Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a new blog series.
Today I want to introduce you to a wonderful author, Tracie Bannister.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Tracie Banister, and I’m an author of four Chick Lit novels, along with being a blogger, TV addict, and dog lover. I live in the suburbs of Atlanta with my three Cocker Spaniels who keep me on my toes!
What other interests do you have?
I love to read, which should come as no surprise since I write books for a living! I enjoy traveling and going to the theater when time and my budget allows. And I’m very passionate about the welfare of animals. Two of my dogs are senior rescues with special needs.
Where can we find you on the internet?
What are the titles of your books?
Blame It on the Fame, In Need of Therapy, Twin Piques, and my latest release, Mixing It Up.
Who do you publish your books with?
I am proud to be an indie author. Of course, I have a talented team of professionals (beta readers, formatter, and cover art designer) who help me get my books ready for release.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school—plays, essays, short stories, etc. Writing just came naturally, and I enjoyed sharing my work with others. I dreamed of one day publishing a novel, but I also had dreams of marrying a prince and starring on a soap opera. None of those dreams seemed very likely to happen, so I did what sensible people do when they grow up and got a real job (administrative work). I took a stab at writing a Historical Romance in my early twenties just to see if I could do it, but got distracted by real life and never finished it. For the next decade or so, I kept my creative juices flowing by penning a lot of genre fan fiction that was well-received online.
My “Aha!” moment came when I lost my job as a personal assistant after twelve years. My friends and family encouraged me to follow my bliss and devote myself full-time to writing a novel. The thought of chasing a dream was pretty scary, and I honestly didn’t know if I had what it took to not only complete a novel, but submit it to agents and editors. Rather than spend the rest of my life wondering, “What if?” I decided to commit myself 100% to getting my work published. I’m happy to say that despite a lot of ups and downs, it’s been a really amazing experience and I’m proud of myself for going after what I wanted.
What does your typical writing day look like?
I try to catch up on social media and correspondence first thing in the morning, then I switch to writing mode at 10:00. While working on my third book, I discovered The Pomodoro Technique, which has helped tremendously with my productivity. With this technique, I set a 25-minute timer, then I do nothing for that space of time except focus on my book and get words on the page. When the timer goes off, I have a 5-minute break to fold a load of laundry, grab a drink, whatever. This technique is perfect for a writer like me who gets easily distracted. I usually write until around 1:00 when I stop to work out and eat lunch. Then, I’m back at it from 2:00 to 5:00. The writing life is not a glamorous one! It’s mostly just putting your butt in the chair and typing.
What have you put most of your effort into regarding writing?
Well, I hope I put the most effort into my writing since in the end, that’s the most important thing—having a final product I’m happy with and want to share. But I also spend a great deal of time doing various types of promotion and marketing. Authors have to spread the word about their books; it’s an essential part of the job!
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please :)
If I was going to spend a day with Cecily, the Cordon Bleu-trained heroine of Mixing It Up, I’d want to start with her making me a delicious breakfast (since French cuisine is her specialty, I’d hope that fresh, buttery croissants would be on the menu). Then, we’d take a limo ride out to her family’s house in the Hamptons where we could lounge by the pool, drinking mimosas served by the butler. (Did I mention that Cecily’s family is super rich?) And in the evening, I could tag along with Cecily to a fancy charity gala of some kind (probably held at a yacht club) where we would hobnob with the Hamptons elite and whatever celebrities were in town.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I don’t know that it was criticism so much as advice, but I was told by several agents and publishers that I was “wasting” my talent on writing Chick Lit, a genre they considered to be dead. I was baffled by this because I know so many people who love and read nothing but Chick Lit. That was when I decided to keep on writing what I knew I was good at and go the indie route.
I guess the best compliment I’ve received is that people think I’m funny! I love hearing that I’ve brightened a reader’s day and made them smile or laugh.
What book that you have read has most influenced your life? What is your favorite book?
Jane Austen’s books were probably the most influential (especially Pride and Prejudice) as her stories combined humor with romance, had wonderfully witty dialogue and fully fleshed out characters, and were such entertaining reads. Her work certainly inspired me to write my modern-day Chick Lit.
My favorite book of all time is Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. I just adored the character of Scarlett O’Hara; she was so strong and sassy and she was very flawed, which made her fascinating.
Who is your favorite author (besides yourself)?
It’s impossible to narrow my very long list of favorites down to just one. Some writers I’ve discovered in recent months who’ve really wowed me are: Kitty French, Marianne Mancusi, Kristen Painter, and Deanna Rayburn. I am purposely not naming authors from my own genre as I know too many of them personally! ;)
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them and I’m so grateful for your support!
Thanks for having me on your blog, Jen. :)
Tracie's latest book is a very fun read. Please pick up a copy of it!
BOOK BLURB
Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Manhattan upper-cruster Cecily Sinclair now uses that pricey utensil to dish up fancy French fare on her cooking show, Serving Romance. When there’s an executive shake-up at the network, she’s not worried. Not much anyway. Her show’s a hitafter all. Why would the new CEO want to mess with success?
The driving force behind several buzzed-about networks, Devlin Hayes is considered to be a wunderkind in the television industry. Although his plans to rebrand CuisineTV and make Serving Romance more Millennial-friendly don’t thrill Cecily, her charming, blue-eyed boss is a hard man to say “no” to and she really wants to keep her job—even if that means sharing screen time with a loathsome blast from her past.
Mercurial Italian chef Dante Marchetti a.k.a. “Il Duce” was once Cecily’s boss, and she has the PTSD to prove it. Now the owner of one of the hottest restaurants in town, Dante’s egomania knows no bounds and his constant attempts to provoke and upstage Cecily make her want to conk him on the head with a sauté pan. She thinks they’re toxic together, but viewers love their chemistry and clamor for more.
As Cecily battles to maintain the integrity of her show, she finds herself scheming and manipulating right along with Dante and Devlin. Is she fighting a lost cause? Does she really belong on TV, or would her culinary talent be better served elsewhere? And could one of the men who makes Cecily’s blood boil ignite a passion in her for something other than food?
UNIVERSAL BUY LINK FOR MIXING IT UP (AMAZON)
AUTHOR BIO
An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Mixing It Up is her fourth Chick Lit release, and in it Tracie finally got to live out her fantasy of being a Cordon Bleu-trained chef.
CONNECT WITH TRACIE
