Be My Guest - Tracie Peterson

This month's guest is best-selling author Tracie Peterson. I'm thrilled to play the hostess for her as I really enjoy her books. I'm always on the lookout for more of her novels to add to my collection. If you haven't yet read any books by Tracie, I hope this article of hers will inspire you to pick up one soon. You'll love it!

Inspiration Abounds

By Tracie Peterson

Tracie's 100th book!
Book One
Lone Star Brides series

Inspiration for writing has never been hard for me to find.  I've always loved to read nonfiction and study history, so that offered me great places from which to pull interesting tidbits that would help to create a book.  Many has been the time I'll be reading about something that happened in one town or territory and the author will state that "No one knows why it happened."  Or in the case of a person, "No one knows who was responsible."  I love statements like that because it gives me freedom to create what I think might have been the answer.

I'm also inspired by visiting places.  Historical areas always speak to me.  I'm drawn to the styles and architecture, the set up of towns, the local customs and the people.  It's always so interesting to sit down with locals who've lived in an area for multiple generations and listen to their family stories.  I would never copy someone's story per se, but always there is a thread of something that sparks an interest in my imagination.

Book Two
Lone Star Brides series

For most writers, I think these techniques are true, but speaking for myself I can also add that having a great imagination is probably the one resource I use the most.  I watch people, I listen to conversations, and I observe the world and think to myself, "What if...."  There is seldom a time when I'm not considering story ideas and my imagination runs wild with the "What if's."  I love to take a situation that would have a typical response by most people and twist it to a very unusual response by my hero or heroine.  Of course you always have to give them the proper motivation when they act out in a way that is other than the "normal response."  Motivation is critical and so often lacking in stories today.

Book Three
Lone Star Brides series

My current release A SENSIBLE ARRANGEMENT is also a good example of this imaginative process.  Book one in the new LONE STAR BRIDE series was created to tie two previous series together (STRIKING A MATCH and LAND OF THE LONE STAR series).  Readers kept writing me and telling me they wanted to know more about Jake from Striking a Match.  Later other readers wanted to know how little Marty Dandridge turned out from Land of the Lone Star.  I looked at the two characters and had a fun thought.  Why not marry them together and show the readers how life turned out for them both in one series?  It proved to be great fun and I hope the readers will enjoy revisiting some characters as well as meeting new ones.  There will be three books total in this new series.  Book 2 A MOMENT IN TIME comes out in June and Book 3 A MATTER OF HEART comes out in October 2014.

Oh and just to add another favorite tidbit - A SENSIBLE ARRANGEMENT is book #100 for me!

Tracie Peterson is the award winning, best-selling author of over 100 books. She makes her home in Montana with husband Jim, a historian, who helps with historical research.  Together they also teach at a variety of writer conferences and workshops.  Tracie also was one of the founding members of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Tracie! Congratulations on your 100th book! At this point, I can only dream of reaching that goal. You've set the bar pretty high for the rest of us, but I'm very glad. May you continue to find success in your journey with God.

Readers, in celebration of Tracie's 100th release, let's talk about our favorite Tracie Peterson books. Which one is your favorite and why? Is it the characters? The setting? The time period? I'm eager to hear which ones you like best.

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