BOOK TOUR

NOTE: A big thank you to Lori of Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and author Terry Ambrose for allowing me to share this post today. It should have been during Terry's tour, but as most of you know, I had been having computer issues.

Bandit gold and sunken pirate ships. What could be better for the reputation of a quaint coastal California town like Seaside Cove? Local eyebrows go up when eight friends come searching for a 16th Century Spanish galleon. After all, everybody knows there’s no such thing as Spanish gold off this part of the California coast. The group’s visit turns ugly when a killer strikes and leaves Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood with a trunkful of questions. Who murdered one of his guests? Will his precocious ten-year-old daughter stop interfering in his investigation? And can he squelch the latest town gossip? Which is, of course, can Rick and his daughter do what the cops can’t and solve the crime?

LKBR:  Hi, Terry, it’s great to have you with us.

TA: Thanks for hosting me today, Lisa. I’m delighted to be hanging out with you and your followers.

LKBR: Please tell us a bit about yourself.

TA: I’m not one of those pe0ple who wrote their first novel in crayon when they were four years old. I was more of a late bloomer. In fact, I started writing to alleviate stress at work. I’d done a lot of writing for work, but that was all very structured. I was hooked immediately once I started my first novel and realized that if I wanted to write fiction well, I had a lot to learn. That was 20 books ago. How times flies when you’re having fun!

LKBR: Please tell us about your new book.

TA: This is the sixth Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery featuring owner Rick Atwood and his eleven-year-old daughter Alex. The book opens with Rick’s wedding to Marquetta Weiss only days away. But when a killer strikes and Rick is asked to help the police, Alex dives in on her own. On a rocky bluff over the ocean, Alex finds not only the truth, but also her life, hang in the balance.

LKBR: Do you remember where you were/what you were doing when the idea of this book/series came to you?

TA: The first inkling that I wanted to write a B&B series happened while we were staying in Capitola at a B&B. At the time I wasn’t thinking about writing a new series, but I think that’s where the seed was originally planted.

LKBR: Is writing your fulltime job? What’s your writing schedule like?

TA: My writing schedule is much less rigorous than it used to be. When I’m actively writing, my goal is to get in at least 1,000 words a day. If I’m not actively writing, I’m either planning the next book or spending time on my least favorite task, marketing. On average, I get in about three hours a day.

LKBR: No matter where you are, do you write down ideas when inspiration strikes?

TA: That’s easier said than done, but yes. Too often, I’ve had the ‘next great idea’, only to have it get lost somewhere in the recesses of my mind. Those nooks and crannies tend to be this writer’s sworn enemy!

LKBR: Do you write your book(s) from beginning to end or do you do you write scenes out of order then pull them together?

TA: I plot. I seriously plot as many details as I possibly can. Each book involves multiple convergent storylines that can easily get tangled up. I start with an overview of each storyline, expand that to include more details, then feed all of that into a timeline tool that lets me flesh out and integrate everything. For Lies, Spies, and the Baker’s Surprise, I had a very detailed picture of each scene in the book and the progression of each storyline.

LKBR: Where do you do most of your writing?

TA: Pre-Covid, I loved to write in coffee shops and libraries. These days, everything happens at home.

LKBR: What are three things always within reach when you’re writing?

TA: 1) A pen and paper, 2) my computer, 3) water, coffee, or tea

LKBR: Please describe yourself in one sentence.

TA:  I’m an overachieving perfectionist who likes to exaggerate.

LKBR: Do you have a message for your readers?

TA: Thank you for reading my books. I love making you laugh, cry, and helping you escape the real world for just a few minutes at a time.

LKBR: Thank you so much, Terry, for spending time with us today. Can’t wait to chat with you again!

Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark to “help” when negotiations failed.

A resident of Southern California, he loves spending time in Hawaii, especially on the Garden Island of Kauai, where he invents lies for others to read. His years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons such as—always keep your car in the garage.

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