Get to know Terri…

Terri Clark feels blessed to demonstrate her passion for young adult fiction as both a teen librarian and author in Colorado. Since she was a little girl she’s been fascinated with the paranormal, so it’s little wonder she’s a real life ghost huntress and her stories dabble in the dark and different. Her newest book, Hollyweird, came out May 8^th with Flux Books and you can also read her in the Hunger Games related anthology The Girl Who Was On Fire from Pop Smart books. For more info, visit her website and Facebook. 

Let the conversation begin!

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

I adore Meg Cabot! Her Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-U series inspired me to become a young adult author. I love her writing, humor and positive energy. Her writing career is one to aspire to and I would love to have her as a mentor. I hope to meet her one day, but worry I’ll embarrass myself by being a silly, overwhelmed fangirl. 

Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?

There’s a country music singer with the same name so I often get fan mail emailed to me that’s intended for her.  I hope to one day be famous enough that she starts getting fan mail that’s intended for me. Lol. And then I get quite a few people telling me I resemble Katie Perry. I think it’s the dark hair and green eyes. 

The best part of waking up is?

Starbucks in my cup.

What advice would you give to new writers?

Never stop learning. Writing is a craft that can always be improved on. Read non-fiction books, take workshops, work with a critique group, join professional writers groups, attend conferences, etc. Doing all of these things will help you grow as a writer.  

Ever written a book that never got published? Ever think you’ll give it a second chance?

Ha! Many. There were several romance novels and then a YA that was part of a proposed 5 book series. I had the first book written and a partial on the second. I still love those characters and would like to come back to them eventually. 

When was the last time you were nervous?

At the book signing event I held for Hollyweird. It was 100 of my closest family, friends and colleagues. I was nervous because those people mean so much to me and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. 

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

It wasn’t advice so much as a mantra that I clung to while I was trying to get published. It took me 12 years before I sold my first book. I’d come close several times, but kept falling short. Someone then told me, “It’s not a matter of IF you’ll be published, it’s a matter of WHEN.”  It got me through some rough times when I thought about giving up. But I wanted too badly to be a published author to give up. 

Most embarrassing moment?

I once had my dress pop open at a writer’s conference. I was in the café getting coffee and the top of my dress came undone, showing my bustier underneath. A very nice gentleman offered me a safety pin to fix it. I blushed down to my toes while my best friend laughed her butt off and teased me about how I’d made that man’s day. 

What’s your favorite outdoor activity?

Camping and hiking. I live in beautiful Colorado and nothing relaxes me more or makes me happier than getting outdoors. I find it very spiritual and rejuvenating. I just booked two camping trips today, in fact. Can’t wait! I only wish we had time to do it more often. 

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Buy a new house, put aside enough money to pay for both of my kids to go to college, buy my husband a new car so my son could then have his jeep and book a tropical vacation for the whole family!