by Traci L. Slatton
Date of
Publication: October 10th 2016
Publisher:
Parvati Press
Cover
Artist: Brandi Doan McCann
Genre:
Commercial Women’s Fiction
BLURB
Art gallerist Sarah Paige’s world is
crumbling. One daughter barely speaks to her and the other is on the rails.
Sarah is struggling to keep her gallery afloat in a tough market. Then she
learns that her most beloved friend has cancer. In the midst of her second
divorce, two men come into her life: an older man who offers companionship and
stability, and an exciting younger man whose life is as chaotic as hers.
Sarah’s courage and spirit strengthen
her, but how much can she bear, and what sustains her when all else falls away?
Sarah finds herself on a journey that tests her more than she could ever have
imagined.
Buy Link: Amazon
MY INTERVIEW WITH TRACI L. SLATTON
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I would describe my writing as visual and lively. The characters are vibrant and three-dimensional, the plot is suspenseful, and the writing draws the reader into an immersive experience. Thank you for asking J
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
When writing, I don’t wait for inspiration to strike. I have children, a husband, a home, and responsibilities, so I take advantage of every available moment to write. I show up at my keyboard, I take a deep breath, and I start working.
Yes, facing a blank document page can be daunting. I’ve done it so many times that I now expect to be intimidated by the empty page. But with all that I do in my life, I simply don’t have the luxury of waiting to feel inspired. No matter how I feel, if I have time to write, I write. Otherwise, the books won’t get written. To date I’ve written 13 books, and the most recent is THE YEAR OF LOVING, a work of commercial women’s fiction about a woman involved in a love triangle with a younger man and an older man.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
Character prep is crucial to storytelling. I used to be an astrologer, so one of my strategies is to create a horoscope for each of the main characters. I don’t pick a date, I tell myself the details of the character’s chart. I even draw out the horoscope on paper. Usually these days I work in the Vedic astrological tradition.
So, for example, Sarah Paige of THE YEAR OF LOVING is an art gallerist and she loves art. She has a Libra rising. She has the Sun in Aquarius—she’s an unusual and opinionated woman with a strong sense of humor—and she has the Moon in Pisces because she’s someone who has experienced loss.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character? If so which one(s)?
I tend to enjoy most of my characters; if I don’t enjoy them, then I work hard to make them believably hateful, with a few tiny grains of traits that are redemptive.
In THE YEAR OF LOVING, Sarah Paige is an art gallerist and her love of Renaissance art is my love of Renaissance art. She’s a mother and so am I; she’s frisky and humorous and opinionated, and my friends and family would tell you that I’m like that, also. No character is me, that would be impossible, but I definitely draw on aspects of myself in the creation of my characters. That tends to make me feel bonded to them.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
Yes, I do. I’ve started taking notes on a novel of magical realism that involves reincarnation and soul groups. The main character is a woman who has a foot in other realms. She’s also practical and grounded, playful, and inquisitive. I can’t wait to write her!
Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
This is a great, juicy question. I feel that there is a wellspring of creativity within me and it’s something that shouldn’t be controlled—it should be allowed to flow. If I surrender to it, it gushes up and fills everything. If I try to control it, it dries up. I have to be mindful and allowing for it to flow.
Thank you for hosting me on your blog!
Author
Info
Traci L. Slatton is the international
bestselling author of historical, paranormal, and romantic novels, including
IMMORTAL (BantamDell) and BROKEN; the award-winning dystopian After Series
which includes FALLEN, COLD LIGHT, FAR SHORE and BLOOD SKY; the bittersweet
romantic comedy THE LOVE OF MY (OTHER) LIFE; and the vampire art history romp
THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR. She has also published the lyrical poetry collection
DANCING IN THE TABERNACLE and THE ART OF LIFE, a photo-essay about figurative
sculpture through the ages. Her book PIERCING TIME and SPACE explores the
meeting ground of science and spirituality.
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