APRIL 3, 2013
SOUL MEANING BOOK TOUR: SPRING FEVER BLOG TOUR STOP WITH AUTHOR TRACEE FORD, FEATURING AN EXCERPT + INTERVIEW + EXTRAS!
And the final stop for today is at Tracee Ford’s blog, for her Spring Fever Blog Tour. The author of The Fine Line, a love story with a paranormal twist, Tracee’s blog tour has featured interviews from many authors as part of her Spring Fever Tours and I am very grateful that she agreed to have me on as well!
http://traceeford.wordpress.com/
Interview
1 When did you first start writing?
When I was twelve years old, after my father trashed a creative essay I wrote for school. I started writing even more stories to spite the poor man. It was the most life changing revenge move I ever made. Before I left school, I had written two novels and was on my third.
2 Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
Being a writer has always been my ‘dream job’. My ‘real job’ aspiration was to work in biotechnology and genetic engineering. I ended up in medicine. Go figure.
3 What genre do you prefer to work within? Or do you mix it up?
The first novel I wrote in my teens was a middle grade-YA fantasy. The second novel was a boarding school action-adventure tale. When I resumed writing in 2006, I returned to fantasy once more. Soul Meaning was a bit of a surprise! It started life as a short story that made the top five of the British Fantasy Society Short Story Competition a few years ago. I never thought I could write in that style. When I completed the short story, I knew it could become a novel. Even I wanted to know what happened to my protagonist! Writing an action thriller was challenging and exciting.
4 Where does your inspiration for these stories (this story) come from?
The series itself originated from the number 17 written in red paint on a black marker stone in a lagoon in Mauritius. When I came back to this image, I eventually decided to write about a man who could die seventeen times. Generally speaking, my inspiration comes from dreams, images, films, and books.
5 What has your publishing experience been like?
When I made the choice to write again in 2006, I researched the publishing industry for several months. When I saw what was involved and how long and hard the road was going to be, I decided to give myself six years before reassessing the situation. By 2012, I had written three novels, a few short stories, almost landed a few agents and publishers, and had received consistently positive feedback on my writing. But I was not getting anywhere in terms of securing a traditional publishing deal. In 2006, self-publishing was, in my eyes, the last resort and a sign of failure.
By 2012, the publishing world had changed drastically. Self-publishing is now the first option for many authors, some tired from playing the subjective game of chance that is traditional publishing, some who would never even consider that road and like being in full control of their career. There are also a whole host of professional resources now available to self-published authors that can make their book indistinguishable from a traditional published novel. Again, a lot of research was involved before I committed to self-publishing in 2012. It has definitely been challenging and is hard work, but so worth it in the end. To those who say self-publishing is easy and the option of lazy writers who won’t perfect their craft, I say,
‘Yes, self-publishing can be easy. Write a book, photoshop a cover, load it up on Amazon and Smashwords. There are a lot of self-published novels out there. Some are good, some are great, some have even made the New York bestseller list. But there are also a LOT of awful ones (just as there are among the traditionally published books). Rushed first drafts with poor editing, structure, and flow, shoddy covers and poor formatting. To produce a good quality product that can challenge any novel produced by the former Big 6 publishers is HARD. It takes a hell of a lot of time, energy, and, for many authors who cannot afford/ don’t want to outsource aspects of the process, the acquisition of new skills.’
I am lucky in that I can afford to pay for two editors, a proofreader, two formatters, a cover designer, and website designer, as well as marketing. Although I am doing what I always dreamed of, I also see writing as a business. Any business needs financial investment.
6 Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? i.e. You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I can write anywhere, but I bought my first desktop computer last year in a deliberate attempt to establish a writing routine. So now, I mainly write in my study. I have a playlist for every book that I write. It’s all American hard rock and some of the songs have actually inspired entire scenes in the books. I have written on planes, trains, in airports, and on nightshifts.
7 How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Place names are not difficult as they tend to be real, as in the action will take place in known cities such as Boston or Prague. I tend to look at Google Map and pick a geographically and historically appropriate country and city. Character names come from my Penguin Dictionary of First Names, which explains the origin and history of first names, and baby names lists from the web. I try to be as ethnically accurate as possible in the names that I choose, for example one of the main characters in Soul Meaning is a Czech immortal called Victor Dvorsky. Both the first and last names are of Czech origin.
8 In your most recent work, who is your favorite character and why?
Most people would assume it’s Lucas Soul. Although I love Lucas as my main protagonist, Reid Hasley ended up stealing my heart in many scenes. For one thing, I would most definitely gravitate towards Reid if I walked into a bar where both men were standing. Reid projects an easy charm that will attract most women. In my mind, he has a very sexy smile. Lucas is the darker, quieter character of the powerful duo. Because of his painful history, he doesn’t let people get close to him. I think Lucas presents a challenge a lot of women would like to take on, knowing that if they get past his barriers, he would be some catch! Now, if you were to ask me who I would give my room key to (not that I do that, of course!), the answer is…hmm…Well, sex with Reid would be smoking hot and mind-blowingly good. Sex with Lucas would capture my body and enslave my soul.
11 Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?
I was shaking it was so goddamn exciting! I came home from a walk to to find a note from FedEx. I jumped in my car, drove twenty miles to the depot, and got there ten minutes before they closed. I then promptly drove to my friends’ house, dropped the parcel in their hands, and told them to open it as I couldn’t! It was an amazing feeling. Also, the quality of the finish was even better than I expected, with a satiny smooth cover and thick, cream paper. Lightning Source printed the paperbacks. The original proof copy sits inside a custom made picture box on the wall of my study.
12 Favourite authors?
Enid Blyton, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt, Jeffrey Deaver, Neil Gaiman, China Mieville, Kathy Reichs, Clive Cussler, Robert Crais, Janet Evanovich, Naomi Novik, Philip Pullman, JK Rowling, Stieg Larsson, and Stephanie Meyer to name a few. I also discovered the lovely Jade Kerrion last year.
15 Are you working on anything new? If so, can you tell me about it?