p.m.terrell is the pen name for
Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed
author of more than twenty books in four genres: contemporary suspense,
historical suspense, computer how-to and non-fiction.
Prior to writing full-time, she
founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among
her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service,
U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in
white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence.
A full-time author since 2002,
Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and
2012 USA Book Awards nominee, The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for
the Best Cover of the Year in 2014, The Tempest Murders was one of four
finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category and River
Passage was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner.
She is the co-founder of The Book
‘Em Foundation and chair of Book ‘Em North Carolina (www.bookemnc.org), and she sits on the
boards of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library and the Robeson
County Arts Council. She has also served on the boards of Crime Stoppers and
Crime Solvers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield
County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia. I met Patricia the first year of Book 'Em along with many other authors from all over the place.
Trish how many books have you written?
Thank you, Susan. I have written more than 20 books. A Thin Slice of Heaven is the 19th title to be released,
and two more are in various stages of production for release in 2015 and 2016.
Give a short synopsis of your most recently published book.
She had arranged to meet her
husband in Northern Ireland for a second honeymoon, but when Charleigh arrives
at the remote castle, she receives a message that he won’t be coming—and that
he’s leaving her for another woman. Stranded for the weekend by a snowstorm
that has blocked all access to the castle, she finds herself three thousand
miles from home in a country she knows nothing about.
She is soon joined by Sean
Bracken, the great-grandson of Laird Bracken, the original owner of the castle,
and she finds herself falling quickly and madly in love with him. There’s just
one problem: he’s dead.
As the castle begins to come alive
with secrets from centuries past, she finds herself trapped between parallel
worlds. Caught up in a mass haunting, she can no longer recognize the line
between the living and the dead. Now she’s discovering that her appearance
there wasn’t by accident—and is more earth-shattering than she ever suspected.
What challenges did you face while writing this book?
This book took nearly three times longer to write than my
earlier works. Each scene has more than one meaning; early reviewers reported
staying up all night and once they read the twist at the end, they turned back
to the first page and read it all again. Because each scene has double
meanings, I had to delve deep into the world of the living and the dead, which
required meeting with hospice workers and speaking with people who had
near-death experiences.
Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?
After I wrote the first draft of A Thin Slice of Heaven, I traveled to Northern Ireland in search of
my family’s ancestry. I found that my ancestors had once been the Laird and
Lady of lands in County Tyrone, so close to the site of the castle in my book
that it was eerie.
I had also named the main character Sean Bracken and the
castle ‘Brackenridge’ because it sits atop a ridge similar to the Cliffs of
Moher. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my ancestors had arrived in
Ireland from the Lowlands of Scotland near a village called Brackenridge!
What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?
There is no quick path to fame. Authors termed “overnight
successes” never arrive there overnight; it’s simply that their struggles are
not visible to us. I’ve been in this industry since my first book was published
in 1984, and I have seen a lot of writers come and go. I’ve learned that
sometimes the most successful of them are not necessarily the best; they’re
simply the ones who stayed in the game and refused to give up.
Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?
In my head. If it stays, it’s worth writing. If it’s
elusive, its time hasn’t yet arrived.
Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?
Two more books are scheduled to be released over the next
year. One is the 6th book in the award-winning Black Swamp Mysteries
Series; when reports of UFO’s are sighted hovering above major U.S. cities
before mysteriously vanishing, Dylan Maguire is tasked with covertly
intercepting Russian plans detailing cloaking capabilities for a new breed of
fighter aircraft—but a double agent is already on the run with them, with the
Russians close behind.
Then the 3rd book in the Ryan O’Clery series will
be released; when Ryan’s ex-wife shows up on his doorstep begging for help, he
finds himself pulled into an investigation that pits him against some of the
city’s most powerful leaders and threatening his future in America.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
Author’s website: www.pmterrell.com
Twitter: @pmterrell
Facebook: author.p.m.terrell
Can you tell visitors more about Book 'Em?
The Book 'Em Foundation was founded by p.m.terrell and Waynesboro Police Officer Mark Kearney in 2000. The mission is to raise awareness of the direct link between high crime rates and high rates of illiteracy. On the last Saturday of each February, the Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair is held in Lumberton, North Carolina. It brings together more than 75 authors and publishers who participate in panel discussions and solo talks for writers and lovers of books. For every book sold at the event, at least 40% of the gross revenue goes to increasing literacy in our communities. To date, thousands of dollars have been donated to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Robeson County for ages 1 through 5; Communities in Schools of Robeson County for all grade levels; Friends of the Robeson County Public Library for all ages; and the Lumberton Police Department for Reading Across America. For more information, visit www.bookemnc.org.
The Book 'Em Foundation was founded by p.m.terrell and Waynesboro Police Officer Mark Kearney in 2000. The mission is to raise awareness of the direct link between high crime rates and high rates of illiteracy. On the last Saturday of each February, the Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair is held in Lumberton, North Carolina. It brings together more than 75 authors and publishers who participate in panel discussions and solo talks for writers and lovers of books. For every book sold at the event, at least 40% of the gross revenue goes to increasing literacy in our communities. To date, thousands of dollars have been donated to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Robeson County for ages 1 through 5; Communities in Schools of Robeson County for all grade levels; Friends of the Robeson County Public Library for all ages; and the Lumberton Police Department for Reading Across America. For more information, visit www.bookemnc.org.
Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)
Yes; my books are available in all book stores worldwide as
well as in all eBook formats. Because the list is so extensive, readers can
visit my website at www.pmterrell.com,
click on the “Books” link in the left menu, and follow the links to each of my
books.
A complete list is also on amazon at http://www.amazon.com/P.-M.-Terrell/e/B001JOXFXK
It has been a pleasure to have you over. Best wishes on all future endeavors!
Thanks for having me over to discuss my work. I hope to see you at next year's Book 'Em NC.
