How does When Your Are Near fit into the larger picture of the Brookstone Brides series?
When You Are Near sets the foundation for several elements that go on throughout the series.
What can readers expect from future volumes of Brookstone Brides?
Each book takes us a little closer to settling each focal character’s romance, as well as resolving the murder mystery and reasons behind it.
You recently concluded your Heart of Alaska series, co-written with Kimberley Woodhouse. How do you decide when you’re going to co-write something or write it yourself?
As someone who has co-written many times, each situation has its similarities and its differences. Always, always, a co-writing situation comes from God’s prompting. It’s hard to explain, but each time I’ve co-written I’ve been going along my merry way and all of the sudden this person is put in front of me in a big way and I feel God speaking to me about them.
This even happened the very first time with Judith Pella. I was at a conference where she spoke and I was trying hard to break in with Bethany House. I felt prompted to go and talk to her—to see if she would ever consider co-writing with me. It turned out to be an amazing experience and friendship. Judy taught me so much.
However, the prompting doesn’t always result in a co-write. Sometimes it’s resulted in a friendship or shown me a different area of interest.
In the situation of co-writing, I try to read what this other person has written and see if I think we can blend our styles together. It’s critical to me that the book be seamless and the reader not really know where one writer’s contributions begin and end.
A lot of prayer also goes into this before a contract is ever signed. It’s so important to bathe each project in prayer.
As for topics, those come about only after the co-writer and I sit down and brainstorm. I have my list of things I’d like to write about one day and some of those are definitely ones I want to do alone and others not so much.
When Judy Miller and I came together we were already good friends and I had worked with her via Heartsong. We were talking one day about possibly writing together and topics we thought might work and all of the sudden we both mentioned wanting to write about the textile mills back east. That gave us the drive to write two Lowell Mill series and started our work together.
For Kim and I, it was our passion for Alaska and has led us to collaborate on yet another Alaska series that will debut next January.
The Romance Writers of America recently honored you for the milestone of publishing 100 novels. (A number you’ve already passed.) Did you get to stop and enjoy the accomplishment—or are you too busy working on the next novel(s)?
It was definitely an honor to receive the award, but I rarely slow down. I’m writing 3-5 books a year and so I need to keep my focus on the next project.
Some time ago I was introduced at a speaking event as the “Queen of Historical Christian Romance” and I had to smile because all three things—being a Christian, and loving to share Biblical encouragement, history and romance is definitely at the core of who I am. Seeing God use the books to encourage the reader is where I really enjoy the accomplishment.
Tracie reveals what she loves most about writing Christian fiction: Click through to continue!