INTERVIEW
and GIVEAWAY
The Pendulum Files
by p. m.
terrell
The Pendulum Files is the fifth book in the Black Swamp Mysteries Series. Also available: Exit 22, Vicki's Key, Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, and Dylan's Song.
The Pendulum Files is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The tour stops here
today for my interview with the author and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit
the other tour stops as well.
Description
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.
Excerpt
Brenda was leaning
her head against the window as if asleep and now she began to move her fingers
ever so slightly toward the door handle. She kept her eyes on his reflection;
he was focused on driving, his eyes locked on the road just as it had been
before. Only his right hand was holding the steering wheel now; it had slipped
to a three o’clock position.
A slight movement
caught her attention; it was so subtle, she almost thought she’d imagined it.
Then she spotted the glint of metal across his body, though the road still held
his attention. Her fingers locked onto the door handle as the metal rose
slightly up and away from his body. He turned his head as his left hand snapped
forward.
She jerked the door
open as the shot rang out. She felt something sharp and hot against her shin as
she kicked herself away from the car. She tumbled onto the pavement before
hitting the shoulder, the gravel feeling like a million razors slicing through
her flesh. She heard her own voice as if it was disembodied, screaming as she
forced herself to roll across the sharp gravel before plummeting down the
incline, compelling herself to continue rolling even as she realized she’d been
shot in the leg.
She heard the car’s
brakes slamming, the tires squealing as the man struggled to bring the car to a
stop. At seventy miles an hour, it should have taken the car further from her
even as she rushed to escape. But when she came to her feet and looked back at
the road, she estimated he was about three hundred feet further down the road -
not far enough.
She ran toward the
tree line, which now appeared too far away. As a second shot rang out, she knew
his sights were set on her back, and she struggled to run straight, fighting
the impulse to run opposite of him. It kept her profile smaller but when he
shot a third and then fourth time, she could almost feel the bullets whizzing
past her.
The third and fourth
shots sounded increasingly louder and she knew he was running after her. Her
breath was loud and labored, her blood pounding in her temples. Even as she
drew closer to the shadows of the trees, she could feel herself slowing down.
The adrenaline that propelled her down the slope and to her feet was fighting
against the pain in her leg.
She could feel the
blood oozing down her shin and pooling in her shoe, causing her to slip and
slide along grass already slick with dew. Another shot rang out, whizzing so
close to her hair that she thought it had passed through it.
She threw herself
into the shadows, pushing herself beyond her leg’s endurance to keep going, to
get into the pine forest, weaving and bobbing forward and eastward, away from
the car, away from the interstate. Hopefully, away from him.
She wanted to stop;
she wanted to pull some article of clothing off herself and wrap it around her
shin to keep the blood in, to keep the flesh together, but she didn’t dare
hesitate. She heard the branches cracking behind her; he was there and he was
closing on her. Even as she propelled herself forward, she knew all he had to
do was follow the movement of the branches ahead of him to know exactly where
she was.
Featured Review
By Kj Partridge
Hail, hail, the gang is all back in p. m. terrell's The Pendulum Files. Dylan & Vicki, expecting their first child. Chris
& Brenda, running as usual because Brenda is always being hunted. Sam, the "boss"
of everything who also has a soft spot for all of them. A cohesive working team
all in their own rights, taking on the biggest problems they have faced yet. I
have loved every book in this series and this one is just as good as the rest.
I could happily read about these people forever. Of course it is p. m. terrell
that makes it come together so magically, making us a part of their world. pm
is most definitely a master wordsmith, plying her craft so well as to make us
fall under her spell and never ever want to come back out. See I have a secret,
I am not a big fan of suspense or mysteries and pm has made me a huge fan of
her books. That alone speaks of her talent. I highly recommend her books, and
this one is a five star read.
Interview With the
Author
Hi p.m. (Patricia),
thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, The Pendulum Files.
What sparked the
idea for this book?
I have been watching the jobs leave the United States for foreign
countries for more than a decade. It has always seemed to me that the answer to
our economic problems is a simple one: bring the jobs back home. So I developed
a political thriller that includes the international reasons for outsourcing our
jobs without being preachy - I prefer for the readers to draw their own
conclusions. I also researched Black Sites and maritime laws, which were both
fascinating subjects.
