Interview with Theo Fenraven

I’m here this morning with Theo Fenraven, author of the Precog in Peril series among others.

 Good morning, Fen. I hope it’s okay to call you Fen?

 T. Everyone calls me Fen. J

 How’s Suki? Bet she doesn’t like the cold any more than you do.

 T. Suki despises the cold. For those of you who don’t know, Suki’s my 4.5 lb dog. She’s definitely a summer kind of girl.

 I have to tell you, the first one of your books I read, I was ready to shoot either you or my friend Fred. He lent me Three of Swords via Amazon’s program. When I got to the last page and saw “to be continued” I was ready to scream. I had to go on line right then and get the other two books.

 T. LOL Yeah, I got some flak for the first two books in the series ending on cliffhangers. But with the new release, you don’t have to stop and wait. You can keep on reading, instant gratification.

 So, tell us a little about yourself. Are you originally from Minnesota? I know that in addition to writing, you also take awesome pictures.

 T. I was born overseas, but grew up in Ohio. I spent eighteen months in Florida a decade ago. After that, New York, then Minnesota. I am now contemplating a return to Florida ‘cause Suki’s not the only one who doesn’t like the cold.

 Have you always wanted to write?

 T. Always. I remember scribbling stories at the kitchen table. One of the first Christmas presents I asked for was a typewriter. I was in heaven when desktop computers became standard.

 Where do you get your ideas?

 T. Everywhere. A news story will set my mind working or overhearing people talk in a shop. Yes, I eavesdrop. I’m a writer. J But most of my stories, and the plot twists that go with them, happen in that space of time between asleep and awake.

 What authors have influenced you most?

 T. None, actually. Good writers inspire me to do better, but none have influenced me other than proving it can be done.

 In Blue River, you write about time travel. If you could travel to any time and place in history, where would you go?

 T. The future. I want to see if humanity ever figures things out. J

 If you could be reincarnated as an animal, what would you be?

 T. Tough choice! I’ll choose wolf, because I’m working on a shifter story right now. With my luck, some angry rancher would shoot me. 😉

 Would you like to share what we can expect from you in the future?

 T. More stories! There are so many I need to write. I’ve already decided I can’t die for a long time because there’s so much left to do.

 Where can readers find your books?

 T. Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

 Would you like to give us an excerpt from one of your books?

 T. How about a sneak peak at the WIP? No one has seen this yet. You’ll be the first. Jon is an English teacher who recently purchased an old farm on a lake.

 I looked out the window over the sink while I rinsed romaine. The sun had set and the clouds had mostly cleared, revealing a full moon. Its light sparkled on the rough water of Heron Lake, a path of silver that shimmered and broke as the surface of the water was disturbed by the wind. I was glad of the fire in the living room and made a mental note to order more wood. Maybe Harrison knew someone who delivered.

 I ate in front of the fire, my plates on a small folding table, and thought about all the things I wanted to do during the next few months. Like strip the wallpaper from the guest room and paint the kitchen. The hardwood floors downstairs needed refinishing, but there was pretty good carpet upstairs. Both bathrooms needed updating, but that would have to wait until I’d stashed a bit; I’d blown my savings on the down payment for the house.

 Oh, and try to write something.

 My cell rang as I was throwing another log on the fire. Fumbling it out of my pocket, I answered. “Hello?”

 “Tired of the country yet?” my friend, Suzie Marsdon, a fellow teacher, asked. “Ready to come into the nasty, noisy city and party?”

 Smiling, I closed the hearth screen one-handed and sat on the couch. “You don’t know what you’re missing. I’m sitting in front of a roaring fire, the lake is beautiful in moonlight, and all I hear is the soft sigh of the wind through the drafty old windows I must one day replace. Why don’t you come out here?”

 “Thought you’d never ask.” I heard the rustle of paper. “Give me directions.”

 After we hung up, the muffled howl of a wolf made me freeze. I listened raptly, wondering if it was on the hunt and how big a pack it had, if any.

 I’d no idea there were wolves in the area.

 Fen, it’s been great having you here today. After that excerpt, I look forward to your next book.

 T. Thanks for having me. I enjoyed it.

Now all together in one volume – no more “To Be Continued”: