Welcome Back, Teresa Slack

by Molly Noble Bull

Today our guest is Teresa Slack, an old friend to Writers Rest as well as a regular writer here. Teresa is a published novelist, a devout Christian and a very nice person, and she has written many interesting articles here. Today she is going to tell us about her life, her writing and her new book, RUNAWAY HEART.

Welcome, Teresa. So, let’s get right to it. 

.   Why do you write?

I write because I love making an impact on people through stories. I love creating characters and story worlds and inviting a reader in to get to know them. I love to entertain and encourage people. Doing it with stories just comes naturally. But the main reason I write as I race toward the ½ century marks is because life is short and I don’t want to leave anything undone. 

.   What is your favorite genre to write?

My favorite is suspense, though I love romance and humor. I’ve even tried my hand at a historical western in the last year and I loved it. I hope to create a western series by the end of the year.

.   What do you read?

My favorite books are mysteries, especially ones with a romantic element, though finding one that really hooks me is difficult. I am much more critical about how I spend my reading time than I used to be. The most important thing I look for is a good storyteller. Some of my favorites are Daphne DuMaurier, Ken Follett, James Michener, Fannie Flagg, John Grisham, Tess Gerritson. I love a good romance as long as the cheese factor is kept to a minimum. Not so crazy about a damsel in distress. Humor is important. I also love historicals and hope to write one someday. I enjoy Gilbert Morris, Lawana Blackwell, Deanna Gist, Debbie Macomber, Brock and Bodie Thoene, John Aubrey Anderson, to name a few. 

.   What's on your nightstand?

A Bible with a marker, as of this moment, in 2^nd Kings.

There’s also a journal I seldom make time to write in, and a writing craft book I should really get back to. 

.   Why did you decide to self-publish?

Life is short. Over the last few years I’d gotten so far away from writing, I didn’t even feel like a writer anymore. I hated that feeling. I don’t want to be a busy person who writes books. I want to be a busy writer. I’m tired of spinning my wheels waiting for something to happen in my writing career. If it’s going to happen, I have to make it happen. 

.   Are you a plotter or pantser?

Definitely a pantster. One of my most popular titles, A TENDER REED, (which is being re-released as an ebook at the end of March) was inspired one night when my barking dog wouldn’t let me sleep. So I started a book. I was 3 chapters in before the heroine had a first name. I’m not quite that undisciplined anymore. It’s a very inefficient way to write. But I love sitting down with a nugget of an idea and going crazy. To me, that’s when I feel the most creative.

.   I’ve never heard of shrimp farming in Ohio. What made you include it as a story element for Runaway Heart?

Small family owned farms are shrinking or disappearing throughout Ohio. I wanted to explore viable options for farmers looking to create additional income. And of course, I’d never read a book about shrimp farming either. Investigating and learning about it was fun.

What takeaway value do you hope your readers receive after reading RUNAWAY HEART?

Life doesn’t come with guarantees, no matter how much we wish it did. We have to trust in something. People and circumstances will let us down or not measure up to our expectations. God is always there in our fear and disappointment. He won’t let us down if we call on him.

Thanks for stopping by again, Teresa. I look forward to reading your book and reading more of your wonderful articles right here at Writers Rest.

Author bio: Teresa Slack began creating stories and characters about the time she learned to hold a pencil. Her first novel, Streams of Mercy, won the Bay Area Independent Publishers’ Assn award for Best First Novel. The third book in her Jenna’s Creek Series, Evidence of Grace, debuted nationwide according to Christian Retailing Magazine. Her latest novel, Runaway Heart, is set for official release March 7, 2014.  She grew up in rural southern Ohio, which provides the background for much of her writing. Her down-to-earth characters and writing style have endeared her to readers and reviewers alike. Teresa believes people who think nothing ever happens in a small town just aren’t paying attention. She loves writing in many genres, especially suspense, mystery and romance with a touch of humor stirred in. Someday she even hopes to write a historical.  

Back Cover Blurb for Runaway Heart: Running at the first sign of opposition is nothing new to Kyla Parrish. She’s never held onto a relationship for more than a few months, and she’s quit more jobs than most people apply for. Until Will Lachland. He’s the first man who ever made her think of getting serious about something, about putting down roots. He seems like a dream come true, but like every other man she’s ever met, he expects more than she’s willing to give.

Kyla is determined not to end up like her mother with a string of bad relationships and dead end jobs behind her, but she can’t find a balance between trusting someone with her heart and losing control of her life. But she’s tired of running. Running from life and running from love.

A new man and a new life on the farm where she spent her childhood summers seem like the answer to her prayers. But things are never as simple as they seem. Her heart yearns for love and security. Can she find it even though she can’t forget Will? Or is something else, something greater, calling her heart toward home? 

My links:

Website: www.teresaslack.com 

Amazon author page  http://www.amazon.com/Teresa-D.-Slack/e/B001JP0MQ2/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Facebook Author Page  https://www.facebook.com/authorteresaslack

I Live Next Door to a Cemetery

by Teresa Slack

Let’s face it. Writers are weird. We’re fascinated by things the rest of the world ignores, fears, dreads or dismisses. Case in point: Cemeteries. Show me a writer who doesn’t love walking through one reading the headstones and thinking of all the stories represented, and I’ll show you an odd writer who probably hasn’t written in a while.

While other couples visit antique shops and museums on vacation, my husband and I plan our route around nearby cemeteries. One stone I will never forget from a cemetery in Winchester, KY was an epitaph to a baby boy who had died in 1900 shortly before his first birthday. It read: “How many dreams lie buried here?”

Doesn’t that sum it up?

I live next door to a cemetery. Nearly every time a guest visits my house for the first time I get some variation of the following question: “Aren’t you creeped out living so close to a cemetery?” My husband always laughs and says, “At least the neighbors are quiet.”

The writer in me couldn’t be happier with the cracked, faded marble stones marching up the hillside where I walk my dogs. It’s a small cemetery with stones beginning pre-Civil War to present day. While the dogs sniff for deer and raccoon and chase skittering leaves, I browse the stones and imagine what life was like for people I never met.

How many dreams, secrets, lies, fears, triumphs and stories are buried under each headstone? Tomorrow is November 1st—the beginning of National Novel Writing Month for many writers around the world. Do you need inspiration before you get started? I dare you to visit a local cemetery on this chilly, windy Halloween. You’ll be amazed by the stories waiting to be told. Are you brave enough to be the one to write them?

SHOULD YOU WRITE A PREQUEL?

by Teresa Slack

We’ve all anxiously awaited the release of a sequel to our favorite movie or book. But have you ever read a pre-quel? Have you ever wanted to? By name alone, you can figure out what a prequel is even if you’ve never read one. A pre-quel is a story told after the fact about how it all started with your favorite characters or setting. As a shameless lover of back story, a prequel is a fascinating concept for me. I love, love, love knowing how it all started, where it began, what actions set in motion the story that captured my imagination and created characters that live on in my heart.

George Lucas made piles of money to heap upon his other piles of money with his Star Wars Prequels. While they may not have received rave reviews from critics, they appealed to a certain demographic—like me—who love knowing what happened before the real story happened.

The rise in popularity of prequels, especially in the thriller or fantasy genre but certainly not limited to those, got me thinking about my own prequel possibilities.

I think most book series have the potential for the writer to capitalize on a prequel. My Jenna’s Creek series of novels has a loyal fan base who have expressed interest in a prequel. I would certainly enjoy writing one. I’ve added that project to an already long list of books to write if the Lord gives me enough time in front of my computer.

Let us know what you think. What book or series do you believe deserves a prequel? Have you ever read one and what did you think? Are you in the “enough already” crowd who thinks writers should move on to new material? Or are you aching to see more of your most beloved characters?

