Terri Blackstock Explained

Terri Blackstock
Birth Place:	Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Pseudonym:	Terri Herrington Tracy Hughes
Occupation:	Author
Nationality:	American
Education:	Wingfield High School Northeast Louisiana University
Genre:	Christian fiction
Awards:	Christy Award (2016, 2019)

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. She also wrote under the pseudonym Tracy Hughes, and by the mid-1990s had published thirty-three romance novels under her pseudonyms.

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.^[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 and the wife of Tim LaHaye.

Awards

• 1988 Golden Medallion for Best Short Contemporary Novel, Romance Writers of America - for Stolen Moments (Terri Harrington)^[7]
• 1990 Career Achievement Award, Romantic Times^[7]
• RITA Award finalist, inspirational romance category - for Presumption of Guilt (1997)
• 2010 Carol Award, Suspense category - for Intervention (2009)
• 2011 Carol Award, Suspense/Thriller category - for Predator (2010)^[8]
• 2014 Carol Award, Murder/Suspense/Thriller category - for Truth-Stained Lies (2013)^[9]
• 2016 Christy Award for Suspense - for Twisted Innocence (2015)^[10]
• 2019 Short Form Christy Award - for Catching Christmas (2018)^{[11] [12]}

Selected work

The Sun Coast Chronicles

• Evidence of Mercy (1995)
• Justifiable Means (1996)
• Ulterior Motive (1996)^[13]
• Presumption of Guilt (1997)

Second Chances

• Never Again Good-bye (1996)
• When Dreams Cross (2000)^[14]
• Blind Trust (2000)^[15]
• Broken Wings (2000)^[16]

Newpointe 911^[17]

• Private Justice (1998)^[18]
• Shadow of Doubt (1998)^[19]
• Word of Honor (1999)^[20]
• Trial by Fire (2000)
• Line of Duty (2003)^[21]

Seasons, co-written with Beverly LaHaye

• Seasons Under Heaven (2001)^{[22] [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. Crelin . Joy . Terri Blackstock . Literary Biographies . 2020. Literary Reference Center Plus.
2. News: Byle . Ann . Author quits romance writing for Christian books ; Terri Blackstock caught upswing in Christian fiction market . . December 4, 2004.
3. News: Rich . Motoko . With Kindle, the Best Sellers Don’t Need to Sell . 20 August 2023 . . 23 January 2010 . en.
4. Web site: Terri Blackstock: A Return to Roots. Crutcher. Paige. Jan 29, 2014 . Publishers Weekly. Aug 15, 2023.
5. News: Hoops . Jana . Author Q&A: Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . March 5, 2017.
6. News: Garrett . Lynn . Christian Fiction Keeps Its Allure . 18 August 2023 . . May 19, 2017 . en.
7. News: Graham . Charlotte . Writer's works leave 'Left Behind' behind . . June 15, 2002.
8. News: Best Christian Fiction Books of 2011 Announced . Hamaker . Sarah . Sep 26, 2011 . . Aug 15, 2023.
9. Web site: Carol Award Winners . American Christian Fiction Writers . Aug 15, 2023.
10. Web site: The Christy Award® Archives: Suspense . christianbookexpo.com . Christian Book Expo . Aug 15, 2023.
11. Web site: The Christy Award™ Archives . christianbookexpo.com . 20 August 2023.
12. Web site: Cole . Thomas R. . Shelf Awareness for Monday, November 11, 2019 . . 20 August 2023.
13. Carrigan, Jr. . Henry . Ulterior Motive . . September 1, 1996 . 121 . 14 . 163.
14. Hudak . Melissa . When Dreams Cross . . February 1, 1997 . 122 . 2 . 66.
15. Hudak . Melissa . Blind Trust: Second Chances, Book 3 . . September 1, 1997 . 122 . 14 . 166.
16. Hudak . Melissa . Broken Wings: Second Chances, BK. 4 . . February 1, 1998 . 123 . 2 . 70.
17. Clouatre . Douglas . Newpointe 911 Series . Masterplots II: Christian Literature . September 2007. Literary Reference Center Plus.
18. Reviews of Private Justice
    • Hudak . Melissa . Private Justice: Newpointe 911, BK. 1 . . February 1, 1998 . 123 . 2 . 70.
    • Mort . John . Christian fiction . . June 1, 1998 . 94 . 19/20 . 1728.
19. Hudak . Melissa . Shadow of Doubt . . September 1, 1998 . 123 . 14 . 162.
20. Duncan . Melanie C. . Word of Honor . . Sep 1, 1999 . 124 . 14 . 172.
21. Butler . Tamara . Line of Duty . . November 1, 2003 . 128 . 18 . 66.
22. Mort . John . Christian fiction . . May 1, 1999 . 95 . 17 . 1579.
23. Hudak . Melissa . Seasons Under Heaven . . June 1, 1999 . 124 . 10 . 96.
24. Maxwell . Gloria . Times and Seasons . . October 1, 2002 . 127 . 16 . 144–145.
25. Reviews of Cape Refuge
    • News: CAPE REFUGE by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . March 25, 2002.
    • Duncan . Melanie C. . Cape Refuge . . April 1, 2002 . 127 . 6 . 86.
    • Mort . John . Christian fiction . . June 1, 2002 . 98 . 19/20 . 1682.
26. Reviews of River's Edge
    • News: RIVER'S EDGE: Book Three by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . August 23, 2004.
    • Butler . Tamara . River's Edge . . September 1, 2004 . 129 . 14 . 132.
27. News: Last Light by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . September 1, 2005.
28. News: True Light: A Restoration Novel by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . May 21, 2007.
29. Butler . Tamara . Christian Fiction . . April 1, 2008 . 133 . 6 . 68.
30. Reviews of Intervention
    • News: Intervention by Terri Blackstock . Publishers Weekly. 18 August 2023 . August 24, 2006.
    • Butler . Tamara . Christian fiction . . September 1, 2009 . 134 . 14 . 96. a
31. Reviews of Truth Stained Lies
    • Hill . Nanci Milone . Christian Fiction . . February 15, 2013 . 138 . 3.
    • News: Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . March 4, 2013.
32. News: If I Run by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . January 11, 2016.
33. Reviews of If I'm Found
    • News: If I’m Found by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . January 23, 2017.
    • Sharbrough . Christine . Christian Fiction . . March 15, 2017 . 142 . 5 . 99.
34. News: If I Live: The If I Run Series, Book 3 by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . January 15, 2018.
35. News: The Heart Reader by Terri Blackstock, Anonymous . 18 August 2023 . . May 29, 2000.
36. Reviews of Emerald Windows
    • News: EMERALD WINDOWS by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . September 17, 2001.
    • Duncan . Melanie C. . Emerald Windows . . November 1, 2001 . 126 . 18 . 74.
    • Mort . John . Christian fiction . . January 1, 2002 . 98 . 9/10.
37. Reviews of Seaside
    • Duncan . Melanie C. . Seaside . . February 1, 2001 . 126 . 2 . 75.
    • News: Seaside by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . February 1, 2001.
38. Thorup . Shawna Saavedra . The Gifted . . September 1, 2002 . 127 . 14 . 156. Blackstock's The Gifted Sophomores, written for young adults, uses the same theme and story line with teen protagonists..
39. Hill . Nanci Milone . Christian Fiction . . June 15, 2010 . 135 . 11 . 52.
40. Hill . Nanci Milone . Christian Fiction . . September 15, 2011 . 136 . 15.
41. News: COVENANT CHILD by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . April 15, 2002.
42. Reviews of Catching Christmas
    • Quillen . C. L. . Catching Christmas . . September 15, 2018 . 115 . 2 . 36.
    • News: Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . October 8, 2018.
43. Reviews of Smoke Screen
    • News: Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . August 21, 2019.
    • Reffner . Julia M. . Fiction . . November 2019 . 144 . 10 . 1.
44. News: Aftermath by Terri Blackstock . 18 August 2023 . . February 26, 2021.