Tracy Krauss – AEG Author blog

Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on December 4, 2011

I am thrilled to announce the release of my third book PLAY IT AGAIN. It is technically the ‘pre-quel’ to my first book AND THE BEAT GOES ON, but both novels are stand alone reads. Awhile back I posted about some of the potentially controversial topics raised in the book. Now you can read all about it for yourself! Here is a short description:

PLAY IT AGAIN by Tracy Krauss
An unlikely duo meet in Play It Again, a story of love, life and faith. Sparks fly when an ex-rock and roll junkie and a stuffy accountant rendezvous at a local resort, but neither are prepared for the emotional entanglements, family complications, and threat from the past that unexpectedly resurfaces. Set in the 1980s, this story brings two opposing forces together in a clash of romance and danger, while its musical undertones highlight the theme that God can turn anything into beautiful music. Play It Again is the much anticipated prequel to Tracy’s debut novel And the Beat Goes On. Find out where Mark Graham’s journey began in this, the story of his parents

Buy the book now at any of the following online locations:
Amazon
Barnes and noble
Strategic Publishing

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on November 30, 2011

Here is the link to a TV interview I did awhile back on ‘Peace Country Presents‘ with host Leah Bolton.

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on November 16, 2011

I’m all for goal setting, but I think one has to be realistic about this ‘writing gig’. My overarching goal is to write full time. Whether this takes place sooner (as in the next year or two) or later (when I retire from teaching) depends on a lot of different factors. I’ve heard from some very reliable sources that it isn’t easy to make a living as a writer. In fact, even some authors that have managed to gain a fair bit of notoriety and success in terms of book sales still need to continue to ‘work’ at something else. It doesn’t mean it can’t be done, but a realist isn’t going to quit their day job to pursue their writing career.

Fortunately, I do have some other options. As a teacher, I can always supplement my writing income as a TOC (Teacher on call a.k.a substitute) if I ever choose to spend more time writing and less time teaching. As well, my children are grown and my husband has a good job, so in a few years time we might consider the possibility of downsizing so that I could spend more time on my writing. These are big ‘what ifs’ however, and only time will tell if these options become a reality.

In the mean time, I have several other writing goals that are easier to attain and that have results that can actually be monitored.At the beginning of 2011 I set a few goals for myself that I am happy to say I have reached. One was to acquire an agent. Up to that point I had been ‘agentless’, and although I have two books in print and one more coming out at the end of this month, there is still a certain negative stigma attached to a writer without an agent. After pursuing several leads and sending out queries, I gained the interest of agent Steve Hutson of ‘Wordwise Media‘ and signed a contract in September for my manuscript WIND OVER MARSHDALE. Hooray!

Another goal for the year was to increase my ‘Expression Express‘ blog following to 200 by end of the year. (I started the year with about 60.) Again, I’m pleased that I reached that goal a few months ago. Perhaps I’ll try to double it again by the end of next year. Of course there have been lots of other general ‘promotional’ goals, like increasing my Facebook fanpage likes, and trying to utilize other social networking better, but one person can only do so much, right?

Another goal which I am rather excited about was finishing a series of paintings for an illustrated children’s book that I want to get published. This is a personal project based on a song my mother used to sing. I started the paintings about three years ago, but then stalled out on finishing them. (I had about half of them done and then lost my enthusiasm for the project …) I took up brush and paints again this summer and finished the rest. I now have seventeen 16″x20″ acrylic paintings to use as the illustrations for the book, ready and waiting for whenever I get the money to complete the project. (Or find an outside publisher who is interested.)

Finally, I joined the NaNoWriMo challenge again this year, with the goal of writing a 50,000 word manuscript from scratch during the month of November. So far I’m on track. I’m about half way there and this is the halfway mark in the month, but I’ve got a long way to go.

