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Welcome p.m. terrell back to the blog with Dylan’s Song, a must-have romantic suspense thriller. p.m. is giving away this beautiful Celtic Claddagh necklace so be sure to comment and leave your email address to enter the giveaway. The more you comment along the tour the better your chances of winning!

Before we get into Dylan’s Song, let’s get into p.m. terrell’s head as she answers my ten.

Author Interview:

Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. Thanks for the Woohoo! My first book was published in 1984 (which makes me feel very old) but one of the things I am proudest of is the ability to stay in the game. When my first books were published, I thought I was going to set the world on fire, which of course, very rarely happens. So the character trait I possess that has helped me the most is a belief in myself through good and bad economic times and throughout the upheavals in the publishing industry that have allowed me to stay the course.

Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? I have written in four separate genres. I started my writing career with nonfiction, which chose me—a book editor read some of my magazine articles and asked me to turn them into full-length books.

However, I always wanted to write suspense, most likely because my father is a retired FBI Agent. I grew up around law enforcement and knowing about criminal activities—so that was a genre that I chose.

I also wrote two historical books based on the true stories of my ancestor who was captured by Shawnee warriors in 1780.

And when a publisher heard my name repeatedly, he contacted me to write a non-fiction book on how to promote books.

So I guess you could say that the non-fiction genres chose me, but I chose the fiction genres. I do believe it’s imperative that the author know what audience they are writing for before they begin writing that first page. To stay in this industry means you know what it takes to get the book into the hands of the reader—and that means you’ve clearly defined who your reader is.

The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? I am most definitely a plotter. I used to do all the things recommended for new authors—the index cards, writing the synopsis or the outline, etc. But now that I am writing two or three books per year, I find it flows. I begin with the crime and then I build the story around that, including the point of view that best fits that crime, the fatal flaw in the crime, and who best would serve as the antagonist. Sometimes the book will take an unexpected turn and I allow that to happen; but the “bones” of the book were definitely planned out.

Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? I’ve found that most people are afraid of the unknown. My older sister used to tell me ghost stories and several members of my family have seen ghosts, including myself. So I did include that fear in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, especially in Vicki’s Key.

There was something about moving into a large, rambling old home with a mysterious woman confined to the third floor that Vicki never saw. And as the house came alive with ghosts, I often found myself looking over my shoulder and feeling someone’s presence just behind me or beside me.

I also have had a fear throughout my entire life of being kidnapped or captured. When I was writing Songbirds are Free about Mary Neely’s capture by Shawnee warriors, I had to confront those feelings of complete helplessness. The eeriest experience I had was standing on the banks of the Ohio River near Old Shawneetown, knowing that when Mary was led ashore there in 1780, she was surrounded by more than 2,200 Shawnee Indians. She was bound by her hands and ankles, and there was no hope of escape. She didn’t know if she would be tortured or killed. That was a heart-wrenching moment for me, and I still don’t know how she summoned the courage deep inside to survive her three years of captivity.

Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? One of the myths I encounter repeatedly is that writers only write when they feel like it. That might be true if the author doesn’t have a contract. But when there is a set release date, there are dozens of people along the pipeline counting on me to make my deadlines—from the editors to the marketing and production teams.

I treat my writing career the same way I would if I worked in an office. I’ve seen people go to work from 9 to 5 (or longer) who were dealing with major traumas. And yet they managed to get their work done because it was what they were hired to do. I can’t do any less as a writer.

I do think it helps that my office is outside of my home (though on the same property). I compartmentalize, and when I reach my office I am ready for work. However, when I leave my office, the characters in my head don’t necessarily leave me!

Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? I really like taking my characters to the brink of disaster. If the reader feels like the character will come out on top, where’s the suspense in that? They have to wonder what is going to happen and whether the protagonist is going to survive.

I believe that each one of us has the power within ourselves to overcome. So when my characters are brought to the edge of the cliff, they must summon something deep inside that prevents themselves from going over. It also isn’t enough to simply survive; they must win the battle.

Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. Oh, definitely that one comfort food is chocolate. I haven’t written a book yet without it. I especially love M&M’s and chocolate-covered raisins.

If there are others in my house, I will write in my office because it’s separated from the main house and I have complete solitude there. However, if the house is empty, on occasion I will slip into my living room with a laptop and write there. My living room contains seven aquariums (two more are in my bedroom) with freshwater angelfish. The main characters in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, Vicki Boyd and Dylan Maguire, are CIA operatives but they use an angelfish breeding business as their front. I find the fish are incredibly relaxing.

Writing inspirations? I find inspiration everywhere. I am an avid people watcher and I often pick up on traits that I weave through others to create memorable characters.

I chose the fish breeding business for my CIA operatives because I love angelfish but each time I began to talk about them, people’s eyes glazed over. So I thought that was the perfect CIA front because everybody would think they were too boring to be concerned with!

I also find a lot of inspiration in my surroundings. The Black Swamp Mysteries series takes place in the real town of Lumberton, North Carolina, where I make my home. From the black waters of the Lumber River that winds through the center of town… to the black swamps that are left behind after heavy rains… to the historical homes in the downtown district… there is an incredible amount of inspiration all around me.

You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? I don’t have one favorite author, but I have favorite books. I am fascinated by those who write about ghosts and time travel, especially when romance factors in. I would love to know where those authors get their inspiration and story ideas.

