Dr. Terry O’Malia opens up about channeling trauma into hope, creating heroes for veterans, and building an interconnected literary universe

Defiance Press: What drove you to transition from medicine to writing fiction?

Dr. O’Malia: Working as an Emergency Medicine Physician gave me both the greatest privilege and the most horrific experiences of my life. I met some of the most dynamic people in the world—and some of the most evil. I witnessed acts of violence so disturbing that I’ll never write about them, no matter how much they might sell books. That’s just a line I won’t cross.

But what really broke me was pronouncing veterans dead after suicide. Here’s the thing—America is phenomenal at fighting wars, but we’re absolutely terrible at taking care of the men and women who did the fighting. I realized these heroes needed someone in fiction who had every reason in the world to end his own life but chose to drive on instead.

DP: That’s powerful. Were there other experiences that shaped your decision to write?

Dr. O’Malia: The most disturbing was encountering the underbelly of human trafficking. I had to conduct rape investigations on four-year-old girls. I had to save the lives of women beaten so severely they were clinging to life, only to discharge them back to their abusers because we couldn’t protect them.

I became so depressed at our inability to protect the most vulnerable that I started fantasizing about taking the law into my own hands. As a rational human being, I recognized this was an unhealthy way to process my emotions. I knew I could never do the things I was fantasizing about—but I could write about a fictional character who could.

DP: So veteran suicides and human trafficking collided with your love of writing to create “The Wolf Hunter”?

Dr. O’Malia: Exactly. Too many sleepless nights after disturbing ER shifts, the weight of these injustices, and my lifelong love of writing all came together. The Wolf Hunter was born from that perfect storm of trauma and the need to create hope.

DP: How long have you actually been writing?

Dr. O’Malia: [Laughs] I have my mother to thank for that. When I was in seventh grade, she insisted my brother and I keep a journal during a month-long family vacation. I haven’t always been consistent, but I’ve been expressing myself with paper and pen ever since. She probably had no idea she was planting the seeds for my future career.

DP: Many writers struggle with writer’s block. How do you handle it?

Dr. O’Malia: Honestly? I’ve never had writer’s block. I think a blank page or blinking cursor is just asking for trouble. My approach is completely different from what I see in writing videos and books.

Writing, for me, is dynamic—it all happens in my head long before I touch the pen. I start by writing an entire book in one sentence. That’s version one. Then I elaborate with a few more sentences—version two. I just keep expanding. My first book had over a hundred files, each a rewrite of the previous version.

Essentially, my books grow like seeds. I plant with one sentence, water with a few more, and repeat. If I’m not actively writing, I’m editing what I already have, and presto—a new version emerges.

DP: What’s the most challenging aspect of your writing process?

Dr. O’Malia: Understanding where I actually am in the story. I research so heavily and craft entire plots in my head that I think I’ve already written them. When I sit down to write, I assume all that mental work is already on the page.

The real challenge is that I’m not writing standalone novels—I’m writing one continuous story across twenty or so planned books. I’ve always longed for authors who just keep the story going. I get depressed when I finish a great book and there’s no sequel. I want to know how the characters are doing, see the happily ever after.

So the hardest part is ensuring that while I’m working on book two, I don’t write something that will negate my plans for book twelve.

DP: Your medical background clearly influences your writing. How do you approach research?

Dr. O’Malia: I research all day, every day. As a physician, I see different people constantly—I’m a student of humanity. Character development is the most crucial part of fiction for me. If your characters don’t feel real, the story falls flat.

Everything is research—social media, internet, daily interactions. I catalogue how people describe physical ailments or emotions. My medical training gives me an advantage in observation and description. I use scientific terminology that most readers won’t understand, but it doesn’t matter. “The fusiform recognition center in his temporal lobe” sounds so much cooler than “his head.” That’s what makes my writing unique.

DP: How much world-building happens before you start writing?

Dr. O’Malia: All of it. I had at least ten books completely plotted in my head before I opened the laptop. My brain never shuts off—I’m researching while driving, crafting descriptive sentences and turning them around multiple times. If I stumble across something good, I’ll repeat it until I memorize it long enough to write it down.

Most of my plot twists happen while staring at the ceiling in the thirty minutes before I fall asleep.

DP: Is it more challenging to write the first book in a series or subsequent novels?

Dr. O’Malia: Without question, the first one. Everything I’ll write hinges on that foundation. Book one was the cornerstone—it had to be perfect because it sets the tone for the entire saga. Book two was much easier because I’m simply building on the established foundation.

DP: Any secrets you can share about “The Wolf Hunter” without spoiling anything?

Dr. O’Malia: [Grins] I’ve dropped dozens of clues in the first book that will help unravel the next several books. Most details aren’t just descriptors—they’re breadcrumbs. I’ll give you one hint though: the poetry is key.

DP: Does any character hold a special place in your heart?

Dr. O’Malia: The two FBI agents, Patrick Mulloy and Adam Millson, are based on my childhood friends. Writing about them brings back wonderful memories of growing up. I haven’t seen one for over thirty years, the other about five years ago. They’re real people—very successful with families of their own. They’re not actually FBI agents, but they’re so real in my mind that it makes writing about them in fiction effortless.

They helped create some of my most treasured memories, and since I can’t interact with them daily, I let my pen keep those memories alive.

DP: What’s next for you?

Dr. O’Malia: I’m planning several books in different genres, but here’s the exciting part—I’m writing a love story about a character who has a brief role in book one but becomes the main character in this romance. It won’t technically be part of The Wolf Hunter series, but they’ll intertwine.

The love story will be historical fiction. The main character discovers the dark past of someone he loves and has to decide if his hatred of her ancestors outweighs his love for her. I might publish it under a pen name, but it won’t take long for readers to realize the books are connected.

DP: So you’re building an entire interconnected universe?

Dr. O’Malia: Exactly. One continuous story that never really ends—just like life itself.

“The Wolf Hunter” is available now through Defiance Press.