Ask the Author: Terri Farley
Answered Questions (15)
Terri Farley
Hi Maeve,
I'm sorry to say that those books were never published. It squeezes my heart to even think about those stories. I may return to them sometime, though. Know why I think that's possible? The original PHANTOM STALLION books are coming out with all new art & new writing next year. I'm posting the brand new cover tomorrow. Oh, the WILD HORSE ISLAND books are about to become audio-books, too. Thanks so much for reading my stories. Aloha, Terri
I'm sorry to say that those books were never published. It squeezes my heart to even think about those stories. I may return to them sometime, though. Know why I think that's possible? The original PHANTOM STALLION books are coming out with all new art & new writing next year. I'm posting the brand new cover tomorrow. Oh, the WILD HORSE ISLAND books are about to become audio-books, too. Thanks so much for reading my stories. Aloha, Terri
Terri Farley
Hi Eyana, Thanks so much! It sounds as if you know about ALL of my books! That's kind of exciting for me.
My newest book is WILD AT HEART: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them. It's non-fiction. If you haven't seen/read it, I hope you'll take a look. When I finally pressed "send" to make it fly across cyber-space to my editor, I actually told me husband, "If I get hit by a bus, my work here is done." My heart and soul and BRAIN are in it.
I'm writing more fiction, too, right now.
My newest book is WILD AT HEART: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them. It's non-fiction. If you haven't seen/read it, I hope you'll take a look. When I finally pressed "send" to make it fly across cyber-space to my editor, I actually told me husband, "If I get hit by a bus, my work here is done." My heart and soul and BRAIN are in it.
I'm writing more fiction, too, right now.
Terri Farley
I would love to write another WILD HORSE ISLAND book. Here's why I haven't (yet): I've been working so hard with the real live horses of the West that I thought it was more important to write WILD AT HEART: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them, first. It's non-fiction and it tells all that I know about the dangers wild horses are facing. Have you read it, yet?
Terri Farley
HI Jane, I HAVE thought about writing about Sam's time in San Francisco with Aunt Sue. There just aren't that many horses right in the city....but just typing this note to you makes me kind of excited. If Sam had to work harder to be around horses, that might lead to some adventures, huh?
Terri Farley
Hi Madison! Sorry to be so slow getting back to you. Have you read my WILD HORSE ISLAND books, too? The star of the story is actually named Hoku -- star -- in Hawaiian. Volcanoes, tsunamis, secret stallion living in a cave & Hoku is Phantom's full sister!
Terri Farley
YES! It's looking more possible each day. I have an idea & I can't wait to write it. Which characters would you most like to see in a sequel to the series?
Terri Farley
Hi Deb, I'm sorry to say that I've only written 11 Wild Horse Island books.
I'd love to write another PHANTOM book...maybe an origin story, starting before Sam's accident. What do you think?
I'd love to write another PHANTOM book...maybe an origin story, starting before Sam's accident. What do you think?
Terri Farley
HI Ginger Mae, These are my romances! You're probably not shocked to hear that someone who loves the iconic West and its wild horses has written about them in many genres (4 so far!) Of the titles you've mentioned, all except Sea Spell has a horse. You'll probably have an easier time finding copies of my romances if you check out my pen name Tess Farraday -- same initials -- written for more mature readers. Sea Spell was actually the inspiration for my YA novel SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA and you'll find the seeds of PHANTOM STALLION in BLUE RAIN! Thanks so much for asking :)
Terri Farley
HI Angie,
According to my husband's family, Farley is a common Irish name. I'm not related to Walter Farley, nor is my husband, as far as we know.
I did read Walter Farley's books growing up, though, and my fictional mustangs would have no idea what to do on the green farms and race tracks of that world. Still, I'm sure Walter and I would've shared a deep love of horses :)
Thanks for asking! Terri
According to my husband's family, Farley is a common Irish name. I'm not related to Walter Farley, nor is my husband, as far as we know.