 

Teresa Slack

RUNAWAY HEART

Blurb & Synopsis. 

by Teresa Slack

What's the story about? 

Running at the first sign of opposition is nothing new to Kyla Parrish. She’s never held onto a relationship for more than a few months, and she’s quit more jobs than most people apply for. Until Will Lachland. He’s the first man who ever made her think of getting serious about something, about putting down roots. But she can’t forget her mother’s ominous warning. Men are users. They take and take and leave nothing but a dried shell of who she used to be. Fear of losing her heart to anyone or anything has kept Kyla running all her life. Will she find what she seeks most in the least likely place—home?

Back cover copy: 

“Never give a man more than you can afford to lose. Keep back the important part for yourself. It’s the only way to survive after they tire of you and leave, as we both know they will.”

Her mother’s words of advice proved to be prophetic in the way Kyla Parrish lived her life.

Kyla recognizes the same patterns dictating her life that made her mother run from every job, relationship, or town as soon as things didn’t go her way. Kyla is determined not to end up like her mother with a string of bad relationships and dead end jobs behind her, but she can’t find a balance between trusting someone with her heart and losing control of her life.

Will Lachland is the first man to make her think of getting serious about something, about putting down roots. But she can’t forget her mother’s ominous warning. Men are users. Will may seem like her dream come true, but like every other man out there, he expects more than she can give.

With her back against the wall, Kyla heads to her mother’s family farm, the only place where she ever felt safe. Where she felt like she belonged. She hasn’t seen her grandfather in thirteen years, and things on the farm are not as she remembered. But Kyla has to make the arrangement work. She’s tired of running. Running from life and running from love.

A new man and a new life seem like the answer to her prayers. But things are never as simple as they seem. Her heart yearns for love and security. Can she find it with Brandon McDermott even though she can’t forget Will? Or is something else, something greater, calling her heart toward home and toward a relationship with the One who knows what she’s running from?  

UPDATE FROM TERESA

Teresa Slack expected her new book, Sarah's Sin,to be published this week. She'd planned to feature it on this website today and on other sites as well, but the publication date was delayed. All she can do now is is beg your patience and understanding.
She'd also planned to give away free downloads, and she will. But it will be later on in the month or early next month.
Teresa put it this way.
I am so sorry it worked out this way. I feel like a dope even though it was out of my control.
In a nutshell, we at Writers Rest are sorry we don't have a new article this weekend. Please check back. We promise to have something interesting and new soon.

by Teresa Slack

 

Teresa Slack spent most of her writing career focused on novels. Her first, Streams of Mercy, won the 2005 Bay Area Independent Publishers Award for Best First Fiction. Her latest novel, Runaway Heart, was published in February and is available for release as an e-book by Helping Hands Press. But she’s recently discovered writing short stories is a whole lot of fun.

 

Released May 1, Carla Comes Around was a fun story for Teresa to write. While she never felt as though she was running away from anything like her story’s heroine, she definitely felt few people would miss her after she left her small southern Ohio town following graduation. Carla Comes Around is the second of Teresa’s series True Stories Celebrating Love & Family. The next installment, Sarah’s Sin, is due out next week—a very unconventional Mother’s Day release.

Carla Comes Around

Happiness for Carla Fischer was Cartersburg, Tennessee in her rearview mirror. She couldn’t wait to ditch the tiny town where she spent a rotten childhood as soon as the ink was dry on her diploma. When she receives an invitation to her thirtieth year class reunion, she doesn’t waste a moment thinking about going. There’s not a soul in town she wants to see. Well, okay, maybe one soul, but Tim Shelton barely knew she was alive thirty years ago. She doesn’t expect him to remember her now. 

When Carla’s sister Patty announces she’s sinking her life’s savings into a local gift shop, Carla leaves her hectic life in Atlanta and heads to the one place she said she’d never go. Cartersburg hasn’t changed in thirty years, but Carla has. Hiding behind a hard veneer to protect her fragile heart, she has no interest in reconnecting with old friends. But everyone wants to see Carla, the small town daughter who never came around after fleeing to the big city. 

As time for her thirtieth-year reunion draws nearer, Carla is reluctantly drawn into her sister’s excitement over her plans for the gift shop. Carla wants to be part of her sister’s life, but she loves her life in Atlanta. Can she forsake her career for something that has alluded her most of her life? Peace, contentment, family. When Tim awakens a long dormant love in her heart, Carla begins to wonder if Cartersburg is the only place for her that’s truly home.

Check out her short stories and other titles on her Amazon page http://www.amazon.com/Teresa-D.-Slack/e/B001JP0MQ2/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 and wherever else books are sold. Learn more about Teresa and her writing at http://www.teresaslack.com  

STORY SETTINGS

by Teresa Slack, 

Have you ever taken a vacation or browsed a travel brochure or even looked at a postcard without imagining a story of your own in that setting?

Me neither.
We’re writers. That’s what we do. Choosing settings are nearly as much fun as creating characters that will live on with readers long after they finish the book. In fact many readers—and yes, publishers—consider setting as another character to be examined and explored throughout the story.

Tomorrow I’m on my way to Charleston, SC for a week long vacation. Ah, Charleston—the history, the romance, the mystery. Of course I’m looking forward to it as a tourist. But as a writer, I’m more excited about the opportunity for research for future writing projects.

I can’t be the only one. What location has always appealed to you as a possible setting for your next book? Is it a small town you drove through once on vacation? A foreign city full of mystique and excitement? A historic town that doesn’t exist anymore, or a futuristic location of your own making?

Share your dream setting here and a little about why it appeals to you. I’ll send the one with the most intriguing setting a postcard from beautiful, historic Charleston. Then you can send me one from your setting when you sign your next contract.

What Do Sin and Weight Gain Have in Common?

by Teresa Slack

So I earned this amazing trip to Charleston, SC through my Scentsy business. I’m super excited and totally looking forward to the trip. Problem is it’s next month, and I can’t fit into my cute summer clothes from last year. I have this adorable little black dress that will be perfect for our last night extravaganza. Right now, it fits me like a feed sack. (In case you’re unfamiliar with feed sacks, suffice it to say, they are not figure flattering.)

I’ve begun a rigorous exercise and weight loss program. Well, not too rigorous, but I’m determined to get into that dress.

Anyway, on the way to church this morning my husband commented about someone we knew who had fallen away from the church. My husband wondered how it could happen “all of the sudden”.

I reminded him it’s never all of a sudden. Sin is sneaky. It creeps up on us like a thief in the night. Much like weight gain. I didn’t intend to eat too much all winter. I didn’t mean for my slacks to no longer zip all the way up my stomach. It was a gradual process exacerbated by foregoing my workout routine too many times and eating that extra cookie. By drinking Pepsi when I should’ve chosen water. By going through the drive-through instead of coming home and cooking something without all the processed fat.

I ignored the signs and let the situation get out of hand. Now I’m paying the price. Many of us don’t see when we’re falling away from God. We think everything’s fine even though we don’t pray as much as we used to or spend as much time in His Word or feel that little prick of conviction when a coworker tells a dirty joke and we don't walk away.

The mirror won’t tell us our spiritual health is in danger. At least not the one hanging in the bathroom. Our spiritual mirror is God’s word. Do you need to take a good hard look in that mirror to determine if there’s something amiss with your spiritual health?

All of us should do this on a regular basis. Just like with our physical health, we need to stay on track, get our "checkups", pay attention to the signs, and not be blindsided “all of the sudden” after sin has gained a stronghold in our lives.

MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR, TERESA SLACK

by Molly Noble Bull 

Today I’m excited to talk with Teresa Slack who released a novel last week, Runaway Heart, 

along with, Heart Burn, the first installment of a short story collection.  

 

Congratulations, Teresa. How are you dealing with your new publishing status? 

