IF I RUN - Terri Blackstock - One Free Book, Plus More

Dear Readers, I am a long-time fan of Terri Blackstock suspense novels.

Welcome back, Terri. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I like to write about suffering, because I believe that a lot of Christians are dealing with extreme trials. I want them to understand that there’s purpose in all of it, and that, while God doesn’t insulate us from suffering or solve every problem as we want Him to, He doesn’t abandon us as we endure it. Instead, He’s right there with us through it all, and what the enemy means for evil, God uses for good. He may not cause our suffering—sometimes that’s the work of others or of our own mistakes—but He uses all of it to grow us. Sometimes when we look back on our biggest crises, we can see that God turned them into blessings.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Right now I’m working on If I’m Found, the book that follows If I Run. In it, Casey, my fugitive, changes her identity again and runs to another town, where she encounters another adventure as she tries to stay hidden from those who are hunting her. Dylan, the investigator who’s closing in on her, realizes that someone wants to kill her, so he’s searching harder for her to keep her alive. He goes from being her nemesis to being her protector.

Sounds wonderful. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Kay Arthur, because I’ve been a student of her Precept courses on different books of the Bible for many years. I would love to ask her some questions about passages in the Bible, then sit at her feet and listen as she unpacks them. I admire her wisdom and her love for God’s Word so much.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

According to a genealogy study I did, it appears that I have three ancestors who came over on the Mayflower—Edward Fuller and his wife, and their twelve year old son Samuel Fuller (named after his uncle, Samuel Fuller, who was also on the Mayflower). I haven’t had it verified, so the connection to my family could be a mistake, but whether we were related or not, I’d love to have the chance to talk to Samuel about what his experiences were as a kid, having both of his parents die during the first winter they were on American soil, and how he went on to help build this new world. His father signed the Mayflower Compact that was the beginning of our democratic government, and I just think he’d have a world of wisdom to pass on to me.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

I would tell them to listen carefully to the criticism they’re getting—view it as a gift that someone has given them—and make the changes they’re suggesting. Keep learning your craft. Join writers’ groups, read everything you can in your genre, go to conferences. Learning your craft the right way takes a long time and a lot of practice, so write, write, write. If you don’t love it, quit. The only reason to be a writer is because you love it.

Tell us about the featured book.

I wanted to feature a character who is an unbeliever, who has nowhere to turn when life crashes down around her. Casey Cox is one of my favorite characters in any of the books I’ve written because she’s complex and simple at the same time. When she’s accused of committing a heinous murder and knows her DNA is all over the crime scene, she decides to run. She leaves everyone she loves behind, because she believes deeply that if she’s caught, she won’t just go to prison. She’ll be murdered as well.

The private investigator contracted to find her and bring her back is Dylan, who’s been working in the Criminal Investigations Division of the Army, but because he’s a survivor of some IED explosions that killed several of his buddies, he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Due to his condition, he’s been discharged from the Army, and he’s had trouble getting another job. The family of the murder victim hires him to find Casey, the fugitive they think killed their son. As experienced as he is at solving crimes, his personal problems sometimes get in the way. He reacts intensely to loud noises, has nightmares that keep him from wanting to sleep at night, is depressed, has survivor’s guilt, and deals with a number of other things. But I really like him because he doesn’t see himself as a victim. He’s a Christian who’s trying to overcome his problems through his faith, but sometimes they’re just bigger than his faith.

As Dylan learns more about Casey so he can get inside her head, he realizes they have something in common. They probably both have PTSD. He begins to see that Casey doesn’t really fit the profile of a killer. Is she a psychopathic killer, or another suffering victim?

Please give us the first page of the book.

From If I Run (Zondervan, 2016):

There’s blood on the bottom of my shoes. I rinse the soles, knowing the police will trace the impression of the rubber pattern and determine that they’re Skechers. They’ll find the charge for the shoe store on my credit card, proving they’re mine.

Blood runs down the drain. My heart races as though it’s my own draining away, but it’s not mine. My throat constricts as tears fill my eyes, but I push them away. There’s no time to feel.

When the shoes seem clean enough, I blot them on a towel and slip them into my bag.

They’ll see the traces of blood on the sink, in the footsteps at the door where I took the shoes off, on the towel. They’ll shine that Luminol stuff all through my apartment and add it to the evidence list against me. There’s no point in wasting time cleaning it up. I just have to get out of here.

