tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309313892009-07-10T09:02:45.859-04:00My public private getaway place, mostly for my writing endeavors.Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.comBlogger603125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-8781730299997465962009-07-10T07:00:00.001-04:002009-07-10T07:00:14.047-04:00

Detective Hussey returns today with a story of the grim reality of police work and its consequences. Somehow, I didn't think cute pictures were appropriate.Today is Wednesday, February 11, in the Year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-eight. I found out yesterday that Jerry Whitehead had committed suicide with a gun, in front of the Sheriff's substation in North Lakeland. He was one of the

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-4384189285534139292009-07-09T06:50:00.000-04:002009-07-09T06:51:16.485-04:00

What I'm reading: Out of Sight, by Elmore LeonardLately, a lot of the books I've been reading have not only the author's name and title on the cover, but also a label telling the reader what kind of a book it is. I can see positives and negatives with this approach.On the plus side:If I've enjoyed a book about certain characters, it's nice to see that this is another book about Harry Bosch, or

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-58621219277898579552009-07-08T07:00:00.002-04:002009-07-08T14:11:21.873-04:00

What I'm reading: Second Thoughts, by Bobbie O'KeefeFirst -- thanks to Susan for taking us to India yesterday. It was a wonderful trip.While Susan was handling comments here at Terry's Place, hubby and I played at the 'unemployed/retired' game. Technically, he's got a title, and he hasn't put in for Social Security, so he considers himself unemployed, not retired. However, his plans to drive to

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-5531490774848505162009-07-07T06:45:00.001-04:002009-07-07T06:51:47.190-04:00

Today I welcome author Susan Oleksiw to Terry's Place. Join her as she takes us on a journey to India.My First LoveOne of my favorite pastimes is wandering the aisles of independent bookstores checking out the mystery novels, looking for books by new writers and new books from old friends. Writers take me into little known corners of the world—Dana Stabenow teaches me about Alaska, Alexander

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-86808413176143928792009-07-06T06:45:00.000-04:002009-07-06T06:49:09.018-04:00

What I'm reading: The File on Devlin, by Catherine GaskinI'm a clone today. I'm over at mystery author Nancy Cohen's blog, talking about naming characters. And here, I'm talking about Rules of the Writing Variety.The other day, I saw a post at a colleague's blog discussing the "rules" of writing. She took exception to one, about opening with weather, checking books on her bookshelf to find those

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-29564267229902476742009-07-03T06:45:00.000-04:002009-07-03T06:48:28.940-04:00

This is part two of The Exhumation. Scroll down and read Part 1 first if you haven't already, or if you need a refresher. Also, if you're using IE 8 and are having trouble with the blog, I can only suggest you try Firefox, or use IE 7. There are issues with IE 8 that nobody has been able to debug, at least not that I have found.On to The Exhumation ... Part 2L.W. Roddenberry, or "Uncle Wayne" as

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-53313588831256784192009-07-02T08:00:00.001-04:002009-07-02T10:20:40.101-04:00

What I'm reading: Sworn to Silence, by Linda CastilloFirst, my news. Yesterday, my Five Star release, WHEN DANGER CALLS was a featured read at Barbara Vey's Publisher's Weekly blog.I'm still working on my short story, with a goal of a complete first draft by Monday. I'm not as far along as I'd hoped, but endings scare the heck out of me. I have too much fun with the writing, and can never seem to

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-65928788984933644122009-07-01T07:00:00.002-04:002009-07-01T07:03:05.999-04:00

What I'm reading: Knock Out, by Catherine CoulterYesterday, I volunteered at an semi-annual Award Ceremony at the Sheriff's Office. The small auditorium was packed to honor those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, as well as those retiring after decades of service. Family and friends were invited, but I was most impressed by how many colleagues of these people took time from their

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-89355776142258114392009-06-30T06:55:00.000-04:002009-06-30T06:55:16.573-04:00

Before I introduce my guest, just a reminder that today's the last chance to enter my June contest for an autographed copy of What's in a Name? Details on my website.My guest today is author Jacqueline Seewald. I'd like to welcome her to Terry's Place. She's sharing some of her experiences along the road to publication, and has some good advice for all. Welcome, Jacqueline.As a teacher who

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-42764323517260972242009-06-29T06:45:00.000-04:002009-06-29T06:48:11.532-04:00

What I'm reading: Tailspin, by Catherine CoulterSaturday's presentation at the Maitland Library was a panel discussion of how the five authors on the panel got started in writing, and whether they would do it again, or will keep doing it.Three of the other authors had one book published. I sat there with my four books and felt like a "real" author.The last panelist had been writing from age

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-62470620533758608192009-06-26T07:00:00.003-04:002009-06-26T07:09:10.897-04:00

By now, Detective Mark Hussey needs no introduction. Here's Part 1 of "The Exhumation." Part 2 next week.Jurisdictional boundaries between counties and municipalities are a touchy thing. Cops are always trying to get out of calls that are right on the fringe of the city limits. The county sheriff will try to say, "I think it's inside the city," and the city officer will inevitably say, "That's in

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-83470426696150259272009-06-25T07:00:00.001-04:002009-06-25T09:48:18.320-04:00

What I'm reading: Claiming the Rancher's Heart, by Cindy Kirk.A shift away from writing today. Last night was our monthly Civilian Police Academy Alumni meeting. Our speaker, head of the Consumer Fraud Unit gave the definition of fraud as "inserting a lie into a business transaction." Since the recent Romantic Times Conference resulted in a lot of attendees having fraudulent charges on their

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-30938886932866741612009-06-24T07:00:00.001-04:002009-06-24T07:01:06.790-04:00

