An Interview with Teresa Burrell

With barely six days left before the launch of The Advocate's Betrayal, we thought we'd ask the author a few questions about her writing. It's always a pleasure to get to know serious authors, and Teresa is no exception. I shot her some questions last night, and was delighted to hear back from her bright and early this morning with the following:

Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?

Most of my story lines come from real cases I was involved in at juvenile court. The Advocate's Betrayal came from an adult case and a juvenile case I dealt with in real life. The juvenile case dealt with a family that taught their children to hate. That kind of petition is very difficult to beat. The adult case is based on a dear friend of mine who lived her entire life in a lie. The main threads that run through both story lines are true, but they have definitely been fictionalized. Strangely enough, some of the true story is less believable than the fiction.

If you were going to write a series with a hero or heroine other than Sabre Orin Brown, what would the character be like?

I've thought for a long time about writing a young adult series, but I just have too many Advocate stories rambling around in my head that I'm not quite ready to move on yet.

What habits or rituals do you have while you're writing?

I write best in the early morning and without interruptions. When I get on a roll, sometimes I'll keep writing all day. If I have a few days when I can just keep writing, I leave my laptop on my bed and just start when I wake up.

What are your favorite mystery novels?

There are just too many to pick a favorite. I definitely prefer legal suspense novels, but I also enjoy a good 'cozy', like Rita Lakin's books.

Any hints as to what the third book will be about?

Sabre finds herself dealing with a satanic ritual case.

We could go on, but we don't want to steal your own questions. Swing by the Barnes & Noble in the Long Beach Town Center from June 29th to July 1 to grill her in person, or join us for a discussion and signing at the Barnes & Noble at the Riverside Galleria on July 3rd.