Terry Odell

Biography

Terry Odell began writing by mistake, when her son mentioned a television show and she thought she'd be a good mom and watch it so they'd have common ground for discussions.

Little did she know she would enter the world of writing, first via fanfiction, then through internet groups, and finally with groups with real, live partners. Her first publications were short stories, but she found more freedom in longer works and began what she thought was a mystery. Her daughters told her it was a romance so she began learning more about the genre and craft. She belongs to both the Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.

Now a multi-published, award winning author, Terry resides with her husband in the mountains of Colorado.

Smashwords Interview

What is your writing process?
My goal is to average 1000 words a day, minimum. I'm not a plotter - my books usually begin with a vague premise, characters, and their conflicts. I'll lay out plot points for a scene and write it. At the end of a day, when a scene is finished, I print it out and take it to bed to look over. I'll make general notes, flag typos, and then the next day, I have a springboard for that day's writing. I edit as I go, so I generally end with a relatively clean first draft. After it's done, I print it out and read the whole thing.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I have a Nook HD+ and I love it. Since it's a tablet, I can also use the Kobo and Kindle apps, but the Nook books give the best reading experience for me.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Terry Odell online

Where to buy in print

Series

Triple-D Ranch
Rangers turned Ranchers. If there's trouble, these Colorado cowboys ride to the rescue. A romantic suspense series set on a cattle ranch in the Colorado mountains.
Pine Hills Police
Finding Sarah
Price: Free!
Hidden Fire
Price: $4.99 USD.
Saving Scott
Price: $4.99 USD.
Nowhere to Hide
Price: $4.99 USD.
Finding Fire
Price: $0.99 USD.

