Lucinda Drakewyck, one of a long line of Drakewyck witches, has forseen her own death. Desperate for answers, she calls upon the magic in her cherished crystal dove, hoping for visions of the warrior whose love would first save her then destroy them both. When wounded Crimean cavalry officer Richard Clairmont walks into her secret forest glen, Lucinda recognizes him as her promised hero. Destiny has determined that only he can rescue her from a ghastly fate, and yet Lucinda fights the attraction between them, knowing if they love, both their lives are forfeit.

Richard Clairmont doesn't believe in love, magic, or even himself. A captain in Her Majesty's Eleventh Hussars, he charged into the mouth of Hell and returned scarred forever. But from the moment he meets Lucinda, sunshine enters his life, throwing light on the shadows in his mind and making him question the existence of magic. Together they must stand against a malevolent presence and test the true power of their love.

Tracy Fobes is another of the wonderful authors whom Judy and I met at CR!99. Tracy is one of those tall, willowy types, and she's very, very nice. She is genuinely interested in her readers. I had already read her book, TOUCH NOT THE CAT, and brought it to the convention to get it signed. It was so great to be able to meet the author and tell her how much I enjoyed her book.

Tracy writes paranormal romances. Her first book, TOUCH NOT THE CAT, has received several awards. It's a great story and should NOT be missed. It is a mix of fantasy and historical Scotland (two of my favorite things!). Her second and latest book, HEART OF THE DOVE, is a wonderful, magical story that is sure to win awards of its own. Tracy Fobes is an author that you will want to keep an eye on! I'm going to hold onto these books because I believe that both will be very collectable one day as her writing reputation grows.

It is now my pleasure to introduce all of you to this gifted new author, and to welcome her to RBL Romantica.



Donna: Tracy, please tell a little about yourself; your family, hobbies, background, what you do when you aren't writing.

Tracy: I have a husband and two children, who keep me very busy when I'm not writing. They pretty much take up my spare time, leaving little room for hobbies. When I can sneak some time I'll do some sewing; I make plush, old-fashioned dolls. Although the English language has always been my first love, my professional background includes a BS in Computer Science and several years' experience as a computer systems analyst for a Fortune-500 pharmaceutical firm.

Donna: How does your family feel about you writing romance; are they supportive?

Tracy: Everyone in my family is very supportive, giving me the time I need to write my books.

Donna: When did you start writing and why did you choose romance?

Tracy: I started writing when I was very young ... journals, diaries, stories, the like. Two genres clicked with me at an early age: horror and romance. I remember reading Laurie McBain's MOONSTRUCK MADNESS and Blatty's THE EXORCIST all within a month of each other in the 6th grade.

Donna: How did you go about getting your first book published?

Tracy: In the usual manner: submitted everywhere, eventually got an agent, and the agent sold me to Pocket Books. TOUCH NOT THE CAT was the third book I'd written. The first two shall forever remain in a filing cabinet.

Donna: How long did it take you to sell your first book?

Tracy: Almost two years.

Donna: Where do you get ideas for your stories?

Tracy: Movies, walks in the woods, interesting stories I read in the paper or hear on the news.

Donna: Is that difficult to write the sex scenes for your books? Is it made any easier knowing that the majority of romance readers are female?

Tracy: Technically it is difficult for me to write them. Sex scenes are always a balancing act. You don't want too much body movement, as in she did this and then he did this, but not too much thinking, either. The thought of writing them does not bother me, though. I decided when I first started writing romance that I would write sensuous love scenes rather than love scenes that ended at the bedroom door. That's what I like to read, so that's what I write.

Donna: How long does it take you to write a book? Do you ever find your characters in situations that are hard to write them out of?

Tracy: It takes me about four months to finish a book, and I rarely have to write my characters out of difficult situations. I plot my books thoroughly, using a chapter-by-chapter outline, so when I finally sit down to write I know exactly where the story is going. Some might call me an obsessive plotter ...

Donna: Do you ever find yourself with a case of "writer's block" while in the middle of a story? If so, how do you handle this - what helps you get beyond this problem?

Tracy: Occasionally I suddenly stop writing and find it difficult to go on, without any clear reason why. Experience has taught me that if this happens, it's usually because a character is acting in a way that doesn't feel appropriate.

It may have seemed all right in the outline, but it doesn't work in the actual story. So when this weird blockage happens, I examine all of my characters' actions and decide who's causing the trouble. Eventually I correct the problem and get on with the story.

Donna: What kind of books do you read for pleasure? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Tracy: I read pretty much everything. My favorite romance author is Laura Kinsale. I also enjoy Catherine Coulter, Nora Roberts, Penelope Williamson, Andrea Kane, and Stef Ann Holm. Other genres: Dean Koontz, Steven King, John Sandford, Susan Howatch, Thomas Perry (you must read Perry's Jane Whitefield series, it is excellent), Janet Evanovich.

Donna: TOUCH NOT THE CAT is a unique and fascinating book. I have to admit that the cover picture was my initial motivation for buying this book. I saw that gorgeous Highlander sitting there stroking that golden cat and just had to have him! (*G*) Is there really a Scottish legend of the Girmalkin?

Tracy: There is a Scottish grimalkin, a fairy-like cat that haunts the Highlands, but as far as I know, it doesn't shapeshift from a person and back again.

Donna: I found it interesting that for your story, you chose to curse the women of the McClelland line. So often the books we read have a tortured hero who is saved by a fair maiden. What influenced you to write your story this way?

Tracy: I wanted to do a Beauty and the Beast story, but I also wanted to make it unique, so I turned it on its head, and made the hero the beauty, and the heroine the beast. Also, I like powerful heroines. I think they're a realistic reflection on life. All of the women I know are tough in one way or another. Life makes it necessary.

Donna: The relationship between Catherine and her father is very touching. Did you base Iain McClelland on anyone from your own life?

Tracy: No ... although my relationship with my own father is equally as strong.

Donna: Your secondary characters were very well developed. The villains were the kind that you love to hate. How hard it is to write a truly great villain?

Tracy: Very hard, for me. I'm not a mean person and it's tough for me to think mean. It's something I'm going to work on in my fourth romance from Pocket Books, due out in September 2000, as yet untitled. Thomas Harris writes the best villain I've ever read, hands down (Hannibal Lecter). It's my goal to write like that!

Donna: Your newest book, HEART OF THE DOVE, is out this month. I saw that Romantic Times made it a "Top Pick" and gave it 4 � stars. I was privileged to read an advanced copy of this book, and have to agree whole-heartedly with this rating. I remember reading the prologue and writing to ask you if it were okay to feel sorry for the witch Morgana. She is so different from your villains in TOUCH NOT THE CAT. When writing this book, did you plan that she would be a villain that readers would care about?

Tracy: At first she was a standard villain ... maybe a few redeeming qualities, but mostly evil and therefore deserving of a bad end. When I originally wrote the story, I killed her off, and then got one of those writer's blocks. I knew that something was very wrong. At length, I discovered I had treated Morgana too poorly, given the circumstances, and re-wrote her part in the story, giving her an appropriate ending. As I said, I have a hard time being mean!

Donna: It was very hard not to sneak a peek at the end while reading DOVE, but my perseverence paid off. You couldn't have written a better ending! Without giving away the ending to anyone who hasn't read DOVE yet, was the ending all that you wanted it to be?

Tracy: Yes, I felt as if I had done right by Morgana. It cost me a lot of extra work but was worth it.

Donna: All of the characters in DOVE are well developed and make us care about them. Will there be any sequels to HEART OF THE DOVE?

Tracy: Not at the present time. I love them too, but feel like I've left them in a good spot; they can go on and live happy lives.

Donna: Both of your books have a paranormal theme. Is this an area in which you have an interest?

Tracy: Yes, I've always loved both romance and horror. It's a thrill to write stories that incorporate elements of both.

Donna: If given free reign to write any kind of book you wanted, what kind of books would you write in the future?

Tracy:< I'm pretty much writing what I want to write. This may not be true always, but right now, I've a lot of paranormal/romance stories in me that I'd love to tell.

Donna: What is next? Can you give us a hint?

Tracy: FORBIDDEN GARDEN is due out in March 2000. It's set in Victorian Ireland and explores the theme of science versus nature. Some books come hard, others come easy, but FG has practically written itself and I'm thinking its even better than TNTC and HOTD. I'd love to hear other opinions!

Book # 4, due out in September 2000, is yet untitled. It's set in Regency England, and, as I mentioned, has a very bad villain in it. It contains both paranormal elements and elements of suspense.

Donna: How much has the Internet affected you as an author?

Tracy: A lot. I order quite a few of my books through Amazon, it's so convenient. It's also become my primary research tool.

Donna: Is there any way we as readers can help to promote new authors such as yourself?

Tracy: The hardest thing for a new author is getting your name out there. People don't buy your book because they don't know you exist. Word-of-mouth is the best way for a reader to help a new author; it helps conquer the name-recognition hurdle.

Donna: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Tracy: Two things: write, write, write and submit, submit, submit. Everything else means little.

Donna: Do you have anything you would like to say to, or questions you would like ask, the readers here at RBL?

Tracy: I'd like to thank everyone on RBL for their strong support, and encourage one and all to contact me regarding my stories - likes, dislikes, etc. I love to hear comments!



Tracy, on behalf of all of us here at RBL Romantica, I would like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I would also like to invite you to join us on our Message Board any time.

~Donna~


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