Tracey is my first
author guest. Please make her feel welcome!
Please tell us a
little about yourself.
Hi Zoe, and thank you
for hosting me today! I’m writing from small-town Minnesota, where I live with
my hubby and two kids, age 5 and 10. I work a full-time job, running our family
motorcycle business.
At heart I am a
storyteller; I love digging deep into a character and exploring how things that
happen in their life impact and transform them. I’ve published two novels (both
of which have been winners or finalists in contests), and my third will release
this summer.
What is your favorite
pastime, other than writing?
My favorite way to
spend time is riding my motorcycle, especially if my kids and hubby are with
me. Unfortunately, here in Minnesota I’m lucky if I can stretch that to seven
months of the year.
I’m also a vocalist
(I’ve released two cover songs and been featured on other albums) and play
taiko drums, which is like a cross between martial arts and banging on BIG
drums (great exercise!). I’ve even toyed with video and production; in fact, my
second music video, featuring a female motorcyclist, was just released: http://www.traceycramerkelly.com/cool-rider-music-video/
What is a typical
writing day for you?
There is no such
thing as a typical day when you own a business and have active kids! So my
writing time is “stolen” hours whenever I can get them (I’m writing this in a
coffee shop). It makes it harder to get into the “flow” but I’m proof it can be
done if you want it badly enough! I also daydream anywhere and everywhere, so
that when I do sit down to write I have an idea where I want to go.
Do you use real
events or persons in your stories or as inspiration?
I spent five years in
the National Guard as a paramedic, and that figures prominently in my writing.
I’m also a biker chick, so I started writing motorcycle-riding characters.
Because of my hobbies and my military background, I’ve had the fortune of
meeting, working and playing with some very interesting people! I think
everything I write is affected by what I’ve experienced. Yes, there’s a healthy
dose of imagination and plenty of creative license, but a seed has to be sown
somewhere, and for me it is often a ‘human’ interchange.
Tell us about your
books.
My first, Last
Chance Rescue, is about two members of a search-and-rescue team who have a
problem trusting each other with more than their physical safety.
True Surrender is a military romance with a wounded
veteran hero whose struggle with an amputation and PTSD nearly destroy his
relationships and career.
My upcoming novel, Take
Two, is about an actor who is poisoned on set and forced to recover at the
(rather older, ahem) director’s home with her two teenage daughters.
I
understand you’re doing something special for Take Two?
You
mentioned an unusual tie-in between your books?
A fun twist to my
writing is that my novels are intertwined.
For instance, the
hero of True Surrender was briefly married when he was younger. His
ex-wife is the heroine in my first novel, Last Chance Rescue.
In Take Two
(my upcoming novel), the characters are filming a movie. I used True
Surrender as the “movie” they are filming.
Take Two is also the second creative offering
in what I call the “Cool Rider Project,” which (as you might conclude from the
title) is biker themed. Details can be found at http://www.traceycramerkelly.com/biker-themed-writing/
What
inspired you to write Take Two?
I like to say that my
second book (True Surrender) led to my third. The first video I produced
(“The Rose / Surrender Version”) features scenes from True Surrender. The
experience of seeing my writing come to life was exhilarating and empowering
but also humbling. The seed for Take Two was planted then, but as is
often the case, the characters told me what would happen next!
What
are you working on now?
I’m experimenting
with short-story erotica, and I recently completed my first short script (a
theater/film production). I’d love to write a movie script, but I only have so
many hours in a day, so I’ve chosen to focus on novels and novellas. And I try
to keep singing because it brings me such joy.
Tell
us what excites you about writing and getting published.
When I hear from
readers that my writing touched them in some way, it really makes my day.
Sometimes it is hard to keep going. But ultimately, I have this need to share,
and hopefully I’ll find readers who are receptive to my style of writing, which
is not your formulaic romance.
And
finally, where can we stalk you?
About
the Author:
Tracey
Cramer-Kelly is an author and singer/musician. Her work fuses writing, music
and visual imagery and includes novels, short stories and music videos.
Two of her novels, Last Chance Rescue and True Surrender, are Indie Book Awards
Finalists. True Surrender also won a Gold Medal from the Military Writers
Society of America.
Music videos include "The Rose (Surrender Version)," which tells the
story of True Surrender (the novel), and "Cool Rider," a
rock-n-roll video featuring Tracey as a biker chick (which she really is).
Tracey's writing draws from her experience as an Army Reserve paramedic and
exposure to helicopter medivac. She obtained her helicopter pilot license in
2001. She owns a motorcycle accessories business and lives in small-town
Minnesota with her husband and two young children.
