*[Author Interview] Q & A with Teresa Trent & Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome author Teresa Trent to Turning the Pages. I'd also like to thank her for taking time out of her busy schedule to allow for this interview to take place. Thanks so much Teresa!!

 

Author Bio

 

 

Teresa Trent wasn't born in Texas but after a few glasses of sweet tea and some exceptional barbecue she decided to stay. With a father in the Army, she found herself moved all over the world, settling down for a while in her teens in the state of Colorado. Her writing was influenced by all of the interesting people she found in small towns and the sense of family that seemed to be woven through them all. Teresa is a former high school teacher and received her degree from The University of Northern Colorado. Teresa is presently working on the third book in her Pecan Bayou Series. Her second book, Overdue For Murder, came out in June of 2012. 

 

To visit Teresa's Blog CLICK HERE

To follow Teresa on Twitter CLICK HERE

To become a fan of Teresa on Goodreads CLICK HERE

To purchase A Dash of Murder via Amazon CLICK HERE

To purchase A Dash of Murder via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE

To purchase A Dash of Murder via Itunes CLICK HERE 

 

  

GIVEAWAY

 

One RANDOM commenter will be win an e-copy of A Dash for Murder by Teresa Trent!

 

Just leave your name and e-mail address in a comment.

 

Interview

 

 

 

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself

I am an indie author and a preschool teacher. I have lived in Texas for the last 17 years and aside from a hurricane here and there, have really enjoyed it. I also write picture book curricula for preschoolers-a very different writing job!

2. Did you plan to be a writer or did it just happen?

 

 I think it just happened. I started writing in my twenties as a hobby. Sometimes I wrote for fun and sometimes I wrote to work through something going on in my life. All of the writing, while sometimes exhausting, created a peace in me.

3. What is your favourite non-writing pastime?

 

 This is where I put in something like bungee jumping, but I have to say, I'm a homebody. I love spending time with my family, sewing, reading, and laughing with my husband.

4. What inspired the idea behind your book?

 

When my daughter was in middle school we would set aside every Wednesday night and watch all of those ghost hunting shows on cable. We loved it when they used the gadgets and walked around in the dark. Funny, but most of the time the ghost hunters really didn't find too much. From that I thought about what it would be like to actually be on a ghost hunting paranormal investigation and all of the murderous things that could happen.

5. Do you have a favorite character in A Dash of Murder? Who and why?

 

 In A Dash of Murder it's probably, Howard, because he is the paranormal investigator who deep down would be terrified to actually meet up with a ghost.

6. Without giving it all away, please tell us a little something about how Betsy is going to get through her biggest challenge.

Betsy is a single mom who was abandoned by her con-man husband while she was pregnant with their son. Many years have passed since his rejection and even though she is a successful columnist, she feels inadequate in many things. She has to get beyond the destructive criticism her long-gone husband left in her thoughts and realize the one with the problem ... was him.

7. What is your favorite scene in A Dash of Murder?

 

The first time Betsy and Maggie go down the dead tunnel.

8. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

 

 Pure imagination!

9. What has been your greatest pleasure in writing this book?

 

 A Dash of Murder was my first book and when I set out to write it I wanted so much to create a town full of characters that readers would want to come back to in each successive book. Books written by Jan Karon, Phillip Gulley, and Fannie Flagg all do a beautiful job in taking you to a place you might want to stay in for a while. Pecan Bayou became my version of this place and with each book I imagine another street, another business and another quirky character who resides there.

10. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Yes! A Dash of Murder was my first book and I am promoting it during October because it takes place on Halloween. Since then, I have written Overdue for Murder, a story that centers around writers doing a book talk and features lots and lots of cupcakes. At this time, I am working on my third book that will take place over the Fourth of July. I can't say much about it yet, but Betsy and all the characters come back and take a "slice" out of the incredibly high crime rate in this tiny town.

11. What do you have in store next for your readers?

 

 A Dash of Murder was followed by Overdue for Murder which came out in June of 2012. Betsy is the center of a murder investigation after telling off a fellow writer who then ends up dead. My third book is currently in the rewrite stage and I totally enjoyed writing this Fourth of July- centered book. In researching for this book I watched You Tube videos on how to blow up a port-a-potty, child beauty pageants and read about hundreds of ways to serve watermelon!

12. What has been your greatest pleasure or personal success as an author?

Any time someone comes back to me and tells me they liked a certain scene or a character or they enjoyed trying to figure out "who dunnit" I'm so pleased!

13. Is there any place and time in the world and in history that you would like to visit?

 

 As a teenager I fell in love with the 20s and the 30s. I couldn't get enough of The Great Gatsby.

14. What is your favorite scene in A Dash of Murder?

Going down the "dead tunnel" of course.

15. How do you unwind after a long writing session?

 

I would love to tell you about relaxing by my pool drinking herb tea, but if I've been lucky enough to get a long writing session, I've put off all the other things in my life. So I guess I would have to answer-laundry?

16. Who or what has most influenced your writing?

 

Probably Dianne Mott Davidson and a little Stephen King. I guess from both authors I loved their gifts of creating characters. These are people you know, but not really. I have tried to create characters like that and I am still learning. I was pleased the other day when a friend and reader asked me if one of my villains was really somebody we knew. It wasn't!