Monday, July 8, 2013

Virtual Book Tour: Vicki's Key

Please welcome author P.M. Terrell, who has bravely answered my infamous Rick Reed questions, and is
here to talk about her newest release, Vicki's Key.  The author will be awarding a Celtic shamrock necklace to one lucky commenter during her tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning! To find out where all the tour stops are, go here.













The Questions

1)      You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?
First, I hope there’s a time slip and I end up on the island about thirty years old and hot; otherwise, it would be so unfair. I’d want to be with Eduardo Verastegui and hope no one is planning to rescue us.
The item would have to be an axe. It would be helpful for firewood, building a shelter, and protection if needed.








  2)    Which musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that musical are you?
I’d have to say Mamma Mia!  And the character that best fits me would be Donna. Who wouldn’t want to be portrayed by Meryl Streep?

  3)    Take these three words and give me a 100 word or less scenario using them:  artillery, high jump, sponge
The sound of artillery split the night air, lighting up the sky as Vicki prepared to take the high jump onto the castle ruins. Frantically groping for a hold, she hauled herself upward again and again until she straddled the wall. On the other side was safety—if she could reach it. As another volley exploded above her, she was thrown to the other side, landing on moss that felt as soft as a sponge.



4)      You’ve just been let loose in the world of fiction, with permission to do anyone you want. Who do you fuck first and why?
Sean Ballagh, the handsome Irishman in Erin Quinn’s Haunting Beauty. Read the book and you’ll know
why—I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t fall for him. He’d be the first and the last for me!

5)      What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?
At the end of a pier on a midsummer’s night, watching the sunset, drinking fine wine and cuddling close as the breeze picks up.

6)      When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?
I always begin with the plot, which for my genre means planning the crime. Once I’ve done that, I decide who is best to tell the story: male or female, their vocation, their strengths and their weaknesses.

7)      If they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?
Reese Witherspoon. Never underestimate a Southern woman.

8)      Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?
I love the mummy in Anne Rice’s book, The Mummy: Ramses the Damned. If it was made into a movie, Russell Crowe would be perfect in the role. Need I say more?





9)      Do you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?
I have always loved the smooth sophistication of Cary Grant. Now who wouldn’t want to sit at the end of a
pier, drinking fine wine and gazing into his eyes as the sun sets?

10)   Is there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?
I wrote a story about a man who is haunted by dreams of a woman he loved and lost, though he’d never actually known anyone like her—until he begins investigating a series of murders and she materializes in the here and now. Realizing she fit the profile of the killer’s victims, he must now save her or risk bringing his dreams to life.
I thought it was a straight-forward novel but so far the big New York publishers have rejected it. I’m still trying so hopefully someday it will be picked up.




VICKI'S KEY
By
pm terrell

BLURB:  

Following a failed mission, Vicki Boyd leaves her job as a psychic spy with the CIA, determined to start her life over in a small town assisting an elderly lady. But when she arrives, she finds that Laurel Maguire has suffered a stroke and is confined to the third floor of her home and her nephew Dylan has recently arrived from Ireland to care for her. Vicki very quickly falls in love with the charming, handsome Irishman. But all is not what it seems in Aunt Laurel’s old, rambling home. And when the CIA arrive on her doorstep to convince her to accept one last mission, she finds her past and her future are about to collide… In murder.


EXCERPT:  


Dylan pushed her arm against the wall and twisted the phone out of her hand again. This time he held it just inches from her face. “You’re not callin’ the police. And you’re not callin’ Alec. And you’re not callin’ Sam. And if you dare to put your fingers on this bloody phone one more time, I’m smashin’ it to smithereens.” His voice became a roar. “Are ya understandin’ me?”

Vicki sobbed and turned her head away from him.

“And there she goes again,” he said. “Did I not take the time and take the effort to explain to you in minute detail why it is that I can’t bear to hear a woman cry?”

“Yes,” she cried, the tears running down her face.

“Then tell me why, when you can clearly see that I’ve got me hands full with the little matter of a bloody corpse in the room, you decide this is the time you want to cry?”

“I don’t want to cry,” she sobbed, “but you’re being mean to me.”

“I’m bein’ mean to her, she says.” He relaxed his iron grip on her but continued to position her against the wall. “Vicki. Darlin’. I’m not upset with you. Yet. But I’m askin’ you to remain calm and listen. Okay? Do you think you can do that for me? That’s all I’m askin’.”

She heard something shuffling and as she stared into Dylan’s eyes, she realized he was standing perfectly still, waiting for her response. Her eyes tried to move past him, but his body was blocking her view. She heard the sound again and her eyes darted back to Dylan’s. “He’s not dead,” she said, her voice erupting from her in a hoarse whisper. “He’s moving!”





AUTHOR INFORMATION:

p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 18 books in 4 genres. A full-time author since 2002, she previously opened and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her specialties were in the areas of computer crime and computer intelligence and her clients included the Secret Service, CIA and Department of Defense as well as local law enforcement. Computer and spy technology are two themes that recur throughout her books. She is the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high illiteracy rates and high crime rates. And she founded the annual Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair which takes place each February.
Author's website: www.pmterrell.com
Author's blogs: www.pmterrell.blogspot.com and www.vickisangelfish.com (inspired by the angelfish "front" used by the CIA in the Black Swamp Mysteries series)
Twitter: @pmterrell














4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great interview. I love that your stranding involves a time change too

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for hosting me today! And Shannon, thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. I absolutely LOVE books that include time travel. And if would be so unfair if I was stranded at my age with a young hottie!
    I'll be checking back in throughout the day and answering any questions anyone might have for me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, everyone! I wanted to let you know that the winner of the beautiful Celtic Shamrock necklace is Shannon R. Congratulations, Shannon! And thank you, everyone, for following this book tour!

    ReplyDelete