Fairhope novelist C. Terry Cline Jr., whose suspense and crime novels have spanned decades, says the roots of his career trace back to a violent scene he witnessed as a child: a man cutting the throat of a woman, then standing over her on the front steps as she died.
“Death, especially violent death, is the most traumatic occurrence in the affairs of humankind,” Cline said, describing the encounter. “Thereafter, I have always been interested in what creates a criminal and what makes them do the things they do.” Cline said it took him 25 years to master suspense writing well enough to feel confident in the genre. “Only a few writers do it well. I wanted to be one of the best in the field,” he said.
A Body of Work Built on Dark Subjects
Asked which of his books he would recommend as an introduction for Coastal Alabama readers, Cline said his wife points to “Missing Persons,” a novel drawing on the personality of serial killer Ted Bundy. The book, along with the rest of his catalog, is being made available on Kindle, Mobipocket and iPhone platforms, he said.
Of his own favorite among his novels, Cline pointed to “The Attorney Conspiracy.” “If you want to know what went wrong with America, read this one,” he said.
A Lighter Project Ahead
Cline said he is now working on a book he hopes will be humorous, tentatively titled “Save Any Business,” describing it as a tongue-in-cheek look at keeping a livelihood afloat. He joked about his qualifications for writing comedy given his home life: “I am married. My first wife, Linda Cline, and my now-and-forevermore wife, Judith Richards, have not laughed at a word I’ve said since 1959 and 1979, respectively.”
Cline and Richards, herself a published novelist, live in Fairhope, where both continue to write.
Advice for Aspiring Writers
Asked what advice he would offer other Coastal Alabama writers, Cline was blunt: learn a trade first. “Learn plumbing. You’ll make more money, and you’ll always be welcome, even with muddy boots on a shag carpet,” he said. “However, if you insist on writing, do it because you love it, and don’t give up. Persistence is the key to eventual success. It isn’t easy, but when you finally get published, it’s the most gratifying thing imaginable.”