20 Questions for Teresa Blue, Your Favorite (or Soon to Be Favorite) Author . . .

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Tuesday, July 08, 2014

20 Questions for Teresa Blue, Your Favorite (or Soon to Be Favorite) Author . . .


Man of Her Dreams, with its fresh new cover, makes me smile. I remember the first time I saw it, standing on wobbly legs in first draft form fresh off the computer of aspiring author Teresa Blue. You’ve come a long way, baby!

Teresa’s debut romance is all about family and choices made for or because of them. Leslie is a young woman desperate to break free of her smothering ties, and her fiance’s infidelity is just the push she needs to spread her wings. Jay has seen too much of the world from his jaded mother’s fortune teller’s wagon and the minute he rescues Leslie from a break down on the side of the road, he knows she’s trouble he doesn’t need . . . but he can’t stay away. What makes Man of Her Dreams a pure delight is the richness of the secondary characters. Bar-fly Sally who befriends Leslie, Les’s wacky family, and even Jay’s mother create a wonderful patchwork of emotions and laughs that aren’t to be missed.


I’m looking into my crystal ball and can see you want to know more about this talented new writer. Presto – meet Teresa Blue.



Getting to know me…

Party dress or blue jeans? I’m most comfortable in blue jeans. I love to wear dresses but because at any given moment I might have to run down a hound dog that’s gotten loose or pick up chicken feed from TSC, blue jeans work best.

Night owl or early bird? Both. I set the clock to be the first one up, start the coffee and then computer. I usually get to write a bit before I have to leave for work. Lately I’ve found that a few hours isn’t enough time to handle all the ins and outs of writing so I’ll stay up at night a little bit longer.

Five words I use to describe myself: Dependable, honest, hard-working, loyal and loving.
Other creative outlets? In my opinion there’s nothing better than reading. I love getting so involved in a story that I’ll carry the book around with me everywhere. But I also enjoy gardening and cooking the vegetables fresh out of the garden. And the last few years I’ve discovered how much I adore rummaging through thrift stores and antique malls in search of old relics from yesterday. I can’t begin to describe how exciting it is to find a Royal decorative plate or tattered Chatty-Kathy doll sitting on a shelf somewhere that resembles a piece from my childhood. It’s like finding a rewind button to my life. 

Something quirky about you that no one else knows (we won’t tell anyone!)? I love to sing in the car really loud, and laugh when I can’t hit those notes. (Imagine the karaoke scene from the movie My Best Friends Wedding. Real pitiful noise.)

Favorite books from childhood? I loved the Romona and Beezus series. Also Walter the Lazy Mouse, who never got up on time for school, was the last one home every day and his family forgot all about him and moved away. I must have read it a million times! And Pippi Longstockings, who of course, is a thingfinder, like me. I even have a blog-site named in her honor. http://tereasa-thingfinder.blogspot.com

Three favorite movies? My favorite movie is Gone with the Wind. I’ve seen it so much I can quote the dialogue. Our hometown showed it in the theater once and it almost felt like opening night! Next would be Far and Away and Red.

Your first kiss…Was utterly romantic in the schoolyard (after school) we both lived nearby. Ours was a sixth grade crush that ended after summer vacation and entry into Jr. High. Happy to say though, the friendship continued.

Spa day or gym workout? I would love a Calgon moment! Day to day living can be grueling, but an opportunity to be pampered would be pure indulgence!

Favorite comfort food? Like my mom, I use cooking to shower my loved ones. Mom’s specialty was a homemade butter cake she’d bake in those small pot-pie tins. She’d make one for each of us, topping it with butter and sprinkled heavy with sugar and cinnamon and served warm. No matter where I am, if I come across the smell of cinnamon, I think of her.

A Writer’s Life

Favorite genre to read? (Is it what you write?) My all-time favorite genre is historical, preferably with a sea captain or pirate smuggler. It doesn’t matter if it’s the hero who’s the pirate or the heroine. I’ve read and enjoyed both! I’ve did complete one historical- a paranormal titled Dark Desire. And I’ve published one historical paranormal novella by The Wild Rose Press titled, Night Bird.

Fiction hero you would run off with? I don’t even have to think about it, it would be Captain Brandon Birmingham from The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. She did an amazing job creating strong male characters in every book she’s written.

What are you reading right now? Robbers by Christopher Cook. The southern dialogue snagged my attention, along with a great hook- they shoot a clerk over a penny. And hit the road to mayhem.

Paperback or e-book? I have a terrible time getting lost in a book when its digital. I much prefer to carry around a paperback I can dog-ear the pages or slip a bank envelope between before tucking it beneath my arm as I’m out and about.

Favorite books you can read over and over? Pen Pals by Oliva Goldsmith, and Red by Erica Spindler. Great stories!

OCD plotter or free range pantser? Free range! I prefer to peck, scratch and uncover any delectable morsel that fills my storyline. But my muse can also be seduced by soft music and fine wine.

Biggest hurdle to getting those words on the page and how do you overcome it? For me, the biggest hurdle is finding the quiet time to let my characters loose. I write slower these days and fall easily into the time-consuming habit of facebook. The best way to assure I’ll get the words on paper is to grab the spiral tablet and leave the pc behind.

