Things That Make You Go 'Hmmm' by Terri Herman-Ponce

LUCY BURDETTE: Hank and I met Terri through the Guppies, the unpublished writers chapter of Sisters in Crime. Except that Terri isn't unpublished any more, because her first book, IN THIS LIFE, came out this week! We're so excited to have Terri here to talk about the inspiration for her book...

TERRI PONCE: There are things we absolutely believe in, without second thought.

There are things we ignore or dismiss, because they don't fit in with our lifestyle or perception of the world.

And then there are the things that make us sit up and go 'hmm'.


Reincarnation, for me, is one of those things that make me go hmm.

 Yeah, yeah, I know that the theory makes some people thumb their nose, but you can’t ignore the fact that there are so many things around us that aren’t completely explainable – at least not yet. Black holes, for example. Or the eleven dimensions around the Earth. Or the ability some people have to sense things that are going to happen before they happen.

Or the way we connect with individuals, immediately, and feel like we’ve known that person forever.

Think about it. You meet someone for the first time and there’s an instant connection. For some reason, you feel like you’ve known that person your whole life. You sync up like two interconnecting puzzle pieces, each intrinsically knowing just what the other likes or wants or needs without having to be told. A great example, I think, of knowing that there is something else out there, but it’s unexplainable simply because it’s beyond the realm of our logic or ability to prove. But does our inability to prove its existence mean it doesn’t exist at all?

Okay, maybe that’s getting a little too heavy but, even still, I have a hard time answering ‘yes’ to that question.

See, as I’ve gotten older (even though I've decided I'm going to be 39 forever), I've come to realize there’s so much more out there than what’s right in front of our noses. I’ve been fascinated by the ancient Egyptians for a long time now, along with their belief in the afterlife. Sure, we all know that you can’t take it with you when you move on, but what if you really do move on? Better yet, what if you move on and return so that you can learn from or fix past mistakes? It’s this idea that intrigues me, and fuels the stories I write.

For example, in IN THIS LIFE, Psychologist Lottie Morgan knows something is wrong when she starts reliving memories of a lover she's never had. At first, she attributes them to fever-induced dreams. But when the fever disappears and the visions don't, Lottie thinks she may need therapy of her own.

Then she meets Galen. Their first encounter is as intense as it is eye-opening, and Lottie is unprepared for the fire Galen arouses in her. His revelation that they shared a passionate relationship thousands of years ago explains the memories and entices Lottie into wanting to learn more about her past. Her decision, however, comes at a price. Galen may hold the answers but he's a growing temptation as well. One that could destroy the devoted, lifelong relationship Lottie has with her current lover, David. One that could also cost her life. Someone else knows of Lottie's past and is determined to stop her from uncovering secrets they want kept hidden.

As parallels between both of her lives emerge and the memories escalate, Lottie becomes caught between two lifetimes, two men and long-buried deceptions that present an opportunity to right previous wrongs. Unless Lottie repeats her past mistakes.

Terri Herman-Poncé is a communications manager by day and a storyteller by night. Born on Long Island, New York, she absolutely adores red wine, the beach, Ancient Egypt, sunrises and the New York Yankees—though not necessarily in that order. In her

next life, if she hasn’t moved on to somewhere else, Terri wants to be an astronomer. She’s fascinated with the night skies almost as much as she’s fascinated with Ancient Egypt.

You can read more on her website, or follow her on twitter @terriponce, or "like" her on facebook.

And Terri will be stopping in today to chat about the things that make you go 'hmmmm'....And she is giving away two copies of IN THIS LIFE to two lucy commenters!