Intimate Conversation with Julie Bellatrix and Terri D a.k.a Terri Martinez
Julie Bellatrix – Love, Lies and Fight is her debut novel which is co-written with author Terri D. Julie cannot thank her enough for mentoring her through this experience since it truly helped her to positively move forward with life. Julie was never much of a fan of writing until recently when dealing with a challenging series of circumstances. Having made it through as a much stronger and self-confident woman she desired to write a book that would inspire other women. Visit Julie Bellatrix’s website: https://juliebellatrix.com
Terri D a.k.a Terri Martinez – Terri is a blogger and author who writes under the pen name Terri D. She published her debut novel titled Yesterday’s Lies in 2011. Terri has since released four more novels, a memoir titled Passport Wife, has published articles, poems and Terri’s most recent release titled, Journaling for Self-Care for Young Adults was inspired by and dedicated to the young women of Chatham.
Terri is happily married again since 2017. She has three children and four grandchildren. Terri is a member of Beulah Baptist Church where she has written and produced stage plays and she is an active member in the Choir. Terri is also a trained Chaplain assistant, Certified Recovery Specialist and Certified Life Coach. Terri is the founder and President of TDUB Publishing. Visit the TDUB Publishing website is https://tdubpublishing.com
BPM: Introduce us to your most recent work. Available on Nook and Kindle?
Love, Lies & Fight is available on all major outlets in paperback and ebook formats. It is a fictional drama that focuses on the lives of the two main characters, Joy who is a therapist and Valerie who is one of her clients. It’s a story about how sometimes while helping others you ultimately end up getting the help you need. It delves into the stigma of therapy in the black community especially the church community. It shows how having closure and resolving issues in our own way and time help us to heal and move on.
BPM: Who were your favorite characters to write? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Terri D – My favorite character to write was Joy. I’m not a therapist but I’ve been to several in my lifetime. It was fun and at times challenging to come up with what a therapist might say in certain situations.
BPM: Do you set out to educate or inspire, entertain or illuminate a particular subject?
Terri D – Yes I’ve always tried to focus on relationships and how to work through challenges. For this book I really wanted to focus on therapy and how helpful it can be. I guess the message is that therapy is a form of self-care and we all need to do whatever is needed to care for ourselves.
Julie – I wanted to establish awareness of what can happen in an unfortunate situation and showing strength by picking yourself back up and moving on.
BPM: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
Julie – I think Chapter 21 is the most powerful when Valerie finally gets the courage to describe her experience in the hospital.
BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Julie – I can now see the benefit of writing as a way of healing.
BPM: Tell us a little about your creative process. Do you use a computer or write out the story by hand?
Terri D – When I am in the middle of a writing project I don’t read books by other authors. I’m an avid reader but once I start a writing project I have shut all of that down. I love using my computer to type my books but when I journal I prefer to write it out on paper. I often listen to classical music while I write. It is very soothing and relaxing for me. It allows my creative juices to flow freely.
BPM: Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips on self-care for creative folks?
Julie – Re-visit looking at what is written the next day after a good night’s rest for making revisions. If not in the mindset to write when you start, take a break until you the words start flowing at a good pace. After writing something look at it again to see if it is a critical piece to the story or if it is just something that is personal that may not need to be included.
Terri D – There’s a thin line between connecting with your characters to the point of taking on some of their traits. That can be both good and bad. It’s good to maintain a healthy balance between your creative thoughts and feelings and reality. The best way to do that in my opinion is to take breaks, step away from the fiction and go back to your reality.
BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
Terri D – At one point Joy states that she believes God sent clients to her to help bring the issues that she needed to work through to the surface. That resonated with me because I feel that God brings us to things in our lives to help us learn and grow through the process of getting through those things. I have spent the past two years waiting but my time spent waiting has been intentional because I needed this time to grow spiritually.
BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from reading your book?
Julie – I want the readers to feel that it is possible to feel empowered and strong even through life’s struggles.
Terri D – Everyone struggles at some point in their life. There is no shame in seeking professional help to get through. It is possible to learn and grow through even the most painful experiences.
BPM: Do you have a Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookBub™ or Facebook community?
Terri D – Here is our publisher’s website https://tdubpublishing.com and I am on Facebook, Goodreads and BookBub as Author Terri D.
Love, Lies & Fight can be found at our Amazon page in paperback and Kindle ebook – https://www.amazon.com/Love-Lies-Fight-Terri-D/dp/0983188769
Connect with Terri D Today!
Website: https://authorterrid.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTerriD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_terri_d
Connect with Julie Today!
Website: https://juliebellatrix.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliebellatrix
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieBellatrix
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliebtdub