I’ve always had a vivid imagination, but those creations didn’t make it to the page until my mid-forties. People say things happen for a reason. A decade later, I got laid off from my job, so I threw myself into writing. That’s when I began taking it seriously. On May 29th, I’ll release my sixth book, Five Steps to Celestia. As you can see, I did take becoming a published author seriously.
Much of my writing is inspired by places I visit or have lived. At a young age I got hooked on the beach and travel. Growing up in Commack, NY, which is a town on Long Island, sun and sand were a huge part of our family life. In the warmer weather we went most weekends. Our big vacation of the year took place every summer when we loaded into the family car and drove off to adventure.
Fast forward to my life now where my husband and I are usually gone three out of four weekends a month. We’re not waiting for retirement to hit the road and check places off our bucket list. We’re traveling now via motorcycle, car, plane, or ship every chance we get. As a bonus, we live full time in our RV. While much of our time is spent in Las Vegas, this summer we’ll enjoy three months in Oregon escaping the desert heat. The Pacific Northwest is the setting for two of my novels including the new release.
All of my stories have a paranormal twist with ghosts, time travel, or other mystical aspects. Many of these chapters get written while I ride backseat on my husband’s motorcycle. We’ll travel for hours without speaking a word to each other because my mind is busy. Which is probably best since it’s very difficult to backseat drive between the roaring pipes and no place to apply my imaginary break.
It thrills me to be able to weave otherworldly details into my stories. If a reader is both excited and afraid to turn the page, I’ve done my job. It fills me with pride when people tell me they laughed out loud while reading The Marni Legend Series, both books one and two. Laughter is great medicine, and I’m happy when I achieve that goal with the antics of my characters. It’s not hard for me to incorporate my sarcastic humor into chapters since it’s deeply ingrained in my genes.
The comic relief in Five Steps to Celestia is provided by the main character’s best friend, Suzi. She’s pushing sixty, flirtatious, and can be feistier than a boat load of drunken sailors if anyone threatens her friends. Everyone needs a pal like Suzi, who is always there through laughter and tears—sometimes at the same time.
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Title: FIVE STEPS TO CELESTIA
Author: Terry Segan
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb
Twenty-two years after a tragic accident claimed Joy’s memories, a chance discovery in a gift shop nudges her forgotten past to the surface. Was it the cashier’s purple necklace, the Celestia seeds, or long-suppressed recollections pushing her to remember her former life?
As she searches for clues leading home, unknown elements threaten her current happiness and those she loves. When a cryptic symbol forms on her wrist and additional instructions appear on the seed packets, they offer more confusion than clarity.
With her best friend’s help, Joy strings together the missing pieces of her mysterious provenance. Her quest uncovers those who have paid the price for her reckless youth. Will she be welcomed back with open arms or scorned for having survived?
Excerpt
Staring into the dresser mirror, Joy placed the gold chain around her neck. Her thoughts flitted back to the grizzled hands of the hospital volunteer who’d put it on her the first time. The man had slipped the delicate chain around her saying it was a gift for all those who needed a memory or two. She couldn’t recall his face. He never returned to visit again. The nurses she’d questioned about him didn’t know who she talked about. Why had she forgotten that until this moment?
The doctors said she would recover her memories in time. Joy never did. There was no medical explanation for the permanent loss. Amnesia didn’t work that way, yet here she stood, twenty-two years later with a name given to her by the doctor, now her deceased husband.
Joy wrapped her hand around the small vial begging it to conjure the memories promised. Loosening her grip, she stared into its depth. A purple haze glistened from within. The thickness of the glass obscured its true form; she could never tell if the substance inside was powder or liquid. Whenever she gazed into the tiny receptacle, she felt at peace. Maybe that’s the purpose of it—simply to soothe the wearer.
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Author Biography
Terry Segan, originally from Commack, NY, resides in Nevada. To appease her gypsy soul and travel cravings, she’s rarely found at home on the weekends. Her journeys inspire the paranormal mysteries filling the pages of her books. Some of her best ideas are worked out while traveling on the backseat of her husband’s motorcycle. His only request is to be a chalk outline in one of her novels—providing she’s still writing fiction. Terry’s goals are to cause her readers to laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if that thump under the bed was real or imagined.
Social Media Links
Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry
Title: SPIRIT IN TOW – THE MARNI LEGEND SERIES – BOOK 1
Author: Terry Segan
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb
Marni Legend is about to publish her thirteenth novel. Gus Zuckerman has been hanging around since his death in nineteen-ninety-five. With her deadline looming and her recently deceased mother refusing to move on, can Marni dispatch both spirits and still have time for romance?
Armed with sarcasm and a warped sense of humor, her innate ability to stumble into awkward situations lands Marni in the midst of a car theft ring. As her circle of friends becomes populated with felons and possible murderers, the lines blur around whom she can trust.
Juggling a hot new beau with one hand and rekindling an old flame with the other, she may need to put on the brakes with one. Should she pick the probable criminal who may know Gus’s fate or play it safe with the sweetheart from her past? She’ll need more than her special abilities and quick wit to navigate the twists and turns of this paranormal mystery.
Excerpt
The usual cadre of fishermen dotted the docks. If I boldly stepped onto the ship, would they know I didn’t belong? Could one be a sentry in disguise? I sauntered past, trying to catch a glimpse of any crew hanging about. The boat was in complete darkness.
Gus waited on my favorite perch. “It’s about time you showed up. Why aren’t you in all black so nobody can see you? God, you look like an amateur.”
“Perhaps because I am an amateur. I’m not the one with a criminal record.” I sat beside him.
“Who says I got a record? I ain’t never been locked up.”