I think it’s a good idea to have some very specific goals (finding an agent; increase blog following to a certain number) with an actual timeline attached. These kept me on track for this year when I might have given up. On the other hand, broader goals are also necessary. They are the stuff of dreams, and as writers, I think we all have a bit of the dreamer in us …

This post was originally published at ‘Inscribe Writers Online’ on Nov. 15.

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on November 14, 2011

In the last couple of weeks I’ve been looking at issues raised in my published work – issues that might raise some eyebrows when it comes to the Christian book market. I’ve looked at swearing, sex, prostitution and pornography, among other things, as it has related to MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER and AND THE BEAT GOES ON.

Today I’m going to take a look at my soon to be released book PLAY IT AGAIN. In many ways, the old phrase, “Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll” apply to this novel. It is set in the 1980’s, after the sexual revolution was well established, but before the fear of Aids was commonplace. It was a time when hard rock bands still ruled the airwaves, drugs were prevalent, and young people had come to expect the social ‘freedoms’ that had emerged during the sixties.

It was a time, however, of displacement. The civil rights movement had fizzled to some degree, as racial equality had been won (at least on paper) and there were no wars on which to hang one’s revolutionary hat. In many ways, the young found themselves to be ‘rebels without a cause’ – a situation that led to the emergence of ‘Generation X’. Add to this the fact that many previously accepted social norms were still very much intact (such as getting married if you got pregnant), which made for a time of great paradox.

I’d better move along before this becomes an all out social sciences lecture! This is the backdrop for the novel, as the main characters struggle with these paradoxes. Casual sex, drug use, and living a ‘Bohemian’ lifestyle are in stark contrast to a still prevalent adherence to strict moral codes of conduct. The struggle is particularly difficult for Russ Graham, who tries to live by his Judeo-Christian upbringing, but ends up dabbling in the a fore mentioned ‘forbidden’ arena. The fact that he knows better is part of what gives this book its tension. There are many people out there who know better – who may even have given their lives to God – but then end up following their flesh instead of the narrow way.

As with my other work, this novel is not graphic in its portrayal, but it does delve into the realm of violence, abuse, casual sex, and drugs as we follow the lives of Deanie Burton, rock and roll groupie and her unlikely beau, Russ Graham, a well to do divorcee with an eleven year old son. My aim was to remain true to the time period as well as human nature in general, while still allowing God’s redemptive power to transform lives. So far I have had very positive feedback from preliminary readers. The book will be releasing soon – I’ll definitely keep you posted.

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on November 9, 2011

What should you do when your current ‘Work In Progress’ just isn’t working out any more? Normally, I would say, “Move on!” However, like many writers out there, I have signed up for another year of ‘NaNoWriMo’ fun. (For those who don’t know, NaNo stands for National Novel Writing Month. People around the globe challenge themselves to write a 50,000 word novel in just thirty days …)

Unfortunately, after reaching almost 9,000 words after only four days, I ended my writing session on Friday night with my word count UP, but my enthusiasm LOW. My idea, which I was totally excited about just days earlier, had taken a dive. In short, I was bored with my own writing. It was so obviously telling without enough showing, that even I couldn’t imagine wanting to slog through reading it!

I also couldn’t imagine writing another 40,000 words. It was just boring, boring, BORING! Starting over seemed equally discouraging, and I’m just too stubborn to quit. What was I going to do? Go to bed and forget about it, that’s what!

Fortunately, a good night’s sleep often softens life’s most perplexing problems – even a WIP gone wrong. In the light of a new day, a reclamation plan began to take shape. I realized that most of my problem stemmed from trying to fit in too much back story. In this case, most of this information is essential to understanding the main character’s motivation, but all the droning on about his early years was getting in the way of the real story I wanted to tell.

Instead, I’ve decided to sandwich each climactic event from his developmental years between a current conflict. So far it’s working out beautifully, and I’m back to being excited again. With just a half hour of ‘rearranging’, my muse and I are now reacquainted. All I can say is, thank goodness for ‘cut and paste’!

I will continue to keep you posted on my progress. (FYI I’m at 14,000 words – hooray! ) Now it’s back to that WIP …

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on November 3, 2011

I am inspired . . .
This is the inscription on the front of my current journal. (I keep a personal journal for random thoughts, prayers, and ‘venting’. I’ve got quite a stockpile …) Guess what? I really AM inspired at the moment. By what, you may ask? At the risk of sounding ‘bandwagon-ish’, I’m extremely inspired by my NaNoWriMo project, that’s what!

I know this is only day three and there is a long way to go, but I can’t wait to get home every evening from work, get all my other chores out of the way, and sit down for a couple of hours of reckless banging on the keys. On my first night, I wrote for a little over two hours and managed to get 2345 words down. On day two, I chalked up another 2478 for a grand total of 4823. Once I hit my stride I can usually write about 1000 – 1200 words in an hour. (Both nights I spent approximately 2 hours and twenty minutes total.) My goal is to write 2000 words per day, which should allow me some ‘grace’ should I need to skip a day. So far, so good!

Something else very cool happened since NaNo started. I got a call at work on Tuesday from CBC radio asking if they could interview me during their morning show the next day in regard to National Novel Writing Month. I had been on the show once before in June, promoting my book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER, and so I guess host Carolina DeRyk recognized my name among the many others registered and thought she’d give me a call. It was fun (and I’m still trying to get a hold of a link …)

Briefly, my project is about some Czech hockey players who decide to defect during the 80’s, before the fall of the Iron Curtain. I had been thinking about the idea for some time and then one day I was describing it to my son (who is an avid hockey fan) and he told me a fascinating true story about the Stastny brothers, the first Eastern European hockey players to defect in order to play in the NHL. I immediately got excited, and after quite a bit of research, I felt I’d like to use this idea for my NaNo project. Of course, my story will be purely fiction, but I do plan to reference some of the info I gathered.

Anyway, without further adieu, I better get back to that story … I still have my day’s quota to meet!

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on November 2, 2011

Check your stop watches, flex those fingers, and get writing! It’s November 1st and that means NANO time! Yes, National Novel Writing Month is back and if you’re new to this acronym, let me fill you in. It’ the best online challenge for writers that I know about: 30 days to write 50,000 words. Yes, you heard correctly – just one month to write that novel that’s just dying to come out. The good news is, revising, editing and rewriting is frowned upon. Just write already!! Because today is the first day and I really want to start that next novel, I’m cutting this blog post a bit short. For more on NaNoWriMo, check out my post from last week. To sign up and start your own writing adventure, click on the first link. Happy writing!

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on October 27, 2011

Issues Raised in AND THE BEAT GOES ON

Last Wednesday I discussed some issues raised in my book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER. These include prostitution, pornography, sexual abuse … all things one might not expect to find in ‘Christian’ fiction. I also focused on the use of mild swearing in current Christian fiction and why some authors feel it is acceptable. I’m continuing in this vein as I take a look at my first book, AND THE BEAT GOES ON.

From the moment you open the prologue, there is no doubt that this book lives on the ‘edge’ of what might be acceptable norms for Christian fiction. The prologue actually takes place in ancient pre-flood times, as a depraved monarch watches a sacrificial orgy in honor of his coronation. It has caused a few raised eyebrows as well as murmurs of, “Oh my!” However, once readers get into the book, I believe they realize the reasons for such a strong and sensual opening. I wanted to highlight just how low man had fallen. It must have been bad in order for God to destroy it all.

Sometimes we must come face to face with the naked truth in order to truly understand God’s amazing redemptive power. This is one reason why I tend to write in a more ‘realistic’ (what some would term ‘edgy’) fashion. In this book, my main character, Mark Graham, is not a believer, although he was raised in a Christian home. He has decided to turn his back on his family’s beliefs in favor of Science. As an archeologist, he relies on empirical evidence alone. but when he discovers ‘proof’ of  Noah’s flood, he has trouble denying it. Thus the story is set as he is hurled into a web of cover-ups, deceit and lies, all designed to keep the truth hidden.

Because Mark is not a believer at the beginning of the book, it made sense to me that he also behave like most non-Christians in today’s society. He has sex with his girlfriend, consumes the odd bottle of alcohol, and curses occasionally. I try not to become too explicit in any of these areas, but seriously … if I hope to convince readers that he is a real person, he needs to act like one. In the end, I hope the message of redemption, as well as the creation vs. evolution debate, outweighs any alarm that some of the ‘edgy’ content may cause.

In my view, it is pretty mild stuff, but then again, I’ve been known to be more ‘tolerant’ of such things than many others. To some, the word ‘tolerance’ is a bit of a cop-out. They feel it is an excuse for lowering God’s standards. I don’t see it that way. I like to look to Jesus’ own example, where He hung out with the tax collectors and prostitutes instead of the religious ruling class. Just a thought.

In any case, I try not to make judgments on either side. I understand some people’s desire to protect their minds from things they don’t want to read (or their children’s minds, for that matter.) This makes sense to me and I get it. I also understand the need for fiction that doesn’t gloss over the realities of a dying world. It’s this kind of stronger medicine that some people need. Then there are people like me who just prefer their fiction with a twist of edginess. I don’t think this makes me a ‘bad’ person. Like most things – music, colors, food – everyone has different tastes. It’s what makes the world interesting and I sincerely believe there is room for all

There I go, being tolerant again …

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on October 25, 2011

November is looming and for all you NaNo enthusiasts, you know what that means … turn off the TV, turn on the answering machine and GET WRITING! I had such a wonderful experience last year that I’m definitely on board for this years challenge. Recently, an article I wrote on the topic was featured in the August volume of ‘Fellowscript’ – the quraterly magazine put out by ‘Inscribe Christian Writers Fellowship‘. As a pre-NaNo pep talk, I thought I’d post the article here.

Thoughts From a NaNo Survivor
I am a survivor – a NaNo survivor, that is. For anyone who is considering taking the NaNoWriMo challenge this November, here are a few thoughts on my experience. First of all, for those who have never heard of NaNo, let me explain that it is not some kind of Sci-fi convention or a new language program for your computer. NaNoWriMo stands for ‘Nation Novel Writing Month’. Every November, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world sign up to write a 50,000 word manuscript in exactly one month’s time. The reward? The sense of accomplishment when you actually reach that 50,000 word count. There are no prizes, no first place winners, and no offers to sign a publishing deal. Some might say that is pretty slim for all the time and effort, but I found the experience to be so rewarding, I am definitely going to jump in again this coming November. Let me tell you why.

First, I learned the discipline of writing every day. There were only three days before reaching my goal that I did not write creatively. If you’re like me, now that I have books in print much of my ‘writing’ time has been overtaken by emails, blogging, and networking. These activities are all necessary for promotional purposes, but they can easily consume so much time, that focusing on the thing that brought me here in the first place – my love for telling stories – gets set aside. The fact that I had this self imposed deadline (50.000 words in 30 days) forced me to get back to my first love.

I also discovered that I don’t need the huge blocks of time I formerly thought I did in order to write. Since I am a public school teacher, I used to save most of my creative writing for holidays, long weekends, or my summer vacation. NaNo forced me to approach my writing in a totally different way. Writing for one to two hours a day was very productive since I didn’t need to spend so much time ‘reacquainting’ myself with my characters or searching for my muse. Things were still fresh in my mind and I could just pick up where I left off. Rather than feeling tired and just flopping on the couch to watch an hour of TV, I was energized to write and looked forward to my ‘get away’ each evening.

An especially refreshing outcome of my NaNo journey was the freedom I experienced in allowing myself to write the first draft in all it’s unedited crassness without stopping to revise. The point of NaNoWriMo is to get the story out and worry about the editing later. I didn’t have time to examine my use of the word ’said’ too often. Sometimes I did too much telling and not enough showing. So be it. I just kept on writing – averaging about 1000 words per hour, spilling that story out of my brain and onto the computer screen with reckless abandon. There will be plenty of time to go back and refine what I’ve written. But for now it feels great to just have the plot finished.

When it was all said and done, my story came in at 52,424 words. I reached the 50,000 word milestone on November 23, well ahead of the pace, and had time to relax a bit before adding the finishing touches. Will I use this manuscript for anything? Probably. It came from an idea I had some time ago but just never had the time to write. Now that the ‘bones’ are there, I think I will spend some time on it polishing it up for further review. Will I participate in NaNoWriMo again? Definitely. I found the experience to be so energizing that I can hardly wait for November to role around again. If you have been curious about this type of challenge, may I encourage you to give it a try. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

For more on NaNoWriMo simply go to www.nanowrimo.com/ where you will find everything you need. Happy writing!

This article originally appeared in the August 2011 edition of ‘Fellowscript’/ Volume 29/Number 03

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Posted By TracyKrausswrtr on October 20, 2011

Issues Raised In MAN-EATER

I often get questions about my inspiration for MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER, as well as comments on the title. It is provocative, there is no doubt – something that was intentional as I hoped to prick the interest of potential readers, while at the same time hinting at the main character’s personality. Joleen Allen is no angel. She is a forty-four year old ‘cougar’ who is relentless in her pursuit of younger men. On the surface, this hardly seems like the kind of heroine to win the hearts of Christian audiences.

Maybe that’s the point. I’m not necessarily catering to the ‘typical’ readers of sweet Christian romance. I’m more interested in portraying seriously flawed people, in all their rawness and humanity, in an attempt to show that God doesn’t expect us to have our lives in order before coming to Him. My writing style has been termed ‘edgy inspirational’ – a tag that I am quite happy to embrace since I feel it best describes what my books are about.

In the case of MAN-EATER, potentially controversial topics range from prostitution, pornography, and sexual abuse, to drug use, violence and organized crime. Sometimes it’s difficult to write about these topics without becoming too graphic or explicit. As a Christian author, I try to be sensitive to this, and do not include what I would consider ‘gratuitous’ elements. But sometimes, in order to get the story across, certain words must be used. Take for instance, the use of mild swearing. A mafia drug lord would not exclaim, “Oh darn!” This doesn’t mean I have to include obscenities in every breath (as he probably would in real life) but I believe there is a place for some cursing in order for it to be realistic. Having said that, I feel as if my writing is quite tame in comparison to many others that I’ve read. (And I’m talking about Christian authors here.)

I am also aware that there are many Christians who do not share this view and who will not tolerate any form of cursing – mild or otherwise – in the fiction they read. I’m okay with that. The dilemma comes when potential readers purchase a book and then feel blindsided by what they believe is inappropriate content. The assumption is that all books with an evangelical message should be squeaky clean. For me, this just doesn’t work. I prefer books with a moral message that also have some edge. A dose of stark reality helps to give more impact to the message. The very paradox – the juxtaposition between ‘Good and Evil’ is so much more poignant when the hero or heroine isn’t perfect to begin with. Of course, this is just my opinion.There are many that would argue with me, and as I said already, they are free to do so.

I have heard it suggested that a rating system might be in order. The problem with this is, whose standards would prevail in such a system? (And please don’t come back with the platitude “God’s standards!” I know that, but ‘God’s standards as interpreted by whom?) It is certainly a question that continues to be debated among readers, writers and publishers. No matter the solution, and no matter one’s personal opinion on the matter, ‘edgy’ Christian fiction is here to stay.

Next week on ‘the Issue’ I plan to discuss some controversial topics raised in AND THE BEAT GOES ON. Leave a comment if you’d like to joint the debate.

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