I know two authors who spend part of each year writing in small Irish cottages, which is something I would love to do. I imagine I could find quite a bit of inspiration there!

I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. A writer travels a fine line when a book is released. Everyone in the publishing chain behind me expects me to make that instant transition from solo writing to carnival barker, shouting about my latest release from every rooftop.

However, I’ve learned over time that family and close friends get tired very quickly of it. So the quirk I am trying hard to extinguish is discussing my latest release as a general topic of conversation. Doctors or lawyers shouldn’t discuss their patients or cases with their family or friends and I am trying hard to keep the marketing and promotional efforts compartmentalized… or I see that glazed look in their eyes!

 

DYLAN’S SONG

By p.m. terrell

Blurb:  

Dylan Maguire returns to his native Ireland with psychic spy Vicki Boyd. Their mission: to locate and extract a CIA Agent who disappeared in Dublin while on the trail of a known terrorist. But when Dylan receives word that his grandmother is dying, he is plunged into a past he thought he’d left behind forever. His mission and the dark secrets he’d sought to keep hidden begin to merge into an underworld that could cost him his life. He must now confront his past demons and the real reason he left Ireland—while Vicki harbors a secret of her own.

Suspense Magazine says, “p.m.terrell’s writing is powerfully written and masterfully suspenseful; you have to hang on for the ride of your life.” Midwest Book Review says the Black Swamp Mysteries series is “page-turning action, unforgettable characters, breathtaking descriptions and unexpected plot twists.” And syndicated reviewer Marcia Freespirit says the series is “riveting, spell-binding, sexy and intense!”

 

 Excerpt:

It was a teeny room that was crammed full with only a double bed and a dresser. There were scant possessions; a mirror and hairbrush lay on the dresser beside two photographs of Dylan and his grandmother. There were no other people in any of the pictures and Vicki wanted to ask what had happened to his mother; why she didn’t appear in any of the photographs; and why there were no pictures of his grandfather.

Dylan leaned forward and gently tapped his grandmother’s shoulder. “Mam,” he said with a strange mixture of excitement and sorrow, “It’s me, Mick. I’ve come from America to see me best girl.”

The woman stirred, slowly at first. Her eyes opened and settled on the wall opposite her.

“I’ve come a long way to talk to ya, Mam,” Dylan chided gently. “Are ya gonna sleep the visit away?”

“Mickey,” she said suddenly.

“Aye,” he said, a broad smile spreading across his face.

She turned around to examine him. “Me Mickey,” she said, drawing her hands up to his face. He leaned in farther and kissed her on both cheeks. She didn’t seem to want him out of her grasp but when her hands slipped tiredly, he sat carefully on the mattress beside her and drew her hands into his lap.

She stared at him with intensely blue eyes. Her face was completely unlined and if it wasn’t for the translucent tone, she might have been forty years old. Her hair was very long, very thin and as white as snow. She grasped his hands with long, slender fingers that clearly showed her blue veins. “Now wouldn’t you be just the bee’s knees for these old eyes o’ mine? You always would be knowin’ how to buck up this old gal’s spirits.”

He reached across her narrow bed to retrieve the brush from the dresser. “You remember how I always loved to brush your hair?” he asked as he began brushing the long strands. He worked slowly, smoothing the hairs as he brushed so he didn’t pull on her scalp.

“And who might you be?” she asked suddenly.

Before she could answer, Dylan spoke. His voice was full of barely contained excitement. “I brought me girlfriend all the way from America to meet ya,” he said.

“Your girlfriend,” she said, smiling. Her entire face beamed when she smiled; her eyes became the same half-moon shape as Dylan’s and her nose crinkled. Lines that hadn’t been visible before now stretched from the outer corners of her eyes, further accentuating her good humor.

“I’m Vicki,” she said, leaning forward to rest her hand on the old woman’s arm.

“You’re the reason his smile is back,” she said.

Vicki glanced at Dylan, who was watching his grandmother with a gentle smile.

“Mickey is a good boy,” she said. “He’s always been a good boy. Don’t be allowin’ him to tell you otherwise.”

Dylan chuckled. “Mam always was an enabler.”

“You have the gift,” she went on, still eying Vicki.

“Excuse me?” Vicki laughed.

She pointed one long finger at Vicki. “The veil is thin in Ireland.”

 

Author Information:

p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 16 books. Vicki’s Key, one of the first books in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, was one of five finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense) and 2012 USA Best Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense.) River Passage, an historical work based on her ancestor’s migration to Fort Nashborough in 1779-1780, won the 2010 Best Fiction & Drama Award. The Nashville (TN) Metropolitan Government Archives determined it to be so historically accurate that they entered the original manuscript into their Archives for future researchers and historians.

Prior to becoming a full-time author in 2002, terrell founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her clients included the United States Secret Service, CIA, Department of Defense and federal and local law enforcement. Her specialty is in the areas of computer crime and computer intelligence. Her experience in these areas have greatly influenced her books’ plots.

She is the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, whose slogan is “Buy a Book and Stop a Crook” and whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She founded Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money to increase literacy and reduce crime.

For more information on Book ‘Em North Carolina, visit www.bookemnc.org and www.bookemnc.blogspot.com.

p.m.terrell’s website is www.pmterrell.com and her blog is www.pmterrell.blogspot.com.

She can be found on Twitter @pmterrell

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/author.p.m.terrell and https://www.facebook.com/pages/pmterrell/129318810431554.