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Monday, March 15, 2010

GUEST AUTHOR: Tracey O'Hara

Dark urban fantasy author, Tracey O’Hara, and her DARK BRETHREN series have made their mark with readers of this genre.

“Urban fantasy just got a major jolt of talent with O’Hara’s arrival. She makes an extremely strong debut, introducing a world that features a host of supernatural creatures. The pace is brisk and the danger intense. Passion, betrayal, and plot twists galore make for entertainment on a grand scale.”
-- Jill M. Smith of Romantic Times

“Intense, sexy, bold, NIGHT’S COLD KISS is a superb debut. Tracey O’Hara writes in a voice full of passion and power - I’m already waiting impatiently for the next book from this talented author.”
-- New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh

With comments like these Tracey’s series is destined to do well.

Her debut novel, NIGHT’S COLD KISS, was released in September 2009 with EOS/Harper Collins, and her second book, DEATH’S SWEET EMBRACE, is next to hit the shelves (date TBA).

Tracey was born in Tasmania, Australia and grew up in far north Queensland and with a supportive family she pursued her dream of writing. She discovered this passion in 2004 and joined Romance Writers of Australia and Romance Writers of America shortly afterwards.

Today we learn more about Tracey - her past, present and future.

Author name: Tracey O’Hara

Published genre/s: Urban Fantasy/romance & Erotica (w/a Tracie Sommers)

(Tracie Sommers is published with harlequin Spice Briefs and her book, TONIGHT MY LOVE, was releases in May'09.)

Favourite childhood toy: I had this weird little doll – it was one of those tiny pink plastic babies with a small kind of Barbie doll head (I think it was her little sister or something). It had dark hair I could brush and I used to make it little beds out of matchboxes and I would put it in my pocket. I loved that weird little mutant doll.  Kind of says it all, doesn’t it.

Mutant dolls, eh, Tracey? Enough said. ;-) Also reminds me of the time I kidnapped my sister's Barbie and gave her a haircut and drew scars all over her...I turned her into G.I.Joette...

Greatest Vice: DVDs and movies, and TV shows.

First Erica Hayes, now Tracey, and I have to admit to a huge DVD collection and love of movies...could there be a pattern beginning to appear with UF/para writers?!? Hmm...

Book you’re reading now: I am just finishing off Mel Teshco’s HER DARK LORD* and reading debut author and fellow 2008 paranormal Golden Heart finalist, Kelly Gay’s BETTER PART OF DARKNESS

(*Mel Teshco is another Aussie paranormal author who writes for Silhouette Nocturne BITES)

Most intriguing place you’ve visited: I got to go to San Francisco for the Golden Heart – and that was my first and only trip overseas. But my most memorable is when I was a kid and we spent a year living a hut on a property in north Queensland no running water, no electricity and no plumbing. It was the best time of my life.

Ohh, what a great experience you had as a kid - just one big adventure! It's intriguing what memories of growing up remain in our heads over time. It's usually the ones with the most emotional impact - good and bad.

A place you’ve yet to visit: The rest of the world. Too many places to name. Ireland, France, Africa – OMG, the list is too long.

Makes you wish for a transporter or TARDIS, eh?

Author/s in your genre who you enjoy reading: It’s hard to nail this genre down – for UF (urban fantasy) Vicki Pettersson, Keri Arthur, Kim Harrison, Jocelynn Drake and so many more I have yet to try. Paranormal romance Nalini Singh (though she's crossing into UF big time) and JR Ward are too of my favs. I like to read dark. The darker the better.

"Come to the Dark Side, Luke!" Oops, sorry, got a bit carried away there. Yes, I have to agree with you, Tracey - the darker, the grittier, the better. A more satisfying read all round!

Who or what influenced you to write in the genre/s you’re now published in? Two words – Stephen King. I loved the absolute sheer bloody terror he made me feel. And while I don’t write like that, I never will, I strive to one day scare the pants off people. Then there are the fantasy authors such as Raymond E Feist, Anne McCaffrey and George RR Martin.
I actually never even read any Urban Fantasy until I had written a lot of NIGHT'S COLD KISS. I didn’t even know it existed. I guess the thing that may have been my biggest influence is Buffy, the TV series. I love that series along with Angel, but there are times when I wished it could have been darker and grittier. That is what inspired me.

When developing a story who tends to appear first in your mind, the hero or heroine, and why? With NIGHT'S COLD KISS it was both, I guess my heroine beat my hero by half a thought. With DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE – it was my heroine.

Writing Milestone/s: I have actually finished two whole books now. Yipeee!!! That is an awesome feeling. I can actually write more than one book.

You're right, Tracey, that euphoria is something anyone who's finished a book can identify with.

Latest release/project: I have just finished revisions on the second Dark Brethren novel and have started to work on my third which I am currently calling SIN'S DARK CARESS.

You have such fascinating titles for your books. I'd love to know how you came up with them...but that's another question for another day (unfortunately).

In your recent release/latest work, what about your hero or heroine inspired you? Okay – I have to talk about the hero in my latest WIP SIN'S DARK CARESS. I love him. Not because he is hot and sexy – well he is, I just haven’t seen that side of him yet, but I know it’s there. He's a burnt out homicide cop who is a drunk and addicted to a new drug called Blue Ice (which actually we find out later in the series it’s elvish). He’s got a mouth, lack of respect for authority and wears a crumpled trench coat.
His name is Lancelot McManus – but he’ll rip your arms off and beat you with the bloody ends if you dared to call him by his first name. He is coming through loud and clear – in fact, I had another hero in mind for this book – but good old Lancelot has convinced me he is it.

I wonder if he answers to Lance? Or does he prefer McManus? Well, I'll just have to wait until the book comes out, eh? Sigh.

Thanks for joining me here, Tracey, it's been great having you! If you'd like to find out more about Tracey, check out her website.


Now, for one lucky visitor, Tracey is generously giving away an eBook version of NIGHT'S COLD KISS from Fictionwise. Just leave a comment and you'll go into the draw!

33 comments:

  1. Hey Trace and Kylie,

    "Rip your arms off and beat you with the bloody ends" - he soooo sounds like a guy you shouldn't mess with. ;)
    Gotta love an alpha alpha hero (who has lotsa problems). Love NCK, can't wait to read DSE (same as for my UF/NCK-obsessed mother).
    And check, gotta love Buffy.

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  2. Hi Tracey & Kylie,
    Another great interview.
    Tracey, your hero sounds very strong. The sort you wouldn't like to cross in a dark alley with that temprament. It is going to take a tough heroine to calm Lancelot down. Can't wait to find out.

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  3. Hi Ladies!
    Fantastic interview, and yes, Buffy was an inspirational series, with JW's strong heroines, its easy to understand why. You know what else has been dark and gritty (though maybe not enough for you, Tracey!)? The past few seasons of Supernatural. Plus those two boys are just so damn smokin' hot.
    Loved NCK Tracey, I'll be writing DSE's release date on my calander as soon as there is one. *hugs*

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  4. Hey Jo & Robyn, thanks for dropping in.

    Yes, those alpha heroes have huge flaws to overcome but watching the role the heroine plays in helping him is fun stuff.

    I really like how the hero and heroine are more than each others equal - they have to be to deliver that all important reader satisfaction. :-)

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  5. Hi Tracey and Kylie! Great interview =)
    I'm loving the sound of you hero Tracey, a hero with flaws - what's not to love about that!!!
    Can't wait to read book 2 and 3 =)

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  6. Hi Jess!

    JW is such a clever man - Buffy, Angel, Firefly - all good series with complex characters, dark plot twists etc.

    My calendar is eagerly waiting for DSE's release date, too!

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  7. Hi Kylie and Tracey,

    Great interview!

    I love the sound of your hero in SDC, Tracey. But Lancelot? What on earth were his parents thinking???

    And yes, Kylie, I think the Buffyverse has been a primary motivator for those of us who like our heroes and heroines dark, with a twist of mean.

    The other great series for delving into universal heroic complexes and finding dark in light--and light in darkness--was Babylon 5.
    Redemption, in any of its guises, is the thing that the true tortured hero seeks...even if he doesn't believe in it, and only ever finds it through his love for the heroine.

    Romance! Gotta love it!!

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  8. Hi, Gracie! Great to have you visit! Yeah, love the tortured hero seeking redemption - we put our heroes through so much to get there *grin*.

    Romance is a powerful vehicle that can accomplish almost anything if your hero/heroine want it enough.

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  9. Hey there Tracey and Kylie. Great interview.

    T - Stephen King is a legend isn't he.

    Loved NCK and can't wait to read DSE. Have fun writing about Lancelot...um McManus (don't want my arms ripped off *g*).

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  10. Jo - bless. Yes McManus is a man with a few issues. But what hero isn't. Bless you mum too and her group of UF fans :)

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  11. Robyn - yes he is quite a hero and his heroine will be more than capable of dealing with him. She is a frustrated witch - frustrated because she can't use her power - much to her powerful family's embarassment. Thanks for stopping by.

