Interview with p. m. terrell Today Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views is talking with highly acclaimed author p.m.terrell, about her new mystery/thriller novel “Ricochet.” p.m. (short for Patricia McClelland) had an extensive career on the ground floor of the mushrooming computer industry, and has four computer how-to books to her credit. She has written columns for The Washington Business Advisor, The Washington Post, and The Washington Business Journal, among others. “Kickback” and “The China Conspiracy” are her first two novels in a series that casts female computer programmers in the lead roles. Juanita: Welcome Patricia, and thanks for the opportunity to talk with you about your new mystery/thriller novel “Ricochet.” Would you start by telling us what this story is about?
Juanita: How did your previous career in the computer industry influence this novel, and your ongoing mystery/thriller series? Patricia: Sheila’s expertise is in the computer industry, particularly programming. She uses her technical knowledge to help solve crimes—or in this case, to stop acts of terrorism. I use my knowledge of computers and technology to make the plots absolutely believable. Winning future wars will be based partly in cyberspace; we’re seeing that already as terrorists are using the Internet to recruit massive numbers of new members and our own administration has had to launch programs to win “the hearts and minds” of those in the Middle East. Juanita: What inspired you to depart from the familiar – the computer industry, and computer how-to books – and write in the genre of mystery/suspense/thriller? Patricia: My first love has always been mysteries and suspense. I fell into computers while still in my teens. I wasn’t looking to write computer how-to books but a persuasive editor talked me into it. But I have to say, writing suspense is a lot more fun! Juanita: What can you tell us about your lead character Sheila Carpenter - her drives, ambitions, personality? Patricia: Sheila was born on a tobacco farm near Nashville, Tennessee. While the farm had been in her family for generations, she felt the need—as so many of our younger generations do—to venture away from her birthplace. In the first book to feature her (“Kickback”) she moves to Washington, DC, where she eventually meets the FBI Agents who recruit her. She is very smart, knows computers and code like the back of her hand, but she is also a tomboy, which comes in handy on more than one occasion. If she has one great fault, it is being stubborn. She is fiercely independent and when someone tells her she can’t do something, she just figures out a way to do it anyway. She’s also single and she’s constantly assessing romantic interests in her life in the hope that something more could develop. Juanita: How did Sheila evolve in the writing process? Would you comment on your use of strong female protagonists in your novels? Patricia: Sheila started out as a naïve young woman just graduating from Vanderbilt University. Because of the predicaments she finds herself in, she has had to mature. Because she learns the hard way that she can’t put blind trust in just anybody, she’s also learned to get herself out of predicaments—she doesn’t wait for a man to rescue her. I always feature strong female protagonists in my books. I grew up listening to my father tell stories about strong female ancestors—one of whom I am writing a book about now, a young woman who was captured by Shawnee Indians and held captive for three years. When I listened to how strong and independent the women were in my ancestry, it just naturally evolved into writing about them. Juanita: You have used the timely issues of terrorism, identity theft, and illegal immigration to drive your plot. How did you come up with the idea to weave your story around these topics? Patricia: I was speaking with the Chief of Police of South Boston, Virginia (G. Mitchell Reed) and he was discussing the illegal immigration issue and the possibility that terrorists could embed themselves into the immigrants’ communities. As I researched the issue, I found that our porous borders were more than an illegal immigration issue; it was a national security issue. Juanita: How does identity theft factor into the story? As you discovered more about this issue while writing your book, were there any surprises? Juanita: Do you think there is a certain level of possibility of the scenario you present in this novel? Patricia: Yes. It is definitely possible. So possible that I spoke to several in law enforcement—FBI Agents as well as police chiefs—about the possibility that I could be giving the terrorists ideas. What each one of the experts told me is, the terrorists have already thought of this idea; Homeland Security has already addressed it (though not publicly) and I should write the book. Juanita: This novel leans heavily on the inner workings of law enforcement. What type of research did you do to prepare for writing “Ricochet”? Patricia: I always go directly to experts because I believe that a writer’s credibility is important. I used a team of experts for “Ricochet”, including a pathologist who advised me on carbon monoxide poisoning and tobacco poisoning; three FBI Agents; and six police officers. I used the same weapon that Sheila carries (a Sig Sauer). I researched explosions (though I never participated in one, and I’d like to keep it that way) and watched television video and read newspaper accounts of actual explosions. I also researched in depth a decontamination team’s response to possible chemical warfare. A lot of technical information was cut from the final manuscript (to quicken the pace). Juanita: Patricia, you must have had an interesting childhood having a FBI Special Agent as a father. What was your childhood like, and how did his career influence you then and