Friendy Friday with Terri Osburn
Welcome to...September? Weird that September is already here. School is back in session, both of my childrens are a mess, and I am exhausted. Sounds about right. BUT I have many things in the authory world happening and I'd LOVE for you all to sign up for my newsletter-y thingie if you haven't because I'M GOING TO HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU NEXT FRIDAY! You'll only get it if you receive my newsletter-y thingie so sign up today!
I met Terri via Facebook early this year as preparations were in high gear for Booklovers Con in New Orleans. She reached out because we'd been paired for the opening night party and would be sharing a booth. Neither of us knew what to expect and it turned out to be a rockin' good time! I gave away all of my books and a bunch of codes for free downloads, she greeted fans and handed out swag and by the end we were tired but still smiling. During the process of all of this, I made a friend, one who understands the joys and challenges of parenting a teen mom, how sacred certain things are (K-pop concerts), and that we both infused a love of music into our books. She's a little bit country, I'm a lot of rock 'n' roll, and THIS is my interview with the lovely Terri Osburn!
1. Give us a visual of you dancing. The Carlton? Napoleon Dynamite? Solid Gold?
An old woman who thinks she's still got it.
A. You are no old woman and B. You've still got it, babe!
2. What’s one thing every reader should know about you?
I'm still a reader at heart, fangirling awkwardly through events.
Aren't we all, though?
3. What’s your worst habit as a writer?
Procrastination!
Well, you got your answers back to me in a speedy manner so I call bullshit on procrastination haha.
4. Ever get caught reading/writing sexy times in an awkward place/time/situation?
I can't remember ever getting caught but I did once write a sex scene while sitting in my car during my daughter's volleyball practice. The field in front of me was filled with boy scouts. It was a bit weird.
Oh, the things I've written while at my children's activities. I'll never confess to all of my misdeeds haha.
5. What is the best reader response you’ve ever received?
One called me her unicorn author. That still makes my day to think about.
That's awesome
6. What is the most fascinating/creepy/disgusting thing you’ve discovered because of writing?
It's sad that nothing immediately comes to mind. I've gotten lost in plenty of research, but I think my brain has hit its memory limit so retention is a real issue.
I hear you. I might not remember that I heard you, but I hear you.
7. Name a book that scared the bejeebers out of you and why it scared you.
I purposely avoid scary books. I'm still scarred by the horror movies they let us watch in the 80s when I was a child. WHY did they let us watch those??
Because they're AWESOME and probably totally responsible for my creepy personality. Don't be alarmed, I don't bite anymore.
8. What music inspires you?
Country music has inspired so many books/scenes. I've lost count of how many times I've been listening to a song and a scene completely unfolds in my brain. Also, most every book has one song that sums it up. My latest novella, Among The Stars, is summed up in the latest Lady Antebellum song What If I Never Get Over You. My heroine is second-guessing her divorce. Fortunately, her new hero shows her she made the right choice.
Lady Antebellum are very much on my "country music that doesn't suck" list.
9. Did a teacher in school ever encourage or discourage your desire to write? Care to share?
I was fortunate to have several great English teachers over the years, but Sr Eleanor, my freshman and senior year teacher, was literally my first editor. She made us write and rewrite our papers until we got it right. I had no idea at the time that she was preparing me for this job, but I often wish I could go back and thank her.
Those are the best.
10. What's your favorite genre to write? And...what's a genre you haven't written but would LOVE to write?
I write strictly contemporaries and I love it, but I have this magical realism series I've been wanting to try for a couple of years. It's intimidating because though there's a level of world-building in contemporaries, mostly the setting is very realistic and familiar. Adding magical elements is brand new and unfamiliar to me so I'm not sure I'll be able to pull it off.
I love this idea and I feel 100% confident you can pull it off!
11. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
My daughter will always be my greatest accomplishment, but hitting that million books sold milestone was pretty cool. In truth, every book that gets written feels like an accomplishment. Many people want to write a book but few actually do. I didn't start writing until my mid 30s, and back then I had zero confidence I'd ever finish one manuscript. Writing more than a dozen wasn't even on my radar, so every THE END is special.
I'm so happy for you. That is a huge milestone, surviving raising a teenager should win you a medal, though, for real.
Huge thanks to Terri for joining us today. Here are some places you can find her!
https://www.facebook.com/TerriOsburnAuthor
https://twitter.com/TerriOsburn
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/terri-osburn
https://www.instagram.com/terriosburn/
If you'd like a chance to win one of Terri's books. just comment on this blog post below and tell me a time you read a book that was musically inspired and what song stood out to you? I know for me, writing The Rock Season, there was one song that totally jumped out and summed up the hero's feelings for the heroine, and that was Over My Head by Drowning Pool. Have a listen...
That's it for this week. I will be hopping on the big bird in the sky next week to attend the Dreamspinner Author Workshop and I can't WAIT to meet folks I haven't met in person. I'm sure my fangirl game will be strong. There just might be some hijinks on Facebook Live. Just might be. Stay Tuned for more Rock 'n' Romance...
