KILLING TIME BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY with New York Times Bestselling Author Cindy Gerard

Cindy, for people not familiar with you would you mind sharing a bit about yourself? 


As I’ve shared with other blogs, I’m basically a pretty boring person.  I’m a home body who loves to spend time with friend and family, the hubby and the dog – Margaret – and the cats, Buddy and Sly.  I love reading and a little bit of gardening.  I’ve recently gotten into aquariums and have set up a 90 gallon fresh water tank in my office.  Love it!

What was it like to see your book in print?

There’s no denying it was a thrill.  Kind of a pinch me moment, you know?  Seeing my book on a shelf along with some of my favorite authors.

What was the very first thing you did when you heard your book was going to be published?

I screamed.  I HOPE I hung up the phone first, but I really can’t remember. :)

When you received your first email or snail mail from a fan what did you think?

Well, there’s this grin that comes and you just can’t stop it.  It really was humbling – still is – to realize that someone liked what you wrote enough to take time to write and tell you about it.  It’s a great feeling.  Fans are everything!

Do you believe that social network is a productive way of meeting potential readers? Are there pros and cons to networking with a social media?

Absolutely.  It’s a great way to get more exposure.  On the pro side, I love the one on one interaction with fans.  They are so fun and funny and sincere.  On the con side – I find I never have enough time to spend on line AND meet my deadlines. 

What was some of the best and worst advice you were given on your road to becoming a published author?

Best advice:  Get used to rejection. 

Worst advice: Your chances of making it in this business are slim and none.

What advice would you give to a struggling writer in this day and age of self-publishing?

Just do what you love to do.  Write what you love to write.  READ what you love to write to help you figure out how that author drew you in or made you smile or made you cry or made you want to turn the next page and the next …

If you could write any other genre than your present one, which would it be and why?

Possibly romantic comedy – but there are so many others who are so good at that, I’d more than likely just let them do their magic.

Do you remember where you were when you first thought up One-Eye Jacks series?

Most likely I was at my desk in my office, hammering my head against my desk top hoping an idea would fall out my ear.  A series is a process.  You start with a nebulous idea – or 20 ideas – and you work them around in your head, discarding what doesn’t appeal, filing what does, then eventually, (hopefully) you have your ‘eureka’ moment and the light literally dawns.  There it is.  The IDEA.  THE ONE.  And it’s so crystal clear and blindingly gorgeous you don’t understand why it took you so long to figure it out.

After reading KILLING TIME I am more addicted to your writing than ever before.  For those who are yet familiar with your writing and your new series One-Eye Jacks, would you mind telling us more about the series?

First of all thank you.  Means a lot.  Truly.  As far as the series, it’s hard to sum up in just a few words so I’ll just lay it out.

The One Eyed Jacks (a multi-branch military task force formed in 2002 and disbanded in 2005) got their nick name because of the uniqueness of their experimental unit, their tight camaraderie, their slightly reckless reputation, their favorite downtime/pastime of high stakes poker and because each of them made a pact to always carry a One Eyed Jack playing card (either a Jack of hearts or a Jack of spades) as their lucky charm and a sign of unity.

When KILLING TIME opens, only three men of the original detail are still alive – Mike Brown, Bobby Taggart, Jamie Cooper.  On their last mission in Afghanistan, all three were dealt a losing hand and now share one common bond:  The military that they proudly served had cut them loose eight years ago with a ‘less than honorable’ discharge when their team led a covert operation that went south and the powers that be laid the blame squarely on their shoulders. 

Now Brown, Taggart and Cooper lead separate lives in separate countries, have all dropped out of ‘normal society’ and not only live with the lie that led to their military separation but with the weight of the deaths of both their task force team members and several innocent civilians haunting them. 

For these three men, life is now all about getting by, about forgetting the past, dealing with the anger and coping with the hand they’ve been dealt.  None of them intend to break the status quo – until a mysterious woman confronts and forces Brown to ask questions about what really happened in Afghanistan and how those events played into a current national security threat.  She dangles bait Brown can’t resist – the means to clear his name, deliver justice and expose the master mind behind the death of his teammates and his own downfall. 

I was floored by the characters in KILLING TIME. I could tell that you put your own blood, sweat and tears into ever characters and it shows on every page.  My imagination is running wild and curious to know if there is a bit of yourself in your characters.  Who do you believe is most like you?

Again, thanks so much.  Sometimes it does feel like I bleed a little when I create these characters.  To get to know them and what motivates them, you have to get inside their heads and feel what they feel – even when it isn’t pretty.

As far as who I might be like – well, I’d love to believe I was like EVA … but, I’m afraid that would be a stretch.  I’ve done a few daring things – hiked the Grand Canyon, Zip-lined over a tropical forest, Jumped off a 40 foot cliff into a frigid river, white water rafted … and a few more things – but for the most part I did it all with much hesitation and kicking and screaming.  Eva wouldn’t have hesitated and she’d have laughed in the face of danger.  I might have cried :)

When you began the One-Eye Jacks series did you have Eva Salinas and Mike Brown’s arcs figured out?  Did you know that before you began that they would end up the way they did?

I pretty much knew Mike’s story.  After all, he showed up in 2 of the Black Ops books (WITH NO REMORSE & LAST MAN STANDING) so I already had him pretty well figured out.  Eva was a tougher job.  But I really like the way she developed.

I would like to take a moment and thank Mike and Eva for dropping by with Cindy.  Hi Guys, (waving above the crowd) I am so excited that you were able to drop by today.  I hope you do not mind, but I would love to ask you some need to know questions that readers are desperate to know.

I am one of those readers that love to find out what people think the moment they meet the love of their lives.  Eva, I will start with you.  What was the very first thing you thought when you laid eyes on Mike?

