New Release! The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Cynthia Terelst

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:

Jesse
I woke up with Evie still wrapped in my arms. Her smell, her touch, the sound of her soft breathing, the peacefulness on her face. It invaded my senses.

I’d never felt so in touch with someone in my whole life. Every day we opened ourselves up a little more, sharing another part of our souls. I couldn’t live my life without her now.

Evie stirred in my arms and settled again. I kissed the top of her head and tightened my arm around her. Opening her eyes, she looked up at me and smiled before closing her eyes again. Not wanting to disturb her peace, I relaxed into the pillows and closed my eyes.

Her hand found my face and trailed down my neck to my chest. She moved her body up so her lips could meet my jawline. Her breasts pushed up against my body. They were perfectly rounded. I wanted to caress them and feel their softness in my palm. I became hard. It took all my self-control to keep my hands still. Her lips found mine, and she kissed me tenderly. As her lips drew away from mine, I opened my eyes to see her smiling at me.

I wanted her. I should have dragged her lips back to mine. I should have held her close, taken charge, kissed her, loved her. Instead, I watched her as she moved away.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Cats-out-Bag-billionaire-international-ebook/dp/B07ZC2Y2PG

Let’s meet Cynthia:

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
CT: I saw that billionaire romances were very popular and decided to write one. But I didn’t want it to be like the others I read. It is not primarily about money; I added a couple of twists in there. I like to include social issues in my stories and this one touched on domestic violence.

I decided the characters would go on a road trip because road trips are fun and it also throws the characters in close proximity to each other which adds some conflict.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
CT: There wasn’t much research required as my daughter and I travelled around Australia for three years and visited many of the places in the book. For places I wasn’t familiar with I did some Googling, looked at photos and went from there.

I decided to write contemporary romance because I knew a lot of research would be required for a historical romance and I was worried about getting facts, mannerisms, speech, etc. wrong.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
CT: I think this statement from the book sums it up:
I know it’s hard to trust again when you’ve been hurt so badly. But you need to try. Otherwise, you will miss out on many of life’s joys.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
CT: I am a foster carer for a cat rescue, which helped me relate to the cats in care and their personalities.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
CT: I am a project officer by day and a writer by night. I much prefer to write. As a new writer I need to build up my back list and earn a sustainable income, before I can make writing my full-time job.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
CT: I have always loved writing. I wrote my first novel at the age of sixteen. I’d put writing aside for over 20 years. When a friend I work with told me she was working on a novel, it inspired me to start writing again. I found my manuscript and rewrote it. It is not a published work, yet.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
CT: I think they are proud and excited.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
CT: I have been surprised with how helpful other authors are. They are always willing to share their experience and offer their advice. I find them inspiring.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
CT: I know where my books start, where they finish and some of what I want to happen in between. After that I just write. With my second novel I have tried using the index card method to plot, but found that I stray away from what I planned. I do refer back to the cards though when I get stuck.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
CT: I told my author friend in July that I would write and publish a book by the end of the year and that is exactly what I have done. I am proud of my effort.

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
CT: I write my first draft by hand. I feel that my ideas flow easier that way.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
CT: My sex scenes were pretty terrible to start with. I think they have improved. One beta reader said my dialogue was like it was in a vacuum, I have worked hard to fix this. Sometimes I would tell and not show. I appreciated when my beta readers would point this out.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
CT: Relax and do nothing 😊

NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?
CT: Oh, that is a hard question. When I was younger, I loved The Outsiders. I recently read the Darkest Minds series, which I enjoyed. I can’t decide on a third.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
CT: I’m wearing a dress because it is comfortable.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
CT: No. Arggh. And then I hit snooze.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
CT: Cleaning. I actually pay someone to clean now.

NA: What are you working on now?
CT: My second novel, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. It is a second chance romance.

NA: What is any question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?
CT: I can’t think of any. Maybe my favourite food? I would say everything, which would then explain why I am wearing a dress, weight gain due to eating. Lol.

Cynthia:
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.

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