So, which comes
first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
Since The Pendulum Files is the fifth book in the Black Swamp Mysteries Series, the plot comes first. However, a series allows
me to more fully develop the characters and as a result, they are constantly
evolving. I find that a lot of my fans love the relationship between Vicki
Boyd, the psychic spy, and Irishman Dylan Maguire, the CIA operative.
How long did it take
you to write this book?
I find that being under contract for a book is a terrific motivator to
getting it done! As a result, I now write each of my novels within a
three-month period. Then it goes to the editor for a few weeks before returning
to me. I usually have a few weeks to complete all the edits, and then the next
time I see it is a few months later when it’s in the bookstores.
Fantastic. What is
your writing routine?
I write seven days a week. I usually spend my mornings working on
marketing and promotional efforts and my afternoons and evenings writing and
researching the scenes.
How did you get your
books published?
My first book was published in 1984 so I’ve been at this for quite
awhile. The industry has changed substantially over the years, so my path might
seem outdated now. But I started with old-fashioned query letters, mailed to
the largest publishers in my genre. As I accumulated the rejection letters, I
moved to mid-size publishers. After two years of queries, my first book was
accepted. Since then, it has become easier for me to attract publishers to my
writing because I have an established track record.
What advice do you
have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Take your ego out of your work. Listen to people who offer constructive
criticism and always seek to better your skills. There is a lot of terrific
competition out there, and you really have to strive to be the best you can be
in order to compete.
What do you like to
do when you're not writing?
I raise freshwater angelfish. Whenever I speak about my fish hobby, I
noticed everyone’s eyes glazing over. I realized it would be the perfect front
for a CIA operative, so Vicki and Dylan raise freshwater angelfish in the Black Swamp Mysteries Series. I figured all the neighbors would consider them
truly boring and would never be interested in their jobs - never knowing that
behind the scenes, they were leading quite exciting lives in the CIA!
Very clever! When
did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I won a poetry contest in the
fourth grade, which I’ll always believe was rigged. I walked across the stage
to accept my prize - a poetry book - and I knew right then that I wanted to
write throughout my life. It’s been nearly 50 years since I started writing
novels, so I guess I’ve achieved that goal!
That's great. Did
your childhood experiences influence your writing?
My father was an FBI Agent so from an early age, I knew about crime and
punishment. It got me very interested in writing mysteries and suspense. Later,
when I got into the computer industry, my clients were the CIA, the Secret
Service, the Department of Defense and other government agencies. My specialty
was computer crime and computer intelligence, themes that are woven throughout
my books.
Very handy! Which
writers have influenced you the most?
I love the style of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I also love to read Daphne du Maurier, but I have to be careful not to use the same flowery
descriptions because today’s reader prefers less description and more action. I
also enjoy reading true stories about ordinary people placed into extraordinary
circumstances.
Do you hear from
your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I am very fortunate that readers do contact me on a regular basis through
Facebook, Twitter or through my website. My most popular books are my true
books, River Passage and Songbirds are Free, about my ancestors’ journey to Fort Nashborough (now
Nashville, Tennessee) and Mary Neely’s capture by Shawnee Indians in 1780. They
love Mary’s story and the courage she displayed. She was a remarkable woman.
I’m often accused of causing people to miss sleep! It seems that I should
have a warning on my books to begin reading early in the day, or they’ll stay
up all night turning the pages.
It's worth
considering ... What can we look forward to from you in the future?
You can bet that I will continue to write. I have another book being
released this fall entitled The White
Devil of Dublin, and I am hard at work on the next book in the Black Swamp Mysteries Series, which is scheduled for release in the spring of
2015.
Thank you for taking
the time to stop by today, Patricia. Best of luck with your upcoming books.
About the Author
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.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to a beautiful Celtic cross
necklace. The author will award this prize to one random commenter during the
tour, so follow the tour and comment; the more you
comment, the better your chances of winning (ends 30 May).
Links
