I'd like to thank Tracy for the great interview!
Read all the way to the bottom & find out how to receive the first book in the Rys Rising series for FREE!!
What book genre do you write & why?
I am a writer of epic fantasy. That has always been my favorite genre and so far I've produced 8 novels in it. I like it best because there are no constraints on the story and it is not set in our tedious world of traffic, paperwork, and waiting rooms.
What inspires you?
Almost anything can inspire me. I'm very sensitive to
everything that I hear or see. The quiet suffering of people and the vast
injustices inflicted on humanity throughout the ages are always weighing on my
mind. I'm also inspired by people who dare to follow their dreams instead of
doing what's expected of them. Most people never try to do anything than what
they're told to do and that's sad.
Do you use an
outline or just start writing?
I just start writing. The initial scenes of a novel come to
me and I start down that road. As I develop a novel I often need to make notes
and sketch out the order of scenes, but I do not use formal outlining with
fiction. I feel it would strangle the process. However, I do outline for
nonfiction projects because that is appropriate.
Do you write full
time or part time?
I am full time writer. Except for a few breaks when I was
consumed by other work or giving birth to babies, I've been writing 5 to 7 days
a week since 1997.
When did you start
writing?
I've been writing stories since grade school when I was
taught to write. I wrote 2 novels when I was a teenager, but it was not until
my mid-20s in 1997 that I seriously started writing novels with the intent to
make it my career.
What is your
favorite book and/or author
Such a tough question. I could give many answers. No one
book can encompass all of my devotion. But for the sake of giving an answer, I
find the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck to be a masterful work. It's full of
human compassion and cruelty. He captured so much about society, and his
character Ma Joad remains in my heart to support me through difficult times.
Another great work that sustains me as only good literature can is The Lord of
the Rings. Throughout my life I've found courage by telling myself that if
Frodo and Sam can walk alone into Mordor I can face my fears too.
What is another
passion in your life aside from writing?
I am a big supporter of the local food movement that seeks
to build an alternative to the industrial food system that is poisoning the
land and people. I am working toward making my yard an edible permaculture
landscape. I produce hundreds of pounds a food a year for my family. I also try
to source most of meat and egg products from local growers who use humane
practices as opposed to the cruel factory farms that lock animals in miserable
filth and pump them up with antibiotics and hormones."
Title of your most recent release?
Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV
In this breathtaking conclusion to the series, unleashed
monsters born of cruel spells test the mettle of the sturdiest warriors. Soul
wrenching chaos consumes the faith of thousands. Torn between his need to
protect his secret lover and son and his legitimate family, Cruce struggles
through ever worsening battles until he finally wagers his life against the
most favored warlord of Onja.
Book 1 in the Rys Rising series is FREE!!
Price subject to change. Go grab your copy while it is FREE!
Jodie, thank you so much for the great presentation of my interview. I'll be sure to send in some "snippets" from my novels in the future.
ReplyDeleteTracy,
DeleteYou're very welcome. I look forward to seeing the snippets!