I did read Walter Farley's books growing up, though, and my fictional mustangs would have no idea what to do on the green farms and race tracks of that world. Still, I'm sure Walter and I would've shared a deep love of horses :)
Thanks for asking! Terri
Terri Farley
I'm working on two things! A teacher guide for WILD AT HEART; MUSTANGS AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE FIGHTING TO SAVE THEM and a new book that's still sort of a secret! More later :)
Terri Farley
Write about what you know. Does that sound boring? It's not. In northern Nevada, where I live, some people see cowgirls, soaring mountains, glossy red and white cattle and wild horses every day. My mail indicates those sights are not at all boring.
Use your senses. How does a sidewalk smell after a summer rain? Can you describe the sound of something that keeps you awake at night? What do you feel when you hug your grandmother good-bye? No experiences are wasted on writers, because we store each one in our brain cells!
Use plenty of conflict. Happily-ever-after isn't as much fun if your characters don't earn it. If your main character is rich, beautiful and lucky on page one and still rich, beautiful and lucky ten pages later, you might not have any readers left when you write THE END.
Use your senses. How does a sidewalk smell after a summer rain? Can you describe the sound of something that keeps you awake at night? What do you feel when you hug your grandmother good-bye? No experiences are wasted on writers, because we store each one in our brain cells!
Use plenty of conflict. Happily-ever-after isn't as much fun if your characters don't earn it. If your main character is rich, beautiful and lucky on page one and still rich, beautiful and lucky ten pages later, you might not have any readers left when you write THE END.
Terri Farley
I can't pick just one, but I can narrow my favorites down to three.
1. Research: I've ridden in a Pony Express reenactment and on a ten-day cattle drive for research and interviewed some amazing people from scientists to a woman who raised bats in her living room.
2. Setting my own schedule. Yes, I have deadlines and no, I don't get paid if I don't write the best book I can, but if I want to get up super early so that I can go out at night, or stay up super late to work after going out to ride my bike in the morning --that's up to me.
3. Meeting my readers: I'm still thrilled to realize people are "living" in my fantasy worlds with me.
1. Research: I've ridden in a Pony Express reenactment and on a ten-day cattle drive for research and interviewed some amazing people from scientists to a woman who raised bats in her living room.
2. Setting my own schedule. Yes, I have deadlines and no, I don't get paid if I don't write the best book I can, but if I want to get up super early so that I can go out at night, or stay up super late to work after going out to ride my bike in the morning --that's up to me.
3. Meeting my readers: I'm still thrilled to realize people are "living" in my fantasy worlds with me.
Terri Farley
So far, I've never encountered writer's block. I won't say there's no such thing, because surely if a writer is going through a hard time emotionally or physically, she might not feel like writing. When I teach writers' workshops, I share lots of brainstorming techniques to break through those times when you feel like your imagination has stalled out. I recommend WRITING THE NATURAL WAY by Gabrielle Rico, as one technique you can learn on your own.
Or, want to try something dramatic? Write blind (turn off your computer screen and continue your story)or introduce a natural disaster (earthquake, tsunami, brushfire...) into the place where you don't know what to write next. Most of all, remember if you're bored with what you're writing, your reader will have already
Or, want to try something dramatic? Write blind (turn off your computer screen and continue your story)or introduce a natural disaster (earthquake, tsunami, brushfire...) into the place where you don't know what to write next. Most of all, remember if you're bored with what you're writing, your reader will have already
Terri Farley
I have written 24 PHANTOM STALLION books, 11 WILD HORSE ISLAND books and 1 non-fiction book. The last one -- WILD AT HEART: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them -- won't be out until September 22 of 2015. Until then, you can see its cover online.
Terri Farley
Wow! Thanks for asking. I just counted up and I've written 44 books -- all kinds; I guess you could say I haven't tried a genre I didn't enjoy writing -- which have been published! I wrote two historical romances set in Spanish California under my maiden name, Terri Sprenger; 5 historical & mystical romances under my pen name Tess Farraday and 37 books for young readers under my married name, Terri Farley!
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