Cynthia Terelst is a project officer by day and a writer by night. She is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.

She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Cynthia: I write young adult and contemporary romance. Young adult appeals to me because there are so many trials and tribulations that young adults go through, and I would like to be a voice of hope. I have always enjoyed reading romance. When I was a teenager, I read Sweet Dreams books, staying up late into the night to finish them. So, writing contemporary romance makes sense to me.  

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?

Cynthia: I don’t think anyone influenced me.  My high school teacher gave me a lot of encouragement. An older friend, who was a published author, read my book and said I wrote well. It made me feel good to hear those words.

I stopped writing for thirty years as I enjoyed the adventure of life. Then a friend at work told me about the novel she was writing, and I felt the urge to start up again. She taught me an awful lot about writing, editing and the industry in general.

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Cynthia: Everything. I look around and find creativity everywhere – in nature, through people, listening to stories. Sometimes while I’m writing I do so in silence. Other times I like to listen to music or have the TV on in the background. Sometimes I get stuck on a word or thought, other times the words just flow from me.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Cynthia: I don’t watch cartoons much anymore. If I were to think back to my childhood, oh so long ago, I think I would say The Flinstones because they were a lot of fun.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

Cynthia: I’m not starstruck by anyone in particular.  I think I would like to meet other authors to talk about our experiences and to feel like part of a community.  Writing can sometimes be a lonely pastime/career. I connect with authors on Facebook, but apart from my friend at work I don’t know anyone else who writes.

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Cynthia: Read to my heart’s content! I am going on a cruise soon and I will be sure to take a couple of books along.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Cynthia: I’m working on my next novel in my Love Down Under series, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. It is a second chance romance based in Sydney, Australia.  Shepherd has been floundering ever since Tara left him without a word five years ago. In the hope of winning her back he creates a million-dollar scavenger hunt. His plan is solid, until he learns that Tara has plans for the winnings which don’t actually exist.

Blurb for The Cat’s Out of the Bag

One van. Two hearts. Thousands of kilometres.

Jesse’s a self-made billionaire who yearns to get away from his empty life and the money-hungry parasites who inhabit it. The plan? Go to Australia, tell no one about his money and find himself. Instead of finding just himself, he finds Evie, who is everything anyone should aspire to be. Now, what he aspires to be, is hers. But to be hers, he needs to tell her everything.

Evie has left her past behind. She has rebuilt herself, and her life, into one of happiness. After she meets Jesse, while volunteering at a cat shelter, memories of her past filter back in. She is stronger now and wants to trust him. But after all she has been through, is trust even possible?

The quest to find a cat a forever home leads them to travel across the country together. Can the close quarters drive them to open up to each other? Or will it drive them apart?

Excerpt from  The Cat’s Out of the Bag

Jesse

The wave petered out, and I paddled back to the line-up. Sitting, watching, waiting. The constant breeze in my ears and the sound of waves breaking relaxed me. Lulled by the gentle rise and fall of the swells, I thought about Evie.

She was one of the most complicated people I’d ever met. Whatever she had been through had made her strong and independent. But underneath, she was all doubt. I could see her trying to be brave, but that could change in an instant as her insecurities took over. I felt like it was a fight between Nick and me, and I didn’t even know the guy. I didn’t know how to beat a ghost. But I would. I would figure it out, and I would gain Evie’s trust, bit by bit.

Her. Me. That’s what I would strive for.

Buy Link for Cats Out of the Bag

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