Terri Blackstock (born 1957) is an American Christian fiction author with a focus on suspense novels. She began her career writing romance novels under the pseudonyms Terri Herrington and Tracy Hughes.

Early life and education

Blackstock was born in Belleville, Illinois in 1957, and her family moved multiple times during her childhood to follow her father's career as a US Air Force officer.[1] At age 11, she began writing poetry.[1] After her parents divorced, she moved to Mississippi with her mother and graduated from Wingfield High School in Jackson, Mississippi in 1975.[1] She completed a bachelor's degree in English from Northeast Louisiana University in 1981.[1] She left graduate school to focus on writing.[1]

Writing

Blackstock began her writing career with romance novels under the pseudonym Terri Herrington, and published her first novel, Blue Fire, in 1984.[1] She also wrote under the pseudonym Tracy Hughes, and by the mid-1990s had published thirty-three romance novels under her pseudonyms.[1]

In 1994, Blackstock shifted to Christian fiction, with a focus on the suspense genre, and began publishing under her married name with Zondervan, a Christian publishing imprint of HarperCollins.[1][2] By 2004, the first three books in her "Cape Refuge" series reached the top of the Christian Booksellers Association bestseller list before the fourth book in the series was released.[2] In January 2010, the first two books in the series reached the top two places in the Kindle bestseller list after Zondervan temporarily made the books available for free downloads.[3]

In 2014, Blackstock cited Barbara Kingsolver, John Grisham, Dean Koontz, Jodi Piccoult, Harlen Coben, Pat Conroy, and Christian authors as influences on her work.[4] By 2017, she had written 80 titles, including novels, story collections, and a devotional,[5] and more than 7 million copies of her books had been sold.[6]

In addition to her suspense novels, she has written Christian fiction in the women's fiction genre, including the "Seasons" series co-written with Beverly LaHaye, a founder of Concerned Women for America[7] and the wife of Tim LaHaye.[8]

Awards

  • 1988 Golden Medallion for Best Short Contemporary Novel, Romance Writers of America - for Stolen Moments (Terri Harrington)[8][1]
  • 1990 Career Achievement Award, Romantic Times[8][1]
  • RITA Award finalist, inspirational romance category - for Presumption of Guilt (1997)[1]
  • 2010 Carol Award, Suspense category - for Intervention (2009)[1]
  • 2011 Carol Award, Suspense/Thriller category - for Predator (2010)[1][9][10]
  • 2014 Carol Award, Murder/Suspense/Thriller category - for Truth-Stained Lies (2013)[1][10]
  • 2016 Christy Award for Suspense - for Twisted Innocence (2015)[11]
  • 2019 Short Form Christy Award - for Catching Christmas (2018)[12][13]

Selected work

The Sun Coast Chronicles

  • Evidence of Mercy (1995)
  • Justifiable Means (1996)
  • Ulterior Motive (1996)[14]
  • Presumption of Guilt (1997)

Second Chances

  • Never Again Good-bye (1996)
  • When Dreams Cross (2000)[15]
  • Blind Trust (2000)[16]
  • Broken Wings (2000)[17]

Newpointe 911[18]

  • Private Justice (1998)[19]
  • Shadow of Doubt (1998)[20]
  • Word of Honor (1999)[21]
  • Trial by Fire (2000)
  • Line of Duty (2003)[22]

Seasons, co-written with Beverly LaHaye

  • Seasons Under Heaven (2001)[7][23]
  • Showers in Season (2001)
  • Times and Seasons (2002)[24]
  • Season of Blessing (2003)

Cape Refuge

  • Cape Refuge (2002)[25]
  • Southern Storm (2003)
  • River's Edge (2005)[26]
  • Breaker's Reef (2005)

Restoration

  • Last Light (2006)[27]
  • Night Light (2006)
  • True Light (2007)[28]
  • Dawn's Light (2008)[29]

Intervention

  • Intervention (2010)[30]
  • Vicious Cycle (2011)
  • Downfall (2012)

Moon Lighter

  • Truth Stained Lies (2013)[31]
  • Distortion (2014)
  • Twisted Innocence (2015)

If I Run

  • If I Run (2016)[32]
  • If I'm Found (2017)[33]
  • If I Live (2018)[34]

