Girls Just Want to Have a Fearless Adventure by Terry Segan

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Fun and Fearless both start with F...hmmm...I think my guest, Terry Segan, might have something. Enjoy her Fearless Friday adventure on Discover...

Girls just wanna have…a manatee adventure! When my traveling partner suggested our next girl’s trip be to Crystal River, Florida, to check off an item on her bucket list, I dove right in—literally. In the winter months, Crystal River is home to many of these sweet mammals. So, a few years ago, we traveled to Florida in mid-January to see for ourselves.

 

While the hotel we stayed in was dated (think 70’s—I’m sure the bedspreads and shag carpeting were time-warped in nightly), all the rooms faced the bay. The gorgeous view was worth putting up with the ‘vintage’ furnishings and dim lighting.

 

Since the manatees were more active in the morning, we booked an early tour. We tried not to think that 7 a.m. translated to 4 a.m. for our west coast bodies. At the dive shop we watched a short video on manatee etiquette, a.k.a. how not to get arrested for disturbing or tormenting the docile creatures. We then donned wet suits—no easy task unless you have feline flexibility. The tour guide claimed the water remained a comfortable 72 degrees, and he wasn’t kidding. Wearing a mask and snorkel, we slipped into the river using a pool noodle for buoyancy. The water felt like a warm bath.

 

These creatures were amazing! They’re like giant puppies with sweet faces that drift through the brackish water. And yes, they are roughly the size of a cow! We got to bob around and observe several, some getting playful and bumping into us, despite our trying to stay out of their way. The last ten minutes of our hour-long swim, I had one following me. I finally named her Louise and dubbed her a member of our girls’ trip. 

The second day’s tour consisted of kayaking. I originally suggested renting kayaks and going on our own. My friend pointed out that she would prefer NOT to get eaten by alligators if we got lost. Never thought of that! I booked a tour. Being led by a guide, I was sure he would sacrifice himself if we were set upon by alligators. Luckily, we didn’t have to test this theory. Our guide used a stand-up paddle board to easily spot manatees for us. In one area, a manatee nosed our guide along by pushing his board from behind. 

This trip became the inspiration for my recent release, Manatee Soul, The Marni Legend Series Book 2. The main character, Marni, drags her reserved sister into similar tours and other sketchy situations as they assist a lost soul who’s looking for closure. While most of the setting is fictitious, establishments were inspired by my experiences in Crystal River. 

Book & Bio info: 

MANATEE SOUL by Terry Segan – Release date: October 16, 2023 

Blurb: 

Marni Legend has embarked on the most perilous journey of her life—a vacation with her sister. The women are like two peas in a pod, providing each pod came from a different mother ship. One day into their Florida adventure, Marni questions her choice of travel partner. Gloria strives to understand her carefree younger sibling while kayaking and snorkeling without chipping a nail. 

With nothing but eternity on his hands, Phil insists the sisters resolve the circumstances of his untimely demise. The wise-cracking spirit leads them on a trail filled with bartenders, bikers, and the promise of a hidden treasure. 

Her greatest challenge will either be enduring a week with Gloria or surviving the thugs searching for the stolen booty. Can Marni figure out who to trust, who to avoid, and who she’d most likely want to be trapped alone in an elevator with? 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Manatee-Soul-Marni-Legend-Book-ebook/dp/B0CF6HFHKD

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143894199

Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/ 

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorterrysegan 

Terry Segan, originally from Commack, NY, now resides in the desert where she’ll never require an ice scraper or snow shovel again. The beach is her happy place, but any opportunity to travel soothes her gypsy soul. The stories conjured by her imagination while riding backseat on her husband’s motorcycle can be found throughout the pages of her paranormal mysteries. Growing up immersed in sarcastic humor and science fiction movies, Terry’s goals are to cause her readers to laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if the noise under the bed was real or imagined.

A Moving Adventure by Terry Segan #Fearless Friday #TimeTravel

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Please welcome Terry Segan to Fearless Friday. She made one of those fearless moves of discovery and came out on top. Read on!

Ever wonder what it would be like to move to a new city without first securing a job and a place to live? I did just that in my early twenties. Not being satisfied to go only a town or two away, I slapped a cartop carrier onto the roof of my Toyota Corolla and took off for the opposite coast.

I’d grown up on Long Island and wanted a new adventure—a new life. The beaches of Southern California called to me, and I had no choice but to answer with a resounding, “Yes!”

I’ve always been a bit of a wanderer, never settling for the same thing all the time. While this doesn’t always afford stability, I got to work in a variety of industries over the ensuing decade. With my secretarial skills, I could work in most any office setting. My very first job had been on the lot of a major movie studio.

After that year, I decided to work part time toward a college degree, while working for temp agencies. The freedom of not having a permanent job allowed me to take time off to travel. In between trips, I worked several positions as an Honorary Imagineer at the Disney offices in Pasadena and also for an airline, who later hired me.

Following my dream of living in another country, I spent a fall semester in Cambridge, England. Wanting to see more of Europe the following spring, I went on a six-week backpack trip through Europe with a friend. We began in London and wound up in the Greek Islands for the final ten days.

All of these adventures took a leap of faith, as I didn’t always know where I’d end up. Now, much later in life, I’ve begun a new career as a paranormal fiction writer. Another leap. It’s much like the characters, Keira and Grayson, in my current book, The Jelly Bean Jump Project. They must take a leap of faith to pursue their dream of time travel and don’t always know where their future will take them.

