My guest today is Terri Herman-Ponce, author of Covet. Wellcome, Terri.
1.
Tell us two things about you that would surprise us.
Oh wow. TWO things? I could list a lot more than that, but
okay…two it is. First, I’ve got a fear of very long escalators. Yep. I can ride
the short ones in department stores, but I totally freak out on longer ones.
I’ll take an elevator each and every time, if I can. Otherwise, I become a
cold-sweaty mess. I’ll stare at the butt in front of me, clenching the rail for
all my life, waiting, waiting, waiting to get to the next floor. Gives me
shudders just thinking about it. As for the second? I love bumble bees. I think
they’re the cutest things. I know, strange, right? But I love to watch them in
the summer as they go from flower to flower, gathering their nectar. And the
fact that they’re becoming endangered as a species really worries me because
that will have a dangerous impact on our planet.
2.
What did you hope to accomplish with your books?
Oh, I have one
hope. I really just want my readers and fans to love my stories. I want them to
fall in love with the worlds I’ve created just as I’ve fallen in love with the
worlds my favorite authors have created, too.
3.
What is the greatest test you ever faced as a writer?
I face a great
test almost every day – sitting down and actually writing. Finding the time to
write is a challenge. I commute to NYC for work and between a full-time job and
a full-time family, I have to juggle nuggets of time in the early morning and
late at night and during weekends to get my writing in. I often leave Saturdays
just for social media and marketing, where I’ll plan out tweets and updates for
an entire week ahead. It’s crazy sometimes, trying to fit it all in. And
exhausting, too! But I still wouldn’t trade my writing for anything else in the
world.
4.
What’s the best advice you ever got about the publishing
industry?
That it’s a
fickle environment and to not follow the trends. And mostly, that what works
for someone else in becoming a success won’t necessarily work for you. If there
were a single magic formula to follow, every writer would be famous. So, I
write because I can’t imagine not
writing. It’s my passion and I can’t picture any day without it.
5.
If you could meet two authors, which ones would you pick and
why?
I get asked
this question a lot and my answer is always the same: Robert Crais and Harlan
Coben. Both authors are, in my opinion, masters at the craft. But, because I
always answer the same thing every time, today I’m going to add a third author:
Gillian Flynn. That woman can tell a dark tale like nobody’s business, and if
there was one book I wish I’d written myself, it’s Gone Girl.
Covet
by Terri
Herman-Ponce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Everyone
wants something.
Even
if it belongs to someone else.
And
some will destroy the very thing they want, just so no one else can have it.
Professional
soldier David Bellotti's latest mission seems simple: steal the key card to a
drug lord's compound so the empire can be infiltrated and destroyed. But when
David discovers evidence of his lover Lottie’s possible infidelity, his mission
turns personal. He searches for answers others would kill to keep buried and
discovers a link to the past he's been trying hard to ignore.
Ancient
lives, twelve thousand year old secrets, murder, and primal instincts lead
David on a journey through past lives and present danger—all to save the woman
he loves.
Find
your way back through history, when hunter-gatherers roamed and David and
Lottie's past incarnations began. The Reading Café calls Covet, Book Two of the
Past Life Series, "An amazing and fascinating storyline of suspense,
mystery, betrayal, hatred and love."
EXCERPT:
Loud laughter
broke out at a nearby table and I used the pulsating lights that illuminated
the dance floor to scan the nightclub again. I watched the dealer, careful not
to draw attention to myself. He sat on a sofa set back in a dark corner,
surrounded by women, beefy bodyguards, and empty bottles of Cristal. And I
waited for the lynch pin—the person who was going to set the wheels in motion
for the night.
“She’s
playing with her hair and she’s staring at you, Bellotti. I think she’s going
to make a move soon.”
“Wipe that
grin off your face or I'll do it for you,” I told Galen.
“I’m just
waiting for the fireworks.” Galen laughed as he picked up his glass. “What line
are you going to use this time? You have an arsenal that always seems to piss
off women.”
“I don’t piss
them off,” I said. “They just aren’t used to honesty. Which doesn’t say a whole
lot for relationships or dating these days, does it?”
Galen shrugged.
“I think you’re jaded. You walk in with attitude and Armani, turn heads, and
then moan about the unwanted attention you get.”
I studied the
two of us in the mirror, both in designer clothes, both trying to blend in with
the upscale crowd. Only Galen didn't have the harshness on his face that I did.
People probably looked at me tonight and saw someone who wanted to break a
face. In reality, it was exhaustion. I really needed that damned vacation.
“You’re
making too big a deal out of this,” I said.
I was going
to say more but stopped when I saw our lynch pin walk into the club. She
positioned herself near a granite column off to the side of the dance floor,
all long legs, blonde hair, and killer body in a tight blue dress.
Lady in Blue
slinked through the crowd, every man's head turning as she moved. Galen stilled
and said, “Wow.”
“We're a go,”
I said, setting down the beer.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Terri
looks for any opportunity to make stuff up. She thinks anything that can’t so
easily be explained is worth an extra look and often makes a great story. She
loves red wine, scotch, sunrises, Ancient Egypt, the beach—and a host of other
stuff that would take too much real estate to talk about. The youngest of five
children, Terri lives with her husband and son on Long Island. And, in her next
life, if she hasn’t moved on to somewhere else, she wants to be an astronomer.
Terri’s fascinated with the night skies almost as much as she’s fascinated with
ancient Egypt.
Terri
is a member of member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and
you can read about her at http://terriponce.com/.
If
you love social media, you can also find Terri on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/Terri.Ponce.Author and on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/TerriPonce. Come visit. She’d love to hear from you!
Terri will be awarding one free Ecopy of Covet (Book 2 of the Past Life Series) and In This Life (Book 1 of the Past Life Series), to a randomly chosen commenter at each stop and a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. You can find her schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/04/virtual-book-tour-covet-by-terri-herman.html
Thanks SO much for having me here today. Looking forward to our time spent together and some fun!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, and the book sounds amazing! Definitely adding it to my to-read shelf! :) Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCarla - what a great thing to say and what a great way to start my day! I had a great time writing Covet and I hope readers enjoy it. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt.. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, always is good to know the inspiration of a writer.
ReplyDeleteI also hate escalators, but I'm afraid of elevators too. I'd rather take the stairs every time. I'm afraid of bees, if I'm sitting with a group of people and a bee comes around I start doing jumping jacks while everyone else just sits. lol
ReplyDeleteThe interviews have been so fun!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)AoL9doT0com
Thanks, MomJane. Always trying for new material in an interview! LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks, MomJane. Always trying for new material in an interview! LOL
ReplyDeleteEdgar - I'd like to think it's inspiration. Some days are more inspirational than others, though. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Rita. You and I would be the only two people doing jumping jacks at a party like that. LOL But at least I'd know I wasn't alone.
ReplyDeleteThanks, vitajex! I'm having fun doing them. Tiring, but fun. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLoved the interview and the blurb and excerpt from the book. I don't know why, but just from reading the first two lines in the blurb, Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams popped into my head immediately!
ReplyDeleteI understand your fears of elevators! I hate them all! I once got stuck in one and had a panic attack now I take the stairs unless I have no option. Nice to know I'm not the only one! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHeare2Watts...I LOVE that song! I loved the Eurythmics, too. Brings back great memories. And It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has them pop into their head. :)
ReplyDeleteAmy, I have a fear of escalators, actually, but if I ever got stuck in an elevator I'd probably develop a phobia of that, too!
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt! I also TOTALLY get your fear of escalators!! The creep me out as well!
ReplyDeleteNice interview
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
I think the actual writing part would do me in.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Enjoyed the excerpt, loved the interview. brown_angel 123at) yahoo(dotcom
ReplyDelete