Books

In the Crosshairs
Series: Triple-D Ranch. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 89,980. Language: English. Published: February 2, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Western, Fiction » Romance » Suspense
Changing Your Life Won’t Make Things Easier There’s more to ranch life than minding cattle. After his stint as an army Ranger, Frank Wembly loves the peaceful life of a cowboy. Financial advisor Kiera O’Leary is pursuing her dream of being a photographer until a car-meets-cow incident forces a shift in plans. She finds herself in the middle of a mystery, one with potentially deadly consequences,
Trusting Uncertainty
Series: Blackthorne, Inc.. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 82,630. Language: English. Published: July 27, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure
Travis thinks volunteering for op after op will absolve him of the guilt he carries after a rescue went bad. When he’s sent on a simple search and find mission, he has no idea he’ll uncover something far more sinister. Chelsea wants to live her life, make her decisions. She quits her job teaching wealthy kids to move to Colorado to help the less fortunate, convinced she’s made the right choice.
Deadly Options
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 76,970. Language: American English. Published: February 24, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
Are Gordon’s Days in Mapleton Numbered? On top of a homicide investigation, the mayor’s making demands again. Mapleton's crime lull is over. Angie and Gordon’s house-hunting brings an unpleasant surprise. Then there’s the matter of an unexpected letter from the mayor of Pine Hills, Oregon. Is it time for Gordon to rethink his career?
Heather's Chase
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 83,310. Language: English. Published: August 23, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy, Fiction » Romance » Suspense
Caregiver Heather Donnegal reluctantly accepts a tour of the British Isles to honor a patient’s dying wish. Private Investigator Chase Nolan has been hired to find and bring back a woman his wealthy client has accused of stealing from him. Two businesses are at stake. Will they trust each other enough to save both? Escape with Heather and Chase in this international mystery romance.
Deadly Fun
Series: Mapleton Mysteries. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 79,310. Language: English. Published: February 24, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
Someone is playing a game with Mapleton’s Chief of Police…and it’s deadly. Gordon wonders if he’s been so busy dealing with “Chief Stuff” that he’s lost his edge as a street cop. When a tragic car accident kills a friend, Gordon soon learns it was no accident. Now it’s a race against the clock to find the killer before another victim is chosen. Or is Gordon the next casualty on the killer’s list?
Remaking Morgan
Series: Pine Hills Police. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 94,440. Language: English. Published: September 24, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
There’s no escaping your past, no matter how deep you try to bury it. Morgan has spent years trying to bury her past. When she inherits a house in Oregon, she packs up to start a new life. Cole became a cop after losing his childhood sweetheart to violence. When Morgan asks the police about a threatening message, Cole is eager to help. When she’s in danger, can Cole be the cop he set out to be?
Personal Assignment
Series: Blackthorne, Inc.. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 86,390. Language: English. Published: April 2, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure
Danika says she doesn't need protection. Nash knows better. And for him, it's personal. Rescuing people in distress is what Nash does, and he can’t imagine his life outside of the Blackthorne teams. Threats escalate. Are they directed at Danika, Nash, or his partner? Can Danika and Nash figure out which of them is being threatened and who’s behind the threats before it’s too late?
The Mapleton Mystery Novellas
Series: Mapleton Mysteries. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 90,250. Language: English. Published: February 12, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
Three Mapleton Mystery Novellas, available in one volume. Deadly Places: Life is a balancing act. When you’re a cop, the choices can be deadly. Deadly Engagement: If you’re with a cop, there’s no escaping mystery and crime, even on a Caribbean cruise. Deadly Assumptions: Will a string of mysterious trespassing incidents give Rookie Officer Ed Solomon his chance at being a big-time detective?
The Blackthorne, Inc. Novels, Volume 2
Series: Blackthorne, Inc.. Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 307,190. Language: English. Published: January 7, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure
Who do you call when Uncle Sam can't help you? Blackthorne, Inc., of course. Behind the public façade of a high-end private investigation firm lies a band of elite covert operatives. Read the second three full-length novels, filled with action, adventure and romance. Includes Danger in Deer Ridge, Dangerous Connections, and Windswept Danger.
The Blackthorne, Inc. Novels, Volume 1
Series: Blackthorne, Inc.. Price: $6.99 USD. Words: 306,940. Language: English. Published: October 29, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure
Who do you call when Uncle Sam can't help you? Blackthorne, Inc., of course. Behind the public façade of a high-end private investigation firm lies a band of elite covert operatives. Read the first three full-length novels, When Danger Calls, Where Danger Hides, and Rooted in Danger--filled with adventure and romance.
Deadly Assumptions: A Mapleton Mystery Novella
Series: Mapleton Mysteries. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 28,140. Language: English. Published: August 28, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
Rookie police officer Ed Solomon dreams of being a big-city detective, but he’s stuck in small-town Mapleton. Will a string of mysterious trespassing incidents give him his chance at the big time? Deadly Assumptions, a cross between a cozy mystery and a police procedural, is the seventh offering in Terry Odell’s Mapleton Mystery series.
Falcon's Prey
Series: Blackthorne, Inc.. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 90,210. Language: English. Published: May 29, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure, Fiction » Romance » Suspense
Heroes aren’t fearless. They just don’t let fear get in the way. Police officer Lexi Becker is being targeted. Afraid her local police department has been infiltrated, she turns to the only man she can trust for help: her former patrol partner. Danger is everywhere. Someone’s bugged her house. An illegal opioid network. People dying. And an even more sinister plan is being put into action.
Deadly Engagement: A Mapleton Mystery Novella
Series: Mapleton Mysteries. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 31,760. Language: English. Published: January 28, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