Are you ready for your next adventure? 

Book & Bio info: 

THE JELLY BEAN JUMP PROJECT  Release date: April 17, 2023 PREORDER NOW

Fate drew them together. Will their dream of time travel keep them apart? 

Keira longed to do something amazing with her life. When offered a chance to join a time travel program, she didn’t hesitate. With her soulmate by her side, nothing could be more perfect.

Grayson never believed happiness would find him until he met Keira. Lightning struck twice when both got accepted into The Jelly Bean Jump Project, a time travel experiment. Only a handful of applicants made the cut each year.

One of the requirements—no family ties. Keira and Grayson were alone in the world except for each other. An adventure of a lifetime awaited, until a glitch in the system threatened to tear them apart. Would they walk away from their fantasy or surrender their hearts in exchange?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Project-Beans-Spring-Things-ebook/dp/B0BVRW4H3Q

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-jelly-bean-jump-project-terry-segan/1143069048 

Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry

Bio:

 

Terry Segan, originally from Commack, NY, now resides in the desert where she’ll never require an ice scraper or snow shovel again. The beach is her happy place, but any opportunity to travel soothes her gypsy soul. The stories conjured by her imagination while riding backseat on her husband’s motorcycle can be found throughout the pages of her paranormal mysteries. Growing up immersed in sarcastic humor and science fiction movies, Terry’s goals are to cause her readers to laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if the noise under the bed was real or imagined.

Fearless on a Bike by Terry Segan #FearlessFriday #Paranormal

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Now this is a Fearless Friday post I can identify with. Years ago, when my husband got a big bike...and this was in the day of kick starters...I wanted badly to drive it. He said I could if I could get it started. Ha! No matter how high and jumped and stomped on that starter, it wouldn't happen. So, you go, Terry! And not to be forgotten, her book, Precious Treasure, sounds intriguing. It's on my list.

At the age of 22 I left the suburbs of Long Island and struck out for Los Angeles. I’d gone there on vacation six months prior and decided that was the place for me. Within a week of arrival, I’d landed a job on the Paramount Studios lot. Alas, it was a secretarial gig in an obscure financial department—but I was on the lot!

I’ve always embraced change and crave new experiences. So, at the age of 51, I found myself happily divorced and ready to choose my mid-life crisis. I wanted to ride on a motorcycle. A friend of a friend volunteered and after only one ride I was hooked. Fast-forward a year later and the deal-breaker, when I met my current husband online, was I had to be comfortable on a motorcycle—either my own or the back of his. Our first date was on his Harley, and we’ve been together for seven years.

People have asked if I ever wanted to ride my own. It took me a couple years to get there, but four years ago I braved the weekend course at the local college. We rode cute little 250 CC’s to learn and test on. Having long legs my knees were up to my ears!

On the third day we tested. I immediately messaged my boyfriend (now hubby) saying I failed. My hero assured me he’d get something for me to practice on, and I could take the class again. After mentioning I’d dropped the bike twice during practice, he revised that to say we’d find a little beater bike. The instructors gave us the results after lunch. To my absolute amazement I passed! While I blew through the quick stop, I could make a U-turn and weave through cones. Guess I’m good at confusion and misplaced directions.

Six months later we acquired Sandy, a cerulean blue and white Suzuki Boulevard. At 800 CC’s she was a smidge more powerful than what I learned on.

My nemesis became the clutch—a slim piece of demonic metal that determined whether my bike was worthy of moving forward or stopping without stalling. I’d never driven anything with a manual shift. It was embarrassing enough learning to drive in a green Gremlin as a teenager.

We practiced riding early on Saturday and Sunday mornings through the roads of an RV resort. There I’d be in full gear tooling along, with my tutor following behind dressed in flip flops, a tank top, and no helmet on his Victory. Trying to settle into the clutch, I managed to lurch to a halt and tip over. Sandy was equipped with engine guards, but not handle guards. There’s no way I was stopping five hundred pounds of bike from going over. And it did. Twice.

The first time I snapped the clutch handle, I was frustrated. The second time, I believe my exact words were, “Let’s sell the darn thing!” (I’m sure there were expletives involved as well.) I think the stubby piece of metal gave me an evil leer as it did a victory dance. My boyfriend ordered a replacement both times. The second time I suggested practicing with the broken handle before investing in more. He wouldn’t hear of it—then told me he had ordered three. While not exactly a vote of confidence, I can appreciate the humor (and reduced lag until practice time).

In the end, I had to admit defeat as I never got comfortable using a clutch. But I’ll always have the ‘M’ endorsement on my driver’s license. Let’s hope I never have to take over on the husband’s motorcycle, as it weighs in at 1,000 pounds. Not getting that puppy off the kickstand!

Meanwhile, I’m happy to be a backseat rider. From there I can travel for miles as my mind wanders creating plot lines and chapters for my next book. 

Book info: 

PRECIOUS TREASURE by Terry Segan 

Eight years ago her husband disappeared. Does a hundred and fifty-year-old journal hold the answer as to why? 

Amazon book link: www.amazon.com/dp/B09PJXMD9Z

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/precious-treasure-terry-segan/1140834503

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/precious-treasure 

Bio: 

Terry Segan resides in Nevada. The beach is her happy place, but any opportunity to travel soothes her gypsy soul. The stories conjured by her imagination while riding backseat on her husband’s motorcycle can be found throughout the pages of her paranormal mysteries.

Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry