Blog Tour: Hereafter by Terri Bruce (and a couple giveaways!)

This online book tour is presented by the author.

The Official tour site is HERE.

The author's site is HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature:

Terri Bruce and Hereafter.

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats.
Contact:
Terri loves to hear from fans. To contact her directly, please email tbruce(at)terribruce(dot)net. Requests for interviews and appearances may also be sent directly to her.
Publisher Contact: Requests for review copies and questions regarding Eternal Press or rights for the Hereafter series may be directed to Sally Franklin Christie, Publicist, Eternal Press at eternalpresspromotions(at)eternalpress(dot)biz.

Terri has stopped by for an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Did I decide this?! J To be perfectly honest, I can’t say that I did decide or have decided. I’ve always written—it’s something I enjoy. Eventually, however, I got to a point where I wanted to expand my reach and wanted to get my work into the hands of people who would enjoy it. Anyone who is a prolific hobbyist/crafter knows that most of us reach a point where we get sick of doing something just for our own enjoyment. For example, I crochet, and I love it, but I can only use so many afghans and sweaters and such. And besides, it’s not as much fun when you keep it all to yourself; it’s more fun when you share your hobby—it’s your love and a part of you, and it expands when it’s shared, it brings joy to others, whether that’s via giving finished products as gifts, passing on knowledge of the craft, or getting others interested in the topic. With the crocheting, eventually I started giving items away, and then entering them into county fairs, and now I’m at a point where friends and family ask me to make them things they can give to someone else as a gift (usually baby blankets). My writing has followed pretty much the same arc. First I wrote for myself, then I posted free stories on the internet, and now I’m at the point where I’d like to expand and reach a little further, share my love and hopefully bring some joy to others, as well.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Hmm, this is a toughie. In a way, writer was my first job. I’ve always loved writing. In grade school, they had us write a story every year, which we then made into a book – we printed it neatly on nice paper, drew pictures to accompany the story, and then sewed it all together with a cardboard wrapped in wall paper for covers. I think that was my favorite thing we did all year and I still have those stories (thanks Mom for keeping them!). However, pretty early on I dismissed this as a career path because everyone told me I couldn’t make any money at it. It wasn’t until 2001 that I really set myself the goal of becoming a published author. The publication of Hereafter is just the first step. I’m not sure having one novel published makes me a “writer.” Of course, I don’t really know what the threshold is. Will I feel like a “writer” when I have two, five, or ten books published? I don’t know.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

I’m still trying to figure that out! J My first novel (unpublished) took nine years. Hereafter (my second novel) took two years. The draft of the Hereafter sequel took a year. Yes! I’m getting faster! My goal is to get to a point where I can write two books per year. I don’t know if I’ll ever get there, but I’m trying.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Well, I tend to get a lot of ideas in the shower and, somehow, I tend to end up acting out the scenes as they’re coming to me—I guess my brain is trying them out, seeing if they work or something. The end result is my husband frequently sticks his head into the bathroom while I’m showering to ask who I’m talking to. #awkward

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

I can sleep any place, any time, and the same pretty much goes for writing. However, I do tend to get a lot of ideas while I sleep and in the shower, so I try to keep a pad of paper handy to both places—though there is a whole lot of racing through the house, shampoo still in my hair, looking for paper because I have an idea and I need to write it down before it slips away.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

This will probably sound weird but they just pop into my head, usually pretty fully formed. When I write, it’s like I’m recounting a story that someone is telling me—a story that really happened. It feels very real in my head—I can envision it like a movie or a memory.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

When I get an idea, I sort of explore it in my head for a bit—envisioning the first few scenes/chapters—before I ever write a word down on paper. If I can get into the story, if it draws me in and the characters start becoming real people, then I know it’s a keeper idea, there’s a real story there. If I get stuck pretty quickly about what the conflict would be or I have a hard time pinning down the characters, then I know it’s just a passing thought, not worth committing to paper. This system has worked pretty well for me—I tend to finish every story I start; I have very few abandoned stories.

? What books have most influenced your life?

The Once and Future King by T.H. White. I found this book when I was in 10^th or 11^th grade in a box of used books a neighbor had given my grandmother (specifically for us “kids”). I read it and fell in love with it. By the time I got to college, I had already developed the habit of reading it yearly on my birthday. However, I never met anyone who had ever heard of this book, let alone read it.

