Postcard For Reader

Final Fridays - Cheryl Renee Herbsman

Happy almost-August! Today we have the lovely Cheryl Herbsman stopping by! Cheryl is the author of Breathing, which was published last year.

Here's a quote from her bio:

Growing up, I was told I was “too sensitive” and a “dreamer.” At the time, I took offense at those labels. Now I’m proud of them. They’re who I am. If I could go back and give my childhood or teenage self advice, I’d say, “Just be who you are – whoever that is -- and feel good about it.”

And THIS is the summary for Breathing. Doesn't it sound fantastic?

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she's convinced he's the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama's strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he's called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

Just click to read the interview!

Breathing was inspired by your own relationship. Are you like Savannah at all?
Like Savannah, I am a hopeFUL romantic. I believe in true love and soul mates and the promise of dreams come true.

If you were to be a Transformer, what would you transform into? A car? A refrigerator? A toaster oven?
A laptop, of course, so I could write all the time ;)

I never thought of that. You decided not to tone down Savannah's southern accent. What made you decide to keep the twang?
Savannah’s voice felt so alive to me. I wanted the reader to get to know her the way I did. To me, her Southern-country way of speaking added so much to who she is and how she sees the world. It felt like it would be white-washing it to leave that out.

What is your FAVORITE activity to do over the summer?
My absolute favorite thing to do in the summer is to lie in the sun at the beach, dig my toes into the sand, listen to the surf, and let my mind spin dreams.

What do you do when you get stuck while writing?
Sometimes when I’m stuck I know I need to take a break and think about anything other than the story. Other times I try to look at where I got stuck and why. I often find that I’m stuck because I’ve written myself into a corner. Then, I need to back up and try to undo my tunnel vision and see other possibilities.

Ice cream or cake?
Tough call, but since it’s summer I have to say ice cream.

YES. I love ice cream. Where is your favorite place to write?
On my bed.

Oh! The producers of _____ are inviting you to be a guest star. What show and why would you want that?

Glee! So I could see it live... As long as they don’t expect me to dance or sing because that would be way too embarrassing!

I love Glee too, Cheryl! Thanks again for stopping by. If you're interested in ordering her book, check out your local bookstore.