Interview with author Tracy Fabre

Tracy Fabre is a relatively new author, her second book Reasons was published last year. I recently was given a copy of it to read and review. In conjunction with that review I have done an interview with Tracy to introduce her to everyone. Here is that interview

As readers and authors we all have literary idols, a few of mine are Jane
Austin, Walt Whitman, Chaucer, Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood. Who are your literary idols?
I always had a soft spot for those who could make me think and
feel (ideally good).  Authors who could do that more than once?
Dick Francis, Donald Westlake, Jane Donnelly, Lewis Grizzard,
and Jane Austen of course.  I used to read a lot of Stephen King;
I liked his characters and dialogue (it was never the horror which
drew me in but rather the people).  I love but am way behind on
Terry Pratchett, too.

In our families emergency packs we each have between 5-10 books. Which
books would you put in your emergency pack?

Oooh, interesting question.  I would put:
1. The Stand / Stephen King
2. Love For A Stranger / Jane Donnelly
3. Guards! Guards! / Terry Pratchett
4. Pride & Prejudice / Jane Austen
5. Holes / Louis Sachar
… but if I keep thinking about it, the emergency pack’s gonna get
awfully heavy!

When I am feeling sick or down I have about 5 authors that I refer to as my
comfort authors (much like chocolate and chips and salsa are my comfort
foods). Who are you comfort authors?

Hmmm, I’m not sure I have an answer to that, most likely because
when I need comfort, I don’t go to books. I know that may sound
shocking, but it’s true. I’m more of a wallower.  🙂

What are your top five favorite books of all time?

But who can pick five?  You’re a ruthless one, you are.  I say, for
starters, those I listed above. But there are others I really loved…
Measure of a Heart by Lane Von Herzen, Scaring The Crows
by Gregory Miller, many of the Dortmunder novels by Donald
Westlake, most of the Tony Hillerman Leaphorn series, Ishmael 
by Barbara Hambly, and various nonfiction books, such as James
Lileks’ Gallery Of Regrettable Food, and Interior Desecrations.

What do you like to watch in your free time?

Monday is my big TV night — House and 24!  Don’t EVEN think
of interrupting, calling, showing up, or setting anything on fire; I will
not be moved.  Period.  But I don’t do reality shows, and I may be
one of only about six people who doesn’t watch American Idol.

The plot for your book Reasons is one that I haven’t read before, without
giving anything away as the review will be posted tomorrow where did this
story come from?

Ironically… the guts of Reasons came into being when I was about
18 and really had no clue how to write. Young and idiotic, I didn’t
get very far, but kept the Notebook Of Ridiculousness it was born
in, since I always thought I might do something with the plot line of
the hit-and-run. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I’d thrown the
notebook into the shredder pile that I began to be haunted by this
question: how would I have ended it? So after a few days of trying
to resist this (I was in the middle of moving and had no time), I gave
up one night and wrote the last five pages. Then I wrote the section
before that.  Then I wrote the middle.  Then… at some point, I had
a completed novel which was a thousand times better than my 18-
year-old self had even been able to imagine.  But as to where the
plot came from?  Heck if I know!  I can remember thinking about
it endlessly at the time but how it popped into my adolescent brain
is still a mystery to me.

What are you currently working on now?

This interview.  🙂  I have a couple of things in progress which are
waiting for my tender loving attention but I admit that mostly what
I write these days is fluff for Gather.com.  I hope I do get back to
those works in progress, particularly one set on Mobile Bay which

is about a writer working on solving a murder from sixty years back.

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know this author. My review of her book Reasons will be posted tomorrow, and on Saturday I will have a guest blog by Tracy.

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