. And then something magical occurs; you meet someone who feels instantly comfortable, and you could talk for hours to a kindred spirit making the party that much more enjoyable. That is exactly what talking with Cyndi Friberg is like. In the short time I had to interview Ms. Friberg, I felt a kinship to her that made completing this interview that much more enjoyable.
Novelspot: For someone who has never read a story you have written, what could best describe your genre and style?
Cyndi Friberg: I write cross-genre romances. All of my books have paranormal elements, but the heart and soul of all my stories is the developing relationship between the hero and heroine.
NS: Describe for us your most recent title.
Cyndi Friberg: Operation Hydra is the second installment in the Ontarian Chronicles. Trey dar Aune brings his ship through an inter-dimensional portal thinking he has come to Earth to rescue a single female. The scope of his mission explodes when he realizes Dr. Hydran is genetically enhancing captive Ontarians to strengthen their mystic abilities. The heroine is a feisty rebel who despises Dr. Hydran. She wants nothing more than to liberate her people but first she must figure out if Trey is friend or foe.
NS: What sets this work apart from other works in the same genre?
Cyndi Friberg: My plots tend to be a bit more complex than the average romance, so fans of sci-fi enjoy my books as well. I like to think I've found a balance between world building and sizzling sex. (grins)
NS: (laughing) Would you define your work as erotica or traditional romance?
Cyndi Friberg: All of my Cyndi Friberg titles are highly sensual romances. I also write erotic fiction as Aubrey Ross and with Aubrey anything goes! I use the two names so readers know what they're getting themselves into when they buy one of my books.
NS: Please tell us about a favorite piece that you have written, maybe one that took all of your blood as you wrote it or maybe one that literally wrote itself, or maybe a work that just touched your heart a little more than the others.
Cyndi Friberg: The true book of my heart would have to be Born of the Shadows, Book One of the Rebel Angel series. Gideon simply wouldn't shut up until I told his tale. He is still the hero who seems a bit more real to me than any other.
NS: Would you say that you might have fallen a little bit for Gideon?
Cyndi Friberg: I think I'm a little in love with all my heroes. If I don't love them, how can I make the readers love them? But yes, Gideon gets to me.
NS: As a writer, there are things that indulge your senses. Could you describe the things that milk your creative flow?
Cyndi Friberg: I garner ideas from numerous places, movies, books, even songs, but when I sit down to write, I become so engrossed in the process that almost anything is distracting. I love music, but I can't listen to it while I write. I guess my muse is selfish; she likes my full attention.
NS: How do you escape distraction then (i.e., significant other, telephone, kids, pets)?
Cyndi Friberg: I'm one of the fortunate few who is able to write fulltime. My hubby is away at work, I screen my calls, my kids are mostly grown, and my only pet is a spoiled lap cat that has a bed on the corner of my desk.
NS: So in your writing process from beginning of story to end, do you incorporate techniques that heighten your creativity? For example, maybe you seek out those things that you just described heighten your creative process?
Cyndi Friberg: I've found my creativity is very unorganized. (smiles) I know a lot of writers just sit down and write. My mind doesn't work that way. I start with a basic concept and from that I develop character sketches, after I understand my characters, then I outline the plot. My characters will often take me down paths I didn't have planned. I'm flexible enough to listen when they tell me I'm doing it wrong. But I have to have a good idea of where I'm headed or I don't get anywhere.
NS: Fascinating. How long would you say it takes for you to get through this "prewriting" process?
Cyndi Friberg: That depends on the complexity of the project, several days to several months. World building can be every bit as time consuming as researching an historical. For the Rebel Angel series, I've had to do both. The nice thing is once the foundation is laid, I can blaze through the actual book. And obviously the process is less involving when I'm reusing a preexisting world.
NS: Here's a little lighter fare, what is your favorite quote and who said it?
Cyndi Friberg: "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." - Frank Outlaw
NS: Why that one?
Cyndi Friberg: I've found few things to be truer than the principles in that saying.
NS: Are you at work on any new projects and would you share?
Cyndi Friberg: I'm currently working on the next novella in the Dream Warrior series. Ryder is "the charmer" and he's got his work cut out for him with his feisty heroine. The next installment of the Rebel Angel series will follow. Splendor and Darkness tells the story of Lailah, an angel of death.
I was disappointed that my time with Ms. Friberg had to come to an end, but well, she is a writer and time is very precious. Novelspot would like to thank her for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk with us.
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