About the Author
“Wow, a bio.”
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The words dripped from Fred Terling’s lips with apprehensive purpose. It wasn’t that it was unexpected, but who likes talking about themselves outside of social mixers? Even at events like that he stuck to the shadows, feeling out the room until his shot was called. Well, it was called.
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He had written in one form or another since grade school. Hell, he even made a living at it currently. His life had been steered upward with his ability to write and public speak. Ironically his ambivert nature was dependent on the footing of the trust circle around him. Sitting alone at his computer, he only had himself at the moment. Would that be enough to determine which voice would sound off?
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There was no frustrating traffic jam nor obnoxious fans on Fred’s arrival at his favorite concert venue. Things that typically triggered a momentary shutdown. He paused glancing over to one of his dozens of bookcases procured from Target or Ikea filled with action figures from the Marvel universe.
Perhaps they could help him summon the inspiration he chased around the room like his dog had through the neighborhood one too many times for his liking?
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“I am a writer, and I am enough,” he said with an air of confidence.
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Besides, it wasn’t a one-shot proposition. There would be edits. He always ran everything by his wife Lori, his most honest critic. This entire process Fred was embarking on was simply the singular most important step in years. That carried weight. A lot of weight. There was the prepping for the Meritorious Sergeant promotion board thirty-four years ago while serving in the Marine Corps, but that’s a story for another time.
It was time to stop thinking. Time to act.
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“Hello. My name is Fred Terling. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
My Latest Projects
Olath's Bride
The Ballad of Colt Sturgess
Gods & Necromancy
Coming December 2023
Maiden Voyage
BOOK ONE IN THE KINSTON CREW SERIES
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Colt Sturgess is hell-bent on a mission of revenge. A trail of abandoned towns leads him to a group of travelling body harvesters seeking eternal life. Along the way, he meets four people and a team of mercenaries who will alter his perspective.
The reluctant hero must first face a mad professor, ghouls, demented twins, a charnel house of reanimated flesh, and himself before making the ultimate choice. Set in 1978 in the fictional town of Kinston, Olath's Bride is full of nostalgia, rich characters, and a dark love story that literally transcends time.
BOOK TWO IN THE KINSTON CREW SERIES
Evil stalks Colt Sturgess from the shadows. Only a new antagonist, Kaleb Blackburn, knows the inevitable reason. Can the survivors of the Kinston invasion solidify their newfound friendships? If the initial moments of their reunion are any indicator, the answer is “no.”
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The Ballad of Colt Sturgess is the second in the Kinston Crew Series and leads the survivors of Olath’s Bride into an entirely new gothic thriller. It is full of mystery, awakenings, laughter, pain, and introspection. Set in 1983 in the fictional town of Apollo, the characters who shared a common past now grapple with the complexities of their present relationships. Standing in their way are shadow people, human gargoyles, and a faceless evil with a hidden agenda.
BOOK THREE IN THE KINSTON CREW SERIES
It's the tenth anniversary of Olath's massacre. The Kinston Crew has gone their separate ways since the end of Kaleb Blackburn and a developer has begun to rebuild Kinston.
Part of the crew wants to distance themselves from any further adventures, part has dedicated their abilities for growth instead of destruction and one is completely lost.
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With the reemergence of a specter from the past, a wild card has come into play. A rogue cult has also appeared targeting the original survivors in the hopes of fortifying their ranks.
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Despite their reservations, the Kinston Crew must reassemble. Not only to quell the growing threat, but to continue their own paths of discovery... together.
AN ORIGINAL STAR TREK ADVENTURE
Welcome back to the beginning. Maiden Voyage is set in the Star Trek universe fifteen years prior to the original series. It follows the first mission of the United Space Ship Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike.
What should be a routine supply drop to a federation colony, turns out to be a complete mystery involving turn of the century architecture, unsanctioned alien first contact, a destroyed starship and technology never before encountered. Pike and his crew must navigate through the deceptions of colonial Governor Cyril Vessey, to discover the secret behind the planet’s enhancements and what threats his new alliance may pose on the galaxy.
During the process of writing each story, in addition to the weeks of prep work, I do something consistently to get the process moving. The initial 10,000 words are typically excruciating to me as it's mostly set up. Then there are the days where I'm struggling to get my ass in gear. In any event, I always gather a soundtrack for the story as I feel it. Music is a key to writing for me and it is my companion throughout. Here are each of those playlists for Maiden Voyage and Olath's Bride, respectively.