Teresa: 

I’m still floating, Molly. Two books in one week. Now I know how Karen Kingsbury feels. Well, almost. By the way, what do you know about shrimp farming in Ohio?.

Molly: 

Shrimp farming in Ohio? I know nothing about shrimp farming. 

Teresa: 

You might if you read Runaway Heart.  

Molly: 

Really? What made you include such a strange topic in RUNAWAY HEART?

Teresa:
I wanted Kyla to find more than a few changes when she came home to the Ohio farm where she spent her favorite summers as a child. With the current economic climate, farmers are coming up with new ways to supplement their farming income. Prawns were an interesting and unique aspect to add to the book that even most Ohioans don’t know about.

Molly: 

What can we expect next from Teresa Slack? 

Teresa: 

A lot, really. I’m working on several short stories for different collections. One is a historical western for SHOOT ‘EM UP WESTERNS. Another is the next installment for TRUE STORIES CELEBRATING LOVE & FAMILY. I’m also polishing a novel LEGACY OF FAITH, which takes place during the Great Blizzard of ’78. With all the snow blanketing the country every other week, I’m getting a lot of inspiration. 

Molly: 

Sounds interesting. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? 

Teresa: 

Reading, crocheting, and traveling the globe. Sadly, I have neither enough free time nor disposable cash to entertain these passions. Instead, I read when I can, spoil my three grandkids whenever possible and spend as much free time as possible with my wonderful & always supportive husband. I am also wildly passionate about animal rescue. Here’s my plug for that: When ready to add a new pet to your family, please consider adoption instead of paying for a pedigree. You can save a life.

Molly: 

I love animals, too. But I love unborn children even more. Maybe I will write an article about that sometime soon. But back to you, it sounds like things are moving pretty quickly in your writing career. Where can readers find more about you and how can they keep up with what’s new in your writing? 

Teresa: 

Lots of ways. I love hearing from readers. They can email me anytime at teresa@teresaslack.com. I answer every letter as soon as I can. They can check out my website www.teresaslack.com, or visit me on FaceBook. All my books, whether digital or trade paperbacks, are available on Amazon.com as well as most other online venues. Everyone who “Likes” my author page on FaceBook thru February will be entered to win a digital copy of my first short story HEARTBURN. So hop over there and click LIKE. 

Molly: 

That’s very generous of you. How about doing something similar for our readers at Writer’s Rest? 

Teresa: 

Okay, Molly, you talked me into it. Everyone who posts a comment here will also be entered to win an additional digital copy of HEARTBURN. Tell your friends. And don't forget to include your email address. 

Molly: 

To learn what Teresa's Runaway Heart and Heartburn are all about, go to Amazon and write Teresa Slack in the search slot. And don't forget to leave a comment to win a free copy of the Runaway Heart.

PREVIEW OF TERESA SLACK'S STUFF

by Molly Noble Bull

Teresa Slack’s novel, Runaway Heart,  

and “Heart Burn,” a short story,

are available now as e-books at Amazon and other places, and I think you are going to like both. I will be interviewing Teresa later in the week about her writing. So stay turned. But take a look at the covers of her books.

And if you would like to read the first chapter of Runaway Heart, go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other places and write Teresa Slack in the search slot. 

Way to go, Teresa.

WALKING IN OBEDIENCE

by Teresa Slack

Joshua 6:20 “So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpet, and it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they shouted with a great shout so that the wall fell flat, and the people went into the city and took it.”

We all know the story of the walls of Jericho. The Israelites marched around the impenetrable city seven times and on the seventh time the walls fell and they were able to go in and take the city. What we don’t often think about are the six times they marched around Jericho before anything happened.
As a kid I always imagined marching around a football field or something relatively small. This was a walled powerful city, for crying out loud. A little more than an afternoon stroll. They were also commanded to be silent. Wow. That’s tough. No Ipods. No complaining to the guy ahead of you about how hot it is or how the sentries standing on the wall laugh and cajole as you walk by or why God couldn’t have made the walls fall on the first go-round. Why seven times? We know God has the capabilities to bring those walls down the first time.
The whole point was obedience. God fulfills his part of the bargain after we fulfill ours. If the Israelites had stopped marching after the first time or the third or the sixth trip, they would not have received the blessing.
So why I have I not received the blessings I am promised with my writing? Is God trying to teach me something? Or am I walking in disobedience? I truly believe God put a calling on my life to write. He has given me stories to tell to uplift, entertain, and inspire His children. Guess what? I haven’t done it. Or at least not as much of it as God desires. Writing is hard work. It doesn’t come as easily as non-writers like to think. I have stories God wants me to write, but I don’t make time to write. Or I hit a roadblock in the story so I walk away from it. Remember, I said this stuff is hard. Or I get afraid that I’ll put so much work into a book and then no one will buy it, so I quit.
It isn’t like I’m not busy. I have a full time job. I am a Scentsy consultant, that often turns into another full time job. Plus, all the other stuff that crowds into a woman’s life, like kids, laundry, shopping, making ourselves pretty for our man…. Or not. Anyway, it’s pretty easy to walk away from my writing when it gets hard.
But God gave my stories to me for a reason. He chose me. Why? He could’ve given them to someone more prolific, hard working and motivated. But he didn’t. He has entrusted these stories to me. By not writing them, I am walking in disobedience.
Ouch.
In the last couple of months a few doors have flown open in my writing career. Some pretty exciting opportunities have been dropped at my feet. God has given me yet another chance to be obedient to Him. I don’t want to waste these opportunities.  
In an effort to put together a list of resolutions for 2013 without really making a real resolution, I made a list of things that keep me from writing. Here they are.
1.       Satisfaction of the flesh—sleep, TV, computer games, talking on the phone when I should be working.
2.      Fear of rejection.
3.      Doubt in my writing skills or my inability to complete a project.
4.      Poor time management
Am I the only one who struggles with walking in obedience? Do you feel like you are right where God wants to be? If so, great work on living a life pleasing to our King. Or are there things you need to work on this year to bring you closer to God? Not to mention receiving His blessings?
Here’s to a blessed and prosperous 2013. May we all write the stories the Lord has given us and walk in obedience with Him.

LOVE & MURDER

Tragedy & Triumph @ the Library

Posted by Teresa Slack—

                                                    www.teresaslack.com

I fell in love with my local library in elementary school. In those days there were no summer reading programs or high speed internet connections. Sports teams, authors, entertainers, and representatives from the local zoo didn’t visit. That didn’t stop my sisters and me from trekking across town nearly every day in the summer. The library was an oasis, a sanctuary. Our town library was tiny, but to me it was a paradise of fantasy worlds, mysteries, romance, and untold riches. Back then you were given a green library card on which the librarian wrote the index numbers of the books you checked out. I lost track of the number of new library cards I was issued after filling up my old one.

If there's anything more symbolic of the love of knowledge and freedom of information than the public library, I can't think of it.  A place where you can walk in, pick any book or movie and walk out without paying a cent! It’s a wonderful location and one that is never used enough.

If you’re a follower of Writers Rest, you are probably a lover of books and your local library as I am. I think we authors love it even more than the average bear.  

What is your fondest memory from the visits to the library? 

I’ll never forget the day I got locked in the restroom in my library.  Of course that wasn’t my favorite memory. My favorite is leaving school every day at lunch in junior high and running across the street to get a book to read that day in study hall, which was conveniently right after lunch.

Maybe I should’ve used that study hall for studying. At any rate, what’s your fondest memory of your library? How has your library and its amazing staff served you through the years?

P.S. I am currently on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean so I’ll check your comments next week. But as you can imagine my beach bag is bursting with reading material, thanks to my local library.  
# 
P.S. 2 (From Molly)  
Speaking of books. Here are some of Teresa's. To find all her books, write Teresa Slack in the search slot at walk-in and online bookstores.