Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Terry Tyler, author of the novels YOU WISH…, NOBODY’S FAULT, DREAM ON, THE OTHER SIDE, FULL CIRCLE, WHAT IT TAKES, KINGS AND QUEENS and short story collection NINE LIVES, and welcome her to my blog.
Terry Tyler, author photograph
Welcome Terry!
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Q: For how long have you been writing?
A: Ah – I know a lot of writers say oh, I never wanted to do anything else, I’ve always written stories, sneakily scribbling away even when I was working in dull offices, but I can’t claim those things! I produced a few as a child, which I’m sure were dreadful, and quite a few more in my twenties, probably nearly as dreadful; I once wrote a story for each sign of the zodiac, I enjoyed doing that and might do them again one day. But I didn’t start writing ‘seriously’ until my mid thirties, with my first novel. I wrote nine novels in the 1990s, never did much with them; I had a bit of interest from agents but not enough to find success – this was before the days of Kindle, of course! I then left it for ten years, and started again in 2010, when I wrote ‘You Wish’. I’ve been ‘at it’ non-stop ever since!
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Q: Have any life experiences inspired you to write your books?
A: Yes. I was inspired by my early forays into social networking sites, namely MySpace, to write about a fake Facebook profile, which I did in ‘Nobody’s Fault’. I’ve known lots of musicians over the years, some of whom gave me the idea for ‘Dream On’ and, subsequently, ‘Full Circle’. I used to share a flat with a very beautiful singer, who I pictured as my character Ariel in these two novels. I use a lot of personal experience or observation of others’ in my books – my sister has found a couple of her love disasters in them!
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Q: Each writer works in different ways with reference to writing. Do you have a writing program/schedule that works for you?
A: Not really. I like to start as early as I can in the morning, as I’m at my best then – but I have my morning tweet first! I don’t try to force myself when I’m tired – and I always like to leave at least a week between finishing the first and beginning the second draft of a book. That’s when I catch up with blog posts, like this!
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Q: Do you have any favorite book genres which you love to read?
A: Oddly enough, not the one(s) I write. I like historical fiction – not romances; I’m not a romance reader at all. I like books which feature all relationships, not just love stuff. I like drama with a mystery/thriller edge with male protagonists, rather than female. I’ve recently had a bit of a Douglas Kennedy phase!
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Q: Are there any favorite books and authors who have been influential upon you and your writing?
A: Sort of; I took the idea from some of Susan Howatch’s books (Penmarric, Cashelmara, etc) of writing a book from several points of view, the next character picking the story up where one leaves off. I love that format so much, and always knew that was how I would want to work, too; most of mine are constructed in that way. I took from early Jilly Cooper the realisation that it’s just fine, in fact the only way, to write exactly as you want, not like other people in a similar genre – her first short romcoms that she brought out in the 1970s were like a breath of fresh air to me.
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Q: From my reading experience of NINE LIVES, I found it an entertaining collection of short stories, with multi-faceted characters in interesting situations. I also liked how there was a balance of both serious stories, and stories which were more comical in tone. Would you like to write any more short story collections in the future?
A: Thank you so much, I am delighted that you liked it! Yes, I would like to write more. The zodiac one, for a start! There are a couple on my blog, the most recent being one about an Alzheimer’s sufferer, which has been shared around far and wide! I have an idea for one I am dying to write, now; it’s just finding the time to fit it in. I would like to do another collection. They keep stretching into novellas, though…!
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Q: Have you considered writing any standalone short stories?
A: I suppose I’ve answered that in the question above! I wouldn’t publish them separately; I’d prefer to wait until I have a few.
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Q: Do you have any favorite TV shows, either from the past, or still on the air?
A: Ooh, lovely question! I am currently obsessed all over again with 24, and have watched all eight series again in readiness for the new one! I also loved Breaking Bad, The Wire, Oz, The Shield, Entourage, and as for current ones I love Game of Thrones, Vikings and The Americans. Hmm, and True Detective with Matthew McConnaughey and Woody Harrelson. 24 is my all time favourite. Oh, and I used to love Dallas!
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Q: Are there any hobbies or pastimes you like to participate in when you have spare time?
A: I don’t have any spare time, really; writing is what I do. When I am too tired to write or do related things (research, blogs, Twitter) I usually catch up on domestic stuff, and stop neglecting my husband!
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Q: Would you like to write stories in other genres?
A: I’d love to be able to write historical fiction, but I doubt I’d be able to do it well enough. The historical fiction authors I love (Phillipa Gregory, Susan Howatch, Norah Lofts, John Boyne) are so marvellous that I would despair at being nowhere near as good! I’ve started off with a historical ‘feel’; my latest book, Kings and Queens, is the story of Henry VIII and his six wives, but set in modern times. I have planned the sequel, too, about Edward VI, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I. I also want to do similar with The Wars of the Roses. I think that character orientated contemporary fiction is what I will always do best, so I’m probably better off continuing to improve on what I already do. Oh – having said that, there is a paranormal element to my work in progress!
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Q: Do you have any other writing projects, or new/upcoming releases, that you would like to mention to readers?
A: Kings and Queens was only released last week, so I’m still concentrating on getting that ‘out there’! I’ve also written the first draft of a novella (mentioned in previous question) called Round and Round, which is on that ‘Sliding Doors’ subject I love so much – how small decisions can affect your life so hugely, and the parallel lives that my main character, Leah, might have lived if she’d turned a different corner – my novel The Other Side is on this subject, too. I hope to publish Round and Round this summer.
Thank you so much, Marcia, for inviting me to your blog – I hope this was of some interest to you and your readers.
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I am certain you will join me in thanking Terry today for her time, and that we look forward to reading more of her works in the future. If you wish to contact Terry, she is available on:
*Terry’s Amazon UK Page Opera – [Amazon.co.uk: Terry Tyler: Books, Biogs, Audiobooks, Discussions]
*Terry’s Amazon US Page Opera – [Amazon.com: Terry Tyler: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle]
*Terry also writes a blog with self-publishing advice, and book recommendations/new releases on the UK Arts Directory at:
Opera – [Terry Tyler Blog — UK Arts Directory]
– Terry’s books can be accessed on Amazon by clicking on the book covers below:
NOBODY’S FAULT by Terry Tyler
DREAM ON by Terry Tyler
THE OTHER SIDE by Terry Tyler
FULL CIRCLE by Terry Tyler
WHAT IT TAKES by Terry Tyler
KINGS AND QUEENS by Terry Tyler
NINE LIVES by Terry Tyler
Marcia's Book Talk 