Interview With Author Tracy Rowe
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I'm native to Connecticut and had a 25 year career working in theater. Professionally I'm a scenic artist, but I've done almost everything there is to do in theater, from props, to stage managing to directing. I feel that my experience in theater has helped me to write dialogue and body movement.
I've written three books so far, two of which are published. The first is a book of poetry called "Musings of a Woman out of Place–Poetry and Other Things" which basically deals with leaving my small-town roots to live in Los Angeles and the emotional dissonance of leaving behind the big city I loved living in when I moved back to Connecticut to rediscover country life.
"Blessed Sinner" is my second book. It's a Victorian romance and is part one of a two-part series. Part two is "Damned Saint", hopefully being released in September 2022
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is Blessed Sinner. During my career in theater, I worked in a theater arts school. A friend offered a class in playwriting, which I took. In class, I wrote a one-act play. The main character was based on a person I had a relationship with who was a bit of a womanizer. It's cliche, but giving him a backstory was a little cathartic for me.
We had the adult acting class do a reading of the plays, and after mine was read everyone asked me what happened at the end and suggested I write a full play. It became quickly apparent that it was going to be more than a play and it just snowballed from there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in the middle of the night. I'm usually up all night writing and sleep during the day. I have to have classical music playing because I can't stand silence but if I have any music other than classical I have to break out into song!
I'm what I guess you'd call a pantser. I just write as it comes. But I'm also very organized, so when I'm telling myself the story or writing it out, I have to logic out every single detail, which can often result in doing a ridiculous amount of research. One thing I learned doing theater is you can never assume no one will notice if you get a detail wrong. SOMEONE WILL NOTICE.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I'm a voracious reader. So many different types of books, so many different authors. I'm definitely a fan of Tolkien and love LOTR. I've read the books at least 15 times since I was a kid. e e cummings is my favorite poet and of course, there's Shakespeare–no one could do with words what he did. I also love Neil Gaiman, especially Stardust and Good Omens. Douglas Adams and the Hitchhikers Guide is my favorite type of humor. The list is really too long.
What are you working on now?
Right now I'm editing book two of the two-book series "Damned Saint". I'm hoping to have it ready for September 2022.
The two-book series may actually become three books because I've started a rough draft of a prequel. I haven't named it yet.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I'm still learning that. I use Twitter and Facebook right now while I figure out the other platforms.
In other words, let me get back to you on that.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well, I'm 63 and have been working on this series for the last 10 years, so I think the best advice I can give is that it's never too late to start a new dream. I'm actually a new author myself, really, so I'm learning all this as I go.
I'd also say, be thoroughly researched, accept criticism with an open mind, and make sure you don't have any plot holes.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want to read the type of book you write, there will be others who will want to read it as well.
What are you reading now?
I'm so involved in editing and doing rewrites that I don't really have much time for reading. When I do read I often read a few different books at a time from a lot of different genres.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the rewrites on Damned Sinner so I can release it and then get started on the prequel.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
It would be a toss-up between the LOTR trilogy, the last few Harry Potter books, or some books on tarot and astrology. Most likely the LOTR trilogy though.
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