Hi Everyone. I was born and raised in Rhode Island. It’s a unique little state – within thirty minutes you can be in the city, in the suburbs, at the beach, or in the woods. I graduated from URI, but until recently, I never actually used my English literature degree. After college, I worked in retail and then in telecommunications. For a while I lived in Massachusetts and then Maine, but I since returned to my home state. My daughter is the most important thing in my life. My writing and the rest of my family are a close second.
The Same Six Questions
1. Have you published a book yet?
I currently have two novels available. Verita and Fast-Tracked
2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I always thought about it. I remember in second grade making up a story about a girl that gets the ability to talk to computers, but I never wrote it down. I was afraid everyone would think it was a stupid idea. In seventh grade everyone created their own book - drawing the pictures, writing the story and decorating the cover. I loved the idea, but quickly became frustrated. There was no way I could make my story about super smart monkeys fit on just twenty pages. As I grew older I focused more on reading and dismissed writing as a career choice. It wasn't a lucrative career choice I'd write a book after I retired.
Sadly, as an adult, I almost completely stopped reading. Between the demands of work, motherhood and life in general, I never had the time to read. Once in a while I'd pick up a book, but it rarely held my interest. Harry Potter had been the one exception. I thought it was a fluke.
Then, my sisters gave me their copies of the Twilight saga. I had a rare three day weekend to myself. I started reading and didn't stop until I had finished all of them. Time had never been my issue. I had been reading the wrong books. I immediately started reading more young adult books. Then, purely for my own enjoyment, I started to write a story that had been in my head for some time. A story about a teenage girl that was sent to live on another planet.
I wrote the original story in just two weeks. It wasn't very good, it read like a bad middle-grade novel, but it had sparked something in me. So I kept writing.
3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?
In 8th grade I had a creative writing class. We were asked to write about one of our earliest childhood memories. The teacher singled me out and asked me to read my story to the class. Before 8th grade I wasn't a very good student so it was a big deal for me. I don't have the story any more, but the memory itself appears in my novel Verita.
4. When was your first indication,"I can do this (write)"?
When I was trying to edit Verita and found myself getting caught up in the story. I still hadn't shown the novel to anyone else, but I figured if I could get caught up in it, then others could too. Since then I've received some wonderful feedback from readers. I can't express just how much it means to me.
5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?
As much as I like my female protagonists, I think in real life we'd get on each other's nerves. They tend to be a little headstrong. It would only be a matter of time until we ended up in a fight where neither of us will back down. So, I pick Andi from Verita. She's incredibly smart, but doesn't make you feel dumb. She's the social glue that keeps everyone together. Plus, she guides you to the right conclusion without you ever realizing that she's doing it.
6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?
Good luck getting me to open the door. I'll watch all the gore and horror you toss my way, but make a creepy show that's close to real life and I'm out of there. No I'm not just paranoid. I've walked in on a burglar before. So, I don't open the door without knowing who it is. If I hear a strange noise in the basement I'm not going to investigate it.
But, if it's a nice sunny day and I'm not all alone, there’s a chance I’d open the door without checking first. I'd scream like a baby if I found a cockroach on my doorstep. When I was little, I went to a double-drive in. I turned around without my parents knowing and watched the cockroach scene - now I have a bit of a phobia.
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Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Tracy! Be sure to check out Tracy's Web site for more of her work.
On Thursday, stop back in when my guest will be Alyssa Rose Ivy. See you then!
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