Meet author Cindy Huff

Cindy has been writing since high school in a variety of genres. Novel writing came late in life and she’s enjoyed getting all those voices in her head down on paper. She and her hubby of 50 years recently moved to Purcell, Oklahoma. She has five married children and 11 grandchildren.

Tell us about your newest book.

I started a contemporary romance series: Dog Groom Love Stories. Book#1 Loving the Dog Groomer came out last month. I’m nearing the end of the first draft of book #2 Finding the Dog Groomer’s Soulmate. And I’ve ideas for at least one more.  This is only my second self-published book. Being a high breed author is a challenge. Learning to do the things a traditional publisher does for you was a learning curve.

What inspired you to write Loving the Dog Groomer?

I wrote Loving the Dog Groomer to honor my kids who did that job every day. My daughter had a bad breakup and Bria is loosely based on her. The single-dad Marc is very relatable. I want to remind readers that God makes all things beautiful in His time. (That is the theme of all my stories.) With the Lord’s help, we can rebuild our lives and find His happily ever-after for us. Because this is the first book in the series you meet a few characters who show u in the next books. I’ve never intentional written a series before. I have some sequels to historical romance t wrote. Those I wrote because various characters grabbed my attention. While the Dog Groomers Love Stories is more intentional in setting the stage for a sequel.

How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?

Former model Bria Willis loves working with her quirky brother in their dog grooming shop. She prefers dogs over people. They don’t manipulated you and rob your self-esteem. Single Dad Marc Graham is struggling to parent his traumatize son and dealing with Tyler’s service dog is way out of his comfort zone. Can these two broken people find a future together?

What genre do you focus on?

I write Historical and Contemporary Romance. I like to write romances with a bit of an edge to them because that is how life is. Nothing is perfect and even getting to the “ I do” can be a challenge. I love historical settings because I can create strong women that defy the restraints of their day. I write contemporary romances because a problem set in the present resonates more with readers.

Why do you write?

I started writing because I created a story in junior high that impressed my eighth-grade teacher. I continued writing in various genres as I raised my children. After a ten-year break from writing when my life raising five kids got too busy, I found at the end of it I was hungry to write. I needed to create. And when God answered my fleece by providing funds for me to take a writing course that gave me the tools I was missing, I knew He was giving me direction.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

Bria Willis is the female character. I saw or heard the name somewhere and thought it fit a woman who was once a model. Marc Graham is my hero. His name is spell different because it is short of Marcellus. His mother found the name in a historical romance novel.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

I try to write Monday through Friday. Sometimes my writing takes on other forms than my WIP novel. I can usually write until I reach about two-thousand words, then my brain shuts down. If I’ve been writing blog posts etc. then my creative juices for my novel end up being closer to five hundred a day. Sometimes I’ll write on Saturday but having the weekends free gives me time to do boring things like housework. I have never been one to write for hours without stopping. I once wrote a chapter late into the night and then I clicked don’t save instead of save and had to recreate it. That was so not fun. I know my limitations and that keeps me from being frustrated that I can’t write a novel in thirty days. I edit what I wrote the day before, then continue on to the next portion. Sometimes I’ll reread from the beginning of the story if I feel I may have holes or can’t recall portions.

What is the hardest part of being an author?

Marketing. I hate putting myself out there. I would rather write and let someone else do the marketing. But even though I’ve delegated some things to my VA I still have to interact on social media and create memes and videos. Keeping my name out there is much harder than writing.

What’s the best part of your author’s life?

Having people tell me how much they enjoyed my books. If I’ve made a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s only taking them away from the day-to-day stresses for a while, I feel blessed.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

I grew up as a military brat. Which means you are making new friends every few years and leaving the old ones behind. That means I don’t have those friends I’ve known since kindergarten. That’s why I enjoy books about small towns where characters have known each other forever. Because I’ve had to make friends often, I am not afraid of interacting with strangers and meeting new people feeds my soul. That said, I love meeting fellow writers and readers of my genre.

How have you changed or grown as a writer?

I have had to work hard at craft and waited ten years for my first novel to get published. I’ve become wiser in the ways of the publishing world and am not afraid of rejections. I know so much more than I did about craft and the industry and am confident after all these years that I can help other newbies reach their goals.

What is your favorite pastime?

I’m addicted to reading. I love going to museums and farmer’s markets and live theater is great fun for me.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

Yes. Here is the link to all my books on Amazon. https://bit.ly/48ljLJY

I have four historical romances and two contemporary at present. I have three others completed and two in process as I write this.

What are you working on now?

The sequel to Loving The Dog Groomer that is currently titled Finding the Dog Groomer’s Soulmate. I also have a Historical Romance title Protecting His Heart in the editing stage.

Website:

hhtps://www.cindyervnhuff.com

Link to book: https://bit.ly/3twXnNw

Social media links:

https://www.facebook.com/author.huff11

https://www.instagram.com/cindyervinhuff/

https://twitter.com/Cindyhuff11Huff

https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyehuff?lang=en