Picture A Perfect Christmas movie

Thank you for having me here. It’s been an exciting month. The Hallmark Movie adaption of my book A Family Under the Christmas Tree was released on November 9^th and retitled to Picture A Perfect Christmas, which was a smashing success!  And will be playing several more times through the season, check your local listing for times. 

The actors, screenwriter and everyone involved deserve credit for how wonderful the movie turned out. Back when my agent asked me if I wanted to write a Christmas story featuring a dog I never dreamed this would be the end result.  

At the time my mother was declining rapidly and passed soon after I started writing this story. I usually write romantic suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense so this was a change for me and I needed the outlet to pour all of my angst in to. 

When we went to contract, my agent posted in Publisher Marketplace that we’d sold this story and a production company contacted her with the request to read the book once it was finished. Once the book was done, we sent off a copy. Months later, my agent informed me the production company wanted to adapt the book into a screenplay. I was a bit nervous how it would be handled. I am so pleased with the way the producer and screenwriter kept the gist of the story and toned down the angst while keeping the heartwarming romance amid the celebration of Christmas.

From beginning to end this has been a pleasurable experience.  Everyone at the production company was so nice and my visit to the set for one day was truly a blast. The cast and crew were very welcoming.

Watching the magic happen was something I’ll not soon forget. 

Terri Reed

Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher’s Weekly top twenty-five, Nielsen’s Bookscan top hundred, Amazon Bestseller and featured in USA Today.

Her books have been finalists in Romance Writers of America RITA contest, National Readers’ Choice Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award and finalists three times in American Christian Fiction Writers The Carol Award contest.

Contact Terri @ P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97224

http://www.terrireed.com 

https://www.instagram.com/authorterrireed/

https://www.facebook.com/terrireedauthorpage/

Romantic Suspense Author, Terri Reed

Thank you ladies for hosting me today, it’s such an honor to be here. I write romantic suspense and romance novels from a Christian worldview for publication by Christian publishers. What that means is-- the books I write are infused with my Christian faith, but I work hard not to let my stories become preachy or overly doctrinal so that the books will appeal to a broad range of readers.

My books are sweet in the context of sexuality, however, there is sexual tension and attraction but the emotions of the characters are the priority. Falling in love is more about the character traits of the other person rather than their physical prowess. My stories are free of vulgar language, and in my romantic suspense stories I try to keep the violence as non-graphic as possible while still keeping the edge of suspense and action sharp.

I started out writing Christian historical romances. My first ever published story was a novella for Barbour Publishing as part of the Romance on the Rails collection, set in 1800’s California on train running from the Sierra Nevada mountains to San Francisco.  It was such a fun story to write because I was able to infuse my hometown and home state into the story. However, I had little kids at the time and found researching historical facts (this was before the Internet) was problematic.

After this story, I wrote a contemporary book also set in my hometown in my home state. That book eventually sold to Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. My second book for Love Inspired had a touch of suspense and I found I enjoyed incorporating the action and tension of a mystery into my stories. This book also finaled in Romance Writers of America’s RITA contest (the Oscars of the Romance world).

I wrote five Love Inspired romances before switching to Love Inspired Suspense. My thirty-sixth  book with the Love Inspired lines came out in April. 

Protect and Serve is book one of the Rookie K-9 Unit continuity from Love Inspired Suspense.

I have two more books coming out this fall. A Love Inspired Suspense titled Identity Unknown

And from Howard Books titled A Family Under the Christmas Tree. 

I’m working on three stories now for the 2017 Love Inspired Suspense continuity series. I don’t have titles or covers for these yet but I’m enjoying the stories. This is another K-9 Unit only this time with FBI agents rather than police officers.

Aubrey

So many of the books I write have dogs in them. Are you a dog lover or a cat person?

We have a new puppy in our house. Miss Aubrey, an Australian Shepherd. 

Meet Inspirational Romantic Suspense Author, Terri Reed

Terri Reed

Why did you decide to write Inspirational Romantic Suspense? 

I started writing romance back in the early 90’s.  I thought I wanted to write historical romances because that is my first true love of romance genre.  But I had small children and no computer and research wasn’t easy.  I did eventually sell one historical novella. However, I took the advice of a multi-published author who said, “Write what you know” and switched to contemporary romances, but couldn’t gain any traction. By this time I had discovered category romances and romantic suspense novels.  I had heard in a workshop that you should write what you like to read.  Since I devoured thrillers, mysteries and romantic suspense books, I decided to give the genre of romantic suspense a try.  I gained a bit of traction with some finals in contests, receiving positive feedback from editors but still no sale.  Then I discovered Dee Henderson’s books that combined romance, suspense and faith.  I knew I’d found the right genre for me.  When I rewrote my earlier stories to include faith, they sold.  The first few books were romances but I had a light thread of suspense (not necessarily action or adventure so much as carefully guarded secrets).  Then Love Inspired opened the suspense line and I migrated naturally into the genre.