Out on a first date with a fellow student, we stopped at a famous (but now gone) bookstore in Cambridge, MA. My date asked me what my favorite book was—when I told him “The Once and Future King,” he dropped to his knees in shock. “Me, too!” he cried, astounded as I was to finally meet another person who had read it and been as affected by it. That pretty much sealed the deal. We’ve been together ever since—twenty years this October.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?

Oddly, I do not have a lot of strong memories from my early childhood and this is one of the ones that has been lost. I don’t remember learning to read, I just sort of always knew how. I vaguely remember reading “See Spot Run” kind of stuff in first grade, but after that I just…read. And read several grade levels ahead. They had a hard time keeping me in books at school.

? What are you reading right now?

The New Death and Other Tales by James Hutchings (which I’m LOVING – I don’t often plug books, but this one I definitely recommend—and it’s only .99 cents!) and Pistols for Two by Georgette Heyer (I’m a sucker for anything Heyer).

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Er, does “food” count? I’m a stress eater (anyone have any good tips for combatting this???) so I’m not always particular when I’m in need of comfort. I love a good homemade macaroni and cheese, and cookies are another particular favorite—there are very few cookies in this world that I do not like! I have a family recipe for something called “favorite casserole” which is basically a sort of homemade mac and cheese with hamburger in it that I love. And, of course, my grandmother’s whoopie pies.

? What do you think makes a good story?

I think this varies by reader and by mood. Sometimes I want to be entertained and sometimes I want to be transported; sometimes I want light and fluffy and sometimes I want deep, affecting, emotional drama. Any story that can make me cry is usually a good story—I so want to write a story that makes people cry, but apparently I’m much better at comedy. Isn’t that always the way?

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

I read both The Once and Future King by T.H. White and Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson every year around my birthday. I sob buckets at each one, especially Idylls.

Fun random questions: 

• dogs or cats?

Cats rule! I currently have three. But I’d love to have a dog, too.

• Coffee or tea?

Definitely tea! Coffee gives me a stomach ache

• Dark or milk chocolate?

Why is this an “or” question?! Chocolate = yes. J

• Rocks or flowers?

Another toughie – I like both! But I guess I have to lean toward flowers, though I do have a small rock collection.

• Night or day?

Argh! Now I’m feeling like I have trouble making choices, LOL! Um…day, I guess. But both have their good sides J

• Favorite color?

Red

• Crayons or markers?

Fine-point markers

• Pens or pencils?

Definitely pens; I never got the hang of pencils.

(Yes! I managed to finish on a decisive note—whoohoo!)

Hereafter by Terri Bruce

Why let a little thing like dying get in the way of a good time?

Thirty-six-year-old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on earth as a ghost, where the food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the sex...well, let’s just say “don’t bother.” To make matters worse, the only person who can see her—courtesy of a book he found in his school library—is a fourteen-year-old boy genius obsessed with the afterlife.

This sounds suspiciously like hell to Irene, so she prepares to strike out for the Great Beyond. The only problem is that, while this side has exorcism, ghost repellents, and soul devouring demons, the other side has three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment. If only there was a third option…

International Giveaway!

Please fill out the form below.  You must be 18+ and a follower of The Wormhole.

Prize: ecopy of Hereafter (sent by the author)

Tour Wide Contest and Prizes

Blog Tour Contest and Prize (information as of Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 and is subject to change - details are still being finalized):
-Contest will start and details will be announced on August 17th at www.kellyaharmon.com
-Contest will end on Friday, September 7th at 12:00 midnight EST
-Each contest entry will consist of a 200 word story using the ghost and afterlife related writing prompts posted to www.kellyaharmon.com on August 17th.
-Contest entries will be submitted to and the winner will be announced at http://www.thewriterslens.com/
-Contestants may apply more than once
-Prize will be either:

 a) print book prize pack of several books about ghosts, each signed by the authors



OR

b) ebook prize pack of several books about ghosts with an accompanying postcard signed by the author



-There will be two winners - one for the ebook pack and one for the print book pack
-Winning entries will be chosen from among COMPLETE entries (entries that contain a 200-word (max) story and email address).
-Stories over 200 words will be disqualified.
-Both winners will be choosen by "celebrity judge" author Teresa Friendly

Read More: http://terribruce.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=171:hereafter-cover-reveal-tour-hosts#ixzz23RHQ0iPz