Ask the Author: P.M. Terrell
Answered Questions (3)
P.M. Terrell
I took a departure from writing contemporary suspense and began an historical series based on real Irish history. I have a series (Black Swamp Mysteries) that centers around CIA operatives but I found in the political climate in Washington - with Russia, the Middle East and our European allies - readers were becoming disillusioned with current events. What is really popular now is escapism books, movies and television. There is something very comforting about reading the past; even if it involves battles, a political game of thrones, adversity and challenges, we know our ancestors made it through. We're here; we survived.
Following in my family's footsteps has been a fascinating adventure for me. Going to Ballygawley, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and standing on land that once belonged to my ancestors; standing in the family cemetery overlooking their land holdings, learning of their contributions to the surrounding villages - has been an experience like no other. I wanted to take the names out of the boxes on the neatly drawn family tree and find out who they were, what they did, what motivated them, what legacy they left. I wanted to know why, generation after generation, they left their homes, often for countries they had never been to with foreign customs, a different language, where they had to begin all over again.
The first book in my new Checkmate series (http://pmterrell.com/checkmate-clans-...) begins with William Neely, my ancestor that left Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1608 for Ulster. You can read an excerpt at the link above. He landed in Ulster as tensions were heating up between the last Gaelic Irish King, Cahir O'Doherty, and Sir George Paulet, the English Governor of Derry, and he would be caught up in O'Doherty's Rebellion. He would be witness to love and hatred, courage and cowardice, loyalty and treason, and he would be changed - and his descendants changed - forever.
I am now doing research on the second book in the series, involving the aftermath of O'Doherty's Rebellion and the Plantation era in Ulster, Ireland.
You can read more about my experience delving into my family history here: http://pmterrell.blogspot.com/2017/05...
I'd love to know if you have discovered anything about your ancestors, and how it changed you and made you the person you are today.
Following in my family's footsteps has been a fascinating adventure for me. Going to Ballygawley, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and standing on land that once belonged to my ancestors; standing in the family cemetery overlooking their land holdings, learning of their contributions to the surrounding villages - has been an experience like no other. I wanted to take the names out of the boxes on the neatly drawn family tree and find out who they were, what they did, what motivated them, what legacy they left. I wanted to know why, generation after generation, they left their homes, often for countries they had never been to with foreign customs, a different language, where they had to begin all over again.
The first book in my new Checkmate series (http://pmterrell.com/checkmate-clans-...) begins with William Neely, my ancestor that left Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1608 for Ulster. You can read an excerpt at the link above. He landed in Ulster as tensions were heating up between the last Gaelic Irish King, Cahir O'Doherty, and Sir George Paulet, the English Governor of Derry, and he would be caught up in O'Doherty's Rebellion. He would be witness to love and hatred, courage and cowardice, loyalty and treason, and he would be changed - and his descendants changed - forever.
I am now doing research on the second book in the series, involving the aftermath of O'Doherty's Rebellion and the Plantation era in Ulster, Ireland.
You can read more about my experience delving into my family history here: http://pmterrell.blogspot.com/2017/05...
I'd love to know if you have discovered anything about your ancestors, and how it changed you and made you the person you are today.
P.M. Terrell
The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is to learn as much as you can about the publishing industry. This is a complex business and writers today must wear several hats.
The first step is to write the very best book you possibly can. Never make the mistake of thinking the first draft is the final. It's only the beginning. Edit it multiple times; be ruthless. Make sure every scene does double duty, and make sure every sentence is structured in the best possible way.
Consider your audience while you are writing. Develop a persona of the ideal reader; whether it's someone interested in history or suspense, an incurable romantic or one that loves exotic settings... Analyze your major competitors; those New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors that have the audience you want to have. What are they doing to attract their followers? What is their website like? What do they blog about and how often do they blog? What social media are they actively involved in? What do they post to get interaction - shares, likes, comments?
When your book is the very best you can possibly make it, buy a copy of the latest Writers Market (or find it in your local library) and begin querying publishers and literary agents that are interested in your specific genre.
When you have a publishing contract in hand, be sure to ask what the publisher will do to market your book; what their advertising budget is for your work; and expect to be a major player in your promotional campaign. This can range from physical book tours to online blog tours, social media campaigns and Internet advertising.
By learning as much as you can about the industry, you'll understand what it takes to bring a book into the public eye; what it takes to be discovered by your ideal audience; and what will be expected of you from the writing to the editing to marketing and promotion - and everything in between.
The first step is to write the very best book you possibly can. Never make the mistake of thinking the first draft is the final. It's only the beginning. Edit it multiple times; be ruthless. Make sure every scene does double duty, and make sure every sentence is structured in the best possible way.
Consider your audience while you are writing. Develop a persona of the ideal reader; whether it's someone interested in history or suspense, an incurable romantic or one that loves exotic settings... Analyze your major competitors; those New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors that have the audience you want to have. What are they doing to attract their followers? What is their website like? What do they blog about and how often do they blog? What social media are they actively involved in? What do they post to get interaction - shares, likes, comments?
When your book is the very best you can possibly make it, buy a copy of the latest Writers Market (or find it in your local library) and begin querying publishers and literary agents that are interested in your specific genre.
When you have a publishing contract in hand, be sure to ask what the publisher will do to market your book; what their advertising budget is for your work; and expect to be a major player in your promotional campaign. This can range from physical book tours to online blog tours, social media campaigns and Internet advertising.
By learning as much as you can about the industry, you'll understand what it takes to bring a book into the public eye; what it takes to be discovered by your ideal audience; and what will be expected of you from the writing to the editing to marketing and promotion - and everything in between.
P.M. Terrell
My most recent book, Clans and Castles, is the first book in the new Checkmate series - and a departure from my suspense. My bestselling book has always been Songbirds are Free, the true story of Mary Neely's capture by Shawnee warriors, followed by River Passage, the true story of the Neely's river journey to Fort Nashborough. In researching the Neely family ancestry, I discovered a grandfather 10 generations back (about 3 generations prior to Mary Neely) that left Scotland for Ulster in 1608. I became fascinated with the records concerning that timeframe, particularly since he was given land with Sir William Stewart that adjoined Cahir O'Doherty's land holdings. Cahir's family had been kings of the Inishowen Peninsula in Ireland for more than a thousand years, and he was known as The Queen's Doherty for his loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I. But he was on a collision course with Sir George Paulet, the new Governor of Derry, which would lead to O'Doherty's Rebellion. My ancestor, William Neely, would witness courage and cowardice, loyalty and betrayal, romance and death... and ultimately would play a part in Ireland's future.
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