It never occurred to me he’d never been caught. Maybe I should have consulted him—had he bothered to show up earlier. “This way I blend in with the tourists. If anybody comes, they’ll think nothing of a woman enjoying the fresh air.”
“You got a lot to learn.”
Breaking and Entering 101 wasn’t a class I wanted to take. “Enough about my lack of burglary skills. Go check the boat, and tell me if anybody is aboard.”
“Okay, okay. Stop barking orders.” He disappeared.
I tapped my foot on the wooden dock, concentrating on the staccato noise. It soothed my racing mind as it conjured all the things that could go wrong. My plan had two parts—break in and don’t get caught. Simple, right?
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Title: MANATEE SOUL – THE MARNI LEGEND SERIES – BOOK 2
Author: Terry Segan
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb
Marni Legend has embarked on the most perilous journey of her life—a vacation with her sister. The women are like two peas in a pod, providing each pod came from a different mother ship. One day into their Florida adventure, Marni questions her choice of travel partner. Gloria strives to understand her carefree younger sibling while kayaking and snorkeling without chipping a nail.
With nothing but eternity on his hands, Phil insists the sisters resolve the circumstances of his untimely demise. The wise-cracking spirit leads them on a trail filled with bartenders, bikers, and the promise of a hidden treasure.
Her greatest challenge will either be enduring a week with Gloria or surviving the thugs searching for the stolen booty. Can Marni figure out who to trust, who to avoid, and who she’d most likely want to be trapped alone in an elevator with?
Excerpt
“What’s wrong? Can’t hold your liquor?” Phil quirked from beside the outer rail.
“You are not allowed to comment,” Gloria rasped.
“Why not? This is terribly amusing.” Phil stood with arms crossed.
“We went to the bar because of you,” Gloria said.
“And did I make you down several beers and shots of tequila?” Phil asked.
Gloria put a palm to her forehead. “Can you talk quieter? I can’t handle shouting right now.”
Phil snickered.
“Phil, give her a break. She’s not used to playing the wild girl.”
“And I’m not used to playing the dead guy. Guess we all have our issues. At least she’ll recover from hers.”
She sucked down more soda. “Why is he still here?”
“Because you haven’t helped me to move on. You really are slacking on your responsibilities.” He shook his head.
Letting out a loud gasp, Gloria said, “I don’t mean here, like still on this planet. I mean why are you still here on our balcony? If you don’t stop prattling, my head will explode.”
Phil rubbed his hands together. “Now that would be fun to watch. And by the way, I do not prattle.”
“Just let me die in peace.” Did she end that comment with a growl?
“If that were to happen, then we’d be together for eternity.” Phil clapped his hands together like an excited toddler. “Marni, quick, more tequila.”
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Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143894199
Title: PRECIOUS TREASURE
Author: Terry Segan
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb
Janie Holcomb prays for closure once the courts declare her missing husband dead. Instead, she's sent spiraling down a dangerous path.
When her lawyer delivers a package held in trust, she finds a cryptic warning along with a Civil War journal promising buried treasure. While seeking a connection between her spouse and the decades-old diary, Janie attracts the spirit of a Confederate soldier pleading for help.
Enlisting her brother's assistance to chase down clues, they discover that not everyone they know should be trusted. Janie overlooks potential threats when the promise of new love stirs her emotions. Will her digging uncover the answers she craves or doom her to a similar fate?
Excerpt
Janie dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. Turning on the tap to fill the sink, she bent over and splashed cold water on her face. The refreshing drops rolled down her forehead, cheeks and chin, pulling her out of her funk. Sightless, Janie reached for the hand towel hanging nearby and dried her face as she stood upright. Opening her eyes, she leaned in to examine the damage of the late night on her complexion. Her reflection looked back, as well as that of a young man standing behind her. Janie’s heart leapt to her throat as she whipped around and found no one there. Looking back in the mirror, she saw only herself.
This is too much, she thought. First nightmares and now hallucinations. Janie shook her head. With the assault of information thrown at her in the last twenty-four hours, her imagination cartwheeled out of control.
Knowing the visions were a result of the wine, newspaper articles and journal, didn’t calm the raised hackles on the back of her neck. The foreboding in Brian’s letter snaked its way up her spine threatening to encircle her throat and squeeze tight. His writing had a tone of uncertainty and fear—uncharacteristic of the man she had married.
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Amazon book link: www.amazon.com/dp/B09PJXMD9Z
Title PHOTOGRAPHS IN TIME
Author: Terry Segan
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Book Blurb
How far would you go to find love?
Sami and Jimmy have devoted their lives to uniting couples across time. Women, whose search for happiness eludes them, pin their hopes on the promise of a perfect match in the past.
But someone is watching. And he isn’t following the rules.
As Sami and Jimmy near completion of their contract, disaster strikes a third time. They seek guidance from predecessors long dead, only to uncover dark facets of a process they once believed in. Are they truly doing these women a favor by sending them back, or are they meddling with a fate not meant to be?
As the clock ticks down, they find their own relationship in jeopardy. Can this menace be stopped before he eliminates their future happiness? Time will tell.
Excerpt
Carney still held my hands. I ripped them free with such force, I almost fell backward before regaining my balance.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” he said.
From the looks of my surroundings, we were in a study or converted bedroom. “Where am I?”
“Don’t you mean when are you?”
His words slammed into me like a freight train. When had he taken me to? Location wasn’t as important. Since I was basically luggage on this journey, I wouldn’t be returning to where we started in twenty-four hours. Carney had dragged me with him on his return trip.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)
Amazon book link: https://www.amazon.com/Photographs-Time-Terry-Segan-ebook/dp/B07K653W9V