It’s not everyday that you get to meet awesome people! Well, I have met a new friend, blooger and writer named Tracey. Tracey and I met though another blog! I have decided to do guest posts on my blog so you that you guys can join in on the fun! If you are interested in being featured on my blog please send queries to:krystoldiggs@gmail.com. Okay, enough of my rambling, meet Tracey!
Tell the readers about yourself?
I am a country-twang gal from the bluegrass state. Kentucky is a hot bed of horses, cave systems, and whiskey. And I love all three. With my pugs and bossy kitty cat, I spend my days writing and working social media. I write with the help of the voices pushing me to create worlds for them to live in. Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, and eventually some cowboys (because cowboys live in a group all there own, yummmm) are the genres that I love best.
In 2005, a serious case of Multiple Sclerosis ended my higher education as I strived to finish my mathematics degree, wiping away all my beautiful numbers and a large portion of artistic talents that I had taken for granted most of my life. After a few years, my beautiful words started to come back to me. Filling my days and nights with imagined worlds helped me to cope with my newfound reality. I am currently working with Mary (my publisher) at http://gonewritingpublishing.blogspot.com/ Each day I find that getting sick has helped me to find my passion.
- What made you start blogging?
I knew that if I wanted to be serious about publishing my worlds and characters for the world to find and enjoy, I needed a platform. At first I collected books like ‘2014 Novel and Shortstory Writer’s Market’, while I joined RWA (both online and my local chapter) in order to gain the knowledge I would need to go forward with what had fast become my life, my dream.
Butttt … Post MS me turns out to be extremely tech-lite. It took some frustration and multiple attempts, but I final know at least half of the ways to share my posts with the world wide web. Okay … at least a quarter of the ways. But this gal refuses to give up. I have been blessed with something that I love to do. Something that none of my current limitations can prevent me from doing. Yep, I love disappearing into a world of my own making.
- What inspires you to write?
At first, I was just looking for a way to relieve the boredom. When I first got sick everything caused my head to hurt. No TV, no reading, no writing … a lot of no-nos. Finally I was able to read for entertainment, but quickly found that the genres/authors I wanted to read were being produced slower than my need. Lol. With nothing to do but read, I went through quite a few books. I had always scribbled down story ideas, but for the most part I had focused on other arts like painting and poetry. I decided that flushing out my ideas sounded like a fun pursuit for my endless downtime … then story boards, rough drafts and finally searching for the publication avenue that would best suit my needs.
But it is more than just an inspiration to write. It is an inspiration to create. Between my Irish Granny with her love of painting, drawing, and cooking and my Cherokee Papaw with his need to gift everyone he met with their own personal rhyming introduction, his love of singing, and his overflowing notebooks of poetry, I grew up with a love of all things artistic. It is something that can take the ordinary and make it MORE. 😛
- As writers we always have to have that one drink when we are writing, what is your drink of choice?
My main drug of choice is Diet Coke. I refer to my easily flustered man at the gas station at the bottom of the hill as my Coke Dealer. 😛 I love diet coke, but only out of a fountain … no bottles, cans, or 2-liters for this gal. As a runner up, I enjoy tea. Sweet (splenda, of course) iced tea … I am from Kentucky after all. But a lot of other hot teas will do as well. I know that most will consider this blasphemy but I have never enjoyed the taste of coffee. It smells great, but that is as far as I will go.
5. Tell me about your latest writing, what can we expect to see from you?
Before I talk about my upcoming novel, I want to invite anyone that would like to participate in a blog tour. If interested, just drop me a line and I will put you in touch with my publisher. This will be my first blog tour, so any advice is welcome. 😛
This will be my first published piece, and I couldn’t be more excited. Shocking Finds: A Finder’s Keepers Novel is more than 100,000 words of fantasy/paranormal romance. The story begins as 21-year-old Marin attempts to find a small measure of independence. She lives in a world where heightened senses are common place, as she works at Finder’s Keepers using her senses to help find the lost or missing. Still, her overprotective and verbally abrasive aunt insists that real magic is for fools, nothing more than a children’s fairytale.
Her bid for independence leads to betrayal, Fae assassins, and more magic than Marin knows how to handle. Luckily, the insanity comes with her own personal bodyguard. A Fae too delicious for his own good.
This story started out as just Finder’s Keepers, but Stephen King managed to get there first. At first I was aggravated, but I think I may own the man a thank you. I already have two more rough drafts to follow in this series. As the people working at Finder’s Keepers will be in each novel, the master of horro actually did me a favor.
- Besides, Pugs, what other kind of animals do you like?
I love all animals, really. I definitely lean towards the Pug when I go to pick out a new pup, but there is so much beauty and intelligence to be found in the animal kingdom. Though I have never owned one myself, I love the feeling of flying across a field on the back of a horse. So much strength and elegance. To run on the back of some massive steed is the most freeing feeling to be had on land. (this is Kentucky which makes the beast hard to avoid)
There is also this toad that tends to stop by my back door when the weather gets warm. And yes I catch and feed him moths. This year, the toad appeared to be smaller. Most likely one of Froggy Assassin’s children (yes I named him :P). Last year I stepped outside, in the pitch black dark, and almost stepped on some toadish lovin’. Still, they fascinate me.
- You were diagnosed with MS a long time ago, what advice do you have for those who struggle with the disease?
