Why the Colorado Rockies?

That's what Tamela Quijas wanted to know. Today she hosts me at her Web site (check it out!).

Here's a sneak preview...

In essence, the setting is an external analogy for their internal struggles (or: an external parallel to their internal struggles).

The physicality of the location (mountain) offers me as a writer plenty of obstacles to put in my characters' paths. And obstacles are what I use to show how my characters develop over the course of the story. Without obstacles there is no story. And - for me - if a character isn't changed by his/her experiences, then it's not a very interesting story...

Second virtual book tour stop: Razlover's Book Blog

Sample interview question: If you weren't an author what would you be?

TLC: I would be what I already am: a wife and mother (my children are 2 and 6), a daughter and a sister. A business owner (my husband and I own a motorcycle accessories business, www.LeaderMotorcycle.com). A pilot, a skier, a singer, a taiko drummer ... in short, I wouldn't trade the fullness of my real life for what is admittedly a full 'fantasy' life!

Read the complete interview!

Point of View Changes in Popular Author Novels

I'm about 80 pages into a novel by an extremely popular author (Nora Roberts). It's a suspenseful, enjoyable novel, but here's my beef with some of these popular authors (the other that comes to mind is Jodi Piccoult)...

It has been pounded into my head by my ex-English teacher mom and writing instructors (and other writers) that you should NOT have multiple points of view in a single chapter (and that, further, you should limit how many points of view you tell the story from, period).

In this book (and the Jodi Piccoult one I recently read), the point of view not only changes from chapter to chapter ('Last Chance' changes by chapter but only between TWO characters) ... it can shift from paragraph to paragraph! As a reader, I'm not ready for it - it interrupts the flow of the story when I have to backtrack a paragraph or two to make sure I understand whose 'head' I suddenly jumped into.

Is it just me, or have other writers (and readers) noticed this?? Is it just the immensely popular authors that can get away with this??

Alarm Bells Turn to Pleasant Surprise

"Last Chance Rescue" got a really great review in Firehouse Magazine. It really speaks to the bias against self-published books:

"Alarm bells went off in my head as I read her words. Key phrases like Romance, aka Bodice Ripper, went through my mind along with serious concerns about a self-published book. Mind you, there are a number of good to very good self-published books on the market, but it has been my experience that the majority of them would have been much better with the services of a good editor.

I am very pleased to say that Tracey Cramer-Kelly is an excellent writer. Well-crafted plot, storyline and character development that is consistent throughout and a very plausible, satisfying and realistic ending to the tale..."

Click here to read more. Thank you Norm!

Midwest Book Review

Last Chance Rescue has been reviewed by the Midwest Book Review!

The reviewer starts off with "Put it off for too long, and it may be too late." After a brief synopsis of the book, the reviewer wraps it up with "Last Chance Rescue is an attractive novel that will be well enjoyed by many a reader."

To read the complete review,
click here.