Featured Author-Terry Balagia
Highly selective with our invitations, Silverlight Press is very proud of our authors’ accomplishments. They are dedicated, hardworking, very creative, and have fantastic book projects. We thoroughly enjoy our collaborations with them and are always excited to reveal details regarding their books, as well as their journeys of authorship.
Today, we feature our author, Terry Balagia. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Terry graduated from the University of Texas, School of Communications, and went straight to New York to start his advertising career. After 30 years as a creative director of major multinational advertising agencies in New York City and Los Angeles, writing and shooting commercials for some of the biggest brands in the industry, and writing his novels at night after a full day of advertising-Terry left to put his creative energy into a longer story format. He was ready to pursue his lifelong dream. As a child, Terry told his mother during one of their regular library trips, that he was going to be a novelist!
Terry has written the historical fiction novel, The Hunt for Frederick Douglass: The Last-Chance, Secret Mission to Avoid the Civil War. When I read Terry’s draft manuscript, I couldn’t put it down. Over the subsequent months, he toiled away and refined every element and as such, his novel only got better! The new prologue he drafted, along with dialing up some of the characters to an even greater level, were the icing on the cake. I looked forward to every draft he submitted.
Terry’s novel is a page-turning adventure between a gruff Texas Ranger and the famed abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. It’s an entertaining and wild ride while also being thought-provoking. While worthy of a feature film or stage play, this well-crafted story also gives homage to the great words and wisdom of Frederick Douglass. Seamlessly inserted, Douglass’ speeches are woven into the novel in a way that makes it uncannily more resonant than ever with contemporary readers. Through the vehicle of historical fiction, Terry created a new platform for today’s readers to have a unique “listen” to Douglass’ voice.
Terry’s masterful character development makes these larger-than-life characters relatable, along with being presented in enhanced, vivid, and humorous detail. The twists and turns of this action-packed novel are riveting and expertly paced.
Many of our authors are speakers. They also enjoy appearing and discussing their books. Most recently, Terry was invited to present at the prestigious and renowned SXSW in Austin, Texas. His presentation, “Frederick Douglass: Turning Historical Figures into Fiction, “will explore the ins and outs of recasting the legendary Frederick Douglass in the soon-to-be-released book, The Hunt for Frederick Douglass. Drawing on his creative industry background, Terry will explain the process, the pitfalls, and the alignment of purpose in crafting a historical fiction novel. The session is Tuesday, March 15th at 4:00 pm at the Austin Convention Center. If you’re in the area, you won’t want to miss it.
Congratulations Terry! We couldn’t be prouder of you. Stay updated with Terry and his book at www.TerryBalagia.com .
