Q&A
Take a look below at some of the questions people are asking Terry about his first book.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
My wife had been fired from her job at a public agency for refusing to commit grant fraud. After we helped to send him to prison, we realized that the justice system failed most people and there needed to be changes in the oversight functions of that area of government.
Q: What does the title mean?
“Dead People, Crazy People, Drugs and Politicians" may seem like a strange title for a book; but it is a combination of duties of every coroner in Louisiana. Coroners report the cause and manner of death. In Louisiana, they have the authority to evaluate people and hold them for mental health treatment for up to 72 hours. Some of the coroners in Louisiana feel they have the authority to collect drugs from death scenes, which violates numerous laws, and has led to issues with control of drugs postmortem. Also, in Louisiana coroners are elected; which makes them politicians, and part of that fraternity which looks after its own, while engaging in any conceivable enterprise the office might provide advantage for—honest graft, or what the tax man inconveniently calls income, or profit.
Q: What was your favorite part about writing this book?
My favorite part was revisiting some of the scenes where our group was working together to correct a problem that affected our entire community.
Q: What do you hope will come from writing this book?
We hope to change Article V of the Louisiana Constitution to provide for effective oversight of the Judicial Branch.
Q: What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The hardest part was reliving some very dark moments in my past concerning the fight that we endured.
Q: Are you planning a second book? If so, what can you tell us about it?
Yes, we are. I can tell you that Chapter 15 of the current book titled “The Others” would be a good place to start. I can also tell you that it will be much more shocking than this book.
Q: Are you available for speaking engagements?
Yes, I am available for speaking engagements. (click here to make a request)
Q: Is your book non-fiction?
Yes. This book is a true crime book recounting my personal experience.
Q: Where can the reader find sources for the info in this book?
There is a bibliography that lists sources that are in the book. (click here to buy the book)
Q: Who is your hero?
I don’t know that I would call him a “hero,” but Deitrich Bonhoeffer is a great inspiration to me.
Q: Was it difficult for you to go through all of this in life, while raising a family? and what really kept you together through all of it?
It was extremely difficult to go through this since we felt it was truly good versus evil and there was lots of evil. My family and friends didn't really understand what was happening or why I was so upset about it. Many of my friends in the community took Galvan's side and ostracized me, so we lost a lot of social standing. My kids were insulated from most of it, but would hear me talking about it on the phone and knew that we were going to court. It was a pretty dark period.
My faith and my new friendships with the people at CCST helped me get through it. We also lived on a bayou at that time, which gave me the opportunity to go fishing, crabbing, and swimming with my family. It seemed that every time things got really bad, some strange solution would pop up or some unexpected person would help out. For me, I chalked it up to God working through us and I was very grateful for that.