The best advice I have to share would be to remind yourself each day that MS affects each person differently. When I was first diagnosed, my doctor tried to cheer me up by explaining that he knew of a patient with one lesion that had already died, while I could still walk and talk, even though my MRI showed too many lesions to count …. Huh??? Yeah, not very encouraging. I quickly stopped listen to horror stories, or even inspirational news. Instead I focused on how I felt, how I could deal with my limitations each and every day, and how to get back to being the person I used to be.
I had already lost my eyesight to the point that I couldn’t drive, only to have the issue reversed within a few months. So I knew that no matter what affects I had to face, I wasn’t the end. If I lost my ability to walk, I knew that with time I could get it back. I protect myself from further exacerbation (if your head hurts, stop what you are doing instantly, no matter what it is), and wake up asking myself two questions … what do I want to do today? Followed closely by; what can I do today? Just because reading hurts my head today, doesn’t mean I won’t be able to enjoy the book I’ve been waiting for forever tomorrow.
As for my writing, I can type or write long hand … or even use a tape recorder. There is always some way to get what you want. Just add artistic endeavors that use your mind and your hand to eye condonations, or even a child’s hand held game if you can. Work at building new pathways, new ways of being yourself, each day… and never give up.
8. Now we know about your writing, tell me about your reading style, how many books do you read?
I vary on the number of books I read each month, usually in the fantasy/paranormal romance genre but I will try anything with a cowboy to lust over. Because … yeah, Cowboys… yummm. So far, at 11 days into August, I have read four books. This is amazing to me. While my mother could go through twice as many, or more (when she is in the mood), I spend my youth and teen years avoiding books.
At four I was diagnosed as dyslexic. It all started when my aunt called to inform my mother that I written on the wall behind my cousins bed. Of course, my mother insisted to know how her sister knew that I had been the culprit. Turns out that I had written my name, and I had written it perfectly backwards.
People look at dyslexia as shameful, or worse, a sign of low intelligence. Malarkey. I learned coping mechanisms at an early age, and managed to do better in small bursts of text. Though a mild case, I still shied away from books and reading out loud. I would stutter when the teacher asked me to read something to the class that I hadn’t had the chance to memorize, and even today, editing my own words is a pain in the arse. Something that demands many, many, many rereads … and still it is always a good idea to have a second pair of eyes looking things over. But all of that is an inconvenience, not a handicap. I graduated from high school third in my class. I move slower than others, but finding a genre I love has helped me to improve a little more every year. Okay, rant over 😛
- What is your current read at this moment?
Currently, I have been reading the guild hunter series by Nalini Singh. And have been enjoying her style. She was suggested on a thread in Goodreads for one of their monthly read and pick for others threads. I needed something to fill my downtime, and all my favorites had been read and reread enough times that I had started to laugh about my favorite scenes while doing other activities. Lol. That is a lot worse than having a song stuck in your head.
- If you could meet any author who would it be and why?
Hmmmm … there are so many authors that I could so easily see adding to this list, but this is a blog swap, not a memoire (Warning: I can get a little wordy)
I would have to say that the number one person of interest would have to be Shelly Laurenston/G.A. Aiken (same person) Her dragons and other beasts are right up my alley. I love the way she can blend humor and deep emotions (with a heavy dose of lovin) into her books. Just reading the worlds she creates, I know that she would be a hoot to talk with. I appreciate humor, having been raised by a woman with a sharp wit and hilarious attitude. Laughter can make any situations lighter, and the ones that are already light will become a blast.
- When you are reading a book do you prefer paperback, e-book or hard back?
For the most part, I read from my kindle. Buttttt …. I love owning hardbacks of my favorites. The look, the feel … I can spend hours, and all my money, in a book store. No matter how many book shelves I own, I always seem to need more.
- Where is the best place to read a book?
I work and read from the lazy boy recliner in my office. Excellent lighting, with a calm atmosphere filling the room from all my paintings and American Indian dream catchers. Comfort, relaxation, and an escape into the unknown.
- Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
I definitely prefer fiction. And besides my love of cowboys, it is the more magical the better. I get enough of reality in day to day life. Being transported to another world is all about experiencing the impossible for me. While I enough deep emotions in at times, I what to have that open possibility that maybe, just maybe the world can be saved, the emotional death scene doesn’t have to be the end for the character you have grown to love, and handicaps can be fought through and conquered. I give myself permission to slip back into the mindset of a child. Where you dad is a superhero, you have the ability to track a lion in your backyard, and sailing your couch through the shark filled oceans of your living room carpet can happen at the drop of a hat.
- What do you expect for readers to get out of your blog?
More than anything else, I expect for readers to get acceptance from my blog. I welcome all comments as long as they are not hostile abrasive. The abasement of cultural groups and/or individual (for any reason) is not welcome.They can share in the insanity that is my life or pick up book ideas from random posts. They can follow my progress as I move toward the finish line to publish my first novel, and enjoy excerpts from my shorts and full novels. The number of people willing to follow my blog all ready had humbled me. I love meeting new people and chatting about books, random facts of life, or brainstorming to help fellow writers get their story rolling when it freezes up on them.
You can follow Tracey here!
Blog: http://traceylclark.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/traceylclark11
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trace.clar
2nd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceyclark.finderskeepers?ref=hl
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyclarkauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10820204-tracey-clark
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