Interview with mystery author Terry Korth Fischer

Today’s special guest is mystery author Terry Korth Fischer. She’s chatting with me about her new novel, Gone Before.

During her virtual book tour, Terry will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Terry Korth Fischer writes mystery and memoir. Her memoir, Omaha to Ogallala, was released in 2019. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies in print and online. Terry is a member of Sisters in Crime, Pennwriters, Inc, and Clear Lake Area Writers. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston with her husband and their two guard cats. She enjoys a good mystery, heat and humidity, and long summer days.

Welcome, Terry. Please tell us a little bit about your book.
Small-town detective, Rory Naysmith, thought he’d seen it all, but a young woman’s brutal murder is especially hard to stomach. Doubly so, when he recognizes the murder’s MO is identical to that of Tobias Snearl—the killer he put behind bars a decade before. His frustration grows after a series of senseless accidents plague those dearest to him, and a second woman dies—this one too close to home. Searching for answers, Rory races against time, plunging deep into the murder investigations, drawing ever closer to becoming a casualty of the dark, angry deeds himself, until he finds no one is who they pretend to be—and none are beyond evil’s reach.

Excerpt from Gone Before:
The recovery crew was still working when Rory swapped worry for anxiety.

He’d always loved summer—heat, humidity, long days cooled by the night breeze. He’d been younger then and in top condition. His damn foot put him in an awkward position. He wasn’t tip-top, that was for sure. The endless day of inaction taunted him and wouldn’t allow him to shake the doubts running through his mind. Was he in shape to conduct an investigation? How long could he hide his condition from the chief? Would Mansfield push him into administrative leave?

He knew one thing. He wasn’t giving up his shield—even temporarily.

Please share your dream cast for your book.
I want to cast Stanley Tucci or George Clooney as my protagonist, but I don’t think it should be anyone that handsome. If you’re average-looking, you’re more relatable—I want the reader to relate. Plus, he has this bald, middle-aged thing going on. For the others, I hope I’ve written the characters so that readers see them in their mind’s eye, picturing the perfect flesh-and-blood actor for each role.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?
Titles are interesting. There is a whole science devoted to selecting the right one. After doing due diligence, I began the Rory Naysmith Mysteries with Gone Astray. When I came to a title for Gone Before, my thought process was different. I wanted a title that would immediately pair the second novel with the first novel in the series. I count on the A in Astray and B in Before to help determine the order in which the books were written. Each is, however, enjoyable as a stand-alone.

What is something you’ve lied about?
The obvious answer is my weight, age, and many embarrassing personal details that another person shouldn’t ask and doesn’t have the right to know. And naturally, “white lies” I’ve told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

Who is the last person you hugged?
My friend Lillie. It’s a girlfriend thing, hello hugs and again to say good-bye. We didn’t do this in my family when I was growing up. It feels terrific to connect with those you love by being demonstrative.

What are you reading now?
Mostly, I read for pleasure. Lately, cozy mysteries are on my to-be-read pile, including Laura Childs, Teresa Trent, and Leslie Meier. Research. I’m toying with the idea of writing a cozy—or three because they seem to spawn book series.