Saturday Spotlight: Cindi Madsen - Demons of the Sun

Welcome to Saturday Spotlight. A feature hosted by Tina’s Book Reviews as a way of shining the light on Indie/Debut/Self Published authors. Each week I’ll have a guest post written by a featured author.

Today author Cindi Madsen is stopping by to talk about her writing process and to share an excerpt from her recent release – Demons of the Sun. You can check out my review here. I really enjoyed this fun take on demons and Greek mythology. Be sure to follow her on Twitter as well for great book-ish chats!

Thanks for having me on For What It’s Worth today! I have two novels with indie publishers. Demons of the Sun, a YA urban fantasy out with Crescent Moon Press September 4th & a gothic mystery called All the Broken Pieces out with Entangled Publishing in December.

I’ve always liked to read different stories in different genres, and I like to write in different genres as well. Sometimes I want a kick-butt heroine and hot guys with swords. Sometimes I want to write quieter, more contemporary books with a twist. Sometimes I want an adult romantic comedy that makes me laugh. But it’s important to me to always have characters who grow over the course of the story, and a satisfying romance.

My Writing ProcessI write pretty fast, and people usually ask me how, and how I write in so many different genres. The short answer is: I’m crazy. Just kidding. Kind of. My writing process involves drinking Mountain Dew, often while eating either sour gummi worms or peanut M&Ms (I know, I’m a health nut, obviously) and putting on music. I like to pick music to match the mood for the book I’m writing. Nothing’s better for fight scenes than Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.” While writing the fight scenes in Demons of the Sun, which there are a lot of, I blasted that song, and “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. But when I wrote some quieter scenes with more romance it was the Fray’s “Look After You.” That song is Jax’s song to Persephone. And when I’m having a crap day or feel like I suck, I play the Avett Brother’s “Head Full of Doubt” and Pink’s “So What?” Basically, I think everything’s better to music. And I have this belief that nothing bad can happen while listening to the Black Keys. Anyway, I could go on and ON about music, but I’ll just say that I want my writing to have the same effect on people that music has on me. Lift them or make them feel angry or scared or in love. I put up my playlists on my website if anyone wants to see the songs that helped inspire me.

Writing’s not always easy. It’s also not easy having your work critiqued (or in some cases torn apart) by other people. But characters and stories pop into my head, and I know I need to get them out on paper. When I first started out, all I wanted was for ANYONE to take on my book. But over time, and especially after working with two different editors, who thankfully, were both fabulous, I learned how important it is to work with someone who really gets and loves your story. I hope my story finds all the readers out there who will get it and love it too. There’s no better feeling as an author than when someone laughs or sighs or tells you they loved your story. It makes all the craziness and ups and downs of the publication world worth it. Because at the end of the day, I want to entertain and make people fall in love right along with my characters. It’s the best job in the world!


Demons of the Sun is out now, and I thought I’d share an excerpt:

As they ate dinner, Persephone looked across the table at Jax, and thought about how much her life had changed since he’d shown up. She didn’t feel so lonely anymore. It was a relief to be able to talk about her Sentry job and what really happened to her parents. Training had also made her feel more secure in her calling, like she actually might have a chance. In fact, she found herself looking forward to their nights together. Plus, he knew how to cook, which had added variety to her meals. She smiled a lot more lately, too.
    “What?” Jax asked.

    “Nothing.” Since he’d caught her staring, she searched for something to say. “Burgers were a good idea.”
    “Glad you like them.” One corner of his mouth kicked up. “Couldn’t have done it without your excellently sliced cheese and tomatoes.”

    “Are you mocking me? Because as you pointed out, I’m good with a knife, and that might not end up so well for you.”

    Feigning innocence, he threw a hand to his chest. “Me? Mock the dangerous Persephone Katsaros? I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good. And don’t you forget it.” The words would’ve been a lot more threatening if she could’ve kept a smile from breaking free.

Persephone scooted out her chair, grabbed her empty plate, and headed into the kitchen. She placed her dish in the dishwasher, then, noticing the mayo was still out, put it away.

    She spun away from the fridge and almost slammed into Jax, who was coming from the opposite direction. She grabbed his arms, barely keeping herself from falling. “Whoa.”

    He placed his hands on her hips to steady her. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were going to do a ninja move away from the fridge.”

    “You know me, I don’t mess around, even when I’m doing the dishes. Not to mention this kitchen’s so tiny, it’s almost impossible not to run into you.”

    A flirtatious grin curved his lips. “I say we start hanging out in the kitchen more, then.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared up at him. The way he was looking at her left little doubt about what he was thinking.

And now she was thinking about it, too.

All the air went out of the room as he slid his hands behind her, pulled her against him, and lowered his head toward hers.

Demons of the Sun is available now!
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. Learn more at http://cindimadsen.com