Always an adventurer in life as well as writing, bestselling author Cherry Adair moved halfway across the globe from Cape Town, South Africa to the United States.

She settled in beautiful San Francisco, where she started what eventually became a thriving interior design business. "I loved being a designer because it was varied and creative, and I enjoyed working with the public." A voracious reader when she was able to carve out the time, Cherry found her brain crowded with characters and stories of her own. "Eventually," she says, "the stories demanded to be told."

Cherry writes five to seven hours a day, six days a week. When asked why she chooses to write romantic suspense, she says, "Who says you can't have adventure and a great love life? Of course if you’re talking about an adventurous love life, that's another thing altogether.  Actually I write romantic suspense with adventure because I like to entertain and nothing keeps readers happier than a rapid pulse with a happy ending."

Popular on the workshop circuit, Cherry gives lively classes on writing and the writing life. Pulling no punches when asked how to become a published writer, Cherry insists, "Sit your butt in the chair and write. There's no magic to it. Writing is hard work. It isn't for sissies or whiners."

Their dream house finally complete, Cherry loves to spend time at home. A corner desk keeps her focused on writing, but the windows behind her, with a panoramic view of the front gardens, are always calling her to come outside and play. Her new office has nine-foot ceilings, a fireplace, a television and built-in bookcases that will house approximately 3,500 paperback books.

"What can I say? My keeper shelf has been breeding in the middle of the night, rather like dryclean wire clothes hangers."

Because she loves to entertain friends and family, Cherry’s favorite part of the house is her Tuscan kitchen, which features large terracotta tiles on both the floor and counter, and glossy cobalt blue tiles on the center island accented with a gorgeous hand painted tile mural over the stove.

Now that the inside of the house is completed, Cherry has turned her attention to the garden. She loves flowers, and everything in her garden has to do double duty. "If I can't see it, smell it or cover something over with it, it simply must go." Especially since the lake and view of snowcapped Mount Rainer is always in view.

Her other passions include laughing with David, reading, Ben & Jerry's Fudge Brownie ice cream, and her daily Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino. "Now if I could just get the two of them together and make Fudge Mocha Frappuccino ice cream, we'd really be in business."

Books by Cherry Adair

Hot Ice

by Cherry Adair - Fiction

The only thing Taylor Kincaid enjoys more than diamonds is the challenge of stealing them, at which she excels like few others in the world. So for Taylor, there’s no resisting the double allure of snatching the elusive Blue Star diamonds from the South American stronghold of the murderous Morales terrorist organization. The heist goes down without a hitch. Until Taylor discovers she has made off with more than she bargained for, namely the secret security-system codes that provide access to a South African diamond mine–packed with enough gems to sink a battleship. Suddenly, Taylor’s no longer just an ultrachic freelance jewel thief, but a reluctant player in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game against elite global trouble-shooters and bloodthirsty terrorists.