I’m eager to get started reading my copy of the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My web site:   http://www.terriblackstock.com

Facebook:        http://www.facebook.com/tblackstock

Twitter:           http://www.twitter.com/terriblackstock

YouTube:        http://www.youtube.com/terriblackstock

Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer . . . but her DNA is all over the crime scene, and she's now a fugitive. Don't miss Terri Blackstock's next page-turner, If I Run. Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than Dylan has, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. But as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

Join Terri in celebrating her new book with a Fitbit giveaway and a special $4.99 digital pre-order deal!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of If I Run
• A Fitbit One™ or a Fitbit Flex (winner's choice)

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on February 16th. The winner will be announced February 17th on the Litfuse blog.

Plus don't miss out on the special $4.99 digital pre-order pricing, now through February 15. Pre-order the book through your favorite e-book retailer; details here.

Thank you, Terri, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

TWISTED INNOCENCE - Terri Blackstock - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I love Terri Blackstock books, so when my book arrived, it was the next one I read. As usual her characters grabbed my heart and pulled it straight into the story. I journeyed with them on a rough road to redemption. You won’t want to miss this suspense thriller.

Bio: Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She is the winner of three Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award, and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in an Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist.

I’m excited to have you back on my blog, Terri. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I’m hoping that readers will be moved by my new book, Twisted Innocence. I think anyone who has ever messed up (ahem … all of us?) will connect to this story. This is the last book in my Moonlighters Series. I’ve already started my next series, and it’s a little different. I’m very excited about that new set of characters and the dilemma my protagonist finds herself in.

Tell us a little about your family.

I’ve been married to my husband Ken for twenty-two years. We’re a second marriage, and we’ve raised three children together. We now have four grandchildren under the age of three, so we’re very blessed. We love those kids to pieces.

All my grandchildren are grown, but we have two great grands, almost 8 and 17 months, and a new one is due next month. What blessings and joys!! Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Yes. I read very analytically now. If something works, I pause to see why it works, and if it doesn’t work, I try to figure out what I would have done better. Being a writer can take the joy out of reading, but if a book is excellent, I forget all that and just enjoy the experience.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on my first book of a brand new series (I don’t have the title just yet). I love this character, because she’s on the run from the law, but her past and the circumstances of her situation make her a character readers will fall in love with. (I already have.) She’s not a believer, but others in the story are, and as she runs from her past, she’s going to see God’s work in her life. I hope readers will trust me with this story, because I don’t intend to let them down.

You have never let us down yet. You are a favorite author of both my husband and me. What outside interests do you have?

I love doing craftsy things and home decorating. If I have extra time, I’m usually doing that. Or spending time with my grandkids.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Sometimes the story requires a certain location. My Cape Refuge series revolved around the Savannah, Georgia, area, and I was inspired by the culture on Tybee Island. I wanted the book to be set on an island of its own, so I created a new island just like Tybee, and placed it next to Tybee Island. In other books, like the Restoration Series, I needed for a major interstate to run through the town, and I needed for it to be a certain distance from some other places, so I set it in Birmingham. I tend to stick to cities in the south since I’m a southerner. Usually they’re places that will be easy for me to research.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

I know this is a “churchy” answer, but I would love to spend even five minutes face to face with Jesus. I have some things I would love to run by him, to get clarification in some areas of my life. I can go to him in prayer any time, but it would be great to get some clear marching orders and assurances about some of my prayers.

I’ve often wished he’d write the answer in clouds I could see … or even neon. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

That’s hard to answer, because I wouldn’t have wanted to know anything that discouraged me from writing. If I’d known how many years it would take me to learn my craft, it might have discouraged me. If I’d known how hard it would be to get each book ready for publication, I might have felt I wasn’t up for the task. If I’d known what kind of spiritual warfare would come against me as a Christian writer, I might have been fearful.

I do wish I’d been more solid in my faith when I began writing, however. I was a Christian, but not a mature one, when I started my career writing romance novels for Harlequin and Silhouette. I made a lot of compromises in order to sell more books, and eventually I was writing books as graphic as any out there. I wish I’d understood deep in my soul that God had given me a gift for a specific purpose, and that was to glorify Him. Not to waste my time writing books that were stumbling blocks for readers. But God has used even that. Once I switched gears and started writing suspense novels for the Christian market, God found ways to use my background to enrich my new focus.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

That I can’t do it without a strong connection to the Vine. Last year I felt very discouraged about some things in my life, and I drifted away from my focus on God and my daily Bible study. He’s taught me that my gift is only at its best when I’m deeply connected to the Holy Spirit and spending time with Him every day.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Learn your craft. That doesn’t mean knocking off a book in a few weeks, then publishing it to Kindle. That means attending workshops, studying writing books, reading a ton of novels in your genre, joining a group like American Christian Fiction Writers (acfw.com) where there are resources and online classes, and getting into a critique group with trusted writers who can be honest with you and help you grow.

Be patient. In years past, writers had to learn patience above all, because it took so long to get published. Even if a publisher bought our first submission, we still had to go through a lengthy editorial process and wait over a year to get the book in stores. These days, there are a lot of shortcuts, and that can be a good thing. But be careful not to skip steps in growing as a writer. Just finishing a book does not mean it’s ready for publication. Your mother’s opinion doesn’t count. Find writers you trust and admire, and ask them to be brutal in critiquing your book. Take the time to do the hard work of revision and editing before publishing it. One of my pet peeves is when I’ve critiqued a new writer’s book, thinking it will take months for them to make all those changes (because that’s what it would take me to do them working at it full-time), and the next time I see them, they tell me they took an afternoon and made all those changes. Seriously? An afternoon? If you can’t invest a lot of time in improving your book, then you’re probably never going to be successful as a writer.

Leave your ego out of the process. I can tell right away if a writer has a chance at a career in writing. The ones who embrace criticism and dig in to their work to revise are the ones who have a shot. Those who get defensive and argumentative … they’ll never make it. If you can’t take criticism, then good luck. You will blow every opportunity to grow.

So true. Tell us about the featured book.

Twisted Innocence is the final book in my Moonlighters Series. I wanted to tell Holly’s story, because she’s my favorite character in the series. Of the three sisters, Holly has been the most troubled.

She has had many consequences throughout her life—job losses, financial collapse, relationship problems—but none has ever shaken her like her pregnancy. She cleans up her life as she carries her child, but she never tells the father. When he learns about Lily’s birth, he comes back into her life, but he brings a world of trouble with him. He’s a suspect in a murder case, and when Holly uses her private investigating skills to help with the investigation, the tables turn and he takes her and the baby hostage. But nothing is as it seems. Is he really a killer or a victim? His link to her family’s arch-nemesis creates an even more tangled web.

This story shows the domino effect of our decisions on others’ lives. But it also shows that those decisions can be redeemed. God can use even our worst mistakes.

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

Holly Cramer pulled to the curb of the condemned apartment building, her yellow taxi grinding gears and threatening to die. Though the sun hung bright overhead, the street was colorless, oppressive, with moldy, rotting houses and garbage festering in yards. Men loitered on the road up ahead in front of another boarded house. She shouldn’t have accepted this fare, but the customer had called her cell phone personally instead of going through the agency. She must be a repeat customer.

Holly tapped her horn and looked out her passenger window. The house showed no sign of life, but it wasn’t the wrong place. The girl had clearly said it was the green house on the corner of Burke and Darby. Holly checked her phone for the caller’s number and called her back.

It went straight to voice mail.

Holly sighed. Maybe this was a prank, some kid trying to yank her chain just to see if she’d come. She had done that enough herself as a kid. Back when she was still Panama City’s party girl, she’d done things under the influence that had been even more childish, like calling a guy fourteen times when she knew he was with his girlfriend, just to create trouble in paradise. She and her friends would giggle hysterically at the fight they imagined ensued, but the next day, as she nursed the punishment of a hangover, she would hate herself for it.

Not ready to give up on this fare just yet, Holly honked the horn again. The men up the street turned to look at her. Getting nervous, she reached into the pocket of her door, but of course her pistol wasn’t there. It was against the law for a cabbie to carry a firearm inside the car while they were on duty. It was locked safely in her trunk.

She thought of bucking the law and getting it out, but that would call more attention to her. This was stupid. She was a mother now, and the last place she should be was in the slums, waiting for someone to blow her head off just for target practice.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My web site is http://www.terriblackstock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tblackstock

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TerriBlackstock

Subscribe to my Newsletter: http://www.terriblackstock.com/contact

Thank you, Terri, for sharing some of your life and this new book with me and my readers.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Twisted Innocence - Christianbook.com
Twisted Innocence (Moonlighters Series) - Amazon
Twisted Innocence (Moonlighters Series Book 3) - Kindle
The Moonlighters Collection: Truth Stained Lies, Distortion, Twisted Innocence (Moonlighters Series) - All three books in the series in one collection

Christian Book Store

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DISTORTION - Terri Blackstock - One Free Book on This Blog, Plus More

About the Author: Terri Blackstock has sold over six million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, Restoration, and Moonlighters.

Welcome back, Terri. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I started my career in the secular romance market and had thirty-two books published there. But in 1995, I came under intense conviction that I was squandering my writing gift and that I was to leave all that behind and write books that glorified God. Since that time, I’ve seen my writing as a calling. I feel a keen responsibility to God and to my readers. My goal is to write riveting novels that enable my readers to step into the skin of my characters and emotionally experience the truths I embed in my fiction. People forget a sermon, but they never forget the emotional experience of a great story, which is why Jesus taught in parables. This is one of the gifts God has given me, and He gave it to me for a purpose. I want to fulfill that purpose by using it to show readers how much God loves them, that He can be counted on, that He won’t let them down, and that Jesus is the one who can fill all their deepest voids.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I have to say the birth of my children and, most recently, the birth of my grandchildren. I realize that’s a stock answer that most women use, but there’s a good reason for that! Childbirth is a miracle.

How has being published changed your life?

I’ve been published for thirty years, so it’s hard to remember life before that. But I think it made me take my writing more seriously than ever, because I knew I could make a living doing it, depending on how hard I was willing to work. And it made a difference when I knew that people were actually going to read my work. Suddenly I was writing with the reader constantly in mind.

What are you reading right now?

Life Expectancy, by Dean Koontz

What is your current work in progress?

I’ve just finished the third book in the Moonlighters Series, and we’re about to start the editorial process on that. Meanwhile, I’ve begun work on my next series, which has been in my head for a couple of years. I had to finish the last series before I could start this one, so I’m really excited to finally have the opportunity to dig into a new set of characters.

What would be your dream vacation?

Lately all of my travel has centered around my grandchildren—we had three born in 2013, and one in 2011. But I would really love to go to Hawaii for several days. Maybe I’ll get there one of these days.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’ll usually pick a place in the south where I haven’t been before, then visit and see if it fits my story. If it does, I’ll research the areas I need. The internet is such a help these days because I can get satellite views of any street or building. Plus I can always ask people in that area for help via Facebook or my large network of writer friends.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be  and why?

I think I’d love to spend an evening with Bible teacher Kay Arthur. I’ve been a student of her Precept Bible Studies for years, and I’d love to sit at her feet for an extended time and absorb more of her wisdom and knowledge of the Bible. She never fails to illuminate things in the Bible that I just skimmed right over.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love following politics. I’m a bit of a news junkie, and I follow what’s going on in public policy and lawmaking very closely. I feel deeply that our country is on a precipice, and that we’ve departed far from our religious values and the morals that help keep free people free. I can’t say that following politics is good for my soul or that it’s encouraging in any way, but I can’t seem to disengage from it. I think too much is at stake.

On a lighter note, I love home decorating. My husband and I built a home in 2012, and I’m still trying to decorate it. I have so many projects started and unfinished, and dozens of frames that I need to fill. I enjoy watching home decorating shows on HGTV and DIY networks, and that’s how I spend a lot of my television time.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

I have the hardest time ekeing my way through a first draft. Once the story is down—even in its rawest form—I enjoy rewriting it. I love writing the second, third, fourth, and umpteenth drafts. But while I’m writing that first draft, I get anxious, depressed, insecure and feel like I’m never going to pull it off. I just try to plow through it as fast as I can without judgment so I can get that phase behind me.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Focus more on the writing of the book than on the marketing, and don’t rush to self-publish before a book is ready. In the past, writing was a profession that required lots of patience, and before a novel was published, it had been vetted by professionals like agents, editors and publishers. Today writers have other options, so they get impatient, and they’re uploading books that will not help their careers in the long run. Learning your craft takes time, and it isn’t something that happens with one book. I’m glad my first two books never saw the light of day.

Tell us about the featured book.

When Juliet Cole’s husband of fifteen years is murdered before her eyes, she thinks it was a random shooting. Devastated and traumatized, she answers hours of questioning, then returns home to break the tragic news to her boys. But a threatening voicemail takes this from a random shooting to a planned, deliberate attack. Juliet realizes that she and her children are in danger too, unless she meets the killers’ demands. But as she and her sisters untangle the clues, her husband’s dark secrets come to light. The more she learns, the more of her life is dismantled. Was her husband an innocent victim or a hardened criminal?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Juliet Cole watched her husband through the windshield, wishing he’d stop brooding. His jaw popped as he stood at the gas pump, scowling at the dollar amount of the fuel going into the U-Haul truck. She couldn’t say she blamed him for his foul mood tonight. This was the fourth time in the last year that Bob had taken the day off from his practice to help her sister Holly move, and it had been a long day. A white Camaro pulled up between her silver Caravan and the U-Haul truck Bob was about to return, the gas station’s lights illuminating him. The man inside looked toward Bob, then turned to peer at Juliet. Did she know him? Just in case, she lifted her fingers in a wave. The man looked away and pulled on through.

Bob put the gas pump back into its cradle. He grabbed the receipt, then climbed back into the box truck. He pulled out without a word, expecting her to follow. Maybe when the truck was returned and he was back in her van, she could coax him into a better mood.

She followed him down the highway where clubs with neon signs lined the streets. This was the only U-Haul location that had the size truck they needed, but since they’d had to return it after dark, she would have preferred a safer area. Her husband’s left-turn signal came on, and she pulled in behind him. There were no lights in the parking lot. Uneasy, she clicked on her locks.

Though the parking lot was empty, she pulled between the white lines of a parking space, facing the depository box forty feet away. Bob drove the truck to the empty space among the other rental trucks, off to her left at the back of the lot. He jumped down from his seat and slammed the door. Then he trudged across the asphalt to put the key in the night depository.

Another car pulled into the lot, drove just past the building and did a U-turn, putting the driver on the side of the depository box. He stopped in front of the box, obstructing Juliet’s view of Bob. The car’s interior light didn’t come on; the man didn’t get out of the car. Juliet stiffened, her hand on the door. Was he talking to Bob?

A blast as quick as a balloon pop jolted her. She strained to see. Her car sat at an angle to the box, her headlights aimed to the left, barely illuminating the driver. He had turned sideways, his back to her, and was leaning out the window closest to Bob. Another blast, then another, shook her breathless. As he turned back to the steering wheel, she saw the quick outline of a gun.

Dread choked her. Tires squealed and the car screeched off, leaving thick darkness in its wake. Then she saw him … a hump on the ground.

Wow! What a hook at the end of the first page. Can’t wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Web Site: http://www.terriblackstock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tblackstock

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TerriBlackstock

Don't miss Terri Blackstock's latest release in the Moonlighters series, Distortion.

The book releases March 11th, and Terri will be kicking off the release with a fun Facebook Distortion party and giving away a Kindle Fire HDX. PLUS readers can pre-order the ebook for just $4.99 between now and 3/11 everywhere ebooks are sold.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HDX
• Distortion and Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 11th. Winner will be announced at the Distortion Facebook Party on March 11th. Connect with Terri for a "suspenseful" book launch party with prizes, a book chat, and more.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

Thank you, Terri, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Distortion  - Christianbook.com
Distortion (Moonlighters Series) - Amazon
Distortion (Moonlighters Series) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

SHADOW IN SERENITY - Terri Blackstock - Free Book

Welcome, Terri. I've really been looking forward to our interview. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write Christian novels because I feel passionately that God has called me to reach people through story. My mission is to entertain, challenge, raise awareness for issues, direct people to the Bible, and point people to Christ, the real answer to all their problems.

I feel the same way you do about my writing. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Two happiest days—when I gave birth to my two precious daughters.

How has being published changed your life?

I’ve been writing professionally for twenty-six years, so it’s almost hard to remember when I wasn’t doing this. But being a published writer has enabled me to be my own boss and have flexible hours, and even though I sometimes work harder than I probably would at any other job, I’ve loved being able to use my creative gift to make a living.

What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading some nonfiction books for research for my new series.

Yes, so much of my reading right now is research for the book I’m writing as well. What is your current work in progress?

I’m finishing up edits of Downfall, Book 3 in my Intervention Series, which will be out in March 2012. Readers can pre-order it now at www.terriblackstock.com. I’m also writing a brand new series that is in such early stages that everything about it is still up in the air. I’m not quite sure where it will land yet or what the title will be.

What would be your dream vacation?

I would love to go to Hawaii. I’m hoping to do that at some point in the next couple of years.

James and I hope to go to Hawaii sometime, too. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I like to set most of my books somewhere in the south, because I’m a southerner and that’s where I’m most comfortable. I usually choose a setting that best fits the plot of the book. I created a fictitious Louisiana town for my Newpointe 911 Series, because I wanted it to be a small town that was close to New Orleans. For my Cape Refuge Series, I created a fictitious island next to Savannah. I was inspired by Tybee Island, but I didn’t want to be limited to the real buildings and businesses there, so I made up an island and put it next to Tybee. I set two of the three books in my Intervention Series in Atlanta, because I needed to use their airport and the topography north of Atlanta for part of my plot. So it all depends on what the story calls for, and how easy it will be for me to research that area.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Probably Kay Arthur. She’s an extraordinary author and Bible teacher for Precept Ministries. I’ve learned much of what I know about the Bible from taking/teaching her courses, so she’s a hero of mine.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love watching decorating shows on TV. That’s my guilty pleasure.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

I hate writing first drafts. I always have to force myself to get through that. I try to write it as fast as possible without allowing anything to interrupt my momentum. And I do it without judgment, just trying to get it down. Once I have that first draft finished, I feel much more able to get creative. In the second, third, fourth and tenth drafts, I get deeper and deeper, focusing on different aspects of the story and polishing so that it’s something someone will want to read.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

The best advice anyone ever gave me was, “Don’t get it right, get it written.” Before, I would write the first three chapters over and over until I got sick of the book, and then I’d fizzle out and start something else. I never finished anything. Once I heard this advice, I was able to focus on just getting that first draft down without going back to change or edit anything. That enabled me to finish everything I started, and enabled me to finally start selling my work.

Tell us about the featured book.

Carny Sullivan knows a con artist when she sees one, and she’s seen plenty, since she used to be one. But Logan Brisco is the smoothest fraud Serenity, Texas, has ever seen. From his Italian shoes to his movie-star smile, he has them snowed. Carny’s the only one in town who has his number, and if it’s the last thing she ever does, she’s going to expose him. But is she really a match for him?

Sounds like the book is right down my alley. Please give us the first page of the book.

         Logan Brisco had the people of Serenity, Texas, eating out of his hand, and that was just where he wanted them.

         He worked hard to cultivate the smile of a traveling evangelist, the confidence of a busy capitalist, the secrecy of a government spy, and the charisma of a pied piper. No one in town knew where he’d come from or why he was there, and he wasn’t talking. But he made sure they knew he was on a mission, and that it was something big.

From the moment he drove his Navigator in, wearing his thousand-dollar suit and Italian shoes, carrying a briefcase in one hand and a duffel bag in the other, tongues began wagging. The most prevalent rumor was that Logan Brisco was a movie producer scouting talent for his latest picture. But the weekly patrons of the Clippety Doo Dah Salon were sure he was a billionaire-in-hiding, looking for a wife. And the men at Slade Hampton’s Barbershop buzzed about the money he was likely to invest in the community.

Two days after he arrived, the UPS man delivered two large boxes marked “Fragile” and addressed to “Brisco, c/o The Welcome Inn.” One of the boxes had the return address of a prominent bank in Dallas. The other was marked Hollywood, California. The gossip grew more frenzied.

For two weeks, he talked to the people of the town, ate in its restaurants, shopped in its stores, bonded with its men, flirted with its women. As soon as speculation peaked, Logan would be ready to go in for the kill.

This one might be his biggest score yet.

I can hardly wait to read the rest, and I’m sure my readers feel the same way. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My web site: www.terriblackstock.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tblackstock

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TerriBlackstock

Thank you, Terri, for the interesting time today.



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Shadow in Serenity


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