Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Covet

Today's special guest is Terri Herman-Ponce, who revisits us here at Book 'Em North Carolina with her newest release. Terri looks for any opportunity to make stuff up. She thinks anything that can’t so easily be explained is worth an extra look and often makes a great story. She loves red wine, scotch, sunrises, Ancient Egypt, the beach—and a host of other stuff that would take too much real estate to talk about. The youngest of five children, Terri lives with her husband and son on Long Island. And, in her next life, if she hasn’t moved on to somewhere else, she wants to be an astronomer. Terri’s fascinated with the night skies almost as much as she’s fascinated with ancient Egypt. Terri is a member of member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and you can read about her at http://terriponce.com/.

Please note: Terri is off-line today but will return this evening and answer anyone's questions at that time. She wants you all to know she isn't ignoring us!


AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR



I asked Terri about the research that went into writing a story that takes place partially in the ancient past. Here is her reply:


If you ever really think about it, the history of mankind is an interesting one. Sure, there’s a lot of information and material out there to explain a host of things—most of it our current history. But there’s SO much more we don’t know about, in particular about our ancient past.

The pyramids. Stonehenge. Venus of Willendorf. Chauvet Cave. Python Cave. Oh man…the list is endless.

It’s these unknowns that spark my interest and get my creative side really going. Because there’s so much mystery behind our history, I’m intrigued by who came before us. You know, the ancients. Our ancestors. The beings who were here and, somehow, got us to where we are today. Archaeologists and historians and people who are far smarter about this stuff than I’ll ever be have all these wonderful explanations of who we are and where we came from and what our lives were like before we became a civilized people.

But you gotta admit, it’s a limited point of view because none of us were there.

When I started writing Covet (Book 2 of the Past Life Series), I knew that David and Lottie’s relationship was a very old one. And David, being the Alpha Male he is, had a specific past I wanted to uncover. And finding it, believe it or not, came quickly for me. As that Alpha Male, I could so easily picture him in Paleolithic times. The whole “I am your male, you are my female” kind of mindset. But I also knew that the caveman mentality was a very limited one, especially when thinking about the people of this very curious and very unknown era.

I mean, think about it. We’re learning that people who lived tens of millennia ago were capable of abstract thinking that we’ve never given them credit for until recently. And the mysteries behind their lives? Just mind-boggling.

So, being the curious writer I am, I started researching for some level of authenticity. But the problem with doing this, at least for me, is that the research becomes like an onion peel. Layer after layer, I kept peeling away more at my research, digging deeper and deeper until my fascination took over to the point that I’d lose entire DAYS doing it. Fun, yeah, but not good for the writing!

Still, it makes me wonder…

Just think of all the history that’s been lost, because of destructive weather or time simply taking its toll.

Just think of all the artifacts and history still buried beneath our feet, undiscovered.

Just think of all the unknowns about our past that we will never find.

Well, that’s what I love to write about. And that’s exactly what I did.

Thank you for having me here today. I hope you enjoyed my little foray into the past, and I also hope you enjoy reading Covet. A piece of my heart, and a little of our history, is inside it.


ABOUT THE BOOK



Everyone wants something.

Even if it belongs to someone else.

And some will destroy the very thing they want, just so no one else can have it.

Professional soldier David Bellotti's latest mission seems simple: steal the key card to a drug lord's compound so the empire can be infiltrated and destroyed. But when David discovers evidence of his lover Lottie’s possible infidelity, his mission turns personal. He searches for answers others would kill to keep buried and discovers a link to the past he's been trying hard to ignore.

Ancient lives, twelve thousand year old secrets, murder, and primal instincts lead David on a journey through past lives and present danger—all to save the woman he loves.

Find your way back through history, when hunter-gatherers roamed and David and Lottie's past incarnations began. The Reading Café calls Covet, Book Two of the Past Life Series, "An amazing and fascinating storyline of suspense, mystery, betrayal, hatred and love."   



AN EXCERPT



Loud laughter broke out at a nearby table and I used the pulsating lights that illuminated the dance floor to scan the nightclub again. I watched the dealer, careful not to draw attention to myself. He sat on a sofa set back in a dark corner, surrounded by women, beefy bodyguards, and empty bottles of Cristal. And I waited for the lynch pin—the person who was going to set the wheels in motion for the night.

“She’s playing with her hair and she’s staring at you, Bellotti. I think she’s going to make a move soon.”

“Wipe that grin off your face or I'll do it for you,” I told Galen.

“I’m just waiting for the fireworks.” Galen laughed as he picked up his glass. “What line are you going to use this time? You have an arsenal that always seems to piss off women.”

“I don’t piss them off,” I said. “They just aren’t used to honesty. Which doesn’t say a whole lot for relationships or dating these days, does it?”

Galen shrugged. “I think you’re jaded. You walk in with attitude and Armani, turn heads, and then moan about the unwanted attention you get.”

I studied the two of us in the mirror, both in designer clothes, both trying to blend in with the upscale crowd. Only Galen didn't have the harshness on his face that I did. People probably looked at me tonight and saw someone who wanted to break a face. In reality, it was exhaustion. I really needed that damned vacation.

“You’re making too big a deal out of this,” I said.

I was going to say more but stopped when I saw our lynch pin walk into the club. She positioned herself near a granite column off to the side of the dance floor, all long legs, blonde hair, and killer body in a tight blue dress.

Lady in Blue slinked through the crowd, every man's head turning as she moved. Galen stilled and said, “Wow.”

“We're a go,” I said, setting down the beer.



SPECIAL LINKS



You can read about Terri at http://terriponce.com/.

If you love social media, you can also find Terri on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Terri.Ponce.Author and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TerriPonce. Come visit. She’d love to hear from you!

Links:



Terri will be awarding one free Ecopy of Covet (Book 2 of the Past Life Series) and In This Life (Book 1 of the Past Life Series), to a randomly chosen commenter at each stop and a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: