Tracy James Jones was kind enough to
do an author interview for us, yesterday. She was kind enough to allow me a chance to return the
favor.
Howdy and welcome Tracy! Could you please share a
little bit about your past before becoming an author?
Hello, Lynn. Thanks for the opportunity to share my story
with you. So okay, I was born in
Waxahachie, Texas, about 30 miles south of Dallas. For most of my life I have lived back and
forth between the two cities, and to this day I consider both as my home. At
Navarro College, I majored in Journalism with a minor in Mass Communication.
Before college, I worked as an actor with the local Community Theater, and as
an extra/stand-in for feature films. As a freelance writer/novelist, I have
written several college introductory letters, other contract writing projects,
newspaper articles, and three published novels. My writing also includes a
screenplay adaptation of my first original fiction novel, Searching For Eden. To date, my entertainment portfolio is twenty-four pages
long. I have been in the Communication/Entertainment industry for a very long time and I am not done yet.
It is a pleasure to have a fellow Texas author here. I'd say you've taken an intriguing path on your life journey. Along the way, have you read any authors that have
become your personal favorite? If so,
who might they be?
Over
the years I have a long list of writers that I’ve loved. In college I remember a story by Shirley
Jackson called “The Lottery” that was one of the most amazing things I had ever
read. My all-time favorite writers have
been Stephen King, Anne Rice and Dean Koontz.
Today, with Indie authors taking a big leap forward and showcasing some
fantastic written works, I have to choose from a very long list.
After reading all of these authors, was there a defining moment that you
said, “I’m ready to be a published author”? Or was it more of a gradual thing?
After
the first book I wrote, I was immediately drawn into writing. I had stories of
my own dancing in my head for a long time.
I actually wrote my first romantic novel thereafter, but I didn’t
believe in myself enough at the time to try to publish. The publishing world was different then. I did publish the next book I wrote in 2003,
but I didn’t publish anything else until Secrets & Lies in August of 2011.
Do you have a writing schedule or is
it haphazard?
Usually, if
I have a story idea in mind, I will simply write day and night until it is complete. No set schedule. The problem now is finding time to write at
all.
I understand that sentiment. I know you have several books out
right now. Which one is your personal
favorite and why?
It
would be difficult to choose a favorite.
I love all the stories and characters because they are all a part of
me. Choosing one, gosh, for now that is
something I just cannot do.
That is a diplomatic answer to be sure. Can you share with the audience a
little bit about your current release?
Secrets & Lies 2 – A Family Affair is a book that I did not even known I was going to write. After the first book, I had several requests
from friends and fans. I finally discovered a fresh link into the families involved, a way to continue their amazing story. ‘Secrets
2’ brings the story even closer to home with revelations of deeper family
secrets and more sweet little lies.
Do you have a central location where
all your books and their respective locations can be found?
What plans do you have in mind for
your writing in the future?
My
future plans for my books is to have a few of them adapted for film. Having spent a lot of time working on stage
and film projects in the past, I see my writing is inspired by that form of
story-telling. It would be my greatest
dream to return to the movie business, only now behind the cameras instead in
front of them.
That is an admirable goal, one I hope that you achieve. Before we sign off, I
have one more question for you...just for fun.
There are three
doors...behind each one is all the veggies, chocolate, or meat that you would
eat for a year. Which room would you choose and how filled up
would it be?
I
would definitely choose the door with all the chocolate for the year. The room would be filled so far up to the
top, it would not be a good idea to attempt to turn on the light. :o)
Thanks Tracy for being such a good
sport and letting me interview you. I hope the audience will take a moment to
share any comments or questions they have.
