This Month's Author of the Week, Is Terri Blackstock!!! I love reading her Mysteries/Romances!! They keep me intrigued, and wanting more!This week I'd like to welcome Terri Blackstock to Caffeine & Romance, Thanks for being here today Terri.
Thanks for having me, Rae. It's great to be here.
1. Are you a full time writer, or do you do something else as well?
I've been writing full-time for 25 years.
2. I've Read a great deal of you books, and they are all well written, But what is your inspiration for them?
2. I've Read a great deal of you books, and they are all well written, But what is your inspiration for them?
It depends. First of all, I have a very vivid imagination, that tends to swing toward the worst possible scenarios. So it's easy for me to What-If my way to a plot. Usually I write about things that I feel passionate about. My last book, Double Minds, was about a singer/songwriter's struggles between success on the world's terms and success on God's terms. That's very similar to my own writing career, so my own experiences inspired that book. My next book, Intervention, was inspired by my struggles with a family member who's recovering from severe drug addictions. So again, that came from some of my personal experiences. Often, I'm struck by some aspect of God's nature and the way he deals with his children, so I design a plot to illustrate that. Other times, I start with the plot and the theme arises from it, usually through whatever God is doing in my life.
I just read Double Minds Like a month or two ago, and It's great!! Look for a review on it later this week!!!!
3. Do you have a favorite Time Period to write in? If So Why?
While I was raising children, I kept school hours. Now that they're all grown and I have an empty nest, my time is much more flexible, but I still tend to keep school hours as much as possible. It's just what I'm used to. But I do sometimes write at night and on weekends now, since my time isn't so divided anymore.
4. Do you have a Favorite series? Why?
4. Do you have a Favorite series? Why?
All of my books are like children to me, and when I speak of them, I remember those characters like a proud mom. Each series touches a different place in my heart. I loved my Cape Refuge characters, because I was able to illustrate why God allows suffering so vividly in those books. The Newpointe 911 was my tribute to those who work in our Emergency Services (firemen, police, paramedics), and after 9/11, those books mean even more. I loved my Restoration Series because it seemed somewhat prophetic, since it deals with a global power outage and the collapse of the financial system. I got very close to those characters, because I spent so much time with them. My SunCoast Chronicles were my first faith-based novels, so those have a special place in my heart, too. I also love the characters in my Seasons series (written with Beverly LaHaye), because they're such tear-jerkers and really steal your heart.
5. From reading your stories, I know that Faith is a big part of them. Would you like to Share your testimony?
5. From reading your stories, I know that Faith is a big part of them. Would you like to Share your testimony?
I was raised in church and baptized at ten, but when I was fourteen, a boy at my school was killed in a car accident on the way home from school. Though his family were grieving, they used his death as an opportunity to win many of us kids to Christ. I believe that's when I truly had an understanding of my sin and what Christ had done for me. I gave my heart to Christ then, and walked closely with him for a while. But in my adult years, I began writing romance novels for publishers such as Harlequin, Silhouette, Dell, and HarperCollins. I went into that market thinking I'd write only books with clean love stories, but in the interest of fame and fortune, I began compromising. Eventually, I was writing novels as graphic as any others out there. It took it's toll on my spiritual life. I became miserable. Finally, I admitted that I'd strayed far off course, and I repented of what I'd been writing and told God I didn't want to write anything else that didn't glorify Him. Since then, I've written for Christian publishers. I decided to come into this market writing suspense novels, since I love reading that. Now that I've given my last holdout to God--my career--I find that I can be used by Him, and I'm constantly amazed at how often the Holy Spirit uses my books to impact lives. I'm now writing books that literally have eternal value, and that thrills me.
6. What's The Hardest part of writing books?
6. What's The Hardest part of writing books?
I have a short attention span, so I think the hardest part is the first draft. It's much easier for me to be creative in subsequent drafts, because the basic book is already down. I take each book through as many drafts as I have time for before deadline. I love the rewriting. It's just getting the story down the first time that I hate.
7. What's the Easiest?
7. What's the Easiest?
The easiest thing for me is that I get to work at home, in my pajamas if I want. But other than that, there's not much that's easy about writing novels. It's really hard work. Not only do I have to craft a plot that has multiple layers and subplots, but I have to read it and rewrite it so many times that I practically have it memorized when I'm finished, and I have to do it before deadline. And I try very hard to make each book better than the one before.
8. What's Next for you? Are you currently working on a Book? And would you like to share a little bit of it with our readers?
8. What's Next for you? Are you currently working on a Book? And would you like to share a little bit of it with our readers?
I'm working on a book called Predator, about an online predator. It should release in the spring of 2010, but I don't want to give away too much about it while it's still in progress. But here's the blurb of my next book, Intervention.
It was her last hope—and the beginning of a new nightmare.Barbara Covington has
one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction, by staging an
intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug
treatment—and her interventionist is found dead at the airport—Barbara enters
her darkest nightmare of all.Barbara and her son set out to find Emily before
Detective Kent Harlan arrests her for a crime he is sure she committed. Fearing
for Emily’s life, Barbara maintains her daughter’s innocence. But does she
really know her anymore? Meanwhile, Kent has questions of his own. His gut tells
him that this is a case of an addict killing for drugs, but as he gets to know
Barbara, he begins to hope he’s wrong about Emily.The mysteries intensify as
everyone’s panic grows: Did Emily’s obsession with drugs lead her to commit
murder—or is she another victim of a cold-blooded killer?
9. What's your favorite way of taking in Caffeine? (Coffee, Tea, Chocolate...ect.)
I love hot tea and Diet Coke. I'm not a coffee drinker, and I avoid all those chocolate calories, except when I can't help myself.
10. Anything else you would like to tell our readers?
10. Anything else you would like to tell our readers?
They can go to my web site at www.terriblackstock.com and see my book trailers, hear podcasts about specific books, and pre-order Intervention.
Thanks for Spending time With C&R, I had a wonderful time!
It was fun, Rae. Thank you for featuring me!
It was fun, Rae. Thank you for featuring me!
~Check back in all week, and see different Reviews on Some of Terri Blackstock's Books!!!! Like, Cape Refuge Series, Double Minds, and a list of all of her books!!!!
Loved, loved, loved your interview with one of my favorite authors!!!!! I've read just about everything by Terri, and she's right...all of the Seasons books written with Beverly LaHaye are tearjerkers!
Christy
Great interview! I don't think I've read any of her books. Will have to borrow. . . =)