Author Spotlight

Today We Welcome Author Tracy Gillmore to the Spotlight.

Please make her feel welcome by commenting on her interview.

 

1. I didn’t know I was going to be a writer. I was doing various things hoping that one would stick and then that would be what I was going to do with my life. But nothing did until I asked God what I was supposed to do with my life. I asked for a sign to show me the way and a car in front of me had the license plate ‘WRT-ER’ when I saw this I started writing and haven’t stopped.
2. Writing a book varies. My first novel took a year, my first series was also a year, my second series I did in 5 months but it took another 2 months to put back what I took out.

   

   My work schedule is literally 9 to 5 so I write or read on my lunch break. I am up at 4am writing until it’s time to get the kids up for school and then when I get home I write from 7pm to midnight.
   
I love writing scenes where you think one thing is happening but in fact its something else. I self-publish thorough Createspace. Ideas I get from anywhere. A handsome guy at work inspired three stories, another guy lost his wedding ring just before he was to get married, I got another idea walking through the mall and noticed a guy in the jewelry store. I get ideas from reading a book, I have a scary character that came up from one book I was reading. Need to put him on the back burner. Information, I get all I need online. I make sure that when I injure a character that I give the correct amount of heal time, if I use a particular item I make sure that I have a photo and describe the item as best as I can. I want to give the reader a visual so they can enjoy the book as much as I did.
3. I wrote my first book five or six years ago so I was 39
4. I like to bake, sew, read, crochet, DIY, wood working, having fun.
5. My family loves my writing. They have helped me with many of my stories. My daughter takes Journalism in school so I would give her a page or so to look at for some clarification. My husband reads a few passages for me and then I read to my son and get his views.
6. That I have free reign to do what I want to them. I always thought that when writing a book the characters needed to be, sane, healthy or only get a scratch and the bad guys get hurt. I don’t know why I thought that but I did. Once I got over that hurdle, I enjoy inflicting pain on my characters.
7. I have six books. Two sets are series and one collection of short stories. Hypnotik: The Curses of Ashley Peyton is my favorite right now. Making her come to life was so much fun.
8. Build a fan base, read as much as you write, learn all you can about publishing, typesetting, hire an editor, have proofreaders, beta readers, and research all you can about what you are writing about. Believe, absorb and breathe patience, not everything comes all at once.
9. I have heard from a few readers and they usually are upset with me (in a good way) about a scene they thought was going one way and it wasn’t. They were frustrated about how long it took the couple to make out. I love to get commentary about my work.

   

   
   
10. Yes, I love making books for adults. I want to try a young adult book next, my daughter would be great to help me with that one.
11. Every story has the basics, they meet, they date, have sex, break up, get back together, and then the drama happens. Its all in how the story is told that makes it exciting. To me a good story has all of that but makes the characters seem more real. Yes, he’s rich and handsome but can’t he do simple things like play putt-putt- golf?
12.  
    I wanted to be in the Air force. I wanted to fly planes and travel. I wasn’t able to do that. So I went to work. Writing was always something I did to occupy my time, scribble a few things here and there, but nothing really was put together. I try to explain to my kids that you may have a desire now to be something but as you get older, things change and what you wanted to be may change and that’s okay. It’s better to do something that you love than to do something you dread every day.