Author Terry Persun from Port Townsend, Washington, owns a marketing services agency. He has been writing since he was in grade school. His first published poems came out in the early 1970s, his first novel in the early 1990s. Terry has received multiple awards, including two Book Excellence Awards, a Silver IPPY Award, a Star of Washington Award, and he has been a finalist in another dozen awards. He is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA). When Terry isn’t writing, he likes to hike, paint sometimes, and help his wife as she cares for horses. She runs “A Farm For Annie” (AFarmForAnnie.org), which is a nonprofit for retired career horses.
Which genres do you cover?
Terry Persun: I am a multi-genre author and have written mainstream fiction, historical fiction, crime fiction (mostly mysteries of some kind), fantasy, and science fiction. I write in several forms also: poetry, flash fiction, short story, novella, and novel.
Which is the latest book you had published, and what is about?
Terry Persun: My most recent published novel was “Petrichor.” Here’s the front cover blurb: A riveting tale of transformation, redemption, and the timeless struggle to bridge the chasm between the self and the world—one choice at a time. — Note that this is an adult novel and might be rated R if it were a movie. If you’re in the mood for something different, then you could read the book before this one, “Wired for Destruction.” It’s a mystery that’s set in Port Townsend, where I live. Here’s that blurb: Can one man stop a maniac from blowing up a Naval base?
At which book events can readers find you?
Terry Persun: I will be at the Whatcom Writers Group on the fourth Wednesday in April, 2024. I’m always eager to teach at conference, talk with book groups, and speak with book clubs.
Which book event connecting you with readers is your favorite and why?
Terry Persun: I really like conferences because I usually get to teach a few classes and then hang out with other writers – and readers.
Do(es) your book(s) have any specific messages to your readers and, if so, which are they?
Terry Persun: A lot of my writing is an exploration as to who we are versus what others would like us to be. I also include a fair amount of technology in my science fiction.
Which writer(s) keep(s) inspiring you and why?
Terry Persun: I couldn’t name them all. I read between 30 and 50 books a year and so enjoy different genres, which is why I write in multiple genres.
Do you have any specific writing habits?
Terry Persun: Yes, I write the first thing every morning for a few hours. I can edit in the evenings or during the day, though.
What are you currently working on?
Terry Persun: I am working on a fantasy novel about shapeshifters who can only shapeshift into their totem animal.
Which book are you currently reading simply for entertainment?
Terry Persun: “Come Away From Her” by Samuel W. Gailey.
What advice would you give any aspiring author?
Terry Persun: I think it has been said often, but write, write, write, and read, read, read.
You can find Terry Persun’s books at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Terry-Persun/author/B004NV8Q4Y and in some local bookstores, in particular, the Imprint Bookstore in Port Townsend.
