From childhood, Terry Odell wanted to “fix” stories so the characters would behave properly. Once she began writing, she found this wasn’t always possible, as evidenced when the mystery she intended to write turned into a romance, despite the fact that she’d never read one. Odell prefers to think of her books as “Mysteries With Relationships.” She writes the Blackthorne, Inc. series, the Pine Hills Police series, The Triple-D Ranch series, and the Mapleton Mystery series. You can find her high (that’s altitude, of course—she lives at 9100 feet!) in the Colorado Rockies—or at her facebook page Author Terry Odell.
You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and she’d love to see you at her blog, Terry’s Place. For sneak peeks and exclusive content, sign up for her more-or-less quarterly newsletter. You can also be notified of new releases via her Amazon page.
Please welcome Terry Odell, a member of both RWA and MWA to my website. She writes romantic suspense and police procedurals, but she calls all of them “Mysteries With Relationships.”
Terry, How long have you been writing novels?
Unlike many of my peers I did not write my first story in crayon. In fact, I was a card-carrying AARP member before I even thought about writing. My first novel, Finding Sarah, was published in 2007, so tacking on a few years to learn how to write and find a publisher, probably since about 2003 or 2004. I can’t put an exact date on it, because I was toying with writing for a couple of years before I considered pursuing writing as a career.
Tell me about any other business you run from your home or what you do on your day job.
I’m retired, so if I’m not writing, I’m goofing off. Before I retired, I was a teacher, and I did a lot of volunteer work for Adult Literacy. I suppose running my blog, Terry’s Place might be another job, but I’m not being paid for it.
What takes time away from your writing, and do you consider that a guilty pleasure or a time waster?
If I’m on deadline, I’m pretty focused on writing. I set word count goals based on when I have to finish the book, and if I’ve met my goals for the day, anything else I do is considered “me” time, and there’s no guilt. Could I be doing more “important” things with my free time. Probably, but that’s part of the fun of being retired.
Tell me about your family. How old are your children? Do you have pets?
I have 3 grown children, a son and twin daughters, and one grandson. Feebie, our rescue dog (although I think she rescued us, not the other way around) has been with us for 4 years now.
How many books have you published?
Let’s see. I have 22 works for sale at the moment, but one is a bundle of all my Pine Hills Police books, so that wouldn’t count – or would it? There are also a couple of short story collections in there, so they’re not necessarily “books” if book means “novel-length.” So (after checking my website): 17 novels, 1 novella, 3 short story collections, and 1 bundle. That adds up to 22, right?
What is one interesting thing about you that few people know?
If I tell you, then it won’t be a ‘few people know it’ thing anymore, will it? But most people wouldn’t know that we have a skull collection in our home.
What gives you the most pleasure from writing?
Putting my characters into danger and watching them get out of it.
What is your latest book about?
My newest release, is In Deep Trouble, book 2 in my Triple-D Ranch romantic suspense series.
She trusts everyone. He trusts no one.
In her job as a Sheriff’s Department Dispatcher, Cecily Cooper sees plenty of people who could use a second chance. She’s created a program to give the less advantaged a fresh start, and thinks her brother’s Colorado cattle ranch will be the perfect spot for her project. Some responsibility and a touch of physical labor will help these people find an alternative to life on the streets.
Bryce Barrett, ex-Army Ranger now turned cowhand on the Triple-D Ranch, prefers animals to people. People have agendas. Animals don’t. It’s one reason he and Cecily are always on-again, off-again in the relationship department.
When seventeen-year-old Grady Fenton is chosen as the first candidate for Cecily’s program, Cecily is thrilled. Bryce not so much, especially when his boss assigns him to be Grady’s mentor. Can Bryce convince Cecily there’s more to Grady than typical teenage angst? Or is he reading more into the boy’s behavior than is really there? When someone is killing cattle across the state, the Triple-D’s herd is no exception. Does Grady have answers? Sparks fly when Bryce and Cecily must put aside their differences long enough to discover what Grady is hiding. Soon things escalate, and it’s not just the cattle in danger.
Where have you traveled and what would you like to say about that? Once our kids were old enough to stay home, I was able to travel with my husband when his business sent him on trips. Now that the kids are grown and he’s retired, he’s travelling with me. I’ve enjoyed visiting Alaska, Hawaii, South Africa, Monaco, Australia, Canada (Vancouver & Quebec City) among other places.
I took a photo of the statues of Bob Hope entertaining wounded soldiers in front of a great seafood restaurant. Midway is an aircraft carrier that has been made into a museum, complete with planes on top. I also signed copies of my books at the Literacy Signing Event at the conference.
