THE FIVE W’S Of Terri Giuliano Long + Giveaway

I am so excited to have Terri Giuliano Long joining us here on A Novel Review today! Terri is the bestselling author of the award-winning novel In Leah’s Wake. In August of this year, In Leah's Wake  hit the Barnes & Noble and Amazon bestseller lists. Please join me in getting to know:

The 5W's of Terri Giuliano Long

Who?

First, I’m a wife and mom. I enjoy nothing more than hanging out with my family. They make me laugh, they bring tremendous joy to my life and they teach me so much! I also love walking, hiking, and skiing. True to my Italian-American heritage, I love cooking. For an amateur, I can hold my own in the kitchen.

Professionally, I lecture at Boston College, where I’ve taught creative and nonfiction writing for 16 years. I’ve also written copy for marketing, advertising and public relations, edited technical articles for trade journals, and edited a small trade magazine. In Leah’s Wake is my first novel. I’m currently at work on a psychological thriller called Nowhere to Run. I hope to finish this year.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?

I’m a passionate traveller and foodie. My husband, Dave, and I have had the good fortunate of visiting many beautiful, interesting places. I love ethnic foods and I’m fairly gutsy when it comes to trying new dishes. In Beijing, a few years ago, we went to a tiny restaurant with two students. The restaurant was a local spot, as opposed to a tourist trap, the menu written in Chinese, so they ordered for us. When the steaming bowl arrived, I dipped my chopsticks into the stew – and pulled out a frog. The head had been removed, thank goodness, but the body was fully intact. I realize that a lot of people eat frog; this was actually green. I thought Dave would gag when I ate it. To his credit, he didn’t.

I were not a fiction writer and teacher, I could see myself an international food writer.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always been a writer at heart. As a child, I entertained myself by making up stories and acting in my own improvisational plays. In high school, the majority of my hobbies and activities somehow involved writing. One day, brazenly, I walked into the editor’s office at the town paper and asked for a job. For a while, I covered sports and general high school news. Eventually, the editor gave me my own column. I was sixteen. That column was my first paid writing job. I earned about a dollar a week – and I knew then that writing was the only job I’d ever want.

WHERE? Where do you write?

I’m easily distracted, so I need a quiet place to write, preferably with no Internet access. On the Internet, I tend to fall into a rabbit hole and I can lose the entire day I’d hoped to spend writing.

Oddly enough, I write well on planes. With children living on both coasts, my husband and I frequently travel cross-country. On a long flight, you’re trapped; to maintain space, most people disappear into their own world – watch TV, read, work on their iPad – so, in a sense, though surrounded by people, you’re alone. I relax and my mind opens up  - I’ve come up with a lot of good ideas, and written quite a few first drafts on planes.

When conditions are less than perfect – for most of us they often are – I read. Reading relaxes me enough to write. For others, walking, meditating, listening to music can help.

WHY? Why do you write?

I write because I’m curious. I have an itch that needs scratching or a problem I need to resolve. I observe someone or something, an event, and I want to figure out what happened or why.

In my creative work, I write almost exclusively about family. Families fascinate me. While my stories differ—I’m currently working on a psychological thriller with a historical twist—they always tie back to the family, the ways we love, yet often hurt one another, the grief, the sorrow, the revelation, the joy. Most readers connect with these stories. Many readers – some I’ve met in person; others I’ve never met – have said In Leah’s Wake feels real, the problems complex. They’ve been there – as a parent or a teen. They feel as if they know these characters and they care about them. I think of writing as a dialogue between author and reader. For me, this ability to reach out and connect with people is the most important reason for writing.

I can’t imagine not writing. Writing transports me; I lose myself in the process. 

here is the trailer to In Leah's Wake

You want to read it now, don't you? I know I do! Well how cool is this,Terri has offered to giveaway two signed books with bookmarks and three ebooks! And this giveaway is International! Giveaway is open until November 29, midnight EST. Number of chances to win a copy!

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Good luck everyone!

Want to get to know Terri more?

Website: www.tglong.com

Blog: www.tglong.com/blog

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tglong

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tglongwrites