C. B. Scott 

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Authors Cynthia Klimback and Beth Ciotta make up the writing sensation known as CB Scott.  I’ve been reading their work since Scandalous Spirits, their debut title, all the way through to their latest release this month with Kindred Spirits.  Their stories include paranormal elements, contemporary and diverse characters, along with emotionally thrilling romance that will keep readers interested in the tale and asking for more. 

Thea Candee: How did you two ladies meet, and what made you decide to become a writing team?

CB Scott: We each attended our very first New Jersey Romance Writers meeting on the same day in 1994. We were the first people we met. We were both writing western romances that opened with a bar brawl. After critiquing each other’s work for a couple of years, it suddenly seemed like a fun idea to try to write something together. The first something was Knight of My Dreams, our second published book.

TC: In my opinion, your short story, Knight Moves, in the Dream Quest paranormal anthology was one of the best stories that the anthology offered.  While the story wasn’t very long, you managed to create a multi-dimensional character as well as an edge-of-your-seat adventure.  How do you know what it important to a story, or not?  And, do you enjoy writing a shorter format story?

CBS: Knight Moves was written on the edge of our seats. With only the idea of a heroine being pulled into a movie, we sat down, wrote back and forth to each other as usual, and used that spontaneity to keep the story tense and unexpected. Since Janie turned out to be the only real main character, it allowed us the time to delve deeply into her psyche. Once we learned how little self-confidence she really had, we knew it was important to keep her off balance, to keep surprising her and testing her. We used the movie to completely expose her fears, but exactly how we did that was only discovered as we wrote. We love to write short stories as it gives us the opportunity to explore many different realms and characters.

TC: It never occurs to me as I’m reading a CB Scott story that I’m reading the work of two authors.  How do you each add your own elements, but still manage to have one “voice” so that the story is seamless?

CBS:  In the beginning, we brainstorm a story idea in person until we reach a vision that “feels” right. Then one of us takes off writing in that direction, and then a few days later, emails the three, six, or ten pages to her partner to read, to make any changes, and to continue the story where the other writer left off. We go back and forth this way, like a tennis match, throughout the entire book. We each build upon what the other writer has written. Even though we are moving in the same general direction, it still remains a mystery what the other person will write. After all, the goal may be the same, but how each writer gets there tends to be different. It’s exciting, actually, to say, “Oh, I never thought of that!” This keeps the story immediate, fresh, and spontaneous for us. We’re thrilled when our characters surprise us and send us down unexpected roads. It opens our minds to more and better possibilities. We believe it is our unique chemistry that allows us to easily move into each other’s story visions. It is trust that allows us to enjoy the freedom to play in each other’s words until it all snaps into place. In the end, we have each weaved our own words throughout every page, mostly every paragraph, and sometimes even within the same sentences.

TC:   I’d imagine that there would be small disagreements, every now and again, when thinking about where the story should go or how a character develops, how do you two manage to overcome these disagreements?

CBS:  In the beginning of our partnership we rarely disagreed. It seemed, for the most part, that we were on the same wave length. However, as time went on and we grew as individual writers, we did hit some bumps. As with any relationship, it was important for us to communicate our feelings and to state our concerns in a calm, clear manner. We solve disagreements by talking them out and by doing what’s best for the story. That means booting our egos out the door. Luckily, we are both able to do that somewhat easily.     

TC: On your individual strengths and weaknesses, do you work on what your perceived weakness is, or do you just expect the other author to take care of it?  Do you continue to try and better yourself as an individual author?

CBS: Neither of us ever expected the other to automatically ‘fix’ a weakness. Although, admittedly, there was a comfort in knowing that, because of each other’ strengths, a weaker area of craft (research, detailed plotting, deep characterization) would naturally be bolstered. The beauty of working together so closely for so long was that we learned from each other, challenged each other, and ultimately strengthened our individual weaknesses. 

TC: At the heart of Scandalous Spirits and Kindred Spirits are three ghosts who dies in the late 20’s and due to the era, you manage to convey that great 20’s atmosphere with slang, dress and attitude.  What made you decide to have a ghost, or three, from that particular era as opposed to another?

CBS:  Inspiration for these two stories came by way of a true-life, reportedly haunted mansion named Bahia Vista, a magnificent seventeen-room estate built in the 1920’s for Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton.  As with our fictional mansion, Laguna Vista, Bahia Vista went through several owners over the decades before being converted into one failed business venture after another. Restaurants, a disco… Rumors circulated for years that the mansion was haunted. We were intrigued by the rumors and history, but it was the boarded-up mansion itself, deserted for over ten years, that spurred our imaginations. We crept around the dilapidated estate trying to peek in through the windows, all the while fighting the creepy feeling that we were being ‘watched’. This sensation instigated a stream of ‘what-if’ questions, and Scandalous Spirits and the Van Buren ghosts were born. Their saga continues amidst the love story of Kindred Spirits.  Researching ghosts, barnstormers, Atlantic City, and the 1920’s was truly fascinating.

TC: I fell in love with your debut title, Scandalous Spirits, which featured a secondary character, Rufus, who has his own story, Kindred Spirits, which was just published this month.  To me, Scandalous Spirits was more off-beat and funny.  Even though Kindred Spirits has its funny moments, I still felt that the romance was more grown up and emotional and that the story itself was more poignant.  While I was expecting the madcap humor that was predominant in your debut title; I was more touched by the emotions in Kindred Spirits.  Was this something that you planned as an author through plotting and character development, or do you think it has something to do with becoming more mature as an author and getting more comfortable as you write more books?

CBS: Kindred Spirits was written three years after we wrote Scandalous Spirits. It took the usual time to shop Scandalous Spirits, to see it in print, and also to promote Knight of My Dreams. Not only did we grow in our personal lives in that time but we also grew as writers. It was unintentional that Kindred Spirits turned out less madcap than Scandalous Spirits. At the beginning of the writing, the story carried the same funny, off-beat tone because the main characters—once secondary characters—had not yet changed from the first book. But, once we moved more into the story, Rufus, Grace, and Izzy took over and their personal stories went deeper, even a little darker. They grew very strong. They became real people with muscle.

TC: Rufus Sinclair is a ladies man, no doubt about it, and in Kindred Spirits he finally meets his match.  But for him to meet her, he had to go back in time.  Why did you make it possible for Rufus to have contact with the present when he was transported back to the 1920’s? 

CBS:  When Scandalous Spirits ended, the ghosts were still stuck in limbo at Laguna Vista. In Kindred Spirits, Rufus is blown back to 1923 to meet the ghosts while they are alive and to discover what is keeping them from crossing over in the future. The ghosts themselves do not go back in time, but they remain vital to the story’s development, climax, and conclusion.  It was necessary for Rufus to maintain contact with Professor Bookman so he could learn important tidbits from the ghosts in the future as he discovered secrets in the past. Also, we did not want the reader to lose touch with the ghosts during the story and then suddenly have them appear again at the end. Their journeys are too important and emotional for the reader to lose contact with them. Plus, it’s poignant to watch the ghosts in the future as you watch them alive in the past. Your heart goes out as you see how they ended up as they did.

TC: Are there any plans on either of you starting your individual writing career in addition to your CB Scott duo?

CBS:  We have always respected and encouraged each other as individual writers. It is vital to artistic growth to explore all facets and whims of the imagination. Beth is currently nurturing her love of romantic comedy. Her first solo contemporary single-title, JINXED, will be released by Medallion Press in March 2004. Cyndi is pursuing her love of mainstream short stories and may eventually try her hand at fantasy.

TC: What can readers look forward from you in the future and do you have a website where readers can find more information about your books and backlist?

CBS:  We’ll keep you posted! Please visit at www.cbscottbooks.com and drop us a line.  We love to hear from our readers!

(Click here for a review of KINDRED SPIRITS)

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