Your Next Favorite Author–Terry Segan!

A mysterious plant, a forgotten necklace, and years of lost memories…

Twenty-two years after a tragic accident claimed Joy’s memories, a chance discovery in a gift shop nudges her forgotten past to the surface. Was it the cashier’s purple necklace, the Celestia seeds, or long-suppressed recollections pushing her to remember her former life?

            As she searches for clues leading home, unknown elements threaten her current happiness and those she loves. When a cryptic symbol forms on her wrist and additional instructions appear on the seed packets, they offer more confusion than clarity. 

            With her best friend’s help, Joy strings together the missing pieces of her mysterious provenance. Her quest uncovers those who have paid the price for her reckless youth. Will she be welcomed back with open arms or scorned for having survived?

            Release Date: May 29^th, 2024!

Terry Segan, originally from Commack, NY, resides in Nevada. To appease her gypsy soul and travel cravings, she’s rarely found at home on the weekends. Her journeys inspire the paranormal mysteries filling the pages of her books. Some of her best ideas are worked out while traveling on the backseat of her husband’s motorcycle. His only request is to be a chalk outline in one of her novels—providing she’s still writing fiction. Terry’s goals are to cause her readers to laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if that thump under the bed was real or imagined.

Avis: Welcome, readers, to another edition of Your Next Favorite Author! Today’s interview is with my writer friend, Terry Segan. Welcome back, Terry, and congratulations on another book! I really loved this one, and so will paranormal/Sci-Fi fans. 😊 Terry and I both released debut novels in 2022, and we are old friends at this point! I love learning new tidbits about her writing strategies and her latest projects!

            Let’s begin, shall we? Here’s the first question:

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Terry: Clutter! I’m one of those organized people who has to make the bed every morning. (Though that could be because all the covers end up on my side, and I’m disposing of the evidence.) My workspace has to be in order otherwise my creativity shuts down. Surprisingly, I can write almost anywhere—the beach, a bar, or outside at the picnic table. What I can’t handle, is being surrounded by stacks of stuff and debris. A room full of knick-knacks and tchotchkes might as well be a chorus line of toddlers waiting to poke the delete button when I turn my back.

Avis: LOL! You have a way of making me laugh, and this response is so funny! I’m similar, in that I need order. A messy room is death to my creativity, but all my knick-knacks can stay as long as they’re in their designated spot! I like a little controlled chaos! Let’s see what you think of our next question:

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

Terry: As a teenager, had I recognized my passion for writing, I would have taken classes to build my skills. Also, I would have begun writing books at a younger age. I’ve always had a grasp on grammar, but the nuances of crafting a compelling story have been a learning curve for me over the last decade and a half. I didn’t take writing seriously until my mid-forties. Some people need a sporty new car or round the world cruise to satisfy their mid-life crisis. I chose to become an author.

Avis: That’s good advice! Sometimes we ignore that inner calling! For me it was teaching English! I always wanted to write, but I always wrote! Now that I’m teaching, I will probably never stop! This next question is very personal for each writer:

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Terry: It depends on which books. The first one took me a few years, the second about two. Now I’ve got the timeline down to about six months before my manuscript is ready for an editor. There are two different ways to look at my progress. Either I’ve improved my skills so I can get my ideas down quicker, or the characters screaming in my head are getting louder forcing me to set them loose sooner.

Avis: I love this response! I do think we improve our craft and shorten our production time with each book, and you are certainly proving that! Your finished novels are a joy to read! This next question also varies from author to author:

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Terry: Both. Obviously, my standalone novels won’t relate to each other. My Marni Legend series has two published with a third being my current project. While those have definite connections, if a reader stumbles upon the second or third book first, I want them to be able to enjoy the book in its entirety without knowing all the backstory of the previous novel. I believe I add enough detail for new readers to understand the characters without boring those who began with book one. Though, I have been asked if I’ll be writing a sequel to Photographs in Time or, my current release, Five Steps to Celestia. I haven’t ruled either one out, but those would have to be read in order. As I mentioned earlier, there are many characters and stories in my head demanding time on the computer screen. Right now, it’s all about choices.

Avis: Thanks for that answer, Terry! It is about choice, isn’t it, and following what is right for each book! 

I’m so happy to have you back for another interview, and I’m so impressed by how many wonderful reads you have produced in the amount of time since you signed your first contract with The Wild Rose Press! I’ll be reading all your books and can’t wait for the next Installment!

            See links to Terry Segan’s socials below and scroll down for my review of Five Steps to Celestia, release date, May 29^th, 2024! This is another 5-star novel from Terry Segan!

SOCIALS

Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorterrysegan

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Segan/e/B087YQGXMD

Review by Avis M. Adams

In Terry Segan’s latest paranormal novel, Five Steps to Celestia, we meet Joy, a woman without a past, or at least one she remembers. Segan sets this novel in the wine country of Oregon, and we meet Joy after decades of not knowing who she is, but she has managed to create the woman she has become, a wife (newly widowed), a stepmom, and owner of a successful business.

            The Mystic Swirl Winery is Joy’s home, but since her husband’s passing, she wants to retire. The story opens with Joy and Suzi, her newly divorced best friend, roaming through a gift shop. Joy is trying to cheer Suzi over her new status of single. Segan has a talent for developing sassy and humorous characters, and in this novel, Suzi takes that prize. 

As they peruse the contents of yet another gift shop, Joy meets an older man who helps her into buying three interesting seed packets that catch her eye. He’s as mysterious as the packets that proclaim five steps, but list only one. He also wears a necklace with a glass vial like one given her in the hospital after the accident that stole her memory. 

            As Joy follows step one on the mysterious seed packet, the second step becomes visible. Odd? Yes! And enough to keep this reader turning pages. To add to the complexity of Joy’s new widowhood, her desire to retire, and the tension in her stepdaughter’s marriage, Segan filters in hints of the life that Joy has forgotten. 

            She teases out little tidbits as the story progresses, adding to the mystery and the danger of Joy’s past, as characters enter the story benign and friendly, and turn threatening as more of her past is revealed. 

            Segan’s Five Steps to Celestia is a mystery you’ll want to dive into at the beach, on a trip, or at the end of a busy day so grab your coffee, tea, or a glass of wine, and sit back for the ride of your life. Segan is steering this craft with masterful ease, and readers won’t be disappointed. This novel deserves Five stars!