Today I get the privilege of introducing Venus Cahill, author of "Cupcakes for My Birthday". Venus is a voracious reader and has channeled that into her passion for writing. Let's get to know Venus!
You can blame my parents for my love of reading and my personality! My
first vivid memory is of my mother sitting me down on the potty with a book in
my hands. Ever since then I will read anything available including extremely
outdated magazines and shampoo bottles (rinse and repeat). As far as my
personality, when you are named for an amatory Roman Goddess you can’t help but
start reading Harlequin novels when your classmates are still reading Judy
Blume.
When I was a teen my father used to yell at me to get outside in the
fresh air and I would have to sneak a book down my pant-leg, which was no easy
task seeing as I was (and still am) a supreme klutz who trips over her own feet
at least twice a day.
I usually have a minimum of four books on the go at the same time. I read fiction and non-fiction anything I can get my hands on; I love kilted hotties, demons with hearts of gold, and shape shifting Alpha males. My favorite heroines are curvy gals, after all I find them easy to relate to. However my favorites are happily-ever-after romances.
First, let’s get to
know you a little better, Venus. How did
you get started writing, and what made you decide to take a shot at getting a
story published?
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing. I was making
up stories in my head before I could properly hold a pencil in my hand. If I
recall correctly my first stories were written with a crayon.
When I was younger I was so shy about sharing my writing, I
guess I still am. It’s hard to put yourself out there and let yourself be so
vulnerable. I decided to try to get published so that people would stop seeing
what I did as a silly hobby. It’s amazing how some people don’t think what
you’re doing is important until you are making money and getting loads of recognition.
I was hoping the interruptions would end once I was considered a professional –
how wrong I was J
We know what your bio
says. Tell us one thing about yourself
that you think might surprise us.
I love learning about new cultures and then I tend to
immerse myself in what I’ve learned J
How did it feel to learn
you were being published?
Surreal. It still does feel that way.
On to the novella
“Cupcakes for My Birthday”, I’m curious to know how this story came about.
I was thinking about writing an entry for the Tattoo
Anthology XOXO Publishing has and before I knew it Hunter was demanding I
introduce him to the world. He’s a pretty determined guy so he wasn’t easy to
ignore.
What do you think it
is about society today that “curvy” women are not more prominent in media and
art?
I think companies in general make so much money off peoples’
insecurities that it just isn’t financially feasible for them to promote
self-acceptance and happiness. It’s sad really society has spent years chipping
away at girls and telling them how they should look and now it seems as if boys
are being pulled into the tangled web of this as well. We need to promote
health and acceptance, not judgment and ignorance.
What about being
published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?
How genuinely approachable some of the biggest names in
publishing are. I find myself going all fangirl sometimes but so many people
are positively fabulous.
It’s been over a year
since “Cupcakes”. Do you have any
upcoming works or even just ideas bouncing around in your head?
I’m just polishing up two more novellas and I’m hoping XOXO
Publishing will get them into the hands of all the people who have been asking
for them. I’m also working on a few more stories and I have hundreds of ideas
swimming around my head at any given moment.
What other things
besides writing do you have going on that keep you busy?
My full time day job keeps me very busy. I also review and
edit. And I’m hook on a few Facebook games and am surprised to see how much
time I waste on those.
To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus
one. Here they go!
1. What is your favorite word?
Reverie
2. What is your least favorite word?
Supposably
3. What turns you on?
Kind eyes and a sexy smile.
Turtlenecks seem to really do it for me too J
4. What turns you off?
Lying
5. What sound or noise do you love?
When babies belly laugh and my
cats’ snoring and purring.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
A lot of noises really irritate
me. Mostly high pitch noises, like appliances humming and dogs or children
whining.
7. What is your favorite curse word?
I admit it – I use the f-bomb.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’d love to be an activities
director at a retirement home. I’d love to be able to work with diverse people
and do things that range from physical activities to learning different
cultures and histories and teaching people something fun and different.
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Teacher.
My sister is a teacher and don’t
tell her I said this but she is fabulous. She has the respect of her fellow
staff and the administration but more importantly that of the children she
teaches. She makes a huge difference in the lives of so many who need it. She
puts in extra time, spends so much of her own money and society treats her like
a glorified babysitter. Sure there are horrible teachers out there just for the
pay and the holidays, but there are people like that in every profession.
Teachers are so undervalued and we have only ourselves to blame when the future
comes back to bite us on the butt!
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive
at the pearly gates?
Thanks for all the chuckles kiddo!
11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would
ask you?
If you were a tree, what
tree would you be? I heard this question years ago I think it might have been a
Barbara Walters parody. But I gave it some serious thought. There is a big
beautiful tree near where I grew up. It's in the middle of a field all by
itself, within view of almost everything but still all by itself. It has always
called to me and I feel an affinity with it.
Venus, thanks so much
for spending time with us. Can you let
us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?
Thank you so much for having me!
Venus Cahill
~ Where the
Curvy girl gets her man~
Cupcakes For My Birthday by Venus Cahill
$1.99
ISBN: 978-1-927027-53-0
Karen is a curvy girl who leads a rather staid life that is until she decides to get a tattoo on her birthday. Now she finds herself experiencing more excitement than she has ever had in her entire life. Hunter has been fantasizing about his new neighbour for months but he can’t tell if she’s just too shy or not interested. When she walks into his tattoo parlour he decides that it’s finally time to find out and to make his move. Can two people from different worlds come together and find true love?
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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in our two published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies. You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories! Here's where you can find them:
