September’s featured author is Terry Ambrose
This month’s featured author is Terry Ambrose. He went from a bill-collecting skip tracer to an author of mystery. I am so glad that he made the switch. Terry was introduced to me by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. Since then, I have enjoyed a few of his books. His characters are realistic and fascinating, while his settings are wonderful, and I love his writing style. He has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
Let me introduce you to Terry.
Tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something, not many people know?
I’ve been writing for 35 years. During that time, I’ve discovered that I love writing, but I hate marketing. I have some friends who are excellent at promoting themselves, but that’s something I’m terrible at.
What made you want to become a writer?
I started writing in my late thirties during a particularly stressful time at work. It became an outlet to help me deal with a situation over which I had little control. I soon realized writing was cathartic for me and made a promise to keep it up.
Which author(s) do you read the most?
While most of what I read are cozy mysteries, I do love a light PI mystery.
Do you play a musical instrument or sing?
I started out playing the piano as a kid, later switched to the organ, and now can still fumble my way through a tune on keyboards. Once upon a time, I could also play the guitar, but I fear that’s a lost skill since it’s been too many years.
What type of music do you listen to?
Of course, the classic rock-and-roll, but I also like smooth jazz, and there are a number of Hawaiian bands that I enjoy.
What is the worst job that you have ever had?
Probably my first job in business. I started as an ‘assistant manager’ at a finance company. Translation: I was a glorified bill collector.
Where do you go to relax?
These days, my destress place is our backyard, especially when I can watch the sunrise over the golf course. I also love walking at the beach.
Would you rather live in a haunted mansion or live in an un-haunted cottage?
Would you rather live in a haunted mansion or live in an un-haunted cottage? Ewww…creepy question. I think I’d take the cottage, especially if it was on an island.
I go back and forth. Somedays, I am all for the mansion, especially with the ghost (friendly, like Casper, though). On other days, especially after cleaning the house all day, I would be happier in the cottage with no ghost making extra messes.
What is your go to recipe or restaurant?
One of my go-to recipes is pasta carbonara. Pasta, bacon, and parmesan cheese—what’s not to like?
Writing Style
What do you love most about your writing process?
My writing process includes some very detailed plotting. What I love about this process is that it means I always know what goal I’m writing toward.
Do you have a writing schedule?
Once upon a time, I did, but in the last couple of years, that’s been shattered by life events.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym, or do you?
I’ve thought about it, but not seriously.
What comes first for you, the plot, or the characters?
The characters typically come first.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
It’s a little of both. I have a very detailed plot, but sometimes, during the writing process, something will come up that causes me to make adjustments. This is typically driven by something a character says or does. Most of the time, however, they behave themselves.
Do you choose the character names based on how they sound or their meaning?
I don’t usually worry much about what the character names mean. Their sound, however, depending upon the character’s purpose, can be very important.
Describe your writing space.
My writing space has been undergoing changes for the past couple of years. I recently finished and now have an adjustable desk, so I can sit or stand, my computer, and alongside that is a separate, large-screen monitor that I use when I’m working on the plot, which needs a lot of space.
I see a large screen like Rick Castle used to plot his books in the television series Castle.
How do you deal with the emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?
My emotions are a key factor in my writing process. If I find myself getting lost in the story, starting to feel tense, or even crying, then I know the scene is good. When that doesn’t happen, I know I need to do some rewriting.
How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing a new series?
For my Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast series, quite a bit. And it still wasn’t enough. I’ve written 7 books in the series, and I still find things that I wish I’d spent more time fleshing out. For my McKenna Trouble in Paradise series, I didn’t have to build the world at all because Hawaii is fascinating enough all on its own.
Do you find it gratifying to be an independent author?
Yes. I hear what some of my friends go through with their publishers and realize that because I’m independent, I can do whatever I want. They, on the other hand, don’t have that luxury.
Book/Series
How did you come up with the title of your books?
Some of the titles come naturally, and others take time to develop. For instance, Dead Men Need No Reservations simply popped into my head early on during the writing of the book. For the previous book, Lies, Spies, and the Baker’s Surprise, it wasn’t until the end, when I could see all of the pieces, that I pieced together the title. For others, I’ve asked readers for suggestions.
Which of your sleuths resonant with you more, Rick, Jade, or Wilson?
Wilson McKenna. He and I have a lot in common, including our love of Hawaii. We’re both former skip tracers, but he’s just a lot braver than I am. He does things I doubt that I ever could.
Do you ever hold back a part of the character’s backstory? Something that you know but hasn’t worked its way into the books yet?
I’m not so sure that it’s holding back as much as it’s allowing them room to grow. McKenna started out at the lowest point in his life but eventually grew into a pretty good guy. In the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast series, there were aspects of Rick’s divorce that didn’t come out until the third book.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Short answer: the world around me. My plots are usually a mixture of different things that I’ve read about, experienced, or just wondered about. In Mystery of the Eight Islands, which is the last book in the McKenna series, we were in Hawaii, and I was profoundly influenced by the history of the overthrow of the monarchy after we took a tour through ‘Iolani Palace.
What is your favorite part about working in the cozy mystery genre?
I love the confinement of being forced to create suspense without killing off a hundred people or using profane language. I also love having the opportunity to make people laugh. That, to me, is the hardest, and most rewarding, part of writing.
How did you find the setting for the series Trouble in Paradise, A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast, and Beachtown Detective Agency?
The Trouble in Paradise series came to me while we were staying on Kauai, and I was looking out through the slats of the blinds in our condo. Seaside Cove is a mixture of different places I’ve been and enjoyed. I wanted it to be remote, so that took a lot of research. The Beachtown Detective Agency was originally supposed to be set in an imaginary town, but Covid really messed with my ability to get to the place that was the inspiration, so I chose to go closer to home, which is Carlsbad.
In the Seaside Cove B&B Mysteries, do you find it hard to write from Alex’s point of view?
Not really. There’s something freeing about Alex’s POV. I simply let loose and enjoy.
What project are you working on now? Do you have any other books coming out this year or next year?
I’m currently working on the next Seaside Cove B&B Mystery. I’d considered writing only one book a year, but may continue writing the Beachtown Detective Agency if time allows.
Where to find Terry on the web:
To see my reviews of Terry Ambrose’s books, go HERE!
All of the books below are available on Amazon’s Kindle, some in paperback, a few in audio, and most on Kindle Unlimited.
A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast
Trouble in Paradise
License to Kill
Beachtown Detective Agency
Anthologies
Giveaway
Prize: You pick one (1) of Terry Ambrose’s Kindle Books and a $5 Starbucks Gift Card.
We just set you up with a perfect day of reading and coffee or tea.
A huge thank you to Terry Ambrose for fitting us into his busy schedule. Honestly, I love his Seaside Cove B&B Mystery series. His books always bring a smile to my face, even when I can’t figure out whodunit before Rick and Alex.
Until the next time,
Thanks for hosting me today, Karen.