Interview & Giveaway - In This Life (Book 1 in the Past Life Series) by Terri Herman-Ponce

 

 In This Life

Book 1 in the Past Life Series

by Terri Herman-Ponce

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BLURB:   

Hidden memories. Buried secrets. Resurrected revenge.   

Psychologist Lottie Morgan knows something is wrong when she relives memories of a lover she's never had. At first she attributes them to fever-induced dreams. But when the fever disappears and the visions don’t, Lottie realizes something else is going on.   

Then she meets Galen. Their first encounter is as intense as it is eye-opening, and his revelation that they shared a passionate relationship thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt entices Lottie into wanting to learn more about her past. Her decision, however, comes at a price. Galen may hold the answers but he could destroy the devoted, lifelong relationship Lottie has with her current lover, David. 

It also could mean her death—again.   

Someone is protecting millennia-old secrets, determined to keep them buried while exacting a revenge on Lottie for a mistake made a very long time ago. A mistake she could be destined to repeat.   

Take a trip to mysterious ancient Egypt, where Lottie becomes caught between two lifetimes, two men, and long-buried deceptions. Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity-winning author, calls this paranormal suspense "Inventive, original and thought-provoking; this mystically romantic mystery will instantly intrigue."

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EXCERPT:

The restlessness I’d been feeling surged through me again, stronger this time, and I didn’t like the way it felt. Something seemed off, and I wasn’t sure if it was with David or with me. Remnants of last night’s sleep started trickling in, and then a connection clicked into place. 

“I had a dream last night and I started remembering it in the bathroom.” I closed my eyes, trying to remember more. “I was in a room with a servant who was waiting on me. She was preparing me to meet someone. A boyfriend.” No, that wasn’t quite right. “A lover.” 

I felt a tingling uneasiness as I said the word. 

“A lover?” David asked. 

I opened my eyes, saw David’s grin and recognized the bait for what it was. 

I grinned back. “The lover wasn’t you.” 

His grin widened and then faded away. “That still doesn’t explain your behavior in the bathroom. You looked like a statue.” 

“I’m tired, David,” I said, sliding down under the covers. “ The human mind is capable of doing unusual things when a person is under stress, like when they’re sick, and the gods only know I’ve been feeling a lot of that these past few days. Forget about it. It’s not a worry.” 

David paused. “Is that your professional assessment?” 

“Yes.” 

It looked like David wanted to say more but he got up and walked to the windows that overlooked the backyard instead. I wasn’t sure what was going through his mind but I knew him well enough to know not to pry. It always backfired whenever I did. So I let him have his moment, toyed with the toast, and then passed on it in favor of some tea. My cell phone rang as soon as I put the mug on the nightstand, and I answered it on the second ring. 

“Tough night’s sleep, Lottie?” The voice on the other end was male and one I didn’t recognize. “You shouldn’t tell your boyfriend about your other lovers. Especially those you dream about.” 

“Who is this?” I asked. 

“I’m disappointed you don’t recognize me.” He laughed, the sound crawling over my skin like a snake over sand. “I’m the man you dreamed about last night.”

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Let's Learn a Little about Terri! 

What is your writing environment?

Yikes. I never thought of my writing places as an environment! And when I answer this question, I’m probably going to sound SO boring. I write on the train ride to NYC every morning when I commute to work. Yeah, I know. Not very romantic, and it’s very, very difficult to do in the middle of winter when you’ve got a heavy coat on! But I also write at my kitchen table overlooking my backyard. I love it when it snows and the yard is blanketed in a beautiful, peaceful white. I also love it when it’s summer and the slider is open, and I can hear the chirping birds and the trickling waterfall form my koi pond.

 

Who is your perfect hero and why?

