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Shortly after A Perfect Stranger was released, Terry received a note from Tina Catanzaro. Tina's husband, Tony, is the handsome man featured on the cover.

 

Tony and Tina were featured on the CBS television show Inside Edition. Check out the segment—you'll see the book's cover, too..

 

When Terry first outlined the plot for Maybe, Baby, she had no idea she was about to become a grandmother for the first time. Months later, when she began work on the book, her new granddaughter was the same age as the baby girl in the story.


 

Several special moments in the book were inspired by Terry's interactions with her granddaughter.

 

Write what you know

A former drama teacher, Terry drew from several backstage memories as she wrote about Maggie Sinclair's efforts to stage a theatrical revue in The Rancher Needs a Wife.

 

Clearing a neglected space, dealing with unstable sets, sewing costumes, rehearsing in the school library--much of the material for the book came from her actual experiences.

 

The story behind the series

 

The three books in Terry's Bright Lights, Big Sky series are set in Montana, but Terry has never been there.  How did she research the setting?  She went shopping.

 

She searched the Internet for a ranch for sale and then contacted a real estate agency for some information about the surrounding area.

Picture perfect

Terry once owned an Arabian mare named Jurnada who looked remarkably like the horse on the cover of Make-Believe Cowboy.

 

Did you know...

 

Terry never wanted to be a writer when she was growing up. Or, for that matter, after she became an adult. It wasn’t until she went back to college to earn a teaching credential that a certain professor planted the idea in her head that she should write a book.

Learning Curve is dedicated to him.

School Days

Terry spent several years teaching various courses at a small high school in Northern California. Many of the scenes in Learning Curve were inspired by her experiences.

A Small Town Temptation

All work and no play would make Jack a very dull boy...

Charlie Keene has poured everything she's got into running her father's concrete company, and now her brother wants to sell. Worse, handsome acquisitions specialist Jack Maguire's arrived in town...and he wants to buy. Charlie's worked too hard to let the family firm go.

One delicious dance and an even more surprising dinner later, all bets are off, as Charlie draws Jack into her Carnelian Cove world. But what does he really want–her or her company? And can Charlie ever trust a man in love if she can't trust him in life?

"A Small-Town Temptation draws the reader in and thoroughly entertains with engaging characters, an excitingly different storyline and a small town setting that beckons us to visit."
Donna Zapf,
CataRomance

"...good writing and lively dialogue make A Small-Town Temptation a fun and joyous story."
4 stars,
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

A Small-Town Temptation by Terry McLaughlin

First book in the
BUILT TO LAST
series

 

  May 2008

Harlequin
SuperRomance
ISBN 13: 978-0-373-71488-9


A Perfect Stranger

January 2008
Harlequin
SuperRomance
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-71467-4
ISBN-10: 0-373-71467-X

 

 

 

 

 

A Perfect Stranger

Marry the perfect man...
or fall for the perfect stranger?

Charismatic Nick Martelli is all smoldering good looks and animal magnetism. Unfortunately, he's not the man Sydney Gordon is nearly engaged to—the man who's waiting for her to come back from Europe and accept his marriage proposal.

And Nick's certainly not what you'd think of as ideal husband material. Sydney needs somebody steady to help her rein in her impulsive nature... Doesn't she?

"...spot on comedic and romantic timing...reminiscent of a Cary Grant/Irene Dunne--Doris Day/James Garner--Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie."
Connie Payne,
Once Upon a Romance

"...witty dialog and sizzling sexual tension that simply sparkles...a fresh romantic story that manages to steal your heart."
5 stars, Donna Zapf,
 CataRomance

"...combines likable, well-drawn characters with a fun and interesting plot to form a story that's a pleasure to read."
4 ½ stars, Romantic Times BOOKreviews

 

Maybe, Baby

Third book in the

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG SKY series


August 2007
Harlequin
SuperRomance
ISBN: 0-373-71438-6

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe, Baby

It could be a screenplay—
except this is no movie.

Film producer Burke Elliot really is snowbound in a remote Montana cabin with his glamorous star. He's here on a mission—to convince Nora Daniels to sign a contract and return with him to Hollywood—and nothing is going to stop him. Not her meddling friends, not the manure-filled snowdrifts, not the lousy cell-phone service. Not even Nora's spit-up-prone bundle of joy.

