American novelist
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 .
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]
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]
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]
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]
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n Crelin, Joy (2020). "Terri Blackstock". Literary Biographies – via Literary Reference Center Plus.
^
a
b 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
^ Rich, Motoko (23 January 2010).
"With Kindle, the Best Sellers Don't Need to Sell" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 20 August 2023 .
^ Crutcher, Paige (Jan 29, 2014).
"Terri Blackstock: A Return to Roots" .
Publishers Weekly . Retrieved Aug 15, 2023 .
^ Hoops, Jana (March 5, 2017).
"Author Q&A: Terri Blackstock" .
The Clarion-Ledger . Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^ Garrett, Lynn (May 19, 2017).
"Christian Fiction Keeps Its Allure" .
Publishers Weekly . Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^
a
b Mort, John (May 1, 1999). "Christian fiction".
The Booklist . 95 (17): 1579.
ProQuest
235418914
^
a
b
c Graham, Charlotte (June 15, 2002). "Writer's works leave 'Left Behind' behind".
The Clarion Ledger .
ProQuest
873473813
^ Hamaker, Sarah (Sep 26, 2011).
"Best Christian Fiction Books of 2011 Announced" .
The Christian Post . Retrieved Aug 15, 2023 .
^
a
b
"Carol Award Winners" . American Christian Fiction Writers. Retrieved Aug 15, 2023 .
^
"The Christy Award® Archives: Suspense" . christianbookexpo.com . Christian Book Expo. Retrieved Aug 15, 2023 .
^
"The Christy Award™ Archives" . christianbookexpo.com . Retrieved 20 August 2023 .
^ Cole, Thomas R.
"Shelf Awareness for Monday, November 11, 2019" .
Shelf Awareness . Retrieved 20 August 2023 .
^ Carrigan, Jr., Henry (September 1, 1996). "Ulterior Motive".
Library Journal . 121 (14): 163.
ProQuest
196733090
^ Hudak, Melissa (February 1, 1997). "When Dreams Cross".
Library Journal . 122 (2): 66.
ProQuest
196765795
^ Hudak, Melissa (September 1, 1997). "Blind Trust: Second Chances, Book 3".
Library Journal . 122 (14): 166.
ProQuest
196780194
^ Hudak, Melissa (February 1, 1998). "Broken Wings: Second Chances, BK. 4".
Library Journal . 123 (2): 70.
ProQuest
196815898
^ Clouatre, Douglas (September 2007). "Newpointe 911 Series". Masterplots II: Christian Literature – via Literary Reference Center Plus.
^ Reviews of Private Justice
^ Hudak, Melissa (September 1, 1998). "Shadow of Doubt".
Library Journal . 123 (14): 162.
ProQuest
196778816
^ Duncan, Melanie C. (Sep 1, 1999). "Word of Honor".
Library Journal . 124 (14): 172.
ProQuest
196754807
^ Butler, Tamara (November 1, 2003). "Line of Duty".
Library Journal . 128 (18): 66.
ProQuest
196743045
^ Hudak, Melissa (June 1, 1999). "Seasons Under Heaven".
Library Journal . 124 (10): 96.
ProQuest
196771028
^ Maxwell, Gloria (October 1, 2002). "Times and Seasons".
Library Journal . 127 (16): 144–145.
ProQuest
196800007
^ Reviews of Cape Refuge
^ Reviews of River's Edge
^
"Last Light by Terri Blackstock" .
Publishers Weekly . September 1, 2005. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^
"True Light: A Restoration Novel by Terri Blackstock" .
Publishers Weekly . May 21, 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^ Butler, Tamara (April 1, 2008). "Christian Fiction".
Library Journal . 133 (6): 68.
ProQuest
196829200
^ Reviews of Intervention
^ Reviews of Truth Stained Lies
^
"If I Run by Terri Blackstock" .
Publishers Weekly . January 11, 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^ Reviews of If I'm Found
^
"If I Live: The If I Run Series, Book 3 by Terri Blackstock" .
Publishers Weekly . January 15, 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^
"The Heart Reader by Terri Blackstock, Anonymous" .
Publishers Weekly . May 29, 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^ Reviews of Emerald Windows
^ Reviews of Seaside
^ 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
^ Hill, Nanci Milone (June 15, 2010). "Christian Fiction".
Library Journal . 135 (11): 52.
ProQuest
822425650
^ Hill, Nanci Milone (September 15, 2011). "Christian Fiction".
Library Journal . 136 (15).
ProQuest
888171376
^
"COVENANT CHILD by Terri Blackstock" .
Publishers Weekly . April 15, 2002. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .
^ Reviews of Catching Christmas
^ Reviews of Smoke Screen
^
"Aftermath by Terri Blackstock" .
Publishers Weekly . February 26, 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2023 .