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  12. Oh Jess - I ADORE supernatural. And ATM I am rewatching Angel. I really like earlier in the series. I am more of a Spike kinda girl. Thank for reading NCK and thanks for telling me too. Btw as Joss goes- firefly is still my fav series of his.

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  13. Hi Eleni. THE STAND was my fav.book of Stephen King's, don't like his other horror/suspense, but could read this because of the apocalyptic content.

    G'day, Mel, thanks for stopping by!

    Hey, Tracey. Like you I prefer the earlier ep's of ANGEL, had more emotional punch and Angel was still a tormented type of guy. he became too light-hearted for me in the later half of the series.

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  14. Mel and Kylie - a hero has to have flaws to be a hero - outerwise he is just annoying.

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  15. Gracie - you will find what his parents were thinking as the story goes on - there is a reason. No one calls him Lancalot or even Lance - only McManus. I Also loved Babylon 5. It was awesome.

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  16. Eleni and Kylie - the stand was also one of my Favs alone with the green mile - actually I have too many favs to name.

    I think the later Angel gets too wussy for me. Got tired of the old woe is me schtick. Though loved when Spike came into season 5.

    Forgive my intermittent posting. Will be more regular toinght.

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  17. Hey Tracey and Kylie,

    Great interview. I was struck by the Dvd collection comment. Cant just say that and not name a few faves for the curious. Kylie and Tracey please :)

    And from the the sounds of things I would just love it if "Lancelot" (ducks for cover), would dig the heroine calling him by that name. That would be true love wouldnt it? I can just imagine the look on his face. Genius.

    Cheers, and I loved NCK.

    Sandra

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  18. Hi Sandra,

    LOL on the dig at Lancelot, man, are you gonna be in trouble when McManus reads that!

    OK, some of my fav's among my DVD collection... (most are series, as you'll see)

    Firefly series
    Star Wars (all 6)
    Star Trek (most of them)
    Matrix trilogy
    Lord of the Rings trilogy
    Dark Angel series
    Jericho series
    X-Men trilogy & Wolverine
    Terminator quadrilogy (is there such a word?)
    Pirates of the Carribean
    Starship Troopers
    Pitch Black
    Chronicles of Riddick
    The Scorpion King
    Underworld trilogy
    NCIS series
    Stingers series
    and anything with Hugh Jackman

    There are heaps more but these are ones I've watched so many times I could almost quote entire scenes to you!

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  19. Very respectable choices there Kylie. I have spent many an hour on most of those too. If I could just track down the Witchblade Dvd's I would be one happy camper, but I digress.

    And as for "Lancelot" I have a pile of Rove McManus jokes and King Arthur Knights of the Round Table Guinevere references on the ready to flummox him.

    As well as a great hiding spot.....

    Cheers,

    Sandra

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  20. Fun and interesting interview, Kylie and Tracey! I've learned things about both of you - tsk (and LOL)on your sister's Barbie, Kylie! Were you a bit of a brat? And LOL on your mutant dolls, Tracey! No wonder you write characters with extra talents! I love the sound of your year living with no running water, electricity and plumbing. We take these things so much for granted that I think it does us the world of good to get back to real basics. And I have to ask how come your family made that move for the year?

    Kylie, I've recently discovered Firefly! FAN-bloody-TASTIC! But why did they only make one season!? I felt like those characters had so many more fabulous things to reveal to us! And Nathan Fillion... need I say more! When I think of some of the total rubbish stories that get made into series after series... but, er, I'd better got off my soap box!

    :)
    Sharon

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  21. Oh, Sandra, you naughty, naughty (but funny) woman! Rove and King Arthur jokes?!?! McManus is going to do more than rip your arms off - I hope you have a VERY good hiding place, don't forget he's an intelligent alpha. I suspect you're going to find it hard to escape him!

    Hi, Sharon, yeah Tracey's year in the wilderness wounded great and I wondered the same thing about what took her parents out there. Maybe we could guess - I reckon her parents gave up the rat race and went to join one of those 70's communes where everyone went back to nature, so no modern day conveniences etc. What's your best guess?

    And yes, Nathan Fillion is sooo yummy. And I howled when I heard FIREFLY was canned - those characters and the incredible setting had the potential for some amazing stories. If you liked the series then you'll love the movie called SERENITY, it follows on from the series.

    Oh, and the bratty business with my sister - she was such a girly girl and I was a bit of a tom-boy. We clashed, much to our parents dismay. LOL

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  22. Sandra - :)

    Okay Lancelot may let my herione, Bianca Sin, to call him Lancelot. And yes - you have hit upon something with your Arthurian references - but that is all I'm saying.

    Ohhh - fav DVDs hey.

