My Interview with Cindy C Bennett

 *Doing a little happy dance in my room*

1) In your book Heart on a Chain you write in 3rd person, while in Geek
Girl you write in first person. What is your personal preference?

I prefer first person, just because I like getting inside my characters
heads, see what makes them tick, why they make the decisions they do.
Sometimes they surprise me. I know it seems strange to say that as they
are a product of my imagination, but genuinely, when I'm writing,
sometimes what I had intended them to do or say is not at all what comes
out. There are many times when I go back to reread what I wrote, and I
honestly can't remember why I wrote what I did, but it feels right, more
so than what I had originally intended. I have actually been surprised by
what I've written, and those usually end up being my favorite scenes, or
parts of the book.

2) We hear that Geek Girl  is getting published by Cedar Fort publishing.
Are you excited?

I'm very excited. As a self-published author, you retain complete control
over the final product, which is amazing. But it is also impossible to get
your book onto a store shelf. That means there is one less venue for me to
reach readers. With Cedar Fort, I will be able to get the books out there
into brick and mortar stores, which will hopefully help me find those who
either don't have easy access to the internet, or maybe aren't
particularly internet savvy. I'm also excited to see what they do with the
cover! I'm very, very fond of the old cover, so I really hope they find
something that I will love just as much. I've seen some of the covers they
do, and so far I've thought they were all fantastic. And, I admit, to a
certain degree I like the validation that comes with having been accepted
by a traditional publisher. However, having said that, I get far more
validation from the amazing emails I receive from my readers. There isn't
anything better than that!

3) While in  both of your books they both involve child abuse. What is your
inspiration for writing about child abuse?

My mom said to me, "I never abused you. Why do you write about it so
much?" Lol. And it's true, I had a great childhood. My inspiration for
that comes from always having admired the indomitable human spirit, the
ability to rise above and overcome things that are thrust upon us against
our will. As a young teen, I read a book called "One Child" by Torey
Hayden. That was the beginning of my love affair with children who are
able to be more that a victim, even though a victim is exactly what they
are. "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer is another book that completely
inspires me. I think when someone is put into a situation beyond their
control, and either abused, beaten down, told they are worthless, whatever
it is they are subjected to, and then become a remarkable person in spite
of it, well, there isn't anything greater to me. It happens far more often
in real life than we realize. I personally know several people who were
either abused as children or as adults by a spouse, who are some of the
most amazing people I know.

4)  I am lucky enough to own a copy of Geek Girl as an ebook and a
signed copy. Will the one you are getting published through Cedar Fort be
any different?

I think it will be basically the same. The cover will be different, and
there might be some edits that will make the writing tighter, more
polished, but overall the story will be almost exactly the same. Several
people have read it and liked it, so don't fix what isn't broken, right?

5) For the writers of the world what advise would you give them so I can
add it to my archive.

Just keep on writing. Every time you write, you are improving your craft.
I can't tell you how many unfinished manuscripts I have hidden around my
house. Most of them are truly awful. Keep writing if that is your passion,
write all the time, make up stories in your head either for your own
entertainment, or maybe as bedtime stories for your kids. And when you're
ready to publish, make sure you have someone edit your work before
submitting it, whether to an agent, publisher, or as a self-published
work. There isn't anything more important than good editing - except a
really entertaining, well-written story, I guess. (Even well-written
stories need editing. Well-written doesn't equal correctly written!)
6) If you had a choice between Geek Girl and Heart on a Chain which one

did you like writing more?

I love them both, really. It's like trying to choose a favorite child -
it's impossible. But, like with children, there are days when I might like
dealing with one more than the other. I suppose it was easier to write
Geek Girl just because it's a little more light-hearted, has a lot of
humor in it. Heart on a Chain has a heavier subject matter, so it was a
little harder to write. My mood tends to reflect the mood of my characters
as I write, because I need to be in their mind set, since I write in first
person.

7) Did you edit your own story?

No, I have a fantastic group of writers that I exchange chapters with. We
edit one anothers works, give suggestions for improvements, tell each
other when something doesn't make sense. Can I mention them here? They
definitely deserve a shout-out. Jeffrey Moore writes speculative fiction,
Camelia Miron Skiba writes romance, and Kimberley Patterson writes YA
historical fiction. As you can see, we all have completely different
writing styles and we all bring different strengths to the table. I could
not have written what I have without their help. We are always kind, but
absolutely honest. That's why it works. If I asked a friend, mother,
sister to edit for me, it wouldn't work because they would not want to
hurt my feelings, would tell me how wonderful it all is, and then I'd put
out an inferior product. But I do want to pint out that any mistakes that
remain in the books are mine, and mine alone.

8) What age did you start writing ?

I was pretty young when I first started writing, maybe 12 or 13. It was in
high school when I really began to love writing, and to learn how to write
well. I had an English teacher for 9th & 10th grades, Mr. Bickmore, who
taught me an all-consuming love of the written word. He would have us
spend the first 10 minutes of class each day writing on a specific
subject. I couldn't wait to get to his class each day to do this. It was
such a flow of creativity, and I haven't stopped writing since.

9) Can you give us the name of your main character of the story you are
working on?

Her name is Niahm (pronounced like Neeve), which is an old Irish name.
She's a small town girl, who loves her horse, dog, chickens, all the
animals she takes care of. Then Sam moves to town, and turns her world
upside down - for reasons that are completely different than anything I've
written before. Is that mysterious enough? :o)

10) Can I thank you enough for  doing an interview?

I can't thank you enough for offering. You are one of my favorite people
in the world, and I mean that seriously. I look forward to emails from
you, and reading anything you write on Goodreads, more than you know. I
tell my friends and family about my sweet cyber-friend Courtney. I have no
doubt the day will come when you will be a famous writer, and I can say I
knew you when. You have such a distinct writing voice that is going to get
so much better with experience. My hope is that you retain that same voice
and style that you employ now. It brings to mind some of the great writers
of the 20th century, and probably even some from the 19th century. I'm
going to suggest here that your readers look your work up on Goodreads to
see what you have to offer.


And I am posting this from my trampoline you fans of Geek Girl.  I really cant think Mrs. Cindy Enough for letting me do the  interview. I really love this author and I hope you will to. To enter for the ebook copy of Heart on a Chain just leave a comment with your email and if you would follow Courtneys book nook on GFC. 


Everyone I ask you to go to Cindy's  website and learn more about her book and herself. I would also love to thank her once again for the opportunity to interview her on her self and her novels.