Category: Book Topics

Nomad Authors would like to welcome one of Dee’s very favorite authors, Terri Osburn, and her newest work, Among the Stars: A Shooting Stars Novella. It would be hard to find a better romance author than Terri, and like everything else Dee has read of hers, Among the Stars is just wonderful! Let’s meet Terri.

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your novella, Among the Stars?

TO: This one came out of necessity. Earlier this year, a friend suggested we gather several authors for a fun Christmas in July promo. The novellas wouldn’t have to take place during Christmas, but they needed some connection. I didn’t have anything holiday planned so I had to think quick, and Veronica came naturally to mind. I’d just released Wishing On A Star, in which Veronica’s ex-husband reunites with his high school sweetheart. Though Veronica and her ex were still best friends, I knew that seeing him with the woman he loved even when they were married was tough for her. Cam, her hero, took a ridiculously long time to find, but once he stepped onto the page, the story fell perfectly into place.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?

TO: I’d like readers to see that sometimes the person we think is perfect for us isn’t really the person for us at all. And in many cases, we aren’t the best judge of the type of person with whom we work. Veronica’s sisters serve as her reality check, and by the end, part of her happy ending is realizing that both she and her ex are with the perfect mates for them.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.

TO: I live in Nashville and while writing the book I had to make a couple visits to downtown, which is where much of the story takes place. There are lots of references to things you see along Broadway daily, including the mention of pedal taverns. For those who don’t know, these are rolling taverns where one person steers (the designated driver of sorts) and tourists sit around what is essentially a rolling bar, pedaling and drinking beer. It sounds terribly unsafe, and looks it too. I don’t drink so I’ve never tried it, but there are two writer events in town over the next two years so I hope to change that. I’ve noticed a couple of seats at the back that don’t have pedals. That’s where I’ll be.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?

TO: I’m fortunate to write full time so writing is my day job, though I mostly do it at night. I’ve had many jobs over the years, including customer service rep, radio personality, and Project Analyst for a military contractor, which is the position I had when I started writing in 2007.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?

TO: I started reading voraciously at a young age and fell into romance novels during my middle school years. It wasn’t long before I wanted to write my own, but life happens and though I never stopped reading, I never took the plunge into writing either. Then I stumbled upon Eloisa James’ now-defunct bulletin board in 2006 and found my tribe. They were readers and aspiring writers of romance, and we banned together to figure out this crazy job together. I’m still good friends with many in that group, and more than half a dozen of us are multi-published authors today.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?

TO: Most of my friends are writers as well, and hugely encouraging. I couldn’t possibly do something so solitary without the support of my writer buddies. My family is very proud. My mother tells everyone she meets about my books, including random strangers on the bus.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?

TO: I’m a bit of a cross between the outliner and the by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer. There are certain things I must do before writing the first word, the biggest being complete my character detail sheets. This is a three page file I picked up from another author many years ago, and it contains everything from the characters family history and hobbies to their motivation and worst fears. Once I have those, I know the characters much more and scenes start to pop into my head. My plots are entirely character driven so if I don’t know the characters, I can’t write the story. But once the draft is going, it’s a hands-free ride and I do my best to keep us on the tracks.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?

TO: The most rewarding part of this job is always meeting the readers. I’ve made friends with some and it’s been such a positive contribution to my life. From California to Germany, the readers are the sweetest, most enthusiastic people. I’m not the most famous or successful author, but I have fantastic people who get very excited to read my books, and that’s more than I ever hoped for.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

TO: I don’t have a lot of hobbies or even much of a social life, but I do like live shows, including musicals and concerts, and hockey. I’m a huge Nashville Predators fan and look forward to going to games every year. I have an odd list of sports I follow, in that they don’t seem to go together. My favorites are hockey, tennis, and bull riding. Kind of an eclectic mix.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?

TO: It’s funny that I got this question today. I’m currently wearing a shirt I chose for the sentiment conveyed. There are times when you can’t take one more second of the mess going on in our world these days and this shirt is the perfect expression of how I feel about things. It’s a black T-shirt that says the F-word, only there’s a skull-and-crossbones where the u would be. It’s a shirt I bought years ago at an All Time Low concert and I realized lately that I don’t wear it nearly often enough.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?

TO: This would have to be cleaning bathrooms. Does anyone actually enjoy doing that??

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?

TO: This is a tough one, but I’ll have to say Judi Dench. Or Maggie Smith. Or maybe Helen Mirren. Can I have all three? Would that not be the MOST fun dinner ever??

NA: What are you working on now?

TO: I’m currently working on more things at once than I ever have in the past. First is a proposal for my agent to shop around. This requires only three chapters, thank goodness. Then there’s an erotic romance novella I’m releasing soon. I’m reviewing the copyedits before formatting and getting it ready to release to the world. After that is a novella due to release in February (a bit of a top-secret project,) and then more books in the Shooting Stars series. Plus another secret project for next spring. Just writing this out makes me wonder if cloning is a thing yet.

NA: What is any question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?

TO: I’d love to talk about my favorite writer ever. I have a long list of favorites, but at the top is LaVyrle Spencer. She wrote amazing books, shifting time periods and styles, and they are all purely magical. Emotional, funny, sad, heartbreaking. And always with a happy ending. She stopped writing years ago, but her books are still out there and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Among the Stars: A Shooting Stars Novella

Blurb:
Veronica Shepherd’s ex is getting married and her response is to tie one on this Christmas Eve. When she goes two—or maybe ten—drinks too many, a sexy bartender comes to her rescue. But Cameron Rhodes isn’t just a bartender. He owns the whole boot-scootin’ honkytonk and has no idea how the beautiful woman in his arms is about to turn his life upside down. When she asks him to be her fake boyfriend, what follows is an adventure he never saw coming.

In a matter of days, Veronica and Cam go from strangers to lovers, and before the ball drops on Christmas Eve, they could become a whole lot more. But only if they’re willing to take a chance on something neither of them saw coming.

Excerpt:
“What do you recommend for a girl looking to forget someone?”

Tilting his chin as if truly pondering the question, the bartender said, “That depends. Are you the dumper or the dumpee?”

The divorce had been mutual, but Veronica felt like the one left behind tonight.

“Dumpee.”

Dark eyes narrowed. “Then the dumper is a fool.”

She was the fool for letting Ash go, but she didn’t correct him.

“Fool or not, he’s getting his happily ever after, and I want a drink.” The last was uttered with a slur so Veronica tried again. “A drink,” she said more clearly, emphasizing the k sound.

The bartender leaned on the bar, drawing attention to the strong forearms revealed beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his starched white button-down. Licking her lips, she pulled her gaze upward and spotted a wisp of dark hair through the open collar at his throat. Veronica’s mouth went dry.

“You’ve had enough to drink,” he said, the purr of his voice too distracting for the words to sink in. “Is someone waiting downstairs to take you home?”

Watching his lips move, she imagined pressing her own against them. “I’m alone,” she replied. “You could take me home.”

“Do you go home with strangers often?”

Veronica shook her head slowly, her eyes still on his mouth. “Never.”

“But for me you’d make an exception?”

The judgmental tone made her sit up straighter. “Would that be so bad? To make love to me all night?”

The chiseled jaw twitched as he watched her with a heated look that did funny things to her neglected girl parts. Veronica shivered.

“No, that wouldn’t be bad for either of us,” he drawled. “But I’d rather a woman ask me to make love to her because she wants me, not because she wants to forget someone else.”

Well, damn.

Buy Link: Amazon Kindle

Author Bio:
Terri Osburn writes contemporary romance with heart, hope, and lots of humor. After landing on the bestseller lists with her Anchor Island series, she moved on to the Ardent Springs series, which earned her a Book Buyers Best award in 2016. Her new Shooting Stars series is set against the glittering and gritty world of the Nashville country music scene. Terri’s work has been translated into five languages and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. She resides in middle Tennessee with her college-student daughter, four frisky felines, and two high-maintenance terrier mixes. Learn more about this author and her books at www.terriosburn.com. Or check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TerriOsburnAuthor.