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Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list, Publishers Weekly #1 Bestseller, Nielsen’s Bookscan’s top fifty, Amazon #1 Bestsellers, and featured in USA Today. Her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America RITA contest, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, as well as a three-time finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers The Carol Award contest. Her book A Family Under the Christmas Tree was turned into a Hallmark movie and titled, Picture a Perfect Christmas.
Connect with Terri:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads
Welcome to Heartbeats & Hideaways!
To celebrate her visit, our guest is offering two winners a copy of Montana Christmas Target by Terri Reed. One winner will receive a print copy (U.S. mailing addresses only). One winner will receive a digital copy. Enter here.
Thanks for joining us today, Terri. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.
Congratulations on the upcoming release of Montana Christmas Target! What do you like best about this particular story—whether it’s a character, a scene, the setting, or the emotional arc?
Thank you for having me. I am very grateful to be here. What I enjoyed most about writing Montana Christmas Targetwas the setting. It’s been a while since I’ve had a book set in the state of Montana. There’s so much beauty to explore, especially at Christmas time with winter and snow. I used the wilderness, the town of Bozeman, and a ranch with horses. It just made for a lovely setting.
You’ve mentioned in past interviews that you dictate your first drafts in the bathtub. How did you discover it worked so well for you, and has it changed over the years?
I do dictate my first draft in the bathtub, very Hemingway-like of me, LOL. About ten years ago, I broke my right wrist, and I was in the middle of a book and had no idea how I was going to finish and fulfill my contract. But two wonderful authors, Megan Crane and Maisey Yates, helped me to learn the art of dictation. It was very slow going at first. A lot of tears were shed. But the more I dictated, the better I became. And now I can’t go back, even though my wrist is healed. It’s so much faster to dictate, and I don’t allow myself to edit when I’m dictating, so the story comes out more organic. I have had to figure out a new dictation program because the one that I learned on went away. That was a bit of a trial, but I found a new dictation program I’m enjoying. I’ll keep dictating my first draft for as long as I write.
Since this is a Christmas-set romantic suspense, I’d love to hear about A Family Under the Christmas Tree, which became the Hallmark movie Picture a Perfect Christmas. What was that experience like from book to screen, and how does writing a holiday-themed suspense novel feel different from writing a sweet holiday romance?
Having a book turned into a movie was a bit surreal. Seeing the characters come to life and hearing my words was very special. It helps that I really liked the actors portraying the characters. I got to be on set for a day, meet everyone, and see the filming process, and that was a wonderful experience.
For me, the difference between writing a suspense story set at Christmas and a holiday sweet romance is that, in suspense, there isn’t time to lean into the holiday’s traditions and nuances. Whereas, when writing a sweet romance, we can enjoy the nostalgic touches, traditions, and fun events we all love. For me, whether I’m writing a suspense or a sweet romance at Christmas time, I always remember the reason for the season and try to incorporate that into my stories.
Looking back at your career from that first Love Inspired sale after a decade of persistence to becoming a New York Times bestselling author, what piece of advice would you give to writers who are still in the “not yet” stage?
The advice I give is the same advice I received when I was starting out. Be persistent. Learn your craft and never stop learning. Always believe in yourself. And I’ll add: do the hard thing, whatever that means for you. For me, it’s pushing through the times when I’d rather do anything else but write. Writing can be very lonely and taxing, but it’s so rewarding as well.
For readers who are just discovering your books or who already love them, why should they join your newsletter? What can they expect, and is there anything special coming for our subscribers around the Montana Christmas Target release?
My newsletter is the best way to learn about me and my writing. I always share books from my friends because we can never have enough book recommendations. For my upcoming release, I had magnetic bookmarks made from the cover to give away, and I’ll be giving away a couple of Montana ornaments over the next few months to celebrate Montana Christmas Target.
 Montana Christmas Target Running from armed gunmen—
and seeking a safe refuge.
Sculptor Fiona Halverson is shocked to stumble upon her ex-fiancé’s murder—just before a masked attacker attempts to abduct her. She’s rescued by FBI Special Agent Bryce Springs, who is investigating a counterfeit ring that points directly to Fiona’s art gallery. Forced to flee from a dangerous crime boss during a brutal blizzard, Fiona and Bryce must uncover how her gallery became part of a criminal operation—and prove her innocence. Facing armed adversaries and the treacherous storm, they’ll risk everything to expose the truth. But with every step, the fight for justice becomes a battle for their very survival.
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