    Hmm: how to pick.
    Firefly & Serenity
    Surface
    Aliens Quadrilogy
    Terminator Quadrilogy
    Being Human
    True Blood
    Family Guy
    American Dad
    My Akira Kurisawa collection
    Buffy & Angel boxsets
    Babylon 5
    Coupling
    Farscape....

    That is only the tip of the iceburg.

    Currently watching Angel again.

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  23. Sharon and Kylie - OMG - Firefly is the best - the characterisation and everything about that series is awesome.

    As to my time in the wilderness - well nothing so romantic I'm afraid. I think it was my mother's homesickness to be nearer to her family. Actually my father wasn't living with us - he was working and living around 8 hours away and we didn't see him very often.

    so it was my mother with 4 children living alone on out property. It was the year Elvis Presley died. I can remember she was kneeding the bread (we made out own bread from scratch) when announcement came out on the radio. She burst into tears and sat down sayin "OMG - I can't believe he's dead"

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  24. D'oh, I forgot about Farscape, another great tv series!

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  25. Another great interview, Kylie and Tracey! Love the sound of your arm-ripping hero, Tracey! I'll be sure not to call him Lancelot *lol* Can't wait to read Death's Sweet Embrace!

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  26. I'm with you, Christina - can't wait for the next book in Tracey's Dark Brethren series.

    Thanks for coming by!

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  27. Hi Tracey,
    Nice to see you here! Thanks Kylie for inviting this veery talented lady to your blog. You know, my DVD collection includes just about all the ones you have mentioned! (Why oh why no second season of Firefly??? Serenity was great but I want some more!) And all the Star Treks, Babylon 5, oh let me go on and on (anyone seen Warehouse 13? A sort of X Files with a twist)

    And yet, I never read much paranormal until one day I was sent a paranormal entry in one of the competitions I was judging. I was rivetted. Mesmerised. I know talent when I see it and Tracey's Night's Cold Kiss has gone on to prove me right! I now put paranormal as one of my selections to judge :))

    Hugs to you both.

    Serena
    xoxox

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  28. Hi Kylie and Tracey (my Golden heart buddy), fantastic interview! Lancelot McManus sounds like an absolute scream!

    I know it's not on DVD yet, but have just watch Paris With Love and marvelled at how they kept ramping up the stakes. Makes my fingers itch to get typing and torture my hero some more...

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  29. Kylie, how could you forget Farscape :)

    Chistina - thank you *grin* and I saw your new cover - AWESOME.

    Serena - you sweetie - your comments to a newbie writer really kept me going.

    Helene - high five pixie sister - McManus is a real peice of work - I love him. And I have never heard of Paris with Love. Will have to go look it up.

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  30. Hi, Helene, good of you to drop by and say hi! So, who stars in Paris with Love? I'm afraid I haven't heard of it either.

    Wow, Serena, what a great story about being a judge in an RWA comp. and what can eventuate on both sides - you ending up with an interest in the paranormal genre; Tracey encouraged by your comments. I love hearing good things like this coming out of competitions! :-)

    Well, everyone, thanks for visiting and saying hi to Tracey! I hope you've learned something new about her or if you're a first timer to DUF or the paranormal genre I hope you're tempted to read one of Australia's newest authors in this genre.

    Now, don't forget Tracey is generously giving away a free e-book if you've left a comment. I'll be posting the lucky winner tomorrow. So, don't forget to check back in!

    'Night, night!

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  31. Hi Kylie and Tracey,
    great to see two good friends teaming up! Mwah.
    Another Firefly and Serenity fan here, feeling bereft that the series was zapped. Of course Star Trek before that, and another little movie called The Man From Earth by Jerome Bixby - totally engrossing and made by his son on a miniscule budget. Stars several ST escapees, since JB was the author of another Star Trek fan favorite, Mirror Mirror among others. Worth hunting for. Keep up the good writing ladies.

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  32. Hi Tracey and Kylie,

    Coming in late here but just had to say what a fantastic book Night's Cold Kiss is, I just loved it and find I now enjoy the paranormal genre too and can’t wait for your next book.
    Thanks, Margaret Midwood

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  33. Hi, Valerie! Great to see you here. :-)

    There were some great ST:O episodes - Mirror Mirror being one of them. I loved the alternate reality idea, a lot darker and grittier than most of the original episodes and it was revisited a number of times in later series, most notably in ST:DS9 when some of the characters crossed over to Terok Nor.

    Hello, Margaret, you're never too late for a good interview!

    Ahh another convert - hooyah! ;-) And what an introduction to the genre with Tracey's Dark Brethren series.

    Should you ever need the name of a few more good books to read in this genre just let me know - happy to oblige.

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