Let's Talk with Terry Ambrose

Who am I? A writer—otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. A photographer—this might actually have been my first love. A musician—maybe a stretch, but I used to be, anyway. I’m a bunch of other things, too, but these are the Big Three. Somehow, they all influence each other. And that influences my writing.

My career as an author didn’t follow the usual path. No novels in crayon when I was seven or eight. No first tomes as a teen. It wasn’t until I was in my late thirties that I wrote my “first book.” As the story goes, I had an employee who was driving me crazy, and I couldn’t get rid of her. Like any good plot, the pressure continued to build until I was at my breaking point. At one point, murder actually seemed like a plausible solution. 

But, here’s the thing: cluck, cluck, I’m a chicken. And I take that old saw of “don’t do the crime if you don’t want to do the time” seriously. So, I did the next best thing. I killed her off on paper. And thus, that “first book” was born. (And, no, you’ll never see it in print.)

Almost forty years later, I realize that my younger me had no idea how to write a novel. But over time, I learned how to blend my Big Three into a writing style that includes rich imagery, finding the right cadence for the scene, and, of course, mapping out my destination.

Mapping. Now, there’s a gotcha. Yes, I’m a plotter. I also allow myself considerable leeway once the plot is laid out. For me, a plot gives me direction and a sense of the cadence I need, what imagery fits that scene best, and how the scene should fit into the overall scheme of things. One of my biggest style influences was ”Scene & Structure” by Jack M. Bickham. After reading that book (multiple times), everything I’d learned about writing started to make sense, and my style evolved rapidly into what it is today.

With 24 books under my belt, some might call me a prolific writer. Maybe. I’ve just always followed my muse. When we were traveling to Hawaii each year, I dove deep into the McKenna Trouble in Paradise mysteries. McKenna, a cynic at heart, never wanted to be involved in murder investigations, but somehow, he kept finding himself dragged into the fray despite all of his kicking and screaming.

At one point, the thriller bug bit me. The big question: what would happen if a con artist and a criminologist were forced to work together to stay alive? In the License to Lie series, Roxy Tanner pulled her first con when she was seven, and Skip Cosgrove never lied—until his world was flipped upside down. In physics, opposites attract. In fiction, they create a great dynamic.

Wanting something more cozy-ish, I turned to the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast mysteries. Once again, I chose two points of view. Alex is young, precocious, and impulsive. Her dad, a former crime reporter, is thorough, by-the-book, and always trying to keep Alex out of the investigation. Of course, Alex is having none of that because she loves investigations. You see where this is going, right?

When I began missing McKenna (and Hawaii, which we haven’t visited since Covid), I wrote the Beachtown Detective Agency series featuring new PI Jade Cavendish. Jade might be inexperienced, but she’s got spot-on instincts. Her investigations start out as routine PI stuff, but somehow turn into a full-on chase to find a killer.

I don’t know what’s next. Writing’s gotten harder due to so many time constraints, commitments, and a boatload of personal issues. Like most writers, I have more ideas about the next book than I can ever use. Nevertheless, the journey continues, and for once, the next step may surprise even me.

Like my fellow authors, I’m delighted you’re here. Whether you’ve been reading my books for years or just discovered my work, I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about my writing. Be sure to visit Booklover’s Bench often to see behind-the-scenes glimpses of our writing, travel, research, artistic projects, and mysteries.

I’d love to hear about your own Big Three in the comments below!

Want to know more about our author Terry Ambrose? Visit his WEBSITE.

While you’re here, be sure and click over to enter our July contest. The contest is open for entries from July1-22. King Sumo selects the winner, and the prize is two mysteries! Enter the contest HERE.