As part of the Choosing Charity blog tour, I had a chance to interview the author, Terri Ferran and find out a little bit more about her.
About the Book
Title: Choosing
CharityAuthor: Terri Ferran
Release Date: July 2012
Publisher: Cedar Fort (Facebook | Twitter)
Genre: LDS Inspirational Fiction
Series: Faith, Hope, and Charity trilogy (Book #3)
When Kit learns that her biological mother wants to meet her, it seems her perfect life is about to come tumbling down. With a new job, a husband she adores, and friends all around her, can Kit possibly be expected to risk everything for a woman who left her in a dumpster to die?
Of course, love comes in many forms. Now Kit's about to learn that when faith and hope aren't enough, charity can make things right.
Interview
Book Bug: Welcome to The Book Bug, Terri! I am so excited for you to be here at The Book Bug today!
When and why did you begin writing?
Terri: My earliest writings date back to the era when cave drawings were all the rage, shortly after dinosaurs became extinct.
I’ve always loved to read books, articles, cereal boxes, etc. There’s nothing like being carried away to a world where you can experience the magic of whole grain oats, dextrose, and BHT for freshness.
I wanted to create stories that would captivate the reader and feed the insatiable thirst of “just one more chapter”. I settled for becoming an accountant.
After the bloom of youth faded from my cheeks (i.e. middle age hit) I finally got brave enough to pursue my writing dream. My first book, Finding Faith, was published in 2007, followed by Having Hope in 2009. Choosing Charity finishes the trilogy.
I took a foray into the non-fiction humor world in 2010 with Life’s Alphabet Soup: When Your Children Make You Eat Your Words.
Book Bug: Wow! Haha! What a journey! I'm glad you "got brave enough" to pursue writing.
What is your favorite genre to read/write?
Terri: Right now it’s fantasy. I am a big fan of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan.
Book Bug: What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine?
Terri: I usually don’t write much from January-April because I’m a CPA who likes to live indoors and eat processed food. I always plan to write 4-6 hours per day from May-December, but then I wake up and life gets in the way. I seem to hit my groove around 4 or 5 pm, right around the time I should be thinking about what to cook for dinner. I don’t think inspiration hits me at that time every day; it’s more like I want to avoid cooking more than I want to avoid writing.
Book Bug: You and me both! I HATE cooking dinner!
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
Terri: Yes. Some people call it writer’s block, some call it procrastination.
When it hits, I question why I ever wanted to write in the first place. Then I tell myself how lame I am for thinking I could every write anything worth publishing. That’s usually followed by a quick calculation of how much more money I make as an accountant than as an author.
I suffer from discipline more than I suffer from writer’s block. When I do get stuck on a plot point or scene, my husband is my sounding board. I’ve also started using a notebook more to jot down ideas or bits of dialogue when I’m waiting around for something. Re-reading those notes often jumpstarts my writing.
Book Bug: I think we all suffer from procrastination!
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Terri: The hardest part of writing Choosing Charity was when I sent it out to beta readers, knowing that something wasn’t quite right about the book. When the comments came back, I realized the problem was that my main character, Kit, was a whiner. Editing fixed that and it is a much better book now.
Book Bug: You know, I kind of like when Kit whines. First of all, she usually does it sarcastically and second, it makes me feel better about my own whining ! :)
What do you think are the most important elements of good writing?
Terri: A protagonist you can identify with but isn’t perfect.
An antagonist you can hate but isn’t totally evil.
A story that sucks you in and spits you out leaving you feeling like you’ve really been somewhere.
Book Bug: What book are you reading now?
Terri: I am re-reading The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) by Jack M. Bickham and Save The Cat by Blake Snyder. I’ve banned myself from reading fiction right now, so I will focus more on my current work-in-progress.
Book Bug: What are your current/future projects?
Terri: I’m currently working on a YA fiction book about a high-school senior obsessed with her grades. She dies in an accident, finds out she only has a C+ in life, and gets a second chance to improve her life-grade. She’s granted three wishes that can’t be used on herself, and a fairy godmother/mentor who turns out to the school lunch lady.
Book Bug: How fun! Can't wait to read it!
And lastly, do you have any advice for other writers?
Terri: Don’t wait until you’re half-way dead to pursue your dream! Read books on the craft, attend conferences, and don’t be afraid to write and re-write.
Book Bug: Thank you so much for sharing a little about yourself today!
Giveaway
As part of the tour, Terri is generously offering a grand prize giveaway of the Faith, Hope, and Charity trilogy, including hard copies of Finding Faith, Having Hope, and Choosing Charity. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post or any of the other stops on the tour. (Check out the tour page for the full tour schedule.) The more stops you comment on, the more entries you have into the contest!
Terri Ferran grew up in a small Colorado town that offered little in the way of entertainment. She escaped through reading (and later on a Continental Trailways bus), and although the town didn't have a library, she eagerly anticipated the coming of the Bookmobile and would check out stacks of books at a time.
She moved to Utah as a high school senior where she joined the LDS Church and met her husband, Tod. She dreamed of being a writer but took the safe route of becoming a CPA. She finally got brave enough to quit working in the world of numbers to pursue her dream of writing and also to spend more time with her children. Her first book, Finding Faith was published in 2007 and she is excited to be living her dream of writing in real life.
Terri still loves to read, but she can usually be found writing, doing laundry, dishes, running errands, napping, eating chocolate, or exercising (not necessarily in that order).
Website
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Love the premise of the Terri's next book!
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