I will be signing LYDIA'S PASSION the second book in the Women of
Surprise historical romance series from Avalon Books in Reno, Nevada at
the RWA National conference on July 27th from 5:30-7:30pm. Reno
Hilton Hotel.
An
Interview with Tracey
This
interview first
appeared in the May/June 2004 issue of Capital Romance the newsletter
of the
Capital Region RWA chapter #195.
By
Roberta DeCaprio
CR- This
has been a whirlwind year for you with securing a three book deal with
Avalon
and agent representation. How are you handling it all, and what are
some of
your organization tips in getting the job done by deadline?
<>TRACEY-Having
acquired both an editor and an agent within twenty-four hours of each
other was
like a dream. But I never lose sight of the fact that I’m working on my
last
book in my contract with Avalon and need to keep looking down the road
for the
next contract.
<>
<> This is the
first time I’ve had to write
more than one book in a year and it’s been a challenge. Having
deadlines to
adhere to puts some pressure on me and I’ve discovered that I am
definitely a
“by the seat of my pants” kind of writer. I’m really not all that
organized
when it comes to my writing, I’d like to think of it as being focused
on the project. The only sure thing is
that all of
my creative writing is done before noon. And I do write everyday.
CR-Your
first book, MOUNTAIN JEWEL, a Kensington Precious Gem Historical
published in
2000, takes place in the Adirondacks.
What
avenues of research were your sources for this historical, and what
drew you to
this part of New York
State?
TRACEY-I
have always loved the Adirondack region of New York State.
Most of MOUNTAIN JEWEL was set in places where my husband and I spent a
lot of
time. Crane Pond and North Creek were areas that we took our two sons,
Andy and
Tim hiking and camping when they were little. The original Garnet Mine
in North
Creek fascinated me. We were rock hunting with the boys way up in the
hills
when the idea for MOUNTAIN JEWEL was born.
CR-Your
current book A SURPRISE FOR ABIGAIL makes its debut June of 2004. What
inspired
you to write this novel, and does it also take place in the Adirondacks?
TRACEY-I
have to say my grandmother, Lina Davis was my inspiration for the Women
of
Surprise historical romance series. My grandmother’s house in Westerlo
was like
my second home. The series takes place in a very small real life town
called
Surprise. Located in the Catskill
Mountain region of
New York
State,
the town has like four houses and a post office, and if you blink or
sneeze
when you’re driving through you’ve missed it!
CR-Are
LYIDA’S PASSION, released February 2005 and MAKING OVER MAGGIE, release
date
August 2005 part of a trilogy?
TRACEY-LYDIA’S
PASSION and MAKING OVER MAGGIE are books two and three in the Women of
Surprise
series. The storyline revolves around three cousins who come to
Surprise under
the guise of helping out their supposedly sick Aunt Margaret. Each
books stands
on its own with the setting and some of the characters linking them
together.
CR- You
write “sweet romances.” Is this harder to do than romances with steamy
or
explicit love scenes? Explain why or why not?
TRACEY-When
you write sweet romances you have to stay within strict guidelines.
It’s
difficult to write romance scenes without mentioning specific body
parts and
still convey sexual tension. I find that when writing this type of book
characterization is a very integral part of the story. You can say how
passionate your heroine feels having her hero kiss her for the first
time, but
you can’t really show the passion. I hope that makes sense.
CR-What
authors have inspired you? Would you ever consider writing other genres
in the
future?
<>TRACEY-I’ve
read so many books by so many different authors that it’s hard to point
to one
or two and say that was the one who inspired me. Nora Roberts would be
the
obvious choice, but I like the description in May McGoldrick’s writing.
For
characterization I would say Debbie Macomber.
<>
<> I’m going to
try my hand at a romantic
suspense for my next book. I will always love writing historical
romances, but
I think an author needs to be flexible in the types of work she or he
produces,
especially in today’s marketplace. I’m not saying you should write in
every
genre, but I think establishing a foundation in one or two areas
wouldn’t be a
bad career move.
CR-Thank
you, Tracey for taking the time out from your busy schedule to do this
interview for Capital Romance. We will all be looking forward to A
SURPRISE FOR
ABIGAIL, as well as, reading the rest of the series, LYDIA’S
PASSION and MAKING OVER
MAGGIE.
Best
wishes for a successful and
prosperous writing career.
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