Catherine Cerveny was born in
Peterborough, Ontario. She'd always planned to move away to the big city, but
the small town life got its hooks in her and that's where she still resides
today. Catherine is a huge fan of romance and science fiction and wishes the
two genres would cross paths more often.
Interview
1. Tell us a
little about yourself?
I’m a city girl at heart who now lives in the country and still has
yet to adapt to this strange environment where you wave to all your neighbors, and it’s okay if you forget to lock your door at night. I love reading (what
writer doesn’t?), collecting knick-knacks of all sorts, drinking chocolate
martinis, shopping, and color coordinating everything I own so that it all
matches. I still make time to watch Saturday morning cartoons, and when I have
the opportunity and can afford it, I love to travel. I want to see as much of
the world as I can while I’m able. I’ve been writing stories for as long as I
can remember, always drawn to plots that feature the bizarre, the unusual, the
fantastic, and of course, the romance.
2. What
made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always loved stories. Loved hearing them. Loved reading
them. Loved imagining what might happen next whenever I finished a really good
book or movie. I’ve also tended to be a pretty quiet person, generally keeping
my thoughts to myself, yet suffering from a huge imagination. Turns out all
that daydreaming and love of stories has to find an outlet somewhere. Hence,
writing.
3. What are you reading at the moment?
Would you recommend it to readers of this blog? Why?
I’m about to crack open the latest installment of the
Kate Daniels series, Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews. I’m so excited to read it,
pretty much everything in my life will be falling to the wayside for the next
few days! I love the urban fantasy setting, the world building, the romantic
elements, the mixing of the humor along with the serious—pretty much everything
about this series. Kate Daniels is a total kick-ass heroine, and I love her commitment
to everything she cares about. This series has drama, action, and great
characters. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves urban
fantasy.
4. Do
you think people have misconceptions about the speculative fiction? Why do
you think it is a worthwhile genre?
People definitely have misconceptions about speculative
fiction, and it’s something that really annoys me and is one of my biggest pet
peeves. There’s this feeling out there that if a novel isn’t “literary,” it
isn’t any good or it doesn’t count. It’s just genre fiction, and it’s somehow
subpar and has nothing to say about the human condition or the struggles people
face. It’s all spaceships or vampires or gun-toting aliens—hmmm, actually I
would totally read that story. But back to my point…I think speculative fiction
has a great deal to say about what it means to be human, especially as the
characters struggle to find the humanity within themselves because on the
outside, they’re considered monstrous. They have to fight harder to prove
themselves and come to terms with who they are.
What I also love about speculative fiction is how writers
stretch their imaginations and those of their readers. They present us with
new worlds and new ways to think about the universe. They speculate on what the
future might look like and give us ideas we might never have considered
ourselves. Would we have these awesome hand-held computers we call cell phones
if Star Trek hadn’t brought them to us first via their communicators? Well,
probably. Maybe. I don’t know. Whatever the case, many of the things we have
now and take for granted were first envisioned years ago by speculative fiction
writers, and I can’t help but feel that just really cool.
5. Could
you tell us a bit about your most recent book?
My currently novel, The Rule of Luck is a science fiction
romance. It’s set about 800-1000 years in the future, after the world has come
back from the brink of collapse after severe climate change and several
ecological disasters. Society is ruled
by One Gov who promises equality for all, but the rules are harsh, and
nonconformity isn’t an option. The main character, Felicia Sevigny, is a Tarot
card reader trying to keep her head down and live her life as best she can
until Russian crime lord Alexei Petriv visits her shop and demands a reading. She’s
quickly pulled into his world and into events that will change the rest of her
life.
6. What
is your favorite writing tip or quote?
This isn’t so much a tip or a quote, but more
of a mantra I say to myself whenever I’m feeling really lazy and can’t motivate
myself to write: If you treat writing like it’s a hobby, that’s all it will
ever be.
When I can’t get a particular scene in the
novel to play out just the way I want, reach a lull in the story and can’t get
over the hump, or am just feeling down and wondering why I’m putting myself
through this misery and torture in the first place, that’s what I tell myself.
If I want to succeed at this, I have to write. And if I want to write something
decent and half-way interesting, I have to keep writing. Keep improving. Keep
trying. Once I’ve given myself my little pep talk, it’s usually enough to get
my butt off the couch and get back in front of my computer.
7. Tell
us a little about your plans for the future. Do you have any other books in the
works?
Actually, the sequel to The
Rule of Luck is coming out December 6: The Chaos of Luck. It picks up a few
months after the events in the first book and continues Felicia’s adventures
and her new life on Mars. I hadn’t planned on writing a sequel, but it turned
out to be much easier than I thought. After all, I know and love these
characters, and it satisfied my own curiosity when it came to speculating about
what might happen next to them. It was also a lot of fun to imagine what life
might be like on the Mars of the future—after we’ve terraformed it, of course.
Where can we find you online?
(please cut and paste links):
Website: http://catherinecerveny.com/
Twitter: @catcerveny
The Rule of Luck
The Rule of Luck is a whirlwind thriller romance in a
futuristic setting that will tug at your
As a famed tarot card reader, all is well in luck and love for Felicia Sevigny, until Russian crime leader Alexei Petriv walks into her shop and demands a reading.
Petriv's future looks dark and full of danger, which wouldn't be Felicia's problem, except that it's also aligned with hers. Felicia discovers she is the key pawn in Petriv's plot to overthrow the all-knowing government, and she must decide if she will trust with him with her heart, body and soul, before the future of the entire human race collapses around her.
Excerpt
I’ve always been a big fan
of eyeliner. The darker, the better. Growing up, I’d heard the expression
“Pretty is as pretty does” almost every day of my life—but I believe that
sometimes pretty needs help. Since I’ve decided against tattooing my way to
beauty or using gene modification; I do things the old-fashioned way. And as
one of the only Tarot card readers in Nairobi, I’ve cultivated a certain look
that is as much personal choice as mysterious mask. So the fact that I stood in
the tiny bathroom of my card reading shop and scrubbed my face clean, opting
for tasteful over flashy, made me feel like I’d sold out.
“All for the greater good,” I mumbled, examining my
nearly naked face. “I can look straitlaced and respectable for an hour. Two,
tops.”
A quick time check showed it was nearly seven in
the morning. It made me glad I’d decided to close up shop early at two and
catch some sleep on the reception room couch. At least I didn’t look like
complete garbage, even if my sleep was more tossing and turning than actual
shut-eye.
I hightailed it to the front door. I needed to be
on the other side of the city by nine sharp. To do that in an hour using the
unreliable Y-Line would take all the prayers and karmic brownie points I had to
spare. Maybe if I lit some incense sticks and offered a prayer for guidance…but
no, no time for that.
Then I had to stop, my hand frozen in mid-reach on
the way to the doorknob. Standing in the entranceway of my shop was the most
beautiful man I’d ever seen. I know it’s shallow to focus on looks since they
are so easily bought and modified, and yet…
“I’d like a Tarot card reading, please,” he said,
his voice so deep, I was certain the windows rattled.
“I’m sorry, but we’re closed. I can take your
information and schedule an appointment for later this week.” I infused my
voice with as much formality as I could muster. Anything to prevent stammering
like a drooling idiot in front of such a good-looking man. Even though
“good-looking” barely covered it.
“This won’t take long and I’m prepared to pay
generously,” he said, as if he’d already dropped gold notes into my account.
Wonderful—arrogant enough to assume money buys everything and he thinks his
time is more valuable than mine. Well, that was exactly the shot of ice water I
needed to break the spell.
“I appreciate your offer, but I’m afraid you’ll
have to book an appointment.” Like everybody else.
“Unfortunately, I’m leaving Nairobi today. This is
my last stop before my flight. I’ve heard of your reputation as a card reader.
My research says you’re quite accurate.”
And just like that, he pierced the proverbial chink
in my armor. When people said they’d heard of me, I felt honor-bound to accept.
If word got back to the source that I was ungracious or unobliging, I could
lose business. Damn it, why had I let my receptionist Natty leave early? She
could have dealt with this situation. Oh right, it was so I could sleep and get
ready in private with no one the wiser. But why had I forgotten to lock up? I
did not have time for this.
I'd like to thank Catherine for joining us, and if the above catches your interest, leave a comment. The book can be purchased at the link below.
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