Tracy’s debut novel, fragments, was just released. Read more about this new author in the interview below.
Thank you for this interview, Tracy. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
A: Let’s see. I’d like to think that I’m a pretty typical thirty-something. I enjoy spending time with my family, watching football and coming up with new recipes in the kitchen. I’ve been writing since I was very young. I remember my Mom used to give me a topic and I’d write a short story about it. It was the same with drawing. She’d draw a squiggly line on a piece of paper and I’d turn it into a picture. My Dad also inspired me. When we were younger, he was always making up stories. Although I’ve started several novels, “fragments” is the first one to be completed and published.
Can you tell us briefly what your book is about?
A: The book follows the life of the main character, Jess Harper, through a series of journal entries. Jess suffers from clinical depression, and the reader witnesses, firsthand, the inner demons a person with depression battles on a daily basis.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
A: My intention with this novel is to reach individuals who struggle with depression, as well as individuals who have a loved one suffering with the disease. My hope is that it will reach a large scale audience, and that society as a whole will get a better understanding of how someone with depression lives day-to-day. If you do not suffer from the disease, it’s virtually impossible to understand why someone could be sad for no reason, all the time. It’s not always a matter of popping a pill and, voila, that person is happy! It’s much more complicated. By reading this book and getting a better understanding of what might be going on in another person’s head, I hope that we as a society can be a bit kinder to one another. It doesn’t take much effort to smile at a stranger, or at the very least, not to be cruel. And that smile just might make a difference for someone.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
A: I chose this topic because I, myself, have suffered with depression.
Do you ever experience self-doubts with your work?
A: All the time! I’ve read through “fragments” a hundred times, and each time I have that panic of “Does this suck? Yes, this sucks. People are going to hate this.”
Where do you write? Do you have a favorite place?
A: I have twin toddlers, so it’s impossible for me to write at home. I will usually jot down ideas and then a few times a year, I get a cheap hotel room in order to get some real writing done.
What kind of research did you have to do during the writing process?
A: I didn’t really have to do research for this particular project. A lot of the content is based on my own experiences. Other parts are completely made up.
Who is your publisher and how did you get accepted by them? Did you pitch your book yourself or go through an agent?
A: My publisher is Dr. Laina Turner-Molaski with Five Seas Ink. I got lucky in the fact that Laina is a good friend of a friend, so I was able to have her read it without going through an agent. Lucky for me, she enjoyed it and has faith in the project!
How are you promoting your book thus far?
A: I have a new website, www.tracy-bull.com. I’m also using Facebook and Twitter. My publisher, who is also an established author, is simultaneously releasing a book entitled “The MS Project”. The two of us are going to be doing several walks to benefit MS awareness. We will be promoting both books during these events. Laina also has a number of other trips, a fashion show, etc. where she and I will be promoting. You can check out her website at www.lainaturner.com.
If you could give one book promotion tip to new authors, what would that be?
A: Well, I’m pretty new to this, but my advice (and what I plan to do) is to get it out there as much as possible and work your butt off! We are lucky to have the vast array of social networks at our disposal.
What’s next for you?
A: For now, I want to soak in as much of this experience as possible. But, whether “fragments” is a big hit, or a big miss, I plan to continue writing. I have a solid idea for my next novel. At some point, I’d also like to try my hand at writing a screenplay.
Thank you for this interview, Tracy.
You can purchase a copy of fragments here
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