Terry Spear Interview and Giveaway

 

  1. Tell us something about yourself, so that we can get to know you a bit better…

Terry: Do you ever go into withdrawal if you don't have a good book to read? That's me with both reading and writing. I HAVE to have a stack of books to read and I feel I have wasted a whole day if I didn't write something new on a current story in progress. I'm a stick-in-the-mud cook, which means I make home-cooked meals, but they're the same old delicious tried-and-true ones. And I love making teddy bears that have won awards and found homes all over the world! Give me a spot by a water source—the ocean, lake, river—and I'm happy—just like wolves and jaguars are. And combine that with a forest and mountains, and I'm doubly happy.

2. Your romance novel, Jaguar Fever, is out now—congrats! Could you tell us about it?

Terry: An excerpt from Jaguar Fever reveals a little:

Maya and Wade had started a respectable distance from each other as they moved to the music, but somehow they’d quit dancing apart. Their bodies were sliding against each other, rubbing like cats would, scent-marking, claiming each other. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, his arms around her waist.

The two of them are just plain hot together—she is interested in dating other jaguar shifters, however, since she's just learned about them. Oh, sure, Wade's totally got her attention, but what if he isn't the right cat for her? He's eager to show that he is.

3. Jaguar Fever is the second book in your Heart of a Jaguar Series. What inspired you to write this?

Terry: Everyone wanted Maya to get her man. And Wade, poor guy, helped them out to the nth degree-saved their lives countless times and he never got a girl in Savage Hunger. I know life isn't always fair, but… What I love about being a writer is sometimes I can step in and help things out a little.

4. Do you have a favorite character from the series or one that was easier to write?

Terry: One of the problems with my characters is they're all stubborn alphas. I have an idea in mind where I think they should go and they have completely different ideas. The more I fight with them, the more stubborn they get. So sometimes, I just go with the flow and let them have their way. I'll agree to about anything, so we can all reach that happily ever after.

5. What research did you do for this novel?

Terry: Tons. I know you asked—what, rather than how much—but, I like to make things as accurate as I can and so I do tons of research. To “travel” to Belize, I watched videos of the area, of the jaguars, read trip blogs, studied sites that talked about all the flora and fauna, studied the pictures of the cabanas they stayed in while in Belize, and the menus they ate from. The treetop cabanas' photos actually had a way to move the viewing "camera" around so I could see the rooms from different angles. For the ones that Wade and his brother stayed at, I described the actual rooms they had. And the part about the mud that stained clothes? That was listed as a hazard of traipsing through the jungles at Wade's resort and it was recommended to bring away throw-away clothes. I also always research weather patterns for the locales I write about, too. I love learning about things and one of my hopes is that readers will feel they have had a chance to visit the jungle too, minus the bugs—or other locations where I've set my stories.

6. Do you do anything special to get into the right frame of mind for writing?

Terry: I often read the earlier passages to get me set to continue on with the story. I was trying to come up with a hot scene in my last latest work-in-progress, A Hero of a Highland Wolf, but I was stalling on it. The problem was I couldn't visualize it. So I searched for a picture of the kind of study that would work, and that was it!!! I found the perfect old Victorian kind of study that would fit with a Scottish castle decor and I described it, and their hot afternoon delight. I had no problem, once I saw the picture. I love research.

7. What can readers expect next?

Terry: In October, the release of A SEAL Wolf Christmas!! We're back to hot Navy SEALs (who are also shapeshifter wolves!) in a cold winter wonderland in Oregon, after a trip to the Amazon on a mission. You know, they have to do their SEAL thing and the hero, Bjornolf has to be reacquainted with Anna, the heroine! Then they're serving as a couple raising a teen boy, who is raising cane with teen girls…so lots more fun while they're trying to solve a murder mystery at a Christmas tree farm where the boy works.

8. What inspired you to become an author?

Terry: I've always created stories for my friends and family since I was small. When my kids were young and I read to them and was teaching them to read, I began to write my own children's stories to read to them. Then I began to write adult romances and young adult romances. So it's just in the genes.

9. Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?

Terry: Never give up! I've written for over fifteen years, and spent a number of years learning the craft of writing, entering contests, sending to publishers, then finally was picked up. You have to be in it for the long haul, committed, and willing to write more of the same—to garner a following and brand yourself. But most of all you have to LOVE what you do. This will show in the stories you create.

JAGUAR FEVER BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES AUGUST 2013

She's being pursued by everyone, in more ways than one.

Even in an exotic world of humans, jaguars, and tantalizing creatures who shift between the two, Maya Anderson stands out from the crowd. Interest from human suitors is bad enough, but when male shifters give chase, the real trouble starts.

Who's the hunter and who's the prey?

Investigating the black marketing trade of exotic animals keeps Wade Patterson more than busy. When he and Maya both get entangled in a steamy jungle mission, it becomes impossible to tell who is being hunted or who the hunters are. Wade is desperate to survive this deadly game of cat and mouse. But it's Maya's piercing eyes that keep him awake at night.

Praise for Savage Hunger:

"Dark, sultry, and primal romance...will leave readers breathless."

—Fresh Fiction

"Humor, tenderness, and pure hot loving...an awesome and exciting new world."

—Long and Short Reviews, 5 stars

"A sizzling page-turner, Terry Spear is wickedly talented."

—Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick, 5 Stars

"Spear paints a colorful, vivid portrait of the lush jungle and deadly beauty...of jaguars."

—Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal romance novels and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Crawford, Texas. For more information, please visit www.TerrySpear.com, follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear, and like her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/terry.spear.

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Giveaway Ends August 30