Cherie Colyer

Welcome to the Zen Corner Cherie Colyer author of Embrace!

(The audience goes wild and tosses roses onto the stage)

We are so happy to have you with us today! Please sit down in the overstuffed chair and make yourself comfortable! Your young adult novel about Madison and her friends is…

(Everyone freezes seeing the evil cats lowering themselves from perches above)

(Whispers) Don’t move. Not a muscle Cherie. This…this could be dangerous.

(The cats stroll and fetch a teapot, pouring a cup for Cherie, then sit back on their haunches and begin cleaning their paws)

Did…did you see that? I think…I think Hades just froze over. (Shivers) Cherie, I think you have some new fans.

(One of the evil cats hisses and zencherry scoots her chair a little farther away subtly)

Ah, anyway…

(The teapot floats and pours a saucer full for each cat. The creamer soon follows and is liberally used)

(zencherry is still looking at the cats and trying not to wet herself) Your book is about Madison, a teenaged girl who has odd things begin to happen after Isaac, a new guy in town moves in. I like how you kept the dialogue, true-to-form. It didn’t seem like an adult trying to talk like a teenager, no. It really sounded and felt like a teenager. Do you have the most incredible memory on earth or do you have teenagers surrounding you and you’re a really good listener?

Cherie: I do (or did) have teenagers in the house when I wrote Embrace, which helped. And I love to people watch. I never know what I’ll see or hear that will end up in a book. But mostly I’m in touch with my inner teen. I do remember what it was like to be sixteen and honestly I never did fully grow up. (Growing up is way overrated, if you ask me.)

(Toes skateboard under chair surreptitiously) I whole-heartedly agree!

Within the course of a few chapters, it becomes apparent quickly that Madison is a natural-born magic user. Did you find yourself looking up spells are you a practitioner of witchcraft? (The cats pause their cleaning ritual and give an inquisitive stare)

Cherie:  I’m not a practitioner myself, but I’ve always been fascinated by magic. I do have a few books on witchcraft that I’ve read from cover to cover and find myself going back to these all the time. The spells Madison does aren’t from any book though. They are a combination of the things I remembered from my research.

I find that no matter what bent a person has, those books are very nice for focusing yourself on a goal. Interesting stuff too!

So many clues and hints and STILL I had no idea of who-done-it. First you’d cast suspicion on one and then another, and then yet back again over and over. Very good job! Are you a big reader of mysteries?

Cherie: Crime mysteries, not so much. Although I do like James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. I enjoy supernatural or thriller mysteries and my favorite novels in this genre will have me guessing who the real villain is all the way to the end. To me, the best thrillers are the ones that make me say oh my gawd, especially when I can think back to the events that led to the climax of a story and see how all the pieces came together.

I love his books! I’m such a sucker for any sort of mystery. I should have a permanent slap mark on my head for all the whodunnits getting sorted out before my brain caught on. Lol!

The part where Madison lays down next to a grave to find comfort, that was so cool! I like how her friends reacted as if this was normal for her but creepy to them. (The cats rub up against Cherie’s legs and meow prettily) I think that was their favorite part. Do you ever go to graveyards and take rubbings or have sit-and-thinks?

Cherie: You know, I find graveyards rather creepy myself. Madison is much braver than I am. And I believe in ghosts. This will sound crazy to most, but what if a ghost could latch onto the living? No way do I want one following me home. (Shivers at the thought.)

I’m with ya hon. (Darts eyes around) No use inviting unwanted guests and all that. Brrrr.

Alright! Today we have a NEW game! Yes! It’s called Tombstone. Ahahaaa! Ah, I slay me. (The crowd groans)

Ready?

What’s your favorite store-bought pizza? (And just because the name of this game is Tombstone doesn’t mean you have to choose that one.)

Cherie:  California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ pizza

May I quote Cookie Monster on this one? Nom nom nom!

Given a magic-wielder’s life, where you could snap your fingers and do anything, what would you do first?

Cherie: I’d snap myself to London and visit Hogwarts. Spend the day roaming the sets where the movies were made.

How much fun would that be! Awesome choice!

It’s a dark and stormy night since I’m such an original thinker and all. All around you are mists and eerie-sounding ship horns blowing. You hear footsteps behind you stop when you stop, then start when you start. Do you:

a) Squirm and hide behind the nearest dumpster?

b) Take out your mace and write a teary story on their face?

c) Blow your police whistle and dial the emergency phone number all the while readying your judo stance?

d) Laugh since they’re falling right into your trap?

Cherie: D… I’m going to hope I have a very good reason to be out on a stormy night in such a spooky location.

Mwhahaaaa! (Takes a deep breath) Mwahahaaaa…(chokes) On second thought, I think I’ll stand behind you Cherie. I can’t seem to pull off the laugh.

We’re at a high school and when we look down we’re teenagers again! What are you wearing and what sorts of things would you make sure to do this time around?

Cherie: I’m wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a cute pair of boots. This time around I’m going to join more clubs, drama being the first one I’d sign up for. And then I’m going to march right up to the cute guy, the one I can’t stop sneaking a peek at, and kiss him.

(Pats down over-permed hair and sports leggings in a Flashdance whirl of awesome) Gotcha. I’ll divert the queen bees and you go for it!

And now for the big bonus question of this game…do you know why I named this game Tombstone, because I sure don’t.

Cherie:  Because you had graveyards on your mind, but then your tummy rumbled and you thought a tombstone pizza would be good right about now. (I know I’m thinking that.)

Why that…that makes perfect sense! Thank you Cherie!

(A cat jumps up on Cherie’s lap and nuzzles)

Oh. My. Stars up in heaven. (The audience gasps) We thought…we were completely convinced that they were carnivores with a penchant for human flesh, but look! Look at this! Cherie, you have a way with them. (Whispers) You wouldn’t ah, be interested in taking them with you, would y…

(The cats jump onto zencherry who is ever-ready for such attacks and ducks in the nick of time. The audience, however is not prepared and chaos ensues)

(Yelling over the background noise of total mayhem) Cherie! Thank you so much for coming here and temporarily calming the beasts that lurk in the shadows. (Claps hands)

I would like to present you with a key to the super secret room, (a very muscular eye-candy awesome with a pillow and a key comes forward and then dashes out to prevent shredding and possible loss of limbs), to the Marie Von Trapp room where any teenager or adult can lose themselves in the ambiance of song and dance!

Thank you so much for coming here! Her young adult novel Embrace is freshly launched and ready for your reading enjoyment. It is AWESOME good. (Whispers) Do teenagers still say awesome?

You can find Embrace it here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Omnific Publishing

Cherie Colyer Website