I am delighted to announce that author Terry Lynn Thomas features next in the series. As you may be aware I asked authors on my facebook page if they would like to appear in a series of *interviews*. I wanted to connect with other writers, find out what they write about, why they write, their thoughts about the writing process, their drives, and learn a little more about them.
Please find the full interview below (also linked to my twitter, tumblr, facebook, Goodreads, and google + account).
Please do share with your circle of book friends and leave me a like/comment - thank you very much.
Tell us about your first novel
My first published novel, “The Spirit of Grace,” takes place in San Francisco during the 1940s. My protagonist, Sarah Bennett, witnesses her mother fall to her death and immediately develops amnesia. She is a bit of an odd duck anyway, so it doesn’t take long for her neighbours and family to believe that she may have pushed her mother to her death. Rather than face the scandal of a criminal investigation, Sarah is sent away to an asylum in an attempt to try to recover her memory. During Sarah’s time at the asylum, the world goes to war. On the one year anniversary of her mother’s death, Sarah’s father summons her home, in an attempt to help Sarah remember what really happened on that night. During the course of the book, Sarah redeems herself and gets to the bottom of her mother’s death. She redeems herself in the eyes of her family and her town, but realizes that the only approval she really needs, is her own.
When did you start writing?
I started writing in the early 90s but didn’t take myself seriously as a writer until 2006, when I was able to quit my day job and focus entirely on developing as a fiction writer. People often ask why I write, and the best answer is that I have to. I have tried to quit, but have always come back to it.
I am published by Black Opal Books, a small indie-press in Oregon.
How many books have you written?
I have written two of the three books required for my contract. Working on book 3 now. The second book takes place six months after the Spirit of Grace. Sarah’s is dealing with a heap o’trouble and trying to find her way in the world. The third book takes Sarah and Zeke back to Zeke’s home town in Northern California, where he and Sarah will try to help out a family member who is a suspect in an old murder. As for future projects: I have a drawer full of ideas for Sarah. She is such a spontaneous character, she manages to land herself in trouble and I, as the writer of her story, have a blast trying to dig her out.
Here’s a sentence or paragraph on each of my books:
The Spirit of Grace: Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House. Although she allegedly witnessed the incident, she knows in her heart that she did not give her mother that fateful push. When she becomes the subject of dark whispers and sidelong glances, Sarah’s family sends her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco. Now, one year after her mother’s death, Sarah is summoned home. When she returns, another murder occurs, and Sarah is once again a suspect. In order to clear her name, Sarah must remember what happened the fateful night her mother died. But as Sarah works to regain her memory, the real murderer watches, ready to kill again to protect a dark family secret.
Weeping in the Wings and Neptune’s Daughter are in production, so I don’t want to give away too much yet. I will say that Sarah is not doing well after the end of Grace, and we see her character round out and develop (along with her relationship with Zeke) in these next two books.
Who is your favourite character?
My favorite character in the Sarah Bennett series is Zeke. He is so conflicted, and carries so many secrets, but he is also noble and ethical and brave. I love to show the social mores and dignified behavior between men and women during the time period, especially in comparison to the way we engage with each other today.
Where can readers find your books?
My books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and my publisher’s website: blackopalbooks.com.
What are your favourite books of all time?
I loved “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier, “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield was sublime. I read a lot of gothic novels from the 1940s through the 1960s, authors such as Mary Stewart, Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy Eden, and, of course, Agatha Christie. I also like hardboiled mysteries, such as Robert Parker’s books, Elmore Leonard, Micky Spillane, and Raymond Chandler. Right now I’m binge listening to the Miss Silver mysteries by Patricia Wentworth on audible.
It’s hard to read while I’m writing, so I take my fiction via audible. When I am not writing, I usually read ten or so books a month. I read a lot of historical fiction, and have a tottering to-be-read pile.
How do you juggle daily life and writing?
I like to get up in the morning at 4:00 a.m. and write at my kitchen table, for a good two hours. I have tried varying this routine, writing at night, or writing in a café, but home office works best for me.
I currently do have a part-time day job, which takes about 18 hours a week of my time. I spend another 15 hours a week on my writing—at least the sitting at the desk part.
What are the best/worst things about being a writer?
The best thing about being a writer is the process of doing the actual writing, and the satisfaction of knowing that some reader out there was transported by your book, related to the characters in some way, or otherwise enjoyed the ride. That means the world to me. It’s all about the readers. I love them. The flip side to that, the hardest part, is doing the actual self-promotion with tract and grace. I hate to spew “Buy my book! Buy my book!” out into the marketing void, but as writers nowadays, especially indie writers operating with a zero dollar marketing budget, you have to find your readers. It’s a challenge.
Have you attended any writing workshops or courses?
I have taken a lot of creative writing courses, both at the college level and online. The thing that worked best for me, however, was actually doing the writing. I found a mentor who worked with me for several years and taught me a lot about the craft. Nothing takes the place of sitting down at the desk and putting pen to paper. I notice that my skills get better with each book, and I hope that I continue to grow and learn.
Thank you for your time, Terry, all the best for your writing.
Thanks for hosting me, David. Appreciate you and your readers taking the time to read and show an interest in Sarah Bennett.
You can follow me on Facebook (Terry Lynn Thomas-Author) and stop by my website, terrylynnthomas.com.
Please do share with your circle of book friends and leave me a like/comment - thank you very much.
Tell us about your first novel
My first published novel, “The Spirit of Grace,” takes place in San Francisco during the 1940s. My protagonist, Sarah Bennett, witnesses her mother fall to her death and immediately develops amnesia. She is a bit of an odd duck anyway, so it doesn’t take long for her neighbours and family to believe that she may have pushed her mother to her death. Rather than face the scandal of a criminal investigation, Sarah is sent away to an asylum in an attempt to try to recover her memory. During Sarah’s time at the asylum, the world goes to war. On the one year anniversary of her mother’s death, Sarah’s father summons her home, in an attempt to help Sarah remember what really happened on that night. During the course of the book, Sarah redeems herself and gets to the bottom of her mother’s death. She redeems herself in the eyes of her family and her town, but realizes that the only approval she really needs, is her own.
When did you start writing?
I started writing in the early 90s but didn’t take myself seriously as a writer until 2006, when I was able to quit my day job and focus entirely on developing as a fiction writer. People often ask why I write, and the best answer is that I have to. I have tried to quit, but have always come back to it.
I am published by Black Opal Books, a small indie-press in Oregon.
How many books have you written?
I have written two of the three books required for my contract. Working on book 3 now. The second book takes place six months after the Spirit of Grace. Sarah’s is dealing with a heap o’trouble and trying to find her way in the world. The third book takes Sarah and Zeke back to Zeke’s home town in Northern California, where he and Sarah will try to help out a family member who is a suspect in an old murder. As for future projects: I have a drawer full of ideas for Sarah. She is such a spontaneous character, she manages to land herself in trouble and I, as the writer of her story, have a blast trying to dig her out.
Here’s a sentence or paragraph on each of my books:
The Spirit of Grace: Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House. Although she allegedly witnessed the incident, she knows in her heart that she did not give her mother that fateful push. When she becomes the subject of dark whispers and sidelong glances, Sarah’s family sends her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco. Now, one year after her mother’s death, Sarah is summoned home. When she returns, another murder occurs, and Sarah is once again a suspect. In order to clear her name, Sarah must remember what happened the fateful night her mother died. But as Sarah works to regain her memory, the real murderer watches, ready to kill again to protect a dark family secret.
Weeping in the Wings and Neptune’s Daughter are in production, so I don’t want to give away too much yet. I will say that Sarah is not doing well after the end of Grace, and we see her character round out and develop (along with her relationship with Zeke) in these next two books.
Who is your favourite character?
My favorite character in the Sarah Bennett series is Zeke. He is so conflicted, and carries so many secrets, but he is also noble and ethical and brave. I love to show the social mores and dignified behavior between men and women during the time period, especially in comparison to the way we engage with each other today.
Where can readers find your books?
My books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and my publisher’s website: blackopalbooks.com.
What are your favourite books of all time?
I loved “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier, “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield was sublime. I read a lot of gothic novels from the 1940s through the 1960s, authors such as Mary Stewart, Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy Eden, and, of course, Agatha Christie. I also like hardboiled mysteries, such as Robert Parker’s books, Elmore Leonard, Micky Spillane, and Raymond Chandler. Right now I’m binge listening to the Miss Silver mysteries by Patricia Wentworth on audible.
It’s hard to read while I’m writing, so I take my fiction via audible. When I am not writing, I usually read ten or so books a month. I read a lot of historical fiction, and have a tottering to-be-read pile.
How do you juggle daily life and writing?
I like to get up in the morning at 4:00 a.m. and write at my kitchen table, for a good two hours. I have tried varying this routine, writing at night, or writing in a café, but home office works best for me.
I currently do have a part-time day job, which takes about 18 hours a week of my time. I spend another 15 hours a week on my writing—at least the sitting at the desk part.
What are the best/worst things about being a writer?
The best thing about being a writer is the process of doing the actual writing, and the satisfaction of knowing that some reader out there was transported by your book, related to the characters in some way, or otherwise enjoyed the ride. That means the world to me. It’s all about the readers. I love them. The flip side to that, the hardest part, is doing the actual self-promotion with tract and grace. I hate to spew “Buy my book! Buy my book!” out into the marketing void, but as writers nowadays, especially indie writers operating with a zero dollar marketing budget, you have to find your readers. It’s a challenge.
Have you attended any writing workshops or courses?
I have taken a lot of creative writing courses, both at the college level and online. The thing that worked best for me, however, was actually doing the writing. I found a mentor who worked with me for several years and taught me a lot about the craft. Nothing takes the place of sitting down at the desk and putting pen to paper. I notice that my skills get better with each book, and I hope that I continue to grow and learn.
Thank you for your time, Terry, all the best for your writing.
Thanks for hosting me, David. Appreciate you and your readers taking the time to read and show an interest in Sarah Bennett.
You can follow me on Facebook (Terry Lynn Thomas-Author) and stop by my website, terrylynnthomas.com.
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