ℚ♫ Cloak and Mirrors: Black Swamp Mysteries [6] - P.M. Terrell

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author P.M. Terrell to talk about Cloak and Mirrors (25 January 2017, Drake Valley Press, 268 pages), a Suspense novel, book six of the Black Swamp Mysteries series.

|| Synopsis || Trailer || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

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A very warm welcoome back to P.M. Terrell; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Cloak and Mirrors, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I listen to instrumental music while I write, including Power Thoughts Meditation Club and Brainwave Power Music. The music is turned down low and doesn’t interfere with my thought process, and is very relaxing."

What compelled you to write this particular story, Cloak and Mirrors?

"I knew that Vicki and Dylan would have to get married after the events of the last two books, and of course the best place in the world for a wedding is Dylan’s native Ireland.

I also knew they would have to honeymoon there and I chose a place I have visited in Donegal along the Wild Atlantic Way.

I got the idea for their CIA mission from a documentary I watched about stealth technology; I was fascinated by the concept of making something as large as a ship or an airplane appear completely invisible—not only on radar but to the naked eye."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Vicki’s sister Brenda is a computer hacker and her expertise is based on my own—before becoming a full-time writer in 2002, I founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. My speciality was detecting computer crime and my clients included the CIA, the Secret Service and the Department of Defense. But that’s where my similarity to Brenda ends because I worked on the good side while she prefers the bad!

There is also quite a bit of myself in Vicki’s character. She lives life in her head—I do through my books while she does through her CIA psychic spy missions."

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating this book?

"The cloaking and mirroring technology in use today is intriguing. I was also surprised that so much of it was openly discussed. I remember when the first stealth bomber was used in Desert Storm and how surprised everyone was with the appearance and capabilities, because it had been classified. But the Navy’s latest addition, a ship that has been completely redesigned to make it invisible on radar—was profiled on mainstream media."

DDG-1000 Zumwalt

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"My publisher selected the cover based on scenes that take place in a manor house in an isolated region of western Ireland. It is wintertime and the tourists are gone, which means that Vicki and Dylan are the only guests, along with a widow, her daughter and a mysterious stable hand."

Why should we read Cloak and Mirrors and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"The most common statement I get from readers is that my books are page-turners and they have stayed up all night reading them.

I try to capture the reader’s interest from the very first paragraph. I lay the groundwork for all the action in the first half of the book leading up to a climactic scene in the middle and then it moves at breakneck speed until the final page.

I loved writing Cloak and Mirrors because it is set in my favorite place—Ireland—and features Dylan Maguire, the Irishman who is without a doubt the most popular character in all my books. I love it when I am at a book signing and readers ask me to continue writing about him. His appearance is based on the men in my family—black hair and hazel eyes.

I love visiting my ancestral home in Ballygawley, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and I am told my love of the country comes through with the Irish backdrops in my books."

Can you tell us something quirky about Cloak and Mirrors, its story and characters?

"Vicki Boyd was named after Vicki Freeman in Lumberton, North Carolina. A dear friend, Joe Freeman, lost his wife Vicki quite unexpectedly and he asked if I could name a character after her. I think he intended it to be a minor character but I named one of the major characters, a psychic spy, Vicki Freeman Boyd. The name of the book that introduced her, Vicki’s Key, was named after a contest that Joe ran in his newspaper where he hid a key somewhere in town and paid $200 to the finder.

Vicki is a psychic spy, which is based on the real psychic spy program conducted by our government as well as dozens of others governments around the world, including Russia, China, Japan, India and Israel. During the Cold War, our Intelligence discovered that the Russians had begun a psychic spy program and they asked Congress to fund a similar one so they could determine if there was any validity to the concept. That was about forty years ago and it remains a part of the Intelligence process. I understand that China has become much more advanced with the phenomenon than we are."

Who would you recommend Cloak and Mirrors to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"Both men and women enjoy the Black Swamp Mysteries Series because it has action and adventure as well as romance."

If you could / wished to turn Cloak and Mirrors and the Black Swamp Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Vicki would be played by Amy Adams; bad girl Brenda by Lindsay Lohan; Dylan by Eduardo Verastegui and Sam, the CIA section chief, by Robert De Niro.

Of course, it would have to be filmed on location in Ireland. By the way, Game of Thrones is filmed in Northern Ireland and scenes from the Star Wars movies have been filmed off their coast. It is a very popular place and it’s easy to see why—it is mystical and magical."

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"At one time, writers could be writers and publishers left the marketing and promotional efforts to their staff. As publishers have become leaner, they have placed a lot of that burden on the authors’ shoulders.

I would much prefer to focus on the writing; constantly marketing and promoting my books uses a lot of my time and energy. I actually returned to college (after forty years!) to get a degree in Digital Marketing."

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

"The toughest criticism was from a New York Times bestselling author who told me to give up after my book was not picked up by three publishers. I am very happy I didn’t listen to him! (He also had not read the book.)

The best compliment is when people tell me they stayed up all night reading it and they couldn’t put it down."

What is in store next?

"I am finishing up the first book of a new series that will debut later this year. It is inspired by my ancestors and begins in 1608 when William Neely left Scotland at the age of 18 to fight for King James I of England in Ireland.

It was an incredibly exciting time filled with palace intrigue, crosses and double-crosses, romance, adventure and war. William fell in love with Ireland, marrying an Irish-born woman, and one of his sons was granted land in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland by the King.

I have been back several times and there is something amazing about walking the land that they walked, seeing the houses they built and hearing stories about them from the Irish people there."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I am passionate about animal rights and animal rescue and I currently have three rescue dogs.

Simone, a tri-colored collie, was nearly starved to death when the Humane Society rescued her; they asked me to foster her because they knew how fat my dogs were! Once she gained the weight she needed to and they started to look for a home for her, I knew there was no way she was going to leave so I adopted her.

Eddie is a Jack Russell that had been shot in the leg. He had been rescued by the Robeson County Humane Society and limped very badly. Once I adopted him, I had his leg reconstructed by a fabulous surgeon in Cary, NC. We call it his bionic leg now.

And Lucy, a Jack Russell-dachshund mix, nearly died of parvo when she was rescued by the same Humane Society. They nursed her back to health and asked me to babysit her for a weekend—I think that was four years ago, and she hasn’t left yet! She’s the one winking in the picture."

Front to back: Eddie, Simone and Lucy

What a gorgeous bunch of babies! Lots of cuddles to all three of you, Eddie, Simone and Lucy!
Thank you for sharing them with us!

"Thank you for having me here today!"

Cloak and Mirrors
Available NOW!

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