If you’re with a cop, there’s no escaping mystery and crime, even on a Caribbean cruise. Angie Mead thinks time away from Gordon’s “Cop Stuff” is what he needs to distract him from being suspended as Mapleton’s Chief of Police and get over killing a man. A Caribbean cruise, where Gordon has no jurisdiction, seems the perfect solution—and Angie is looking forward to some fun in the sun.
Identity Crisis
Series: Blackthorne, Inc.. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 83,710. Language: English. Published: September 29, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
Not following orders might cost him his dream job, but it could save her life. Brett Cashman yearns to be a Blackthorne covert operative. He has the skills, but as the only recruit with no military background, he’s having trouble adjusting to the whole taking-orders gig. Can he follow the rules, or will his attraction to the woman he’s sent to protect destroy his chances?
In Dire Straits (A Triple-D Ranch Romantic Suspense)
Series: Triple-D Ranch. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 88,520. Language: English. Published: October 19, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Western
For ex-Ranger Tim Halloran, a quiet life on a cattle ranch makes his world turn. Rebecca Morgan spins his world in another direction. What will he give up to keep her safe? Rebecca needs a high-paying job to help cover her young nephew’s skyrocketing medical expenses. When her ex comes back into her life, she will stop at nothing to thwart his plans, even partnering with a wisecracking cowhand.
In Deep Trouble (A Triple-D Ranch Romantic Suspense)
Series: Triple-D Ranch. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 94,910. Language: English. Published: May 10, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Western
She trusts everyone. He trusts no one. When 17-year-old Grady is chosen as the first candidate in Cecily’s new program to give the less advantaged a fresh start, Cecily is thrilled. Bryce not so much, because he's stuck mentoring the kid. Meanwhile, cattle are being killed across the state, and the Triple-D’s herd is no exception. Soon things escalate, and it’s more than the cattle in danger.
In Hot Water (A Triple-D Ranch Romantic Suspense)
Series: Triple-D Ranch. Price: Free! Words: 105,230. Language: English. Published: February 10, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Western, Fiction » Adventure » Action
Derek Cooper has left the life of an Army Ranger and a covert ops agent for Blackthorne, Inc. to run a cattle ranch in the Colorado mountains. Peace-loving Sabrina Barton believes in second chances, and she's running a vocational culinary school to prove it. When they discover a potential bioterrorism plot, they'll have to put their attraction on hold while they search for a way to prevent it.
Pine Hills Police: Four Complete Novels
Series: Pine Hills Police. Price: $8.99 USD. Words: 367,690. Language: English. Published: December 4, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
Three full length novels featuring the small town of Pine Hills are bundled in this collection of romantic suspense police procedurals: Finding Sarah, Hidden Fire, and Saving Scott. There's also an added bonus of Nowhere to Hide, a Pine Hills Police spinoff,. Join Randy and Sarah, Scott and Ashley, and Graham and Colleen as they solve crimes and fall in
Deadly Places: A Mapleton Mystery Novella
Series: Mapleton Mysteries. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 31,410. Language: English. Published: November 9, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
Life is a balancing act. When you’re a cop, the choices can be deadly. Ed Solomon, Maple­ton, Col­orado police­ officer, has been ridiculed for sus­pect­ing some­one is mur­der­ing dead­beat dads, all of whom have been linked to a travel blog. Setting up a sting operation by posing as a deadbeat dad makes Ed a target. Will he catch the assassins before he becomes their next victim?
Deadly Production
Series: Mapleton Mysteries. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 93,650. Language: English. Published: May 8, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
Mapleton Police chief Gordon Hepler thinks his troubles with the small-town politics are behind him. But when a movie-making company sets up shop in Mapleton, it doesn't take long before things go sideways, and Gordon has a dead body to deal with. The mayor says it's not a Mapleton problem, let the movie people deal with it. Will Gordon listen to the mayor, or risk his job to find the truth?
Second Chance Rose and Other Stories
Price: Free! Words: 42,030. Language: English. Published: March 19, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Contemporary, Fiction » Romance » Short stories
Hurricane Breeze, Romancing the Geek, Relationships, Out of Sight, and Second Chance Rose. Whether it's first love, love confirmed, or love revisited, there's a story in this collection of novelette-length works to warm your heart.
Seeing Red
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 33,580. Language: English. Published: December 1, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories
Three short works featuring Florida Homicide Detective James T. Kirkland who has to put up with a Star Trek loving Medical Examiner, an ex-wife, and a cousin who overreacts to just about everything. Sometimes murder happens when and where you least expect it.
Windswept Danger
Series: Blackthorne, Inc., Book 6. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 104,280. Language: English. Published: October 27, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Adventure » Action
The Stepford Wives meet Hotel California Can a feisty secu­rity agent who hates tak­ing orders and a covert ops spe­cial­ist who has some­thing to prove, put aside their own dif­fer­ences and their own agen­das long enough to uncover the secrets of Windswept Heights?
Deadly Puzzles
Series: Mapleton Mysteries, Book 3. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 92,140. Language: English. Published: April 21, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
Solving a crime is like piecing together a puzzle. But what happens if the pieces don’t fit? Following doctor's orders to relax or risk losing his vision, Gordon books a winter retreat at a remote Bed and Breakfast. However, traveling incognito doesn’t mean he’s left his cop instincts behind, and it's not long before he's in the middle of a puzzle that turns personal.
Dangerous Connections
Series: Blackthorne, Inc., Book 5. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 102,800. Language: English. Published: October 21, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
The Blackthorne, Inc. covert ops team returns with another action-adventure romantic suspense from Terry Odell. It's Computer Nerd meets Cartel Lord. For Jinx, interacting with people is highly overrated. Computers are his life. On the job, he’s an intel gathering expert for Blackthorne, Inc. Off duty, he’s a shooter in computer role playing games. But what happens when he’s sent into the field?
Rooted in Danger
Series: Blackthorne, Inc., Book 3. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 106,330. Language: English. Published: April 20, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
Behind the public façade of Blackthorne, Inc., a high-end private investigation company, lies a band of elite covert operatives, and they’re back doing what they do best. Rooted in Danger, the third in the Blackthorne, Inc. series, starts on a tropical island, and things heat up from there. Rooted in Danger will keep readers turning pages as the stakes—and romance–escalate.
Deadly Bones
Series: Mapleton Mysteries, Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 101,690. Language: English. Published: November 1, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller
(5.00 from 1 review)
A dog finding a bone is no big deal—until it turns out to be human. Police Chief Gordon Hepler never thought that helping two kids with their runaway dogs would lead to the discovery of long-buried human remains. Trying to convince Mapleton's penny-pinching mayor the victims’ bones are worth investigating puts Gordon's job at risk. Before long, it's not just his job, but his life that's in danger.
Nowhere to Hide
Series: Pine Hills Police, Book 4. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 90,890. Language: English. Published: July 28, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
The trouble with running away is that you take yourself with you. After police officer Colleen McDonald is injured in a case gone south and her partner dies, she leaves her job and friends in small town Oregon for a fresh start as a civilian in Orlando. When a deputy comes to her door investigating a missing person, she’s determined to get him out of her life by beating him at his own game.
Where Danger Hides
Series: Blackthorne, Inc., Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 101,730. Language: English. Published: May 18, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure
(5.00 from 1 review)
Who do you call when Uncle Sam can't help you? Blackthorne, Inc. Behind the public façade of a high-end private investigation firm lies a band of elite covert operatives. When Dalton nearly blows a simple undercover assignment at a fundraising gala, it convinces his boss to tether him to a dog-and-pony-show case at a halfway house. Instead, Dalton finds death, drugs, and danger.
Saving Scott
Series: Pine Hills Police, Book 3. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 93,850. Language: English. Published: April 18, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
Can a dead body in a chocolate shop revive a battle-fatigued cop? Or will it take the owner of the shop to save him? Scott has to choose where his loyalties lie—with his brotherhood in blue, or his attractive new neighbor, who needs someone on her side. Things heat up hotter than the ovens in Ashley's bakery when she's a suspect in a murder investigation.
Deadly Secrets
Series: Mapleton Mysteries, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 88,020. Language: English. Published: December 3, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
(4.00 from 2 reviews)
Mapleton Police Chief Gordon Hepler would rather be on the streets than behind a desk dealing with budgets and the town council. When a fatal accident seems connected to two of Mapleton's most beloved citizens, he gets his wish. When he ties the accident to a grisly murder, he's afraid he's getting more than he bargained for. Can he solve the crime without revealing the secrets of his citizens?
Hidden Fire
Series: Pine Hills Police, Book 2. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 97,620. Language: English. Published: September 23, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense
(5.00 from 1 review)
Returning from a stint as part of a task force on violent crime, Detective Randy Detweiler is eager to reunite with Sarah Tucker in Pine Hills, but she’s having second thoughts about their relationship. Can she deal with a cop who gets called away at a moment’s notice, especially one who won’t talk about his job? A sequel to Finding Sarah.
Finding Fire
Series: Pine Hills Police, a Pine Hills Companion. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 19,250. Language: English. Published: September 23, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Short stories
A collection of short stories featuring Detective Randy Detweiler and Sarah Tucker from Finding Sarah and Hidden Fire. Previously published individually, Finding Fire gathers them in one volume. Stories include A Winter's Day; Coping Mechanisms; A Summer's Eve; and The Other Side of the Page.
Finding Sarah
Series: Pine Hills Police, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 92,050. Language: English. Published: September 23, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense
(4.67 from 3 reviews)
Being robbed at gunpoint wasn’t part of Sarah Tucker’s business plan. Neither was falling in love with the detective who arrived to solve the case. For police detective Randy Detweiler, a routine robbery investigation turns into the biggest challenge of his career when he falls in love with the victim and ends up having to save more than her business.
Danger in Deer Ridge
Series: Blackthorne, Inc., Book 4. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 101,330. Language: English. Published: May 27, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Contemporary, Fiction » Romance » Suspense
(4.33 from 3 reviews)
What do you do when your life turns upside down? Whatever it takes. Elizabeth Parker, with the help of Blackthorne, Inc., has a new identity and a new home, which she hopes her husband will never find. She will never let him lay a hand on her son again. Blackthorne's covert ops team is back, with orders from the boss himself. They're protecting their assignment, as well as one of their own.
What's in a Name?
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 93,610. Language: English. Published: December 31, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
Running for the wrong reason can still get you killed. Kelli Carpenter changed her life to avoid being connected to a crime she committed in self defense. She thinks she has nothing to fear, until Blake Windsor shows up. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer is her philosophy. Blake and Kelli try to keep one step ahead of whoever is following them--while trying to figure out why.
When Danger Calls
Series: Blackthorne, Inc., Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 100,290. Language: English. Published: October 19, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
(4.75 from 8 reviews)
If someone asks single mother Frankie Castor to clear a room, she'll smile and find a vacuum cleaner. Ryan Harper uses a gun. Can they work together when their lives depend on it? When Danger Calls was previously published in hard cover by Five Star Expressions.
Words
Price: Free! Words: 2,080. Language: English. Published: June 26, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » General
(5.00 from 11 reviews)
What does it take for a man to say, "I love you" out loud? Certainly the woman he loves can tell from his actions. And if she can tell, why must he initiate those words? Words explores new love first from his point of view, then hers. A sensual read, guaranteed to make you seek out that special someone in your life.