now? Patricia: I was born in Washington, DC but in 1967 my father was transferred to Greenville, Mississippi to head up the FBI office there. Moving into the Deep South during the tumultuous time of the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights Movement was very difficult, because many of the people I might have befriended in school could have parents or family under FBI investigation/surveillance. So I had a very lonely existence. The principal of my school noticed how isolated I was and suggested that I write a story. It opened the door to writing and completely influenced my career path. I believe my father’s job also fostered a deep interest into mysteries and suspense, more than any other genre. Juanita: “Ricochet” builds in intensity until its suspenseful finale. What can you tell us about the level of page-turning action and mystery in this novel? It sounds like this novel would make for a great movie, would you agree? Patricia: I am a very visual person, and I “see” each scene in my mind’s eye before it ever hits the paper. My earlier works (unpublished) focused more on the environment—descriptions of the scene, such as terrain. Now I use the environment only as a way to further the plot—a driving rainstorm, for instance, or a harsh winter storm that forces the main character (in The China Conspiracy) to be stranded at a ski resort. I move toward a climatic scene in the middle of the book, where most books tend to falter; once that scene takes place, it’s a roller coaster ride to the end of the book, with a cliff-hanger at the end of almost every chapter and a conscious effort at building a crescendo. I would love for my books to be made into movies, and even went to Hollywood last fall to meet with a few producers. There’s been some interest but nothing yet, but I am hopeful someday my books will be made into movies. Juanita: What did you enjoy most about the writing process of this novel? Were you on the edge-of-your-seat too, when writing? Patricia:Yes, I was. I love waking up in the morning with the thought of the next chapter fresh in my mind. I love living vicariously through the main characters. I give them traits I would truly love to have, like total courage in the face of danger. There is also the thrill of finishing the last page of that first draft; of going back through to edit and revise and getting so caught up in the story that I know it’s going to be a winner; and I enjoy it when readers contact me to tell me how much they enjoyed the book. Juanita: What are the significant themes that you wanted to spotlight in this novel? Patricia: Our porous borders, most of all. How very vulnerable we are as a nation. We have been a superpower for so many generations that we are taking it for granted. And we can not continue to do that. The illegal immigration issue is more than whether we want workers to walk back and forth across our borders; we have become so stringent with airport security that we’ve closed the doors but opened all the windows—terrorists are not going to fly across the ocean into the United States; they are flying into Mexico and walking in! Juanita: What is “Ricochet’s” underlying message? Patricia: I am really going to leave that up to the individual reader. I’ve had so many readers contact me already with their opinions of the issues—illegal immigration, our borders, and terrorism—that I really wanted to lay out the facts and allow the readers to come to their own conclusions. Juanita: Patricia, who have been your literary influences? What books have you recently read? Patricia: I love Daphne du Maurier, but I have to be very careful not to allow the more flowery prose acceptable in past generations to make it into my contemporary works—these days, readers enjoy a faster pace without all the description. I enjoy reading true adventure, especially of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances, such as “Into Thin Air” by John Krakauer (about a Mount Everest disaster) and “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger. I learned the art of the chapter cliff-hanger from Richard Matheson, particularly with “What Dreams May Come”. Juanita: What can readers expect for future novels? Patricia: I am working on a very different book now, which takes place in 1780. It is inspired by the true story of one of my ancestors, who was captured by Shawnee Indians at the height of the Revolutionary War and held captive for three years. She traveled hundreds of miles to return to her family, and the more research I have done into her story, the more in awe I have become of her. She showed remarkable courage and determination. This book, “Songbirds are Free”, is due to be released this fall. Then I will complete another techno-thriller featuring a computer programmer. However, I have become so intrigued by several of my female ancestors that I do believe there will be more historical suspense in my future writings. Juanita: Well Patricia, I know your readers will be very excited to hear that you have many future projects in the works. How can they find out more about you and your endeavors? Patricia: My web site at www.pmterrell.com is kept up to date and lists all of my upcoming personal appearances as well as links to interviews (like this one!), reviews, and background information. Juanita: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today Patricia. We have enjoyed hearing about your new novel “Ricochet” and encourage readers to look for all of your books at local and online bookstores. Do you have any last thoughts you’d like to share? Patricia: Just that my books are available through amazon.com and also on my web site at p.m.terrell.com. If readers do go into their stores and don’t see my book on the shelf, please ask for it! Listen to interview on Inside Scoop Live |
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