Terri Reid is a former owner of a public relations and marketing firm who became a writer a few years ago. Since the day she decided to turn to writing, she’s been on a journey she never anticipated. Reid is currently working on the 12th book in her Mary O’Reilly paranormal mystery series. The journey as a writer is one Reid had always dreamt of, but never pursued until an economic downturn forced her out of business. “In early 2010, I was running my own company, a small public relations and marketing firm, in Freeport, Illinois. My clients were great people who also owned small businesses. That was the year the economy crashed in our town. My clients called with sincere regret as they cancelled their contracts, but they just couldn’t afford marketing. My business was crashing around me.”
While she was searching for a job in marketing, a friend sent Reid a link to a Wall Street Journal article about e-publishing. Reid said, “I had heard of it, but never thought much about it. . .I finished my book, ‘Loose Ends,’ created my own cover and uploaded it to Amazon. Now, a little over three years later, I have sold more than 200,000 copies and have ten more in the series.”
“Loose Ends” is a paranormal mystery in which a former Chicago policewoman has a near-death experience. After that experience, the woman can see and talk with ghosts. She leaves the police force to open a private investigation company in a small town. The idea for the book came to Reid due to her family roots. “I have a Celtic ancestry and I grew up hearing ghosts stories. When I was a freelance journalist I often interviewed people who lived with ghosts.”
Reid wrote the Halloween feature for a local paper for a number of years. While growing up in Chicago, she remembered hearing about ghosts like Resurrection Mary, who was often seen walking down the street in front of Resurrection Cemetery. She said that when she began asking about ghosts in her home town of Freeport, people started telling her about real ghosts that lived in their homes. She said, “I loved hearing their stories; the bumps in the night, the knocks on the doors, the quick movements out of the corners of their eyes and the whispers in the dark. I really wanted to explore those themes in small town America with neighbors, family and friends around to help enhance the story.”
One of the reasons Reid’s books are popular is that they take readers on what Reid calls a roller coaster ride. She said, “I want them to laugh out loud, look over their shoulder in fear when they hear bumps in the night and cry when things are either sad or touching. My readers tell me they are often embarrassed when they read my books in public places because they tend to ‘emote’ out loud.”
Reid wants readers to realize they can remain in control of their lives despite what may be going on around them. “I believe an overarching issue is the power each of us have when we have enough faith to not only believe in ourselves, but also believe in others. In each book in the series there is also a unique issue I address. I have written about domestic abuse, rape, post-traumatic stress disorder and murder. And within those topics I’ve written about loyalty, tolerance, communication, trust and family.”
Even though her books are paranormal mysteries, Reid also strives to maintain a sense of realism by not having her protagonist take actions that are not believable. She said, “I want Mary, my protagonist, to be smart. When she hears a noise in her basement, she doesn’t go downstairs by herself. She’s seen the movies, she knows what happens. But, I also want her to be vulnerable. For instance, when she helps a dear friend pass over to the other side, she sobs because she’s going to miss him. I love strong female characters, but no one is perfect, so she probably drinks too many diet soft drinks, is a little stubborn, has a weakness for chocolate and feels a need to prove herself to her older brothers. Things, I think, we all can relate to.”
The journey Reid is on has culminated with the addition of a new series and a stronger outlook on life. “I have started a new fantasy series that is being met with wonderful reviews. But most of all, I am living [my] dream. I am receiving emails from people all over the world whose hearts have been touched by my words. And I understand that if I hadn’t gone through that really hard time, if I hadn’t had no other options, if I hadn’t been forced from an easy path to a difficult one, I would not be here. Sometimes we have to go through hard times to get to the places we really want to be. Was it worth it? Without a doubt!”
More information
Learn more about Terri Reid on her website at www.terrireid.com.
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