Interview with Author Terri Reed and a Giveaway!

Welcome to Readers Write to Know! I asked you, my readers, what questions they would ask their favorite authors if given the chance, and the authors visiting my blog answered them! This week, I am so pleased to bring you Terri Reed. My family just watched A Dog’s Purpose, so I’m feeling a little in love with K9 units. Knowing she’s involved in a series of books about K9 units makes me so excited to have her with us this week! AND — she’s giving away an amazing gift set of her books Double Cross, Double Threat Christmas, and some fun extras (like chocolate)! Read on to see how you can enter to win!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m always unsure what to say when asked this question. Do I start with childhood or skip to the present day me? LOL. Let’s see, I’m a wife, mother and writer. I spend the majority of my days at the computer in my office with my dogs at my feet. When not writing, I’m either with my family or my dogs. I’m in a joyful season of life and am so thankful each day that I get to do a job I love that allows me the flexibility to travel with my husband on occasion and be available to my family or friends when needed. I’m also blessed to have an outlet for the characters clamoring around inside my head. You writer’s out there know exactly what I’m talking about.

Tell us about your current release. I have two new releases coming out back to back. Both are part of the 2017 Love Inspired Suspense Classified K-9 Unit continuity series. Agent-in-Training, a March release, is a prequel novella that introduces the series characters while having it’s own romance and suspense plot. It is for sale online only for $.99. The story is about a K-9 officer Zara Fielding, who thwarts a robbery then becomes the robber’s target. Her childhood friend, FBI agent and computer genius, Dylan O’Leary is determined to keep her safe at any cost.

The first full length book in the continuity series releases in April. Guardian starts off the series’ overarching mystery with the kidnapping of an FBI agent and the hunt to bring him home safely. Each book provides clues to who and why the agent was taken, while each book also has its own romance and suspense plot. Guardian takes FBI K-9 agent Leo Gallagher to Wyoming to talk to a potential witness but he soon realizes the widowed mother and her young son are in danger. It’s up to Leo and his dog, True, to protect them and bring down the bad guy.

How do you push past the fear of your writing being average and be bold enough to sell it to a publisher(or agent or audience if you self publish)?  This is a great question and one I think every author faces, not only at the beginning of their career but all along the way. At least I do. Many years ago a very prolific author told me that suffering a crisis of confidence is normal and the only way through it– is through it. To me that meant, keep writing, keep learning, believe in myself even when it’s hard and never give up.

What’s the first major news headline that you can remember and what do you remember? The year was 1976, I was a budding gymnast at the time. School was out for summer but instead of playing outside I was glued to the television for the gymnastics competition during the summer Olympics in Montreal. A young girl, two years older than me, scored a perfect 10 in uneven bars and than went on to score six more tens and two gold medals. I cut out the news article from our local paper and hung it on my bedroom wall where it stayed for many years as an inspiration and a motivation to work hard and reach for my dreams.

Who was your first Screen/Musical Crush? I was totally over the moon about Donny Osmond. When I was ten, my dad took me to see the Osmonds in concert in Tahoe. That is one of my best memories. I also remember thinking how pretty Marie was in the blue dress she wore when she and Donny sang together.

What is your personal, most effective way to get past writer’s block? I take a bath, hot shower, short nap, go for a walk or pick up the phone to call my critique partner. If none of that works, I go back to the beginning of the story and read through. Sometimes I’ve taken a wrong turn and need to get back on track.

Do you have your plotline and character development already laid out before you begin writing a book, or do they develop as you write? I’m a heavy plotter but I do allow some room for developing as I go. I use a variety of different plotting and characterization charts to build my plot and my characters. Once I have those filled in, then I write my synopsis and character statements. Then I’m ready to begin writing actual pages. I follow my synopsis pretty closely but do occasionally veer off it taking the story in a different direction. I then either rethink the rest of the plot or figure out how to bring the plot back in line so that I can have the ending I plan.

Find Terri online:

Her website, her blog

Find Terri’s two new releases on Amazon:



 

 

 

Enter to win a copy of Terri’s DOUBLE CROSS and DOUBLE THREAT CHRISTMAS, a bookmark, and some chocolate!

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9 comments

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    • Phronsie on March 15, 2017 at 10:34
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    That advice you got about just getting through it is spot on for life in general, I think. I have to do that with my singing. Not quite “fake it till you make it”, but almost. It’s actually really encouraging to know that successful authors go through those “Am I good enough for this?” thoughts too.

  1. Phronsie, thank you for stopping in today. I’m glad my words resonated with you. There are many times when I feel inadequate and like people will realize it. Recently I heard this as imposter syndrome.
    The actress Viola Davis talked about this after winning her Oscar.
    I believe with God nothing is impossible and I have to remind myself that He is with me.

    • Jackie Smith on March 15, 2017 at 14:28
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    Just stopping by….have already read your giveaway books…loved them! Looking forward to reading more of your books soon!

  2. I really enjoy Love Inspired books and Terri’s stories! Thanks for sharing the fun interview and giveaway!

  3. Phronsie, thank you for commenting. I wish I could sing! Lol.
    Jackie, thanks for stopping in. You’re always so good about commenting. Love it! I hope you’ll enjoy the continuity series.
    Heidi, thank you for your kind words!

    • Sherri G on March 16, 2017 at 10:05
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    I’ve read several of your books and loved them. My best friend is involved with Search and Rescue with her German Shepherd, so I love books with great dog themes. Keep them coming, Terri!

  4. Sherri, that’s exciting that your best friend is in SAR with her dog. I have 11 month old Aussie that I would love to do some sort of SAR with when she’s a bit older.

  5. Hilarious. I was a total Osmond fan back in the day. One Bad Apple, Lazy River, etc. I liked Donny a lot (can you say Tiger Beat posters), but Jay had my eye. He was the shy one.:)

    I can still sing pretty much every Donny Osmond song ever released. I can also sing Paper Roses all the way through. Don’t get me started on Jimmy or the other Brothers. Love your books Terri. Yours too Hallee.

    • Deanne Patterson on March 20, 2017 at 12:21
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    I love your idea of a K-9 series. My son is in the police academy and hopes to be a canine officer one day. I look forward to reading your books!

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