Please share a little about yourself, your genres,
any other pen names you use.
I write under the pen name, Teri
Lee. Lee is actually my middle name. I just like the sound of it. Most of my
writing is fantasy or paranormal. I love both those genres because it’s fun to
disappear into them for a while.
Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming
release.
Troubled
Spirits is a YA paranormal novel. Teenaged Annie Waters is being terrorized by
an angry spirit. Her only chance of survival is to unravel the secrets of the
Caldwell School
Are you a mom ?
Yes.
I have three amazing children. Justin – 27, Brittany-23 and Garrick -19. And guess
what? I’m a grandmother, too! Emmah and
Miah are beautiful identical twin two year olds.
If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and
parenting?
I’m lucky because my kid are pretty
self-sufficient. The hard part is juggling work and writing. And of course, I
can’t ignore my husband, Jeremy either. That’s why sometimes I have to forces
myself to step away from the laptop and spend some time in the real world!
Have you ever based your book or characters on
actual events or people from your own life?
Absolutely! Troubled Spirits was inspired by some of my
co-workers when they invited me to join them on a ghost hunt. Harmony’s love of
spiritual stones and everything supernatural is based on one of those people.
The rest of her personality is her own, the birth of her character started
there. And then there is Officer Rielly.
He’s a sheriff and paramedic that I’ve worked with for several years. I
trying to get him to verify a rumor I’d heard. He told me that if he was going
to check it out for me, he wanted and appearance in my story. My initial
intention was a brief appearance, but his character insisted on poking his nose
into Annie’s business every chance he got. I had no choice but to let him stay.
What would your readers be surprised to learn about
you?
I’m painfully shy and introverted. The process (because that’s what it is for
me) of going out and interacting with real people is exhausting. I’m not a
hermit (but I’d like to be) because I work as an ER nurse, so of course I
interact with people all the time. That’s not bad. It’s the strictly social
interactions that I struggle with.
When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have
any hobbies or guilty pleasures?
I love to hike,
especially up a mountain. And I’m a little bit obsessed with birds. I take
pictures of them (not very good pictures, because I have zero photography
skills) and if I don’t know what type of bird it is, I scour the internet until
I find it. Of course I love to read.
What writer doesn’t?
Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is
your favorite and why?
I think my favorite character is
Trixie. No one’s met her yet, because she’s a character in the book I’m working
on right now. The funny thing is that I didn’t plan her. She’s tough on the
outside and very outdoorsy. She loves to use idioms. And even though she
pretends she’s not paying attention, she’s very aware of what’s going on with
Annie and the others.
If this book is part of a series…what is the next
book? Any details you can share?
Yes,
the next book in the series is Whispering Spirits. It’s another YA paranormal.
But Annie has learned to accept her gift…
Troubled Spirits
Teri Lee
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Date of Publication: August 21, 2014
ISBN: 1612964028
ASIN: B00NJ523TE
Number of pages: 220
Word Count: 64,000
Book Description:
Annie Waters hates birthdays. At least she hates her birthdays. Because every year her mother told the story of her grandmother's ghostly appearance in the delivery room. But the worst birthday was her sixteenth--the day she killed her dad.
Forced to move to Shady Cove, Maine, Annie is drawn deep into the world of the supernatural by her new friend, Harmony. Now, tormented by an angry spirit, Annie has only nine days to unravel the secrets of the Caldwell School or join the spirit world herself
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/2fr-K7A9Bog
Available at Amazon AmazonUK BN Smashwords
Excerpt:
Annie ran her finger along the edges of the worn brown
cover. It was divided into four sections. In the top left corner
were lines swirled together. Annie brushed her fingers across
the raised lines. “Wind,” she whispered. Then, she slid her
fingers over to the next corner, touching the raised flames, and
whispered, “Fire.” She continued, moving her hand to the
bottom right corner, resting her fingers briefly next symbol.
“Earth.” And finally, she moved to the final corner. “Water.”
The pages beneath the cover began to glow and Annie
pulled her hand away. When the glow faded, she once again
reached for the book. Her hand trembled as she opened it. The
handwriting on the yellowed pages was clean and crisp as if it
had been penned that very day. She read it out loud. “Book of
Spells.”
“Wow,” Drew said. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know.” Annie looked up at the picture of Melinda.
The sadness was gone from her eyes and, for a second, Annie
was certain the beautiful witch nodded at her. She looked over
at Drew.
“Did you see that?” Drew asked.
Annie nodded and turned the page. To preserve fruit was
written at the top, followed by a list: cattail root, rosemary and
salt, and then written below it were five lines:
Fruit from the earth
Warmed by the sun,
Fed by the rain
Keep your flesh whole
For the lips of the man
The next page was titled To repel biting insects, followed once
again by a list and lines. Annie shivered when she saw the next
spell – to punish one’s enemies. She quickly turned to the next
page.
Suddenly the pages of the book began to flip on their own
power. When the pages finally stopped, and she read the words:
To banish an evil spirit. She sank into the chair and buried her
face in her hands.
Drew dropped down on one knee and rested his hand on the
edge of her chair. “What’s the matter, Annie?”
Annie drew a shaky breath and let the events of the past
days tumble out. She told him everything. And not just the
ghost stuff. She told him about Harmony and Logan, and Mike
and Callie, and feeling like a fifth wheel. She watched his face as
she spoke, waiting for him to laugh. But he just listened, never
taking his eyes off her, and with the exception of the occasional
nod of understanding, he didn’t move. She had his undivided
attention.
When she finished, she took a shaky breath and wiped away
the single tear that trailed down her cheek. “You probably think
I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“I think you’ve upset a dangerous spirit.”
Annie breathed a sigh of relief. Drew believed her.
“It’s no accident that Melinda opened the book to this page,”
Drew said. “We need to copy this spell down.”
“I didn’t bring anything to write with,” Annie said. Before
she’d finished speaking, a piece of parchment, a quill pen and a
bottle of ink appeared on the table.
Annie jumped out of her chair and backed away from the
table until she reached the wall at the other side of the room.
“Where did that come from?” she cried.
Drew took a few steps toward her with his hand held out.
“It’s Melinda. She’s just trying to help you.”
Annie looked from Drew to the portrait. “But—but—the
paper—the pen--they just appeared—out of nowhere!”
Drew stayed where he was, still reaching out to her. “You
don’t have to write the spell down, Annie. Not if you don’t want
to. We can just leave right now.”
Annie shook her head. “No.” She took a deep breath and
stepped forward. “I need to do this.” Her legs shook as she
returned to the chair and tentatively reached for the pen. It was
smooth and solid. She dipped it into the ink and brought it to
the parchment, leaving a trail of black drops on the paper as she
silently copied the spell from the book. She didn’t dare read the
words aloud.
Annie glanced out the window. The sun was sinking below
the tops of the trees. Long shadows reached across the clearing.
Drew followed her gaze, then checked the ink to be sure it
was dry. He folded the parchment and tucked it into the pocket
of his jeans. “It’s going to be dark soon,” he said and headed
toward the door.
As Annie followed him across the room, the leaves that had
scattered across the floor earlier suddenly swirled up into a
miniature wind funnel and moved past her and out the door,
leaving the floor once again clean and neat. At the doorway she
turned back to the portrait. “Thank you, Melinda,” she
whispered. Then she shut the door and walked with Drew
along the stone path.
When they reached the little gate, Drew pushed it open and
stepped aside. Even after she passed through, he stood there
still holding the gate open, looking down at her. “I’m glad we
did this today,” he said.
Annie glanced down at her feet, then back up at him. “Me,
too.”
He closed the gate behind them. “I’d like to help you with
this ghost business.” He stepped closer to her. “If you’ll let me.”
Annie barely managed to nod. The world spun around her,
then faded away as she lost herself in his deep brown eyes. And
in that moment, all that mattered to her was Drew.
She lifted her face to him as he leaned closer, his eyes locked
with hers. But instead of kissing her, he brushed the back of his
hand against her face and whispered, “Promise you won’t do
anything without me.”
Annie’s skin tingled beneath his fingers. “I promise,” she
said.
And then the spell was broken as Drew stepped away. “Well,
we better getting going,” he said and started across the field.
cover. It was divided into four sections. In the top left corner
were lines swirled together. Annie brushed her fingers across
the raised lines. “Wind,” she whispered. Then, she slid her
fingers over to the next corner, touching the raised flames, and
whispered, “Fire.” She continued, moving her hand to the
bottom right corner, resting her fingers briefly next symbol.
“Earth.” And finally, she moved to the final corner. “Water.”
The pages beneath the cover began to glow and Annie
pulled her hand away. When the glow faded, she once again
reached for the book. Her hand trembled as she opened it. The
handwriting on the yellowed pages was clean and crisp as if it
had been penned that very day. She read it out loud. “Book of
Spells.”
“Wow,” Drew said. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know.” Annie looked up at the picture of Melinda.
The sadness was gone from her eyes and, for a second, Annie
was certain the beautiful witch nodded at her. She looked over
at Drew.
“Did you see that?” Drew asked.
Annie nodded and turned the page. To preserve fruit was
written at the top, followed by a list: cattail root, rosemary and
salt, and then written below it were five lines:
Fruit from the earth
Warmed by the sun,
Fed by the rain
Keep your flesh whole
For the lips of the man
The next page was titled To repel biting insects, followed once
again by a list and lines. Annie shivered when she saw the next
spell – to punish one’s enemies. She quickly turned to the next
page.
Suddenly the pages of the book began to flip on their own
power. When the pages finally stopped, and she read the words:
To banish an evil spirit. She sank into the chair and buried her
face in her hands.
Drew dropped down on one knee and rested his hand on the
edge of her chair. “What’s the matter, Annie?”
Annie drew a shaky breath and let the events of the past
days tumble out. She told him everything. And not just the
ghost stuff. She told him about Harmony and Logan, and Mike
and Callie, and feeling like a fifth wheel. She watched his face as
she spoke, waiting for him to laugh. But he just listened, never
taking his eyes off her, and with the exception of the occasional
nod of understanding, he didn’t move. She had his undivided
attention.
When she finished, she took a shaky breath and wiped away
the single tear that trailed down her cheek. “You probably think
I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“I think you’ve upset a dangerous spirit.”
Annie breathed a sigh of relief. Drew believed her.
“It’s no accident that Melinda opened the book to this page,”
Drew said. “We need to copy this spell down.”
“I didn’t bring anything to write with,” Annie said. Before
she’d finished speaking, a piece of parchment, a quill pen and a
bottle of ink appeared on the table.
Annie jumped out of her chair and backed away from the
table until she reached the wall at the other side of the room.
“Where did that come from?” she cried.
Drew took a few steps toward her with his hand held out.
“It’s Melinda. She’s just trying to help you.”
Annie looked from Drew to the portrait. “But—but—the
paper—the pen--they just appeared—out of nowhere!”
Drew stayed where he was, still reaching out to her. “You
don’t have to write the spell down, Annie. Not if you don’t want
to. We can just leave right now.”
Annie shook her head. “No.” She took a deep breath and
stepped forward. “I need to do this.” Her legs shook as she
returned to the chair and tentatively reached for the pen. It was
smooth and solid. She dipped it into the ink and brought it to
the parchment, leaving a trail of black drops on the paper as she
silently copied the spell from the book. She didn’t dare read the
words aloud.
Annie glanced out the window. The sun was sinking below
the tops of the trees. Long shadows reached across the clearing.
Drew followed her gaze, then checked the ink to be sure it
was dry. He folded the parchment and tucked it into the pocket
of his jeans. “It’s going to be dark soon,” he said and headed
toward the door.
As Annie followed him across the room, the leaves that had
scattered across the floor earlier suddenly swirled up into a
miniature wind funnel and moved past her and out the door,
leaving the floor once again clean and neat. At the doorway she
turned back to the portrait. “Thank you, Melinda,” she
whispered. Then she shut the door and walked with Drew
along the stone path.
When they reached the little gate, Drew pushed it open and
stepped aside. Even after she passed through, he stood there
still holding the gate open, looking down at her. “I’m glad we
did this today,” he said.
Annie glanced down at her feet, then back up at him. “Me,
too.”
He closed the gate behind them. “I’d like to help you with
this ghost business.” He stepped closer to her. “If you’ll let me.”
Annie barely managed to nod. The world spun around her,
then faded away as she lost herself in his deep brown eyes. And
in that moment, all that mattered to her was Drew.
She lifted her face to him as he leaned closer, his eyes locked
with hers. But instead of kissing her, he brushed the back of his
hand against her face and whispered, “Promise you won’t do
anything without me.”
Annie’s skin tingled beneath his fingers. “I promise,” she
said.
And then the spell was broken as Drew stepped away. “Well,
we better getting going,” he said and started across the field.
About the Author:
Teri Lee is the author of Troubled Spirits, a YA paranormal novel. Growing up in Maine, Teri spent hours exploring in the woods with her friends dreaming up places like ‘Land of the Lost’, ‘Trouble Hill’, and ‘Paradise’. If she wasn’t in the woods, you’d find her lost in a book. And today not much has changed. She’s still dreaming up imaginary places, getting lost in a book, and sometimes lost in the woods. When she’s not writing you’ll find her saving lives and rescuing splinters in the ER.
Blog: www.Terileeliving.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/terilee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.TeriLee
Website: http://www.teri-lee-author.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeriLee_author
1 comment:
Thanks a bunch for hosting Troubled Spirits!
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