Author Interview With Terry Spear and Weekly Giveaway

Please help me welcome author Terry Spear!

Hi, Caroline! Thanks so much for having me here!

Caroline: How did you get into writing as a career?

Terry: I’ve always loved to make up stories since I was young. My dad was a great oral storyteller also. So I believe I got my storytelling from him. He’d tell true stories about his youth, and his time as a prisoner-of-war in Germany during WWII. And he’d make up scary stories. So I’m sure that’s some of why I fell in love with making up stories, and reading other’s stories also greatly influenced my love of storytelling.

I started out writing children’s stories, partly because at the time I had small children and loved reading to them and teaching them to read. Breaking into the children’s market is extremely difficult. So I began writing a western historical romance, and found it’s also a tough market to sell to. Then I began working on the paranormal, and that’s where I finally found a home. I’d loved the paranormal, ghost stories, vampires, werewolves, all kinds of things that go bump in the night when I was growing up. You should love what you write, not write it just because a trend exists for it.

Caroline: Do you write full time or still have a day job?

Terry: I write full time and work full time (librarian) and teach online writing classes.
And no, I don’t have time to read books at the library while on the job, nor do I have time to write my own. (This is a question my coworkers often get asked.) But I do love working at the library because of the group we have to work with.

Caroline: You're a busy lady. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Terry: Just as books bring me a world to escape to and romance, heroes to fall in love with, heroines who I want to root for, that’s what I want to create. A place for readers to leave their own worlds behind for a while and enjoy the fictional ones I create.

Caroline: I agree, Terry. Those are admirable goals. What attracted you to werewolf stories?

Terry: I kept being told vampires had inundated the market and I had 4 of them written. But I LOVED writing them. So I thought I’d try something new. A creature who also has gotten a bad name for himself. The werewolf. And wolves also. I wanted to create a being that was real—the wolf half just as real. Someone who was loveable too. Not beastly, unless he’s the villain. And then even if he were human, he’d be just as beastly. I wanted to show wolf pack dynamics in both a wolves’ world and a humans’ when the human and wolf were the same.

Caroline: I hope you've also marketed your vampire stories. In what other genres do you write?

Terry: I write true stories for genealogy magazines and for nostalgia magazines, including the EX-POW Bulletin, true stories for Listen teen magazine. I also have written a number of contemporary romance tales for True Romance and True Confessions. And then I’ve written novels—urban fantasy romance in the form of werewolves, and also vampires. I love to write medieval Highland romances also. And teen romances of the paranormal variety. Oh, and yes, I still have two western historical romances!

Caroline: What a coincidence--I also write for genealogy publications. Who are your favorite authors?

Terry: Leslie Lafoy, for historical, and tons of others. And I loved Karen Moning’s Immortal Highlander. And Joy Nash’s Celtic Fire. Many, many others that I’m always finding. Like Heather Graham’s romantic suspenses, and Jayne Castle’s paranormal, and her historicals under the name of Amanda Quick. I love Sharon Latham’s historical romances also!

Caroline: Oh, I love Amanda Quick's books. Such quirky and intelligent heroines. Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Terry: Definitely a pantser. I write by the seat of my pants, only plotting out the hero and heroine’s goals, motivations for said goals, and how they meet in the beginning. Beyond that, the story unwinds as I write it.

Caroline: Do you have a writing schedule?

Terry: I write every bit of time I can squeeze in when I’m not working: in the morning before work, during lunch hour, and when I get home and any other free time I have. I have strict word count goals to meet each week or I’d never make my deadlines.

Caroline: Are you attending any conferences this year or scheduled as a speaker?

Terry: I attended RWA Nationals this July. I was really excited about it because I had my first literacy signing and Sourcebooks signing. But also, I was the keynote speaker at From the Heart RWA online chapter and I was really thrilled to be asked. I’ve only gone to two others Nationals, and so this was a grand adventure! Plus it was the first real vacation I’ve had for the last 3 years. Although only 2 days of it could be called a real vacation!

Caroline: Sigh, I wish I could have attended. Blog tours or other promotions?

Terry: On my website, I’ve listed all the dates I’ll be doing guest author blogs and interviews for the entire month of August for the release of Seduced by the Wolf. I’m really excited about the release as it’s the 5th book in the series, and many fans are interested in seeing Leidolf find his own mate since he’s been in the first 4 books and never gets the girl. But it truly won’t be easy, if possible at all. Not for want of trying, either!

Caroline: Series are always fan favorites. Any guilty pleasures or vices you’d care to share?

Terry: I LOVE gardening. If it wasn’t so hot here in the summer, I’d do more of it. But I love transforming weeds into a garden. And I LOVE making teddy bears. I have a baby birth bear I need to do, but it had to wait until after conference.

Caroline: When you’re not writing or working, what do you do to relax?

Terry:  Read!!! Sometimes I get a movie to watch. But mostly, I love to read, or listen to audio books.

Caroline: Reading is good mental exercise. What advice would you give to pre-published authors?

Terry:  Keep writing, revising and submitting. It’s the only way to get published. To not give up on yourself. To keep learning your craft. And the only way to make it is to finish writing the book and to send it off.

Caroline: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?

Terry: Sometimes on my days off, I have to take wolfish naps!

Caroline: It's no wonder with you being so busy. Tell us about your latest release.

Terry: SEDUCED BY THE WOLF was based on a real wolf biologist’s story of discovering a wolf with pups that had lost her mate. I took that kernel of an idea and developed Cassie Roux, werewolf wolf biologist.  Leidolf Wildhaven had taken over an abused wolf pack, and so between trying to get them back on their feet, deal with teen troubles, and a number of problem wolves, he’s got his hands full. But nothing like when he learns Cassie’s a lone red wolf and he sets his sights on her!

Blurb: His first priority is to protect his pack...

Werewolf pack leader Leidolf Wildhaven has just taken over a demoralized pack. With rogue wolves on the loose causing havoc and the authorities from the zoo suddenly zeroing in on the local wolf population, the last thing he needs in his territory is a do-gooder female, no matter how beautiful and enticing she is...

She'll do anything to help wolves...

Biologist Cassie Roux has dedicated her life to protecting wolves in the wild. On a desperate mission to help a she-wolf with newborn pups, the last thing Cassie needs right now is a nosy and entirely too attractive werewolf pack leader trying to track her down...

With rogue wolves and hunters threatening at every turn, Cassie and Leidolf may find their attraction the most dangerous force of all...

Caroline: Sounds fascinating. Can you give us an excerpt?

Terry: Excerpt from Seduced by the Wolf (G-Rating), Cassie and Leidolf’s first date, only she knows what he is, and he doesn’t realize what she is—her wolf instincts are getting the best of her though.:

Leidolf couldn’t figure out Cassie’s mixed messages.

One minute, she seemed resigned—like when she agreed to eat with him. She was skittish again when she entered the club and then panicky when he mentioned the wolf.

He knew for sure she’d seen one, then. But where? And was it one of his reds? Or was it a plain, old gray wolf, nothing to really worry about? He waited for her to answer his query: where had she seen the wolf?

She hesitated, took a sip of water, and glanced over at their waiter, George, as he brought their meals. She smiled at him and placed the napkin on her lap, totally ignoring Leidolf’s question.

As soon as George put the food down, asked if they needed anything else, and then hurried off, she eyed Leidolf’s tenderloin. If he hadn’t thought she was a vegetarian because of the dish she’d ordered and because of her comment about red meat not being good for him, he would have sworn she wanted some of his roast.

He cut up a portion of it, slid his plate over, and smiled. “Won’t kill you. I promise.”

Her gaze switched from him to his meat again, and she began to shake her head and decline, but he insisted. She wanted it. Probably concerned about her figure. She had nothing to worry about in that regard from what he could tell.

“Go ahead, Cassie.”

She looked up at him. “You said you hadn’t eaten and you’re hungry.”

He chuckled. “Pass over some of your rabbit food. We can share.”

Still, she hesitated.

He eyed her mushrooms sautéed in a spicy sauce along with spinach and broccoli, carrots, and potatoes. “Looks a lot better than my plain old baked potato.”

She twisted her mouth a little and considered his tenderloin again. “Are you sure?”

© Terry Spear, 2009

Caroline: Great excerpt, Terry. I love that she knows his secret but he doesn't know hers. Where can readers find your books?

Terry: At all the major bookstores and online ones like B&N.com and Amazon.

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?

Terry:  At http://www.terryspear.com/

http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com/

http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/

http://fierceromance.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear

http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/legend-of-the-white-wolf-being-shipped/#comment-4502

http://terry-spear.blogspot.com/

So what do you think? Could you handle a little wolf?

Caroline: Yes, I'm looking forward to reading your book. Terry, thank you so much for spending time here. Best of luck in the future!

Terry: Thanks so much, readers,  for stopping by and commenting! And thanks again for having me here, Caroline!   "Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."

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