You do such a wonderful job of braiding your stories together. Which story line is harder for you to write: the romance, the suspense, or the faith journey? 

For me weaving in the romance is the hardest part of writing romantic suspense.  I’m a plotter and I love the action, the adventure of suspense.  I love to build a story, layering in clues, red-herrings, scary moments and action scenes.  I write fast and tight plots with little emotion or romance in the first draft.  Invariably, my critique partners and/or editors will call me on the lack of romance development and I’ll need to go back and layer in the emotional landscape.  The faith element is more organic for me and comes in spits and spurts, intermingled with the plot and the romance.      

 Tell us about your latest release.

The Deputy’s Duty was a June release.  Book six in the Fitzgerald Bay continuity series. 

Fitzgerald Bay: Law enforcement siblings fight for justice and family.

Fitzgerald Family Secret

As the eldest of six siblings and deputy chief of the Fitzgerald Bay police department, Ryan Fitzgerald is a protector.  Of his family.  Of his community.  But staying in control means keeping his distance…until Meghan Henry comes to town.  Seeking justice for her murdered cousin, and safety for an orphaned—and missing—child, the daring journalist is not afraid to face danger head-on.  And when she uncovers a dark Fitzgerald secret, Ryan’s left with a devastating choice.  Which will he protect—his family, or the woman he’s started to love?

When can we order your next book?

I have an upcoming October release titled The Doctor’s Defender.  Book three of my own mini-series Protection Specialists.

Do No Harm

As a trauma surgeon, Dr. Brenda Storm saves lives every day. But someone wants her dead.  It starts with the anonymous delivery of poisoned cupcakes.  Now the hospital has hired a bodyguard to protect her 24/7.  At first, Brenda doesn’t think too-handsome Kyle Martin is the right man for the job.  Then she discovers his harrowing background—and that Kyle will do anything to keep her safe.  With every attempt on her life, she’s more drawn to the strong and silent man who risks his life for hers.  But their growing feelings could put them both in harm’s way.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the plotting stage of my next two Protection Specialists books.   

 

For a chance to win, you must have a snail mail address in North America and include your email address with your comment.

Exercise and Inspiration

By Terri Reed

Ugh!!  Who wants to exercise?!? 

Okay, it’s good for you.  I know that.  You know that.  We all know that.  Exercise keeps your body limber and the weight off, keeps your heart pumping and releases endorphins that make you feel better.   



Knowing it’s good
for you,
doesn’t make
it easier.                                                              

But what has that got to do with writing?

Well, first off, as a writer I sit at the computer long stretches of time, my back and neck stiffen and my head begins to pound.  Not to mention that chair spread.  Come on, you know what I’m talking about.  People who sit in a chair for long periods of time find their behinds spread to fill the chair.  Double ugh!!

A good reason to exercise, indeed. 

 

Another good reason is to stimulate the creative juices .  Yes, I’m serious.  I find that if I exercise I am much more creative, better able to work through the blocks that rise to thwart my writing efforts and I’ve found that I write faster.   If my body feels sluggish, my writing becomes sluggish.

Not to mention that if I exercise I’m a much better wife and mom.  More patient, more loving and have a better outlook.    

If you’ve read any of my books you’ll notice that most of the time I have my heroine mention some form of exercise that they engage in.  I figure if I have to work out so do they!

But not just any exercise will do.  For me it has to be something I enjoy. 
Dancing is by far my favorite form of exercise.  I attend Jazzercise at least three times a week and when I can’t get there, I turn on the music up loud and dance around the house.     

So tell me, am I crazy?  Or do you find that exercise helps with everything you do?

A Shocking Revelation

Finding out she is heir to a fortune shocks Caroline Tully to her core.  And to “qualify” for the inheritance, she just has to visit her newfound grandfather’s Mississippi home from Christmas to New Year’s.  Adopted as a baby, Caroline knows nothing about her mother’s family...and doesn’t realize they can’t be trusted.  When attempts are made on her life, there’s only one man who can protect her.  Donovan Cavanaugh—a man who made her lonely heart want to love again.  Posing as her fiancé, Don promises to find the would-be killer.  But will his protection-and his love-be enough to keep her safe?

Protection Specialists: Guarding the Innocent.

Visit Terri at www.TerriReed.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com