An Amazon Kindle top ten bestselling historical romance author, Tracey
J. Lyons (aka Tracey Sorel) also writes contemporary romance. She sold her
first book on 9/9/99! Tracey’s books have been translated into several
languages. To learn more about Tracey's books visit her Tracey Lyons and Tracey Sorel websites.
1. When did you realize you wanted to write novels?
I always had a creative streak in me, but didn’t know
writing novels was what I wanted to do until after I read my first romance
novel way back in the 1970’s.
2. How long did it take you to realize your dream of
publication?
It took me roughly ten years to get published after I
finished my first novel. And I never sold the first one. I sold the third one
I’d written.
3. Are you traditionally published, indie published,
or a hybrid author?
I’m a hybrid author.
4. Where do you write?
I used to write in a tiny guest room and I recently
moved into our empty guesthouse. And I have to say I love, love, love having a
space that’s entirely my own.
5. Is silence golden, or do you need music to write
by? What kind?
Silence is not golden for me. I actually listen to a
radio station I became a fan of when I lived in Northern California. Kfog. It
makes me feel close to my California friends and family even though I now live
back east. They play a great mix of music and if it starts to bug me I just
shut it off.
6. How much of your plots and characters are drawn
from real life? From your life in particular?
This is a great question. My oldest sister just
finished reading Zinfandelity and
she called me and said, “I see shades of our mother in this book!” I think all
writers bring their life to their work. We naturally draw on what we know and
how we’ve lived. My historical Women of Surprise series features three cousins,
but each one of them is actually based on myself and my two sisters. And that
was so much fun to write because I had every little personality quirk down.
7. Describe your process for naming your character.
In the beginning of my writing I did what all authors
do, I used the names of family members and friends. But now I really take the
time to match the character’s names to their personas using the internet for
ideas and I keep a baby naming book on my desk that lists names and origins.
8. Real settings or fictional towns?
A mixture of both. My first four historicals are set
in actual New York State towns, North Creek and Surprise, while the series I’m
working on now is set in the fictional town of Heartston, NY. My contemporary
Wine Country Vixen book, Zinfandelity,
is set in the actual California city of Livermore.
9. What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters
has?
In Zinfandelity
the heroine’s mother likes to wear outdated thrift shop clothing.
10. What’s your quirkiest quirk?
I’m sure I have too many to name!
11. If you could have written any book (one that
someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?
The You I
Never Knew by Susan Wiggs. I loved
that book and it really resonated with me. I would love to be able to tell the
story of a couple who had lost a child, the marriage falling apart and then
another family tragedy bringing them back together. And I read that book years
ago and can still remember the storyline! That’s powerful writing.
12. Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over.
What’s yours?
I wish I had had the confidence to break into this
business in the 1980’s when I first started writing. I had no clue where to
send my manuscripts and often think how much further along I’d be if I knew
then what I know now.
13. What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Professionally my biggest pet peeve is how everyone
seems to want to be doing what everyone else is doing. Be brave! Make your own
mark on the publishing world! Personally, there are so many…I can’t stand it
when my husband puts the dishes away in the wrong spot. You know, that mixing
bowl that ends up with the plates and not in the baking drawer with all the
other mixing bowls.
14. You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are
your three must-haves?
I was going to say chocolate but then it would melt
and make a big mess in the sand, so drinking water, potato chips and big book
that I could read over and over again…I bet you thought I was going to say pen
and paper…no…because I figure I can write in the sand with my finger.
15. What was the worst job you’ve ever held?
I was the soda girl at Burger King when they first
opened in our town.
16. What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
Midnight In
the Garden of Good and Evil
17. What’s your favorite movie?
Apocalypse
Now
18. What’s your favorite TV show?
Picket
Fences
19. Who’s your favorite actor?
I don’t really have one in particular.
20. What’s your favorite song?
“Home” by Philip Philips
21. What’s your favorite food?
Pasta
22. Ocean or mountains?
Ocean
23. City girl or country girl?
Country all the way
24. What’s on the horizon for you?
Right now I’m working on a new inspirational
historical series set in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. I’m also
working on the next book in my Tracey Sorel Wine Country Vixen series.
25. Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself
and/or your books?
I want to leave your readers with this: the
publishing business is crazy. How crazy you ask? A few short months ago I was
ready to throw in the towel on my career and I’m glad I didn’t because I just
hit the Amazon Kindle top ten best seller list in three categories with a book
that had been published in print almost ten years ago. The digital age is
breathing new life into our books and our careers. Never give up because you
don’t know what’s waiting for you around the next corner!
Zinfandelity
The summertime in Northern California is known for
its hot dry weather, Beth Chadwick should know since she’s been going through a
bit of a dry spell herself. Her marriage is falling apart. She knows exactly
how many pairs of black socks her husband owns and how much starch he likes in
his shirts, so when she matches the lipstick stain on his collar to the shade
on his secretary’s lips, she knows he’s a cheating bastard.
She has her friends to keep her together. But they
come with their own set of problems. Her best friend Madge is hoping to close
the circle on her open marriage.
Joyce, the devout Catholic, thinks her daughter might be practicing
witchcraft. The widow Samantha is
caught in the middle of a real triple-decker of a sandwich generation, and
Kathy may have uncovered a corpse in her front yard. These women really get
Beth’s need for a new life. But, how is she going to get past her stand-by-your-man
mother and her soon to be ex-husband? Can their problems be solved over a few glasses
of wine?
And then there’s the little matter of the hot
photographer camping out in Beth’s backyard…
Buy Links
3 comments:
This sounds like a real page turner, Tracey. And a great cast of characters. I'm adding it to my e-TBR file. Good luck with sales, and thanks for the advice for authors.
Thank you Gemma Juliana! I loved working on Zinfandelity, not to mention the research was a lot of fun!
Yeah, I wish I knew what I knew now back in the 80's as well...heck, I didn't even start writing until four years ago...so yeah, I'd be a bit further along myself...
Cheers,
Alan.
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