An Interview with Teri McGill
Pulled from the archives to celebrate this amazing book being FREE!
1. Share with us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Fresh Meadows (Queens) New York. After a few years of teaching 4th and 7th grade Math, I got my Master’s Degree in Deaf Education and spent the next 12 years teaching secondary Math (and tap dance in the after-school theatre arts program) at the Lexington School for the Deaf. I moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and spent the following 18 years teaching deaf students Math and ASL (American Sign Language) at Granada Hills High School and Fairfax High School. This explains the recurring themes of deafness and ASL in my novels.
2. What inspired this novel/series?
After retiring in 2012, I had a lot of free time. I contacted Becky Johnson at Hot Tree Editing and she took me on as a beta reader. After reading a multitude of fabulously hot romances, I thought that perhaps I would try it as well. I had written a screenplay in ’96 (20 copies are gathering dust in my garage), but now … in 2015 … the self-publishing phenomenon has enabled the writer to take control of their own destiny and ‘just do it’! I used an idea (no spoilers!) from that screenplay and created a completely different story and characters. I soon realized, as I approached and then passed 150k words, that 2 books would be necessary. But … trilogies seem to be so popular now, I decided to take a minor character from Book #1 (I confess, I had fallen a bit in love with him) and create a story about him for Book #3. So the series – MY HEART IS YOURS – was born!
3. Who did you dedicate your first novel to and why?
My parents
Dedication: Mom and Dad
Although you have been gone from this Earth for a while, you are always in my heart. You both read to me as a child and constantly encouraged me to read. Neither one of you thought it odd when the occasional neighbor would report that I had been observed walking to and from school every day, with an open book in my hands. Thank you. I miss you both.
My mother worked from home throughout my entire life. Although forced to quit school and go to work at 14, education was very important to her and my father, who did have a college degree. I was an only child and got lots of attention … the good kind: books, books, and more books! At an early age I was hooked on Nancy Drew (am I dating myself?) and fiction of all kinds. My dad instilled a love of Mathematics in me … giving me Algebra riddles before I was even in first grade! He was also a fanatic about correct spelling. Perhaps that’s why I love proofreading so much. My parents sacrificed a lot to send me to one of the best Catholic, all-girls schools in NYC, and then to St. John’s University. When I decided to go to graduate school to become a teacher of the Deaf, they supported me 100%, financially and emotionally.
4. Tell us about where you write? (Your office, desk, couch, etc – covered in paper, clean, etc. – cats in the way)?
I write exclusively at my computer desk in my office/guest bedroom. It is always messy (although somewhat organized) with tons of Post-it notes everywhere! I always have my morning coffee while I’m writing, and sometimes lunch too. I keep small notepads everywhere in case an idea pops up: gym bag, car, purse, tucked in my Kindle’s cover, and my cell phone is always ready to type in a quick reminder for an idea/random word/cool name for a character/a sentence of dialogue/a plot twist/ a teaser, etc.
5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned while writing this novel/series?
I think I have gained a deeper understanding of life and have certainly become much more emotional. (Perhaps way TOO emotional!) In my early twenties, I decided I didn’t want children. Although I was a teacher my entire career, I wasn’t that crazy about kids, especially the little ones. I have always LOVED teenagers and spent the majority of my career in high schools. There are several young children who are major characters in my trilogy. I have fallen in love with each of them so deeply, I now become emotional when I am out in public and see a child who resembles one of my characters. Also, when a character dies (because I killed him/her) it’s devastating to me, even when the death is ‘necessary’ because it drives the entire plot forward.
6. Is there more books in this series?
MY HEART IS YOURS (SERIES)
SIGNS OF A QUIET HEART (Book #1)
LIVING FOR TWO (Book #2 )
LOST AND FOUND (Book #3)
Thank you for this lovely opportunity! It was a bit difficult to answer only some of the questions … they were so thought-provoking, I felt like answering them ALL!
“Sweet and Touching Romance"
When Robbi Bennett, special education teacher extraordinaire, decided to move from New York to California, it was for reasons beyond trading snowstorms for sunshine and surfing. Following the tragic death of her parents, and several doomed relationships, she craved a fresh start; an opportunity to reinvent herself.
Tyler D’Angelo, bad-boy biker and self-proclaimed man-whore, equates love with weakness. For decades, he has kept his heart on lockdown, but meeting Robbi turns his solitary life inside out as they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Can love be strong enough to overcome a lifetime of fear?
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/37vZrsi