Welcome to my most recent followers: Susan, Mary, and Sarah. So glad you're here. Don't forget the contest for an autographed copy of What's in a Name? Details on my website. (Link in the sidebar) Last week, I got tagged by Sassy-Brit, one of my followers. Being a (relatively) good sport, I'm playing along. Her challenge is What's On Your Desk Wednesday.So, here's my desk. The only reason it

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-64681483078296813032009-06-22T15:14:00.014-04:002009-06-23T07:16:47.532-04:00

Today, I welcome Skhye Moncrief to Terry's Place. How about a trip back through time. Careful--there's a quiz. But there's also a chance to win a slew of e-books, so keep reading. (And no, you don't have to pass the quiz to enter. But give it a shot anyway.First of all, I'd like to thank Terry for having me over. :) I write about the good ole days with a paranormal twist or two. The madness is

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-8529587395797368272009-06-22T07:00:00.003-04:002009-06-22T07:00:57.788-04:00

What I'm reading: 8th Confession, by James PattersonI've continued working with my modified story board, and I'm still liking it. I know there's nothing this method does that a computer program can't do – and perhaps do better – but I like the "change of media" approach. Since last time, I've gone back and started another thing to track: Where. My chapters each contain at least two POV scenes (I

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-58105001264054733242009-06-19T07:00:00.004-04:002009-06-19T07:01:36.746-04:00

If you haven't read Part 1, you'll need to scroll down and read it before this one. I guess I still didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation. As I got out of the car, I could hear yelling and crying from the inside of one of the disheveled trailers. As I got still closer, I noticed that on a direct trajectory from the inside of the small mobile home’s kitchen and on a line with the

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-69714183426631244162009-06-18T18:00:00.001-04:002009-06-18T18:00:27.751-04:00

Thanks to Liana for being my guest, and for hosting a contest. The winner is ... Sarah SimasSarah, please email Liana for the details. Congratulations! And for those having trouble getting into the blog ... I really have no good explanation other than IE sometimes takes its sweet time about loading the script for the "Keep reading" link. It should end with /#0 at the bottom of your monitor

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-28542187498760260992009-06-18T08:48:00.009-04:002009-06-18T10:01:17.933-04:00

What I'm reading: Wicked Prey, by John Sandford.Last night, I had the pleasure of spending several hours picking Detective Hussey's brain for authenticity with the law enforcement aspects of two of my WIPs. He's an amazing font of information, and most generous with his time. (OK, I admit, we met at the Ale House, so there was more than Q&A going on.) This week's chapter was long enough that I

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-46499493233331791452009-06-17T07:00:00.002-04:002009-06-17T07:00:04.086-04:00

If you're looking for Liana Laverentz's contest, she's down one post. Even if you're not, check it out. She's got some sage words about being published. And Detective Hussey responded to his Friday chapter in the Comments section with a couple of new "terms of endearment".For today, I'm thinking about something that everyone must understand. Publicity. Promotions. Advertising. Unwanted mail,

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-59360834527958355302009-06-16T06:50:00.001-04:002009-06-16T06:51:34.522-04:00

This week, my guest is EPPIE award winning author Liana Laverentz. Her topic: Why (or How) Do You Want to Be Published? She's got a special prize for one lucky commenter, so be sure to read on. Welcome, LianaWe all know why we write. We write because we can’t not write, or because we have a deep-rooted need to express ourselves in some way, and have for most of our lives. We have these stories

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-3956895240209674842009-06-15T06:56:00.001-04:002009-06-15T09:05:15.654-04:00

What I'm reading: Fatal Secrets, by Allison Brennan; The Language of Bees, by Laurie R. King.Housekeeping:I hope everyone enjoyed Detective Hussey's "copspeak" over the weekend. And I'd like to take a moment to congratulate my daughter for finishing a half-ironman in Kansas on Sunday. Near as I can tell, there were almost 100 entries in her age class, and she finished 27th. Her final time was 5:

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-43579912363719781932009-06-12T07:00:00.006-04:002009-06-12T07:04:24.635-04:00

This week, Detective Mark Hussey shares those special "ways with words" in the world of law enforcement. Let's listen in.This chapter is dedicated to all those sayings that cops everywhere have made famous. You know, those cop witticisms, those clever, albeit sarcastic, little sayings that all policeman find it necessary to employ, whenever some low-life, scumbag, I.Q. of room temperature,

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-4198964614602585292009-06-11T06:45:00.000-04:002009-06-11T06:49:58.389-04:00

If you haven't read yesterday's post, please do it first. I promise, this one will still be here when you get back. And thanks to Mark Carter for sharing his experiences as a volunteer with CulinaryCorps. Once again, welcome, Mark.I have a fondness for food. I’ve visited New Orleans three times prior to this trip and have always found the city to be one of the most atypical American cities. Not

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-8939052022634278842009-06-10T07:00:00.009-04:002009-06-10T14:55:41.135-04:00

What I'm reading: Faceless, by Debra WebbThanks, Karen for sharing your thoughts. It boils down to "writers write" doesn't it? Today, I'm pleased to be turning the place over to someone near and dear to me--my brother. As a young kid, he'd get up early Sunday mornings and cook breakfast. Pancakes, waffles, coffee cake, you name it. (He confessed later that he did it because he didn't like fried

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931389.post-74725405202378953772009-06-09T07:00:00.001-04:002009-06-09T07:00:00.245-04:00

Today my guest is author Karen McCullough. One of my previous guests talked about overcoming an addiction. Karen's here to report on why she has no desire to kick hers. Welcome, Karen. Hello, I’m Karen McCullough, and I’m a writer. I’m not always a happy writer, I’m afraid. In fact, I’d probably have to describe myself as more of a bipolar writer.There are an awful lot of downs in this business

Terry Odellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687terry@terryodell.com12