But while he's "making nice with the talent," the radiant actress and the unexpectedly sweet baby are wreaking havoc with his carefully laid plan. Could "the original iceman" be melting just a little?

"A wickedly funny and oh-so-sensual love story about friends who fail to see what is right in front of them."
Lettetia, Contemporary Romance Writers

"...a sweet story with just the right amount of spice tossed in."
Connie Payne, Once Upon a Romance

"...combines original, likable characters with a fun storyline and great writing."
4 ½ stars Top Pick, Romantic Times BOOKreviews

 

The Rancher Needs a Wife, Harlequin Superromance May 2006

Second book in the

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG SKY series


February 2007
Harlequin
SuperRomance
ISBN: 0-373-71400-9

Golden Quill Finalist

 

 

 

 

How can two people so wrong for each other seem so right?

After his divorce, Wayne Hammond hesitated to make anyone the second Mrs. Hammond. Topping the list of the women he shouldn't pick is Maggie Harrison Sinclair.

Maggie has already left Tucker, Montana, once. She's back only to lick her wounds and figure out her next step. Not exactly the ranch-loving, stay-at-home wife and mother that Wayne has always wanted.

But once Wayne and Maggie cross paths, the impossible-to-resist rancher and the bright-lights-loving woman succumb to their hotter-than-heck attraction, resulting in an even bigger complication.

"...full of smart dialogue and great characters."
4 stars, Romantic Times BOOKreviews

"...an enchanting novel that provides everything we look for in a great romance."
Nadine St. Denis, Romance Junkies

"Heartwarming and poignant...have the tissues handy just to be safe."
Lettetia, Contemporary Romance Writers

"Look for more from this author as each book of hers gets better than the last."
Connie Payne, Once Upon a Romance

 

Learning Curve, Harlequin Superromance May 2006

First book in the

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG SKY

series

 

September 2006
Harlequin
SuperRomance
ISBN: 0-373-71372-X

RITA Finalist

The Lories

Make Believe Cowboy

Can he be a Montana kind of man?

Fitz Kelleran is headed to Montana to film his latest blockbuster.  Ellie Harrison, the ranch owner and a widowed mom, is trying to save her land by renting it out, Hollywood-style.

Can she be a Hollywood kind of woman?

The on-screen cowboy and the real-life rancher aren't the likeliest pair, but they definitely have chemistry.  And when a series of disasters results in Ellie having to sell her ranch, Fitz decides to be her hero and buy it.

But Ellie is no damsel in need of rescuing, and his saving her home means he's taking everything she's worked so hard to keep.  Now this make-believe cowboy has to do all he can to save his one chance at real love.

"...likeable characters that you won’t soon forget and a fresh storyline with enough action to keep you hooked."
Donna Zapf, CataRomance

"...two people who think they're giving up their dreams only to find them in each other."
Debora Hosey, The Romance Readers Connection

"...a well-written story."
4 stars, Romantic Times BOOKreviews

 

 

 

 

Learning Curve, Harlequin Superromance May 2006

May 2006
Harlequin
SuperRomance
ISBN: 0-373-71348-7


RT BookReviews Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee

 


 

Learning Curve

Lesson learned?

High school history teacher Joe Wisniewski may be in a rut, but he dug it himself and he's not planning on getting out anytime soon.  The last thing he wants is to mentor a starry-eyed newcomer, so when he gets an unexpected assignment—Emily Sullivan, a student teacher with a steamroller smile and dynamite legs—he digs in deeper and ducks for cover.

Emily has looked up to the legendary "Wiz" for a long time.  In her opinion, the man is coasting these days, and she's sure a little change in his routine is exactly what he needs. 

The question is:  Will Emily get Joe fired up or just plain fired?

"...a skillfully developed story with wonderful characters and excellent dialogue..."
4 Stars, Romantic Times BOOKclub

"...sassy, sexy and riotous entertainment..."
5 Stars, CataRomance

"...a snappy, entertaining, compelling love story with richly drawn characters and laugh out loud dialogue."

National Bestselling Author Roxanne St. Claire

 

 


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