First publishing rejection (and getting back on that horse)? I started writing children’s stories back when sending them out required a SASE. I could tell the piece had been turned down the moment I saw my familiar typed envelope in the mailbox. But many times the rejection came with words of encouragement scribbled across the bottom. Looks promising…I encourage you to preserver…sorry but…. The worst part of that process was the length of time in between to get those rejections. Months could go by without a word.

How do you get in the mood to write ‘those’ scenes? I have to be very close to my characters and know beyond a doubt that they’re made for each other. I prefer to be at home alone so I don’t risk anyone looking over my shoulder…jaw dropping, eyes rolling. Or yelling from the other room, “where’s the…?

When can we get your next book and what’s it about? My next book is a romantic suspense titled Letters From Inside. A convicted felon exchanging letters with a trouble teenage girl and her unsuspecting single mom who doesn’t know it’s her name signed at the bottom. Thankfully there’s a detective who’ll stop at nothing to see the dangerous con back behind bars. The book was contracted with Boroughs Publishing Groups and I hope the book will be available sometime in early 2015. 

Print Length: 205 pages
Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Leslie Stone stumbles upon her fiancĂ© cheating with the maid of honor just days before her wedding. Determined to put distance between them, she heads to the family’s cabin in Sleeping Falls, Michigan. Unfortunately, her car barely hit the city limits before breaking down. And with no money for repairs, the scrolling marquee above the biker bar advertising a mechanical bull riding contest seems like a perfect solution.

Jay Westfield learned at an early age to avoid women who chase the limelight. After all, his mother had been the star attraction in Harvey’s Traveling show. The minute Leslie clears the door in cut-offs and skimpy tank top, things heat up. She’s on a mission and he wants no part of it. The last thing he expects is the attraction he feels seeing her on the back of Old Iron.

Add a squeezy rag doll named Mr. Jingles, the colorful antics of newfound friend, and the renowned tarot-card reader Madame Luella. Leslie’s about to discover in order to find the man of her dreams she must be willing to believe in magic.

~The Book Excerpt~

~About Teresa Blue~
Teresa grew up in an old-fashioned hometown that stretched for exactly one block. The summers were scorching. And life seemed to crawl. She discovered that reading could take her to new places and on exciting adventures. By the time she entered high school, she had sailed the high seas with Captains and rode the English countryside with highwaymen, robbed stages— well, you get the idea, she fell head over heels in love with the romance genre.





20 comments

  1. Love the cover and love the premise of the story. Looks like a great read. Congratulations Teresa.

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    1. Thanks Maris! I just love the creamy cover too, and of course the premise swept me away.

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  2. Great excerpt, Teresa - we've got a ton in common! Thrift stores, dresses v. jeans, even TSC. I hauled a 50 lb. bag of chicken feed out of our local TSC just last night, tottering through the parking lot in my work shoes. :) Love your cover, too - Man of My Dreams sounds fantastic and it's going on my TBR list!

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    1. I'm chuckling Kristen because I know those darned bags are so heavy! Would anyone in the parking lot ever offer to life it into the back? Never! We do have a lot in common and I'm already looking forward to catching up at retreat!

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  3. Teresa, you and my sisters would have a blast together hitting every antique store. :) Love the cover and the premise. Best wishes.

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    1. OMG, point me in the direction of your sisters! It would definitely be a blast! Thank you so much for coming by. Best wishes to you, too!

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  4. I love the cover! It's nice to meet you Teresa.

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    1. Thank you, Melissa for coming by and happy you like the cover. It is magical. LOL. And so great to meet you!

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  5. I love your new cover, Teresa! And the rewind button line struck home, as I also love to find bits and pieces that remind me of what was. Much continued success with Man of Her Dreams, and all of your novels!

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    1. Thank you, Deborah. I love, love the cover too and bless my stars for finding Linda Kage Covers, a great gal, for designing it for me. Who knows what we'll find next? Thanks again for stopping by. :- )

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  6. Loved the interview. And ahhh yes, the days of those typed SASes coming back--after moths! I actually threw the first check I got for a poem out in a trashcan at work (I didn't have an address at the time) and then realized--it had been an official logo! So glad you forged ahead, and I know you'll just continue going onward and upward.

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  7. Oh no! I hope you were able to retrieve the check! I probably still have some of those old SASE's shoved in a drawer somewhere. And was so determined NOT to submit anything online. Ha! Thank you so much, Leslie for all the great support and encouragement.

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  8. Okay, I want to respond to everything you've said here; I think we're twins!! The Flame and the Flower was my inspiration to write Love's Destiny (with a sea captain) I also love karaoke and sing out loud all the time and can't hit the high notes...wish we could do coffee some time, Teresa! (BTW, my name was originally supposed to be Teresa!) Great interview!

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    1. Can you imagine if we rode together? I'll bet we could break some glass! I can bet I'll always have a copy of F&F on my bookshelf, along with the sequel. Worth the 20 year wait. Now, would you have spelled Teresa with an h or without?
      Thanks so much Betty for stopping by and I look forward to having coffee with you at the next retreat, if not sooner!

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    2. Thank you for hosting me, Nancy, and for the wonderful review of Man of Her Dreams. I had a great time meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. You're the best!

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    3. My pleasure, Tereasa! It's been wonderful watching the journey of Man of Her Dreams and a joy to read it! Thanks for visiting!

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  9. I really enjoyed this book! I'm so glad it's getting a new life with a brand-new cover.

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  10. Me too, Patty! I'm so glad you liked the book and the review you left was fabulous! :- )

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