That it was a shame he was so gorgeous because he was clearly  an arrogant, reckless, drunk and I couldn’t wait to get my business with him finished and get as far away from him as I could.

Mike, you are up. =) What was your first impression of Eva?

Hot.  Super hot babe.  I was drunk.  I fell in lust.  You’ll have to forgive me for that.  She did :)

Eva, would you please share with readers the moment you knew you fell for this sexy, mysterious and bullhead Mike?

In retrospect, it was while I was still wanting to hate him.  He was cuffed to a bed (my doing) mad as a bear and clearly would have killed me if he could have gotten his hands around my throat.  Still, there was something about him … a vulnerability I never expected to see in his eyes that cut me to the core.  Oh, I didn’t admit it then.  It took several days and several near death experiences before I finally accepted that I couldn’t fight what I was feeling for him.

Same question for you, Mike.  When did you realize that your life wasn’t complete and didn’t make a lick of sense if Eva wasn’t in it?

Well, when I sobered up, realized what she was after, had the means to walk away from her yet didn’t, I figured there was something going on here that I might not have a lot of control over.  So I figured, what the hell.  I’d kill two birds with one stone.  I’d get the answers I’d been wanting for almost a decade – answers that had led to my less then dishonorable discharge from the Navy and the death of several of my teammates – and I’d see if there was something worth fighting for beneath that prickly, GI Jane and totally kick ass demeanor Eva was determined to show the world.

What is one thing, you both, would like readers to walk away with after reading your love story?

That second chances aren’t just for fools and dreamers.

Now back to Cindy

Thank you, Cindy for bringing along Mike and Eva with you today to chat about their love story.  I truly appreciate you letting me take a few moments to ask them some need-to-know questions. =)

What was the very first thing you did after typing THE END to your KILLING TIME manuscript?

Put it in an e-mail to my editor, hit the send button then collapsed for about 3 days.  I had worked many, many 15 – 17 hour days to wrap that story up and was in need of a few days of vegetating.

What is one thing you hope readers take away after reading KILLING TIME?

For my long time readers, I just hope they like the book as much as they’ve like the other books in the series.  For new readers, I hope they feel as though they found something fun and entertaining.  And in any event, I hope they feel the same emotional connection that I felt with the characters. If they do, they’re sure to love them as much as I did.

When that fleeting free time comes your way what do you like to do?  Are there any authors you would recommend to readers until we have the next book in your One-Eye Jacks series in our hands?

I still love to read and when I can find the time, that’s what I enjoy most.  But I’m also an avid TV buff – with so much good drama on these days, why fight it?  I love NCIS, Justified, Criminal Minds, Homeland – to name a few.  Of course I can’t miss some of the more fun shows.  New Girl is my NEW favorite but I also love Modern Family and I’ve recently gotten hooked on Parenthood.  Of course, there always seems to be a dog or a cat curled up beside me and I love that too.

I would like to thank you one more time, Cindy for bringing readers into your adrenaline-charged and action packed world of the One-Eye Jacks.   Your legions of fans and new fans will be rushing to know more about this intoxicatingly intense series.

You’re very sweet and kind.  I so appreciate your enthusiasm for the books and I’m thrilled to have had an opportunity to share something about myself and KILLING TIME with your followers.  Today is my birthday and I can’t think of a more fun way to spend it.  Well, unless Mike were to show up, then of course, I’d probably have to blow you off …..:o)

One Eyed Jacks Series Blurbs & Links

Killing Time

 (One Eyed Jacks #1)

Publisher:  Pocket Books

Publication date:  January 22, 2013

An exciting new series featuring Mike "Primetown" Brown, a character from her popular 

"Black Ops, Inc." series.

For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different--until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan. CIA attorney Eva Salinas has her own theory behind what happened to Mike's team--which included her husband--in Afghanistan eight years ago, and she's determined to prove foul play. Though she doesn't trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can't live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?

Purchase from:

Amazon / B&N / Simon & Shuster

Read an Excerpt

The only thing Cindy had in mind when she started writing her first book was finishing it. The issue of actually selling it came much later. Only after she made that life-altering first sale did she realize that one book would never be enough. Now, over 20 books and numerous awards later, Cindy laughingly admits that she can barely remember life before...well, was there life before writing?

Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines." 

Cindy's writing has netted her spots on bestseller lists, numerous RT nominations and awards, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a National Reader's Choice Award and two RITA nominations. 

Between writing and working full time you wouldn't think Cindy would have much time for anything else. And while she does find her work and her writing rewarding, there does have to be more. Cindy has more. Much more. She is happily married to the perfect man. Tom's a cowboy, ladies! 

Both Tom and Cindy enjoy gardening and have recently expanded their annual beds into a perennial garden. Cindy says she can hardly wait for spring and the promise of all that reawakening and the colorful blooms. 

In addition to the horses, the Gerards have two dogs, Ellie and Boomer, who pretty much get anything they want. Tom and Cindy have one son, Kyle, who, after years of keeping them in suspense, found Eileen, the perfect woman.

Connect with Cindy:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Cindy's Amazon Page

I hope you had a wonderful time getting to know more about today’s featured author.  New York Times bestselling author Cindy Gerard is coming out with guns blazing in the first installment  KILLING TIME from her brand new One-Eyed Jack Series. In this adrenaline action back story Gerard has given her readers one serious ride.

In celebration one luck reader will win their very own copy of KILLING TIME .

Here’s how to enter .

*Leave a comment for Cindy Gerard

*Become a follower of RCJR eZine Blog

*Like us on Facebook

*Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter

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Please leave your email in your comment.

Contest runs until February 2, 2013

Winner will be contacted directly on February 3, 2013

Happy Reading! =)