Stand-Alones

  • The Heart Reader (2000)[35]
  • Emerald Windows (2001)[36]
  • Seaside (2001)[37]
  • The Gifted (2002)[38]
  • The Gifted Sophomores (2002)
  • The Heart Reader of Franklin High (2008)
  • The Listener: What if you could hear what God hears? (2008)
  • Double Minds (2009)
  • Predator (2010)[39]
  • Shadow in Serenity (2011)[40]
  • Covenant Child (2012)[41]
  • Catching Christmas (2018)[42]
  • Smoke Screen (2021)[43]
  • Aftermath (2022)[44]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Crelin, Joy (2020). "Terri Blackstock". Literary Biographies – via Literary Reference Center Plus.
  2. 1 2 Byle, Ann (December 4, 2004). "Author quits romance writing for Christian books ; Terri Blackstock caught upswing in Christian fiction market". The Grand Rapids Press. ProQuest 285808117
  3. ↑ Rich, Motoko (23 January 2010). "With Kindle, the Best Sellers Don't Need to Sell". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  4. ↑ Crutcher, Paige (Jan 29, 2014). "Terri Blackstock: A Return to Roots". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved Aug 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ Hoops, Jana (March 5, 2017). "Author Q&A: Terri Blackstock". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  6. ↑ Garrett, Lynn (May 19, 2017). "Christian Fiction Keeps Its Allure". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 Mort, John (May 1, 1999). "Christian fiction". The Booklist. 95 (17): 1579. ProQuest 235418914
  8. 1 2 3 Graham, Charlotte (June 15, 2002). "Writer's works leave 'Left Behind' behind". The Clarion Ledger. ProQuest 873473813
  9. ↑ Hamaker, Sarah (Sep 26, 2011). "Best Christian Fiction Books of 2011 Announced". The Christian Post. Retrieved Aug 15, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Carol Award Winners". American Christian Fiction Writers. Retrieved Aug 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Christy Award® Archives: Suspense". christianbookexpo.com. Christian Book Expo. Retrieved Aug 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Christy Award™ Archives". christianbookexpo.com. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  13. ↑ Cole, Thomas R. "Shelf Awareness for Monday, November 11, 2019". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Carrigan, Jr., Henry (September 1, 1996). "Ulterior Motive". Library Journal. 121 (14): 163. ProQuest 196733090
  15. ↑ Hudak, Melissa (February 1, 1997). "When Dreams Cross". Library Journal. 122 (2): 66. ProQuest 196765795
  16. ↑ Hudak, Melissa (September 1, 1997). "Blind Trust: Second Chances, Book 3". Library Journal. 122 (14): 166. ProQuest 196780194
  17. ↑ Hudak, Melissa (February 1, 1998). "Broken Wings: Second Chances, BK. 4". Library Journal. 123 (2): 70. ProQuest 196815898
  18. ↑ Clouatre, Douglas (September 2007). "Newpointe 911 Series". Masterplots II: Christian Literature – via Literary Reference Center Plus.
  19. ↑ Reviews of Private Justice
  20. ↑ Hudak, Melissa (September 1, 1998). "Shadow of Doubt". Library Journal. 123 (14): 162. ProQuest 196778816
  21. ↑ Duncan, Melanie C. (Sep 1, 1999). "Word of Honor". Library Journal. 124 (14): 172. ProQuest 196754807
  22. ↑ Butler, Tamara (November 1, 2003). "Line of Duty". Library Journal. 128 (18): 66. ProQuest 196743045
  23. ↑ Hudak, Melissa (June 1, 1999). "Seasons Under Heaven". Library Journal. 124 (10): 96. ProQuest 196771028
  24. ↑ Maxwell, Gloria (October 1, 2002). "Times and Seasons". Library Journal. 127 (16): 144–145. ProQuest 196800007
  25. ↑ Reviews of Cape Refuge
  26. ↑ Reviews of River's Edge
  27. ↑ "Last Light by Terri Blackstock". Publishers Weekly. September 1, 2005. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "True Light: A Restoration Novel by Terri Blackstock". Publishers Weekly. May 21, 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  29. ↑ Butler, Tamara (April 1, 2008). "Christian Fiction". Library Journal. 133 (6): 68. ProQuest 196829200
  30. ↑ Reviews of Intervention
  31. ↑ Reviews of Truth Stained Lies
  32. ↑ "If I Run by Terri Blackstock". Publishers Weekly. January 11, 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  33. ↑ Reviews of If I'm Found
  34. ↑ "If I Live: The If I Run Series, Book 3 by Terri Blackstock". Publishers Weekly. January 15, 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  35. ↑ "The Heart Reader by Terri Blackstock, Anonymous". Publishers Weekly. May 29, 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  36. ↑ Reviews of Emerald Windows
  37. ↑ Reviews of Seaside
  38. ↑ Thorup, Shawna Saavedra (September 1, 2002). "The Gifted". Library Journal. 127 (14): 156. Blackstock's The Gifted Sophomores, written for young adults, uses the same theme and story line with teen protagonists. ProQuest 196822697
  39. ↑ Hill, Nanci Milone (June 15, 2010). "Christian Fiction". Library Journal. 135 (11): 52. ProQuest 822425650
  40. ↑ Hill, Nanci Milone (September 15, 2011). "Christian Fiction". Library Journal. 136 (15). ProQuest 888171376
  41. ↑ "COVENANT CHILD by Terri Blackstock". Publishers Weekly. April 15, 2002. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  42. ↑ Reviews of Catching Christmas
  43. ↑ Reviews of Smoke Screen
  44. ↑ "Aftermath by Terri Blackstock". Publishers Weekly. February 26, 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
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