Author Interview and Spotlight: p.m terrell of The Pendulum Files

1. What made you want to be a writer?

I think somewhere before I was born, it must have been preordained because every road I’ve ever taken has led to writing. When I was a young girl, my family moved to the Mississippi Delta during a particularly violent time in its history. My father was an FBI Agent and as a result, I was ostracized. A school principal noticed that I had no friends and suggested that I begin writing. It opened up whole new worlds for me, and I knew then that I wanted to be a writer. Though life has had its twists and turns, everything has led back to writing. I don’t know what I would do without it.


2. Who is your favorite author?

I don’t have favorite authors but I have favorite books. I love the Haunting series by Erin Quinn; The Mummy by Anne Rice; Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. I love books that take me out of my present situation into worlds I’d otherwise know nothing about. And I love to read about ordinary people who face extraordinary circumstances.


3. What is the name of the last book you read?

I am reading “The Back of Beyond: Searching for the Soul of Ireland” by James Charles Roy.

Prior to that, I read “Forged in Dreams and Magick” by Kat Bastion.

And next on my list is “The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain” by Sarah Norkus.


4. Tell us about yourself in 3 words?

spiritual, gentle, persistent

5. What is your favorite activity?

Reading—of course! I will read just about anything I can get my hands on, from newspapers to magazines to books of nearly every genre. I am an incredibly slow reader; I like to devour each scene, playing it over in my mind. Books to me are far superior to movies because it takes so much longer to process a book in the mind’s eye. They become part of the reader, I think.


6. If your book could be made into a movie? Which actors would you have play the main two characters?

I’ve always seen Amy Adams as Vicki Boyd, and a real Irishman and actor, Kevin Ryan, as Dylan Maguire.


7. Who is your favorite character in your book?

It would have to be Dylan Maguire. He has a unique way of looking at life, of getting everything he can out of each moment. He is romantic, handsome, loyal, fun-loving, sexy… And he can also kill if the situation warrants it.


8. What's in your TBR ( to be read) pile?

After I read “The Secret Life of Sarah Chamberlain”, my TBR pile includes “The Last Highlander” by Claire Delacroix, “Deceitful Truths” by Maggie Thom, “Spirit of the Night” by Debbie Peterson, “The 12th Planet” by Zacharia Sitchin, among others. It will take me months to read them, because I am such a slow reader.

9. What are 3 of your pet peeves?

I can’t handle someone who abuses pets, abuses children or is rude to the waiter.


10. What's your favorite (cats or dogs), ( coffee or tea), and what's your favorite food?

Dogs—I have three rescue dogs now; a collie and two Jack Russells;
Green Tea, though I just read that 3 cups of coffee per day can stave off dementia, which is appealing;
My favorite food is pasta; I could eat it every day of the week.M Terrell stopped in to chat with us today:

The Pendulum Files

By

pm terrell

BLURB:

CIA operative Dylan Maguire joins forces with psychic spy Vicki Boyd to find out who is bombing merchant vessels bound for the United States from China. Their mission will lead them to Black Sites, the high seas and into covert operations. And when an assassin escapes from prison determined to finish the job he started, they find their personal lives and their missions are about to collide in ways they never could have imagined.

THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:  

a beautiful Celtic cross necklace

The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/04/virtual-book-tour-pendulum-files-by-pm.html

Excerpt 1

She wasn’t quite sure what roused her from sleep. But as Vicki slowly opened her eyes, she became aware of her nude body lying on one side with Dylan’s larger, muscular form curled up behind her. One arm was stretched over her protectively and her derriere rested against his lap, their legs intertwined.
Normally some moonlight found its way inside, but the room was so murky that she wondered if there was any moon at all this night. She narrowed her eyes in an effort to adjust to the darkness as Dylan’s measured, soft breathing remained against her ear.
She nearly gasped as her eyes fell upon a figure just a few feet from the bed. She frowned as it swayed in front of her; it was not flesh and blood—that much was obvious. It was almost opaque and as she continued to stare, it grew more luminous until a tiny woman stood in front of her with long, flowing white hair billowing about her as if blown by the wind.
She wore a thin nightgown that reached from the base of her neck all the way to her feet, and as Vicki continued to stare, she smiled.
“Mam,” Vicki breathed as she recognized Dylan’s grandmother.
Dylan murmured something incomprehensible and held her more tightly against him.
“Be careful what you do, child,” Mam said in a clear voice. “There are eyes on you.”
Vicki gasped and grabbed at the bed covering. “You shouldn’t be watching us!” she exclaimed.
Dylan awakened and leaned over her to look at her face. “What is it, Darlin’?”
Vicki could feel the heat in her cheeks. She half-turned to Dylan to see him watching her with sleepy eyes. “I—” She turned back to where his grandmother had stood, but she was gone.
“Another bad dream, mayhap?” he asked before settling back. “There’s nothin’ at’al to be frightened of, Darlin’. I’ll take good care o’ you.”
She tried to relax against his body once more. She kept her eyes open and her ears on alert but she was met only with silence and a darkness that reminded her that she’d had precious little sleep. Still, she pulled the bedcovers over them, covering their naked bodies.
The grandfather clock downstairs ticked off the seconds, the sound reminding her of just how silent the rest of the house really was. She finally felt herself snuggling into that warm cocoon of sleep.
She could feel Dylan’s breath against the back of her neck; it was the steady breathing of a man deeply asleep. Then she became aware of something else, something against her nose as if someone was breathing on her face.
Her eyes flew open to find Mam leaning down in front of her, her face just inches from hers.
“It isn’t me you need to be concernin’ y’self with, child,” she said. “Other eyes are watchin’.”

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 20 books in five genres. A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries is her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22 in 2008. The books include Exit 22, Vicki's Key, Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, Dylan's Song and The Pendulum Files. Vicki's Key placed as one of four finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards. Her historical book, River Passage, won the 2010 Best Drama Award, and her romantic suspense, The Tempest Murders, placed as one of four finalists in the 2013 USA Best Book Awards.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her specialties were computer crime and computer intelligence and her clients included the CIA, Secret Service and Department of Defense. Computer technology often weaves its way through her contemporary suspense/thrillers.
She is also the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation and the founder of The Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money for literacy campaigns. She also serves on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library and the Robeson County Arts Council, and served as the first female president for the Chesterfield County/ Colonial Heights Crime Solvers.
website: www.pmterrell.com
blog: www.pmterrell.blogspot.com
twitter: @pmterrell
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.p.m.terrell
amazon trade paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Pendulum-Files-Black-Mysteries-Volume/dp/1935970097/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395929941&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pendulum+files
amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Pendulum-Files-Black-Swamp-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00INC34Z0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1395929941
Smashwords (all ebook formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/412506