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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

GUEST AUTHOR: Tracy Sumner


Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A journalism degree and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.

When not writing sensual stories featuring complex characters and lush settings, Tracy can be found reading romance, snowboarding, watching college football and figuring out how she can get to 100 countries before she kicks (which is a more difficult endeavor than it used to be with her four-year-old son in tow). She lives in Charlotte, NC, but after spending a few years in “the city”, considers herself a New Yorker at heart.

Her books have been awarded the National Reader’s Choice, the Write Touch Reader’s and the Beacon for Best Historical – with finalist nominations in the HOLT Medallion, Heart of Romance, Rising Stars and the National Reader’s Choice. They have been translated into German, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.

She loves hearing from readers about why she tends to pit her hero and heroine against each other in every book, that great novel she simply must order in five seconds on her Kindle or the location of a wonderful trattoria in Rome.

About the book...
Title - TIDES OF PASSION
Setting - Outer Banks, NC 1898.
Hero - Zach Garrett.
Heroine - Savannah Connor.

Scene you would never cut - The scene where they discuss the "negotiation" in the jail. I love the dialogue that came from writing this story. They speak like I would love characters to. With honest motivation and passion.

And the love scene (also there) after the festival. Savannah finally realizes how sexy she is and attractive to Zach.

Something your hero would never do or say - Zach would never tell a woman he loved her for any selfish reason. He's a truly noble man. And sexy!

What's one quirky thing about your heroine? Savannah begins the affair with Zach in part so she will understand men better as adversaries. She's a "freedom fighter" -- women who championed women's rights around the turn of the century. She is very honest about her curiosity -- though in her own words, her dealings with men have never gained her much.

What do you think the readers will like about this book? From reviews -- the dialogue gets lots of comments. Witty, flirty, laugh-out-loud.

Savannah and Zach do battle a bit -- think Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story.

And I get lots of reader and review comments about the sexual tension. I really understood these characters - and the love scenes came very naturally. 

TIDES OF PASSION 
She is his greatest temptation.
He is her forbidden desire.
A battle of wills leads to love.

AN UNCONVENTIONAL WOMAN
Spirited Savannah Connor is passionately committed to stamping out social injustice. Yet when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable. Zachariah Garrett is the most arrogant, infuriating, maddeningly attractive man it’s ever been her misfortune to meet. And suddenly, Savannah is fighting a whole new battle—this one against her own yearning for a man who is impossible to resist.

AN UNCOMPROMISING MAN
Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Zachariah Garrett has dedicated his life to keeping the peace. And avoiding love. But Savannah Connor isn’t an ordinary woman—and she proves hard to ignore. She’s a beguiling beauty with the power to awaken emotions Zach thought he’d never feel again, and the tenderness to help him forget his fears. And risk his heart once more.

“Terrific dialogue…and hot loves scenes. If you haven’t read Tracy Sumner before, Tides of Passion is a good place to start.”
National Reader's Choice, Best Long Historical!

Buy link for TIDES OF PASSION.

About you...
Favorite movie of all time - Wow, a hard question! Along the lines of romance: Gone With the Wind (I am southern!), The Way We Were (Hubble!), The Philadelphia Story (please, if you have not seen, watch for the dialogue alone!), Sweet Home Alabama (sorry, I was living in NYC when this came out...a southern girl in NYC -- gotta love it!)
Favorite fairytale - Cinderella.
Favorite TV program - Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage.
First book you remember reading - Charlotte's Web.
Dog or cat person (or other) - Cat (I have three) though we have a dog, too!
Author (living or dead) you'd most like to meet - Hemingway -- Margaret Mitchell -- Steinbeck -- Stephen King -- LaVyrle Spencer.

A romantic retreat for you would be...walking through a medieval village in Europe.

What do you do to unwind or relax? I read a lot of romance novels -- probably why I don't write as fast as I should!

What era would you like to time travel and visit? And why? Victorian England -- seems romantic, though you never know, I guess. The clothing and the history -- would be cool to experience.

What does love mean to you? Honesty, passion, connection.

Tracy is on a blog tour - this means she has some wonderful give-aways for those who comment and/or follow her during the tour. You can find more details on where she's going to be here.

She's informed me that for anyone who leaves a comment here on my blog that:

a) There will be 2 winners of 2 Tracy Sumner books, TIDES OF PASSION & TIDES OF LOVE (e-books), and

b) Each and every commenter will go in the grand draw of a Kindle at the end of the tour.

How exciting is that!

So, don't forget to leave a comment by 12 noon, Saturday, Dec.10th (Aussie time) - and the winners will be announced in the arvo of Saturday 10th Dec. 2011! 

Some of Tracy's other books:


You can find more details about these books on Tracy's website.

If you'd like to see more about Tracy, check out her website, or follow her on Facebook & Twitter (@SumnerTracy).

18 comments:

  1. Hi Kylie and Tracy,
    Great interview, its always so interesting finding out little known facts and anecdotes about authors.
    I really like the sound of your book Tides of Passion and the praise "Terrific dialogue…and hot loves scenes" won me over!!!
    Its definitely going on the need to read list ;p
    Cheers, Cath
    cbcowley@gmail.com

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  2. Hi Tracy!

    Great interview. Lovely reading about you more.

    Thanks Kylie!

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  3. Thanks, guys! I loved writing the Tides series. I almost think more from the hero's point of view -- and I really connected with Garrett brothers. ;) Noah, the sexy nerd (TIDES OF LOVE), and Zach, the sexy protector (TIDES OF PASSION).

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  4. OHHH, Noah is a sexy nerd?!?!
    I love sexy nerd's (like Leonard from The Big Bang Theory)

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  5. You are a girl after my own heart - I a total cat person and LOVED CHarlotte's Web!! Love the sound of your hero too :)

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  6. Hi Tracy & Kylie :D

    Tracy, there's nothing I love more than an unconventional woman, an uncompromising man and a battle of wills. Tides of Passion sounds like an exciting read.

    It was lovely to read more about you. Thank you for sharing.

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  7. Hi Tracy and Kylie - loved the interview!

    The books sound fantastic and will totally go check them out.

    And I have to agree, Cinderella is definitely one of the best :)

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  8. I must be interested in writing about second chances, too, and though the Tides books are different, it's a second chance for each hero. Noah, with the woman of his dreams that he left behind, and Zach, with a second chance at love - at all. :)

    Tracy

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  9. Ahh, great to see Tracy's book gathering some interest - maybe in time for a Christmas purchase??? :-)

    And I think, so far, Cinderella has been a popularly chosen fairytale with the authors I've interviewed - must be the HEA! LOL

    Thanks for dropping by everyone!

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  10. Tracy, I find it interesting that some authors tend to favor certain themes - they're either really popular with the readers or we choose them subconsciously as authors.

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  11. Hi Tracy, Hello Kylie!

    It was interesting to read Tracy's answers to your questions Kylie.

    Thank you Tracy for sharing and thank you Kylie for introducing Tracy!

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  12. I know I say this over and over -- but Stephen King in ON WRITING says that we DO choose the same themes over and over. Without even realizing it!

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  13. I love reading historical romances. I'd love to win a copy of your book as I haven't read many American based histroicals. Thanks for popping over to Kylie's blog. I hope the tour is successful.

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  14. Hi Kylie and Tracy!
    I love the sound of Tides of Passion! (happy sigh) I do enjoy a good lawman hero and Zach sounds superb!
    Awesome reviews and award results, Tracy! Congratulations!
    :)
    Sharon

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  15. Yes, the setting is unique, I think. During research into marine biology (Noah in Tides of Love is a marine biologist), I found out about the second marine laboratory in the US being in Beaufort, NC. So, traveled there -- and voila!, Pilot Isle was born. Noah is a sexy nerd. My fav hero I have written to date, I think.

    Now, Zach's "constable" career is very evident, too. He's responsible(!)--and a very unusual hero, I think, in the way he communicates with Savannah. I'm a huge romance reader, so I say this as a reader. I'm guessing this is where the dialogue comments in reviews come in, too: because Zach and Savannah talk to each other and he is HONEST about what he feels. Even though he is riddled with angst about love and the future. He is honest. Not the hero who hides behind, well, anything. But they go at it -- very battle of the wills type dialogue.

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  16. Hi Tracy - thanks for popping over to Kylie's to say hi. You've really piqued my interest - I love books with great dialogue and sexual tension. :) And if you're a Greys fan... say no more! You're my kinda girl! And it sounds like your heroes are my kind guys :)

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  17. These sound like sweet and fun romances. If a story can make me laugh because of witty dