Terry Shames is an award winning mystery writer whose Samuel Craddock series captures the flavour of small town Texas so well she’s been voted one of the state’s Top Five mystery authors.

Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Terry talks about  how she built a successful writing career and  what she’d do differently second time round.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How she learned to "get serious" about her writing

The attraction of central Texas 

How her characters can surprise her

Her adventures before writing

The writers she most admires

And what she’d do differently if she was starting over

Where to find Terry Shames

Website: https://www.terryshames.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TShames

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerryShames

What follows is a “near as” transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Terry. .  Hello there Terry and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Terry: Thank you Jenny, Thanks for having me.

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning  -  was  there a “Once Upon A Time" moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst for this, what was it?

Mystery author Terry Shames

Terry: Well, that's a funny one! First of all, when I was in the fifth grade- that's about 11 years old- I read a short story in class and I thought, I would love to write stories like that. Even earlier then that I remember in first or second grade I used to love to read mysteries. So I was always thinking, "I'd love to write one of these".

Then in the ninth grade, I had a class where the teacher gave us an assignment and told us to write about anything. When she got the assignments back, she said "well I loved all your stories, but there's one story that I thought was really outstanding and you'll love". I knew it would be mine, and it was! And I was hooked!

Jenny: Your Samuel Craddock mysteries feature a semi-retired, small town Texas police chief and you’ve recently published the seventh book in the series . . The books have  won or been finalists in several Macavity mystery awards.   What made you decide to go for a mystery series?

Samuel Craddock mystery - Book One

Terry: Well, a couple of things.  I used to love to read mysteries, and of course I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew like everyone. But I also liked Hardy Boys, I was a fan of most mysteries.

I just decided that that would be a nice way to get started. but honestly, the first book I ever wrote was a science fiction book, it was crazy. The science fiction book was fun to write, but I realised I really didn't have that kind of imagination. I was really writing a science fiction mystery. I realised that that was where I really wanted to go - mysteries.

Jenny: And had you read science fiction before?

Terry: Oh yes, I was always very fond of science fiction! I still am. I think that science fiction is having a revival, and if I could write with that kind of imagination, I would do it in a heartbeat. But I read science fiction books now, and I'm just in awe of people who have that kind of imagination.

Jenny: Sure. Would you classify Samuel Craddock as a cozy mystery? Sometimes I'm a little confused as to what are considered as 'cozies'.

Terry: I have never thought of it as cozy, because the subjects are very serious and Samuel Craddock was retired when the first books started. In the third book, he became the Chief of Police again and he continues now to be the Chief of Police.