I’d like to welcome Teresa Trent to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: I love to sew apparel. I have a list of YouTube ladies who sew and I get my inspiration from them. When people find out I sew they almost always say sewing is no longer a way to save money over buying garments in a store. That’s when I tell them that I don’t sew to save money. I sew because I’m a creative person and it’s fun!

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: It used to be going to the dentist, but now I would say tax-related paperwork.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Writing a book and self-publishing it.

Something you chickened out from doing: Seeing a scary movie in a theater. I hate “jump-scares.” When I went to see The Shining, years ago, someone in the seat in front of me asked me to quit screaming.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: There have been many wonderful things. I was over the moon when my late agent, Dawn Dowdle agreed to represent me. I had only self-published, so it felt like I was becoming one of the cool kids. Then getting the opportunity to work with traditional publishers, which was not always easy, but always rewarding. Then, getting the chance to share my writing and have people actually like it. I will always be Sally Fields at the Oscars. “You really like me? Really?”

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I would have waited to self-publish my first book, A Dash of Murder. It was full of grammatical errors and even though I had it professionally edited, the first reviews are still up on Amazon.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I had a reader tell me she wanted to live in the small towns I create in my books. I understood completely, because there are days I live there, too!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Is that me in your book? Am I that character?

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Your book is your product that you are trying to sell. Along with making it creative, make it buyable. That means no buggy books. The story should flow, the grammar is correct, and it should have a clear-cut resolution in the end.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Have confidence in your abilities and do not compare yourself to anyone else. No one has the life-experiences you have, and you do not have theirs. Your story is worth telling.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: I wanted to be an actress. I went to New York City to visit a friend when I was 19. She was trying to get hired on Broadway. The minute I saw all the sacrifices she was making, I changed my mind. I went into teaching.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Write a book! I wanted to write when I was younger but got busy with teaching school and raising children. When I decided to make time in my life for writing, I never dreamed I’d still be at it over a decade later. It’s been a wonderful journey so far!

About Teresa:

Teresa Trent is the author of the Swinging Sixties Mystery Series published by Level Best Books featuring The Twist and Shout Murder (2022), If I Had a Hammer (2023), and Listen, Do You Want to Know a Secret (2024). She has been writing and publishing mysteries since 2011 starting with the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series and followed by the Piney Woods Mystery Series. When Teresa isn't writing novels and short stories, she spends her time creating narrated excerpts on her podcast, Books to the Ceiling, where she gets to use all that community theater experience from her teens and twenties along with a little audio editing she learned from her daughter. Teresa is a former English teacher, but also spent many years teaching music to preschoolers working with children of all abilities. Teresa makes her home in Texas with her husband and son.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresatrentmysterywriter

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ttrent_cozymys

Blog: https://teresatrent.blog/ Books to the Ceiling

Website: http://teresatrent.com

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5219581.Teresa_Trent

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/teresa-trent

Everyone has a secret, and in 1964, Dot Morgan's new job at KDUD Radio is filled with them. Her boss, Holden Ramsey, is a terrible flirt, but he's also engaged to a beautiful socialite. When Dot finds out he's hiding involvements with other women, the hidden facts lead to a grisly murder. Can Dot figure out who is murdering the women in Holden's life before she finds herself next on the hit parade?

Amazon Link https://www.amazon.com/Listen-You-Want-Know-Secret-ebook/dp/B0CQ192VZ1/