Avalon Books - Author! Author!


	Read some interviews from past editions:
		S.J. Stewart June, 2008
		Zelda Benjamin April, 2008
		Shirley Marks December, 2007
		Donna Wright December, 2007
		Carolyn Brown August, 2007
		Roni Denholtz June, 2007
		Tara Randel April, 2007
		Sydell Voeller February, 2007
		Sheila Robins December, 2006
		Ann Holt October, 2006
		Cynthia Danielewski July, 2006
		Jane McBride Choate March, 2006
		Kathryn Meyer Griffith January, 2006
		Mel Taylor November, 2005
		Kathleen Fuller September, 2005
		Tracey J. Lyons July, 2005
		Ludima Gus Burton May, 2005
		Holly Jacobs March, 2005
		Sandra D. Bricker January, 2005
		Kathryn Quick November, 2004
		Heather S. Webber July, 2004
		Karl Fieldhouse May, 2004
		Shelley Galloway March, 2004
		Ilsa Mayr January, 2004
		Kathy Carmichael November, 2003
		Dorothy P. O'Neill July, 2003
		Joani Ascher May, 2003
		Patricia DeGroot March, 2003
		Nancy J. Parra January, 2003
		Barbara Meyers November, 2002
		Christine Bush September, 2002
		Debby Mayne July, 2002
		Jean C. Gordon May, 2002
		Charles E. Friend March, 2002
		Norma Seely January, 2002
		Glen Ebisch November, 2001
		Gina Cresse September, 2001
		John Paxson July, 2001
		Terri Alcock May, 2001
		Clifford Blair March, 2001
		Amanda Harte January, 2001
		Kent Conwell November, 2000
		Carolyn Brown September, 2000
		Annette Mahon July, 2000
		Marjorie McGinley May, 2000
		Jack Lewis March, 2000
		Amanda Harte January, 2000
		Joyce and Jim Lavene November, 1999
	Return to the current Author! Author! interview:
		Sherry Lynn Ferguson August, 2008


Author! Author!: September, 2004
Click on images to learn more about these books. An Interview with Cheri Jetton


Have you ever used real people as characters?
	In a way. I use bits of their talents or personalities. Aunt Alma in Blue Plate Special was inspired by my husband’s grandmother, Polly. She was a fabulous cook and I loved her to pieces.
Where do you get ideas for plots?
	The evening news, songs, personal experiences. Texas Dawn and Matt came from comments my oldest daughter made about a new supervisor a few years back; Blue Plate Special, after hubby & I had car trouble outside of Huntsville and had to call our son for rescue.
What inspires you to write?
	Ideas! They just sort of bloom like rainbows, full of color and sparkle, and I can’t wait to write them down.
How do you develop your characters?
	When the story is born, I have a vague idea of who the key players are. As I write, I learn more about them. They grow and evolve as I define them, take on details, like a photograph in developing fluid.
How do you name your characters?
	I like good, solid, old-fashioned names for my heroes. Don’t know why, just do. The women can have more fanciful names, but I like names that can be shortened in a low whisper by the man in their life. Thus, Jessica in the upcoming, Jessie and the Ranger, becomes Jess to Marshall.
What do you do for fun - other than writing?
	Read, read, read! And play with my cameras. I especially enjoy outdoor photography. Oh, and did I mention that I like to read?
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Or for anyone wanting to submit to Avalon?
	Read what your targeted house is publishing. Avalon is the place for sweet romances - ones you can share with your twelve year old niece or your 82 year old grandmother. The editors here are wonderful to work with and very supportive.
What can you tell us about your latest book for Avalon?
	Jessie and the Ranger will be out in October. The idea for this one is taken from the news. School librarian, Jessie Bluefeather Holgrave, is attracted, against her will, to Texas Ranger, Marsh Abbott. When Marsh is dispatched to track down the person responsible for the deaths of several illegal immigrants, the evening news coverage destroys her tentative trust in the blond lawman. Things aren’t always what they seem.