Terry Odell's tag cloud

action adventure    action adventure romance    amateur sleuth    antitechnology    arms dealers    arranged marriage    assassination ring    assassination rings    baby trafficking    bakery    big sister program    bioterrorism    blackthorne inc    bodyguards    book bundle    boxed sets    british isles    buried bones    caregivers    caribbean cruise    cartels    cattle ranches    cattle ranching romance    cattle rustling    central serous retinopathy    change of careers    changing careers    child prodigies    chocolate    climical depression    cold cases    colorado    colorado cowboys    colorado mystery    colorado ranch    computer geeks    contemporary romance    contemporary western romance    cooking    cooking schools    covert operatives    covert ops    covert ops romance    cowboys    cozy mystery    crime at sea    crossover series    cruise ship mystery    deadbeat dads    deathbed promises    detective    detective fiction    drug dealers    drug smuggling    estranged families    family ties    fiction    first loves    florida    former military turned cowboys    gay and lesbian issues    holocaust survivors    homeless shelters    homicide detective    homicides    horse therapy    horses    house hunting    human organ trafficking    human trafficking    humor    illegal immegrants    illegal immigrants    illegal opioids    injured heroes    international romance    internet scams    jewel thieves    job hunting    journalism    kidnapping    legalized marijuana    love stories    mapleton mysteries    mapleton mystery    marathons    mending family relationships    mercenaries    mexico    missing persons    mixed race characters    mixed race couples    montana    movie making    murder    murder mystery    mysteries    mystery    mystery novella    mystery novellas    mystery romance    mystery suspense    new beginnings    new identities    new identity    newlywed    newlyweds    oregon    orlando florida    orphan diseases    photographers    pine hills police    police chief    police detective    police family life    police procedural    private investigators    ranching romance    real estate scammers    recipes    red shirts    rescue dogs    revenge    robbery    rocky mountains    romance    romance adventure    romance and love    romantic suspense    romantic suspesne    rookie cops    san francisco    second chances    second loves    sensual romance    serial killer    serial killers    series    short romance    short stories    single mother    single parents    small town    small town police    star trek    suspense    suspense thriller    thriller    troubled teens    unethical financial advisors    vacation tours    western romantic suspense    yoga