Teri M. Brown is the author of the new book 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure. Her other books include the novel Daughters of Green Mountain Gap.
Q: What inspired you to write 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure?
A: During the summer of 2020, my husband, Bruce, and I rode across the United States on a tandem bicycle to raise money for Toys for Tots. Along the way, we not only successfully raised money, but I learned a lot about myself, others, and God, as well as healed from a 14-year emotionally abusive relationship.
The lessons I learned are not just for those cycling across the US, but for anyone who wants to live an adventurous life. And how do I define adventure? Doing anything that puts you outside your comfort zone. It could be something huge like a 3,102-mile bicycle ride, but it can also be changing jobs, starting (or ending) a relationship, or figuring out what you are going to do now that you have an empty nest.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: Part of one of my chapters in the book talks about the title, which shows how important it is! I called our journey from coast to coast our Double-Butted Adventures. I did it because we rode on a tandem – two seats and one adventure.
My husband loved the name for a different reason. The process for creating the steel tubing needed to make a tandem bicycle is called double butting. I love how my creative side and his engineering side blended so beautifully and allowed us each to be happy with the name.
The 10 Little Rules portion of the title is because of my publisher Little Rules Publishing. Each book published by LRP consists of 10 rules around a topic and provides guided journaling questions at the end of each rule to allow the reader to define their own rules.
Q: You’ve written both fiction and nonfiction--do you have a preference?
A: I’ve actually written fiction, nonfiction, and creative nonfiction. My nonfiction works were how-to books revolving around finance and real estate. They didn’t require too much creativity on my part.
My fiction novels and this new book, a creative nonfiction, are more than just facts laid out in an easy-to-read manner. I enjoy being creative, so both types of writing have been fun.
In general, I think I prefer writing novels, but mostly because I can’t see myself doing anything as grand as another double-butted adventure. Without something like that, I don’t see myself writing more creative nonfiction!
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I want readers to walk away understanding that they have within themselves everything they need to lead an adventurous life. Throw away limiting beliefs. Eliminate fear. Get rid of the bucket list. Instead, start today working toward the thing or things that make you hum inside.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m finishing up a children’s book called Little Lola and the Big Dream with illustrations by Lorri D. Perini. I hope to have it available by early summer.
I’m also working on a humorous contemporary novel about a woman going through menopause.
Finally, I have an idea for another historical fiction, though I’m leaning toward a historical suspense or mystery!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I’m so grateful to everyone who has ever read one of my books – and I’d love to keep in touch.
Feel free to head to my website (www.terimbrown.com). There, you can follow me on social media, listen to my podcast Online for Authors (a great place to find the next book on your TBR), sign up for my twice-monthly newsletter, purchase signed copies of my books, and/or reach out to me via my contact page.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Teri M. Brown.