Books-n-Kisses is excited to welcome Tracey O’Hara to the blog today. We are excited to learn more about Tracey and her books.
I was born in Australia – Launceston, Tasmania to be precise, but actually grew up in North and Far North Queensland. My family is very supportive of my writing. They encourage me to keep writing and pursuing my dream.
I discovered a passion for writing in March 2004. It started after doing some research into my family history. A story came into my head, screaming to get out, about an Irish girl who works for an English captain as a governess/nanny for his children while their mother is very ill. Set in Australia in the early 1820s.
But as I started to plot the story, another one emerged, which was much stronger. It involved the sister of the girl in the first story, who gets raped on the voyage out to Australia and falls pregnant. I wrote 120k in about 4 months – the story flowed out like molasses on a hot day.
This was before I learnt anything about writing, and I followed every bad writing practice known, making every writing mistake. But everyone loved the story – even if it was badly written. So I figured that I am more a story teller than a writer – so now I must learn to write. Now I am writing Dark stories, Dark Urban Fantasy to be precise.
In August 2004 I joined RWA and started to get involved with the Canberra group meetings. I haven’t looked back. I joined RWA America early 2005
Books-n-Kisses: Welcome Tracey
Tracey: Thanks so much for having me here J
Books-n-Kisses: Can I get you anything before we start? Coffee, Tea, Wine?
Tracey: oh – wine – a nice glass of Moscato please <grin>
Books-n-Kisses: Let’s get started
Q1) Tracey, can you tell us a little something about yourself we won’t find in your bio?
Tracey: Hmm – good question. I’m fond of Moscato? LOL.
Q2) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Tracey: I love to listen heavy metal music while I write and as I revise the heavier the music I listen too.
Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Tracey: Actually no. I never wanted to be a writer – in fact I hated what we call English in school. I’d break out in a cold sweat at the word essay. I’d never written anything until 2004, but have always been a veracious reader and have always had the ability to tell a story. If I didn’t like the end of a movie, I would sometimes make up an alternate ending. The next time I saw that movie I would think my ending was how it ended and be surprised when it wasn’t how I remembered it.
Q4) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Tracey: My mostest favoritest would have to be George RR Martin followed closely by Raymond E Fiest with Stephen King taking out the bronze medal. But I have to say the one who has influenced my writing the most would be Stephen King – while I love fantasy – I write a better horror thriller.
Q5) What is a typical writing day for you like? Anything you have to have while writing?
Tracey: On weekdays I have a day job so I write at night when my husband’s at work. On weekends I try to spend as much time with my husband as I can but sometimes when deadlines loom I do some writing.
Let’s talk about your Dark Brethren Series
Q6) Tell us about Dante Rising (Prequel to Night’s Cold Kiss)
Tracey: Dante Rising: The birth of a Venator actually started out as a prologue but was cut early on. It’s a story behind Antoinette’s hatred of the Aeternus and the thing that drives her to become a Venator. Many people make the mistake that Dante is a Necrodreniac – but he’s actually a psychotic Aeternus who doesn’t need the death-high to enjoy murder.
Q7) Night’s Cold Kiss is book 1 in your Dark Brethren series. Can you tell us more about this book?
Tracey: This book started out as an image of the opening scene that popped into my head one day. It was so vivid of a girl creeping through a darkened warehouse with a man watching from high above in the rafters. The book went through several changes over the years – but that is one thing that never changed. Night’s Cold Kiss is the story of Antoinette and how she becomes embroiled in a hunt for a serial killer as she tries to fight her attraction to Christian who she thinks of as her enemy.
Q8) Death’s Sweet Embrace is book 2 in your Dark Brethren series. Tell us a little more about this book?
Tracey: Death’s Sweet Embrace takes place shortly after the end of Night’s Cold Kiss. This time we follow Kitt Jordan – a snow leopard shape shifter and her ex-lover Raven. Some people have been disappointed not to see Antoinette and Christian in the lead for this book – but others have told me they enjoyed seeing different facets of the world I have built.
Q9) What is up next in the Dark Brethren series?
Tracey: The third book in the Dark Brethren is Sin’s Dark Caress is it’s released next August. This one is about the magic users. Bianca Sin is a broken witch – who has learned to use her talents to invent devices to detect magic signatures and used to collect forensic evidence in crimes where magic is used or suspected. A homicide detective she has worked with before calls her to the scene of a murder. This leads to a string of events that draws her deeper and deeper into the world of the Dark Brethren.
Q10) How did you come up with the idea for this series?
Tracey: As I said – it started with the opening scene of Night’s Cold Kiss. But once I started to explore the world it opened up. It was like it always existed in my head and I was just discovering the wonders as I went along with the story. There is so much more to the world I want to explore and write about, I just hope I get the chance.
Q11) Who has been your most challenging &/or rewarding character to write so far?
Tracey: My favorite character was Viktor, I loved him. The most demanding was Oberon, he was just a bit part until he stomped into my story with his huge boots and demand that he was there to stay. And who am I to argue with a seven foot bear shape-shifter.
Q12) What is your current work in progress?
Tracey: Same as above
Q13) Because I am really nosey. What is in your to read pile that you are dying to get started on?
Tracey: Because I work full time and write as well, I have had very little time to read in the last few years. So my TBR pile has turned into a TBR bookcase. At the moment I am trying to catch up and am reading the Song of Ice and Fire series and listening to the Hunger Games on audio book. I have recently got into audio books and they are awesome. Speaking of which – the audio book for the first 2 books in the Dark Brethren series are out early next year.
Q14) Best piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of trying their hand at writing?
Tracey: The best advice is keep writing, keep learning your craft and don’t give up.
Q15) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Tracey: I would like to thank all those people that have bought and read my books, and I especially love hearing from people that have. Without readers there wouldn’t be any books. J
Books-n-Kisses: Tracey, again thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me. I hope my followers enjoyed learning more about you and your books. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next.
Tracey: Thank you so much for having me at Books-n-Kisses. It’s been lovely chatting with you. J I would like to give away a Kindle version of the first 2 books.
GIVEAWAY TIME:
To Enter for a chance to win a Kindle version of Night’s Cold Kiss & Death’s Sweet Embrace. Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
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