APRIL IN THE BACK OF BEYOND AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW

p.m.terrell will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

April in the Back of Beyond

by

p.m.terrell

GENRE: Romantic Suspense/Ghost Story

BLURB

Writer Hayley Hunter has arrived in Ireland to complete a book on Irish history. When she discovers the old carriage house she is renting is haunted, she is determined to uncover the truth behind the burned ruins of a nearby manor house and the abandoned British barracks it overlooks. With the assistance of Shay Macgregor, an Irish historian, her quest will take her to 1919 and the Irish War for Independence, exposing the murders of two young men and why their mother, April Crutchley, refuses to leave the back of beyond even in death. With a budding romance and the opportunity to begin life anew, Hayley finds her own life is now in jeopardy as she gets closer to a truth the villagers have long sought to bury.

Excerpt

I could not hear the cattle though we continued to approach. I saw a head dodge this way or that, could envision their mouths opening in snorts or grunts. Two dogs came into the picture as though there were curtains on either side, appearing from behind the veils to join the cattle on center stage. They ducked and darted, their heads held low, ever on the watch for a strayed cow and yet the yips and barks I should have heard were lost in the winds that blew through here a hundred years ago.

The road stopped and yet Shay continued to press forward, the terrain becoming steeper and rockier as we drew ever closer. I was panting now and my forehead was covered in perspiration and yet I knew I could not turn back. I had to remain with Shay. I longed to ask why we were moving steadily toward the ruins, or what he hoped we could possibly accomplish there, but the words were frozen on my lips.

The air grew icy but there was no wind, as if time itself was suspended.

Then the herd parted to reveal two young men, boys really; and they were looking at us.

Shay stopped and I was so mesmerized that I started past him but he reached out to grab my arm. I have no idea what amount of force he might have used because in that instant, I barely registered his hand upon me. I only knew my feet had stopped and I was staring uphill at two boys that stared back at me.

Their baggy pants were dark, their shirts light, but I could see the giant tree that stood behind them. My brain slowly registered that I could see it because I was looking through them; the combination of their light and dark clothing was casting the tree into curious shadows. I knew they were looking at us though I could not see their facial features, but rather judged their stance from the position of their bodies. Their faces glowed eerily, the outlines blurry. They grew even hazier as I realized they were beginning to run.

In an instant the cattle dispersed in a panic, rushing down the hill toward the pasture from whence they’d come while the two boys raced upward in the opposite direction toward the house. They reached the open doorway almost at the same time, catapulting over the threshold. As they stepped inside the walls, everything vanished: the boys, the dogs and the cattle were gone. All that was left were the skeletal ruins, dark and forbidding against a sky filled with ominous clouds.

p. m. terrell, author

p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 23 books in multiple genres, including contemporary suspense, historical suspense, computer instructional, non-fiction and children’s books.

Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area: McClelland Enterprises, Inc. and Continental Software Development Corporation. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in the detection of white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence.

A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries was her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22, released in 2008. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. Her second series, Ryan O’Clery Suspense, is also award-winning. The Tempest Murders (Book 1) was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category. Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. Songbirds are Free is her bestselling book to date; it is inspired by the true story of Mary Neely, who was captured in 1780 by Shawnee warriors near Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN).

She was the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She was the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime and served as its chairperson and organizer for its first four years. She also served on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County (NC) Public Library, the Robeson County (NC) Arts Council, Virginia Crime Stoppers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.

For more information, book trailers, excerpts and more, visit the author’s website at www.pmterrell.com.

Website: https://pmterrell.com/
Twitter: @pmterrell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pmterrell.author/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pmterrell/

Buy Link

https://www.amazon.com/April-Back-Beyond-p-m-terrell/dp/1935970461



Author Interview

How long have you been writing?

I began writing when I was in the 4th grade. My father had just been transferred from New Jersey to the Mississippi Delta, and it was like moving to a different country. The school principal noticed how isolated I was and she suggested that I write stories. That led to a lifetime of writing.

My first books, however, weren’t published until I was in my 20’s; they were computer textbooks. It would be nearly 20 years later before my first fiction was published. I guess I’m not a quitter!

Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

I am fortunate to have a studio where I write my books. I have 360 degree views and an aquarium next to my desk. I write without sound in the background and in solitude—except for my two dogs, both Jack Russells.

Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?

I prefer the slow method of writing; it allows each scene to marinate in my mind until I can not only see the action but smell the aromas, feel the atmosphere, hear the voices in my head. I can tell when an author rushes through the writing of a book because the richness disappears. I aim for 1,000 words a day, which means the first draft takes somewhere between 15 to 20 weeks. Then I spend about the same length of time editing and polishing it before it’s off to the publisher and their editors. I often find by taking my time, I can weave in additional characters and subplots that are needed to make the story more well-rounded.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise readers.

I tried to immigrate to Ireland, the scene of many of my books. My lifelong dream has been to rent a cottage by the water and just write. Unfortunately, the immigration laws are incredibly strict, requiring each individual to have $51,000 USD per year in a government guaranteed pension. Money in the bank and royalties don’t count, but then a writer’s royalties are not taxed there, either. I can, however, live there for one year with a special passport stamp, but then I have to leave for several months before returning. These rules don’t apply if a US citizen is hired by a company in Ireland, but then I wouldn’t be writing.

What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

1) Don’t make the mistake of thinking your first draft is the finished book. Even the pros edit numerous times before the book is polished.
2) Learn everything you possibly can about the publishing industry. You’ll be more valuable to your publisher if you understand the entire process.
3) Accept that sales and marketing are going to be part of your job. I think most authors would prefer to simply write their books and have someone else market them, but as the publishing industry has become leaner with a focus on higher profits, more of the sales and marketing is placed on the author’s shoulders.
4) Read everything you can in your genre. Study the good books and find out what makes them great. List the things that make poor books a bad read. Learn your craft from every book you read.
5) Perfect your writing. Always strive to do better. And keep writing even while you’re trying to land a publisher or agent for your previous works.
6) Network with other authors. Learn from everyone you meet.


What has helped you in your writing career?

All the things I mentioned above helped me throughout my writing career. Having been in the profession for more than 35 years and a full-time author for nearly 20, I’ve seen authors come and go. Those that give up are almost always those that thought their first book would instantaneously make it to the New York Times bestseller list. But you wouldn’t expect to land a job at the top of the organization chart, and there’s a lot to be said for climbing the ladder and putting in your dues.


What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

I hope my writing transports the reader to a different place and time, allowing them to step into the heroine’s shoes and experience life through her eyes. Along the way, I hope it broadens their horizons, teaches them things they never knew, and awakens a desire to read more books and authors.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

p.m.terrell will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway