Paperback Writer is pleased to introduce Tracie Hall, author of the paranormal romance novel, Love’s Magic as she tours on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.
Love’s Magic synopsis:
Celestia Montehue has inherited special healing powers from the maternal line of her family. It comes with a glitch. The year is 1192, witch hunting abounds in England and she can only marry for love or risk losing her gifts.
Nicholas Le Blanc is a soul-sick Crusader who escapes from his captivity in Tripoli. He wants redemption and forgiveness from God for losing the sacred relic of Saint James the Apostle. And the other matter of murder, as well. Forced to marry and move to Falcon Keep, which is haunted by Nicholas’ mother, they must learn to love one another before their family’s curses doom them for eternity.
Hi Traci Hall
Welcome to Paperback Writer Glad to be here – thank you for having me!
Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?
I am a big historical romance fan, and I especially loved the ones that had a paranormal element to them. If they were funny, too, then I was hooked. When I was ready to start Love’s Magic, I knew exactly what I liked – and I hoped I could deliver it to other readers.
Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?
Love’s Magic is a mix of the two – I started it before meeting my plot group the rewriting was really hard because I was working backward – I tend to learn at the school of hard knocks! Now I write with a plot-board, colored notebooks and lots of post its. They help with my early onset dementia, lol, and keep me from wandering too far off tangent!
Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?
I had a general idea. Like…I knew that Celestia and Nicholas had to be together and In Love. I didn’t know that they’d travel to Spain together and that she’d be pregnant.
Do you have a process for developing your characters?
My process is different with each book. I used to rewrite my first three chapters about fifty million times over until I had a handle on who they were. I think I mentioned that school of hard knocks?? Haha – anyway, now I have character sheets for each one that are pretty detailed. I have pictures of my main characters that I cut from magazines or get off the web.
It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?
I wish I could be magical! I think there are human characteristics – like compassion or courage – that we all aspire toward, just as there are ones we aren’t so proud of. I know that I’m guilty of the occasional little white lie…but I also try to be kind and giving. I try. But I have teenagers, so some days that is harder than others, lol
What is your most favorite part about this book?
I love Celestia’s family! Ed and Ned still crack me up – and when Nicholas finally comes to the realization that he’s going to be all right, it’s liberating! I was so happy, because then he, as a character, could see the love that was already there.
When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?
By circumstance, I had a publisher before I started the book.
What struggles have you had on the road to being published?
Now, that could take ten days, lolol! Four, yes, four, years ago is when I started this book. Then I sold four Young Adult books – and I stopped working on Love’s Magic to focus on my YA career. But then the YA line folded at my publishing house, and all of the work that I’d done on branding etc. went down the tubes with a giant flush. This is part of the business, but not something I’d been expecting. I was new, and it was tough. At the same time my family was suffering personal losses and LIFE was very overwhelming. It was a struggle to keep on going. But now I’ve got a YA trilogy sold, and this paranormal romance trilogy as well as a non-fiction book. I’m working with an agent on a new idea for YA fantasy, and I hope to write teenage angst too.
What has been the best part about being published?
Seeing my name in print. Holding that book in my hands – and getting reader feed back! Each thing is my favorite thing.
What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?
I hope that they close the book and get that feeling of happy-ever-after mooshiness. Where you kind of go “ahhh” and sigh with a dopey smile on your face? Or maybe that’s just me…
Do you have plans to write another book?
I recently finished the second book in this series, Beauty’s Curse, and I am going to work on the third book, Boadicea’s Legacy, soon. Since it’s due before Christmas, it needs to be very soon, lol. I also write Young Adult paranormal novels…and I have a non-fiction book coming out with co-author Rhonda Pollero, titled Adoption is Forever.
Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?
So far it has been incredible!
Where can readers find a copy of your book?
At your local bookstore, or Amazon.com, of course! They have everything, including the kitchen sink
Do you have a website for readers to go to?
www.traciehall.com
Thank you, Tracie for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.