Uh oh. I’m going to show my true colors here and be selfish. My favorite hero is the one I created—David Bellotti. He’s got green eyes and a body that rocks and can stun a room into silence when he walks in. But you know what I love most about him? He’s imperfect. He’s got his faults and his weaknesses, and he’s willing to admit that he has them, too. For me, he’s as real as it gets. And, more than that, he’s loyal. Become his friend (or the love of his life) and he’s yours forever. He’ll do anything for you—and I mean anything—to the ends of the earth and back. In my mind, that’s perfection.

 

What authors have caught your interest lately and why?

I adore Robert Crais and Harlan Coben. To me, they’re writing gods. I’ve been reading them for years and, in the case of Crais, re-reading him even longer! They both have a way of telling a story that grabs you and just won’t let go. And I love that they take pains in making their words sing on the page. Really, truly, true masters. Sigh. I’d love to be like them when I grow up. *wink*

 

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

Oh wow. Totally easy question. I’ve always wanted to write a book like Gone Girl. But I don’t think I have it in me. At least not right now. And the books that draw me in the most are those that feel real. That hit home in a way that’s personal. That show characters as genuine and imperfect. Now, Gone Girl is not a read for the feint-hearted, but it drew me in and HELD. It was shudder-worthy and stuck with me looooong after I closed it. It’s been months since I’ve read it and it’s still with me, to this day! And you know? My hope is that my novels will one day do the same for my readers.

 

Top 3 things on your bucket list?

Visit Italy

Ride the Florida Keys on a Harley

Visit a Dark Sky Place, where I can adore the stars, galaxies, and the Milky Way without light pollution.

 

How did you get the idea for this particular novel?

This is where you’re going to laugh at me. I started writing Star Trek: The Next Generation fanfiction a long, long time ago, and one of my stories was about me going to bed with the flu and then waking up the next morning feeling better and on the Enterprise. My best friend (who I met through that particular fanfic group) became my beta reader (and still is) and one day encouraged me to spread my wings and write something mainstream instead. She said, “How about using that flu story as your starting point?” So I thought about it, wondering what it would be like to live your life only to discover there was another side to it. A past you didn’t know or remember. And then I started thinking about the concept of past lives and the idea of having a second chance to do things over again. To right wrongs. To try to make amends. And then I thought, what if…WHAT IF…it didn’t turn out as you expected? And In This Life was born.

 

What is your favorite scene in your new release?

The ending, just before the epilogue. And that’s all I’m going to tell you. You’ll just have to read the book to understand why. That chapter will always be dear to my heart on so many levels.

 

What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available?

Well, Covet, Book 2 of the Past Series, will be released on May 27. Where In This Life is Lottie’s story, Covet is David’s. It’s gotten some really great initial reviews, and it also seems that David’s causing quite a stir among readers. *grin* I’m also halfway through writing Book 3 of the Past Life Series and, if all goes well, I’ll be releasing that at the end of this year.

 

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Hmm. Well, I love to go to the beach and watch the sunrise. There’s something special about watching the sun break the horizon in all its glory where it’s just me with nature and the Earth and whatever is beyond.

 

What would you consider a perfect date?

Oh man. Well, my husband and I have been married for (shhhh…I’m doing the math) 28 years, so the perfect date would be one where it’s just him and me and nothing to worry about.

 

What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know?

Asking for deep, dark secrets, are you? Okay, here’s one I haven’t shared anywhere yet. I absolutely love the TV show New Adventures of Old Christine. So much, that I’ve seen every episode probably a dozen or more times each, and I’m still watching them almost every night! Some people have hot tea before bed. Others a light snack. I watch one episode before I curl up under the covers.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

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/. 

If you love social media, you can also find Terri on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Terri.Ponce.Author

 

Twitter at:

https://twitter.com/TerriPonce.

 

Come visit. She’d love to hear from you!

 

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Buy Link:    Amazon

 

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Giveaway:

 

Terri will be awarding a digital copy of IN THIS LIFE (Book 1 of the Past Life Series) to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop during the tour, and a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

The more you comment, the better your chances of winning! 

Follow tour HERE