Welcome, Tracy!

Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Thanks for the warm welcome, Keira! And for the great question. The short answer would be that my life is much, much tamer than Mélanie's, and I certainly haven't (thankfully) had the sort of adventures she has. On the other hand, I think a lot of my life experiences went into who who is, as well as who Charles is and who the rest of the characters are. All one's characters come out of one's head, so it's inevitable there's something of the writer in all of them. Though Mélanie had a lot of tragedy in her life, her early childhood was very warm and secure, centering round her parents work, much like mine. One of the things I really enjoyed in writing Mélanie was being able to use my theater experience and my feelings about having been an actress.

As to personality, I'm think I'm much less ruthless than Mélanie about achieving an objective whatever the cost. I'm much more like Charles in that regard--likely to try to balance competing needs and loyalties. I'm less outgoing than Mélanie, though not, I think, as reserved as Charles. I do, like Mélanie, enjoy giving parties, and I'd say I *aspire* to her superb hostessing skills Smile

. I did consciously giver her a few of my traits--being lefthanded, a bit untidy, and loving clothes and jewelry Smile

.

Fun question to answer!

Cheers,
Tracy
http://www.tracygrant.org

Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Wow, Pam, thanks! Hearing such wonderful comments from so many writers whose work I admire (you, Candice, Anne) is so fabulous. Thank you for your kind words about Charles & Mélanie. I love all my characters, but Charles & Mel hold a special place in my heart. They have so many interesting layers to explore, their relationship is so complicated, and because of their unique background (particularly in Mélanie's case) they allow me to look at the Regency and post-Napoleonic era from a somewhat different angle from my previous books, which as a writer I really enjoy.

Cheers,
Tracy
http://www.tracygrant.org

Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Thanks so much, Margaret L! I'm so glad you enjoy the Charles & Melanie books. If the reissues do well enough, The Mask of Night and future books in the series will be published. I don't know anything definite yet, but I'm (anxiously!) keeping my fiingers crossed. The Mask of Night is written, and I'm working on the fourth book, which focuses on Laura Dudley, Colin and Jessica Fraser's governes. Raoul O'Roarke also plays a big part in it (and in Mask).

Btw, I'm happy to try to answer questions about events in future books! If necessary, I'll post spoiler warnings.

Cheers,,
Tracy
http://www.tracygrant.org

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1077

Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Raoul's one of my favorite characters, Kalen. A character who took on added complexity as I wrote Secrets. I ended up liking him much more than I did in my original outline of the book. He's also one of those characters that readers really like or find it impossible to forigve--I'm fascinated by reader reactions to him, so I'd love to hear other readers' takes on him.

There's a lot more to explore in his relationships to both Charles and Melanie, not to mention some more secrets to be revealed. And I have a plan to give him a romance of his own (something I wasn't intending to do, but he and the woman in question sort of found each other in my imagination Smile

.

Cheers,
Tracy
http://www.tracygrant.org

Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:53 am Post subject:

Hi Tracy and welcome. Im not one of your readers yet. But Im heading out to buy all the books I can that you wrote. I will be a fan soon.
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Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Thanks so much, Michelle!

Cheers,
Tracy
http://www.tracygrant.org

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1077

Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:49 pm Post subject:

Hi, Tracy. It's really great to see you here. I wrote you a month or so ago when I was reading Daughter of the Game, the hardcover from our city library. It's certainly one of the best and most memorable of the reads I've had this year.

I still haven't managed to read Beneath a Silent Moon. I'm just too antsy to really concentrate at the moment since I have another move (groan) coming up by the end of July. I'm hoping to get things a little more organized than they were for the last two (Nov. 2005 and January 2007.) I'm getting really tired of packing up and then trying to find everything again; I've been largely unsuccessful. I guess that's why I'm so antsy.

I've also got some of your other books on "frozen" hold as soon as I've read Beneath... I'm looking forward to them as well.

As for Raoul, I'm not sure I'd like to really know a man like that--too dangerous (lol)--but I certainly enjoyed him in the novel. Did you plan the whole parentage thing (I'm trying not to give anything away to new readers) right from the very beginning or did it just "develop?"
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Poor Relation Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 82