Author interview with Gerri Brousseau

Help me welcome Gerri Brousseau, one of the many new authors at Soul Mate Publishing. 

Hi, Gerri! Thanks for coming. Tell us about A Pirate’s Ransom and how did the idea come to you?

Gerri: I have always loved pirates and wanted to try my hand at writing one.

Here is a little blurp about the book:

Despair filled Lady Catherine as she boarded the ship for England, and toward marriage to man she’s never met—the Duke of Devonshire.  But the sea is no place for a lady.  She’s captured by the Pirate Captain, Edmund Drake and held for ransom; a ransom that has nothing to do with coin.  But when she’s stolen from him, he realizes she has captured his heart. She becomes the pawn in a dangerous rivalry between two pirates—the handsome pirate Captain Edmund Drake and his notorious and fearsome opponent, Blackbeard.  How far will Captain Drake go to reclaim his prize?  Which pirate will decide her fate?  And who will pay … A Pirate’s Ransom?

 

When did the writing bug first bite? I have always been writing.

Gerri: When I was 8 years old, I would spend my summers lying with a pad and pencil in my hand in the shade of the old maple tree in our yard … writing. I was the editor of our school newspaper in high school. In my work in the legal field, I wrote trial briefs. I would say I have spent my entire life writing. I bet in a past life, I was a scribe!

 

Who are you favorite authors, book/series?

Gerri: My absolute favorite author of all time is JK Rowling. She is a genius and it is my greatest wish to meet her one day.

 

What is your most favorite childhood memory?

Gerri: My grandfather had a huge garden and a grape arbor. He grew grapes and made wine every year. I think I must have been around 7 or 8 when I saw that episode of Lucy where she is stomping the grapes in Italy. The next day my two friends and I picked ALL of Poppies grapes, put them into a huge basin, took our shoes and socks off and stomped them. Our feet were stained purple for weeks, and boy did they itch! Not to mention what happened when Poppie discovered we picked all his grapes.

 

Do you have any hobbies or special things you like to do in your spear time?

Gerri: I love to spend time with my family; my son, his wife and my absolutely beautiful granddaughter. I also love to cook. Despite the writing, I still spend my fair share of time in the kitchen. Hobbies, well, I am a former skydiver, but have retired from the sport. I crochet, but I’m no master at it. I can sketch and paint, but again … not like a master. I find it relaxing. I enjoy hiking and love to dance. I like fashion and my guilty pleasure is watching Project Runway.

 

Any advice for new writers just starting out?

Gerri:  Yes. Keep writing and never, never, never give up.

 

Boxers, brief or commando?

Gerri:  I don’t wear either of those. Oh, you mean on my guy! Hmm … I really don’t care; it’s what’s underneath I’m concerned with.

 

Favorite eye color?

Gerri: Blue or Green.

 

What’s the strangest thing you’ve heard or seen?

Gerri:  This is a strange and wonderful world we live in, so nothing seems to surprise me anymore.

 

Gerri:  I wonder if your readers would like a little tease in the form of an excerpt from the book?

 

My hand rested on the smooth wood of the rail while I watched the moonlight dance upon the waves, the sound of the wind in the sails was almost liberating. I don’t know how long he stood behind me in silence but when I sensed his presence, my backbone stiffened. What was it about this man that riled me so?

He took a few steps closer. “Catherine,” he said in a voice just above a whisper. The deepness of his murmur caused my mind to wander. Why was I picturing him using this tone with a lover? My back stiffened further and I chided myself for allowing my thoughts to wander in that direction. Refusing to face him, I kept my gaze upon the water.

“It would give me great pleasure if you would do me the honor of dining with me this evening.” He seemed to purr.

He inched closer and the heat of his body radiated into my rigid back. Placing one hand upon my shoulder and his lips close to my ear he whispered, “Please.”

The heat of his whisper caressed my ear and the tension seemed to melt away from me. I closed my eyes and tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

“You look truly beautiful this evening, Milady.” His hoarse whisper scorched my neck and goose bumps ran up my arms. He stood so close that when I relaxed, my back nestled against his chest. His body was hard and warm and the intoxicating smell of him made me dizzy. Heat spread through me in a sensation I had never experienced before as his soft lips gently brushed my neck, but my heart nearly stopped when he whispered, “but not nearly as lovely as you looked this afternoon in the mirror.”

 

A Pirate’s Ransom is available at Soul Mate Publishing

Gerri was born and raised in Connecticut. She attended Central Connecticut State University, majoring in English Literature.  Although she lived on the west coast for several years, she relocated back to her roots and birth place of Connecticut, where she presently resides with her two pugs, Mimi and Milo and her cats, Louise and Harry.

As a young girl growing up in Waterbury, Gerri spent her summers writing stories and often times, together with neighboring girls her age, would present original plays for an audience of their parents.  When she moved back to Connecticut, Gerri took a job that required her to commute 4 hours a day by train to and from work.  After a year of reading a book a week, she decided to make the time work for her, when one night after a strange dream about a dream catcher, she was inspired to write her first book.

Lest you think all of her time is spent in contemplative pursuits, freefalling out of airplanes gave a whole new meaning to the word “adventure”.  Yes, a former skydiver who chose to retire from the sport, Gerri assures us that freefall is totally exhilarating and one of the most amazing and thrilling experiences anyone can have.  Her energy and zest for life is found in the imaginative and page turning adventures she writes.

A Pirate’s Ransom is her debut novel with a release date of August 22, 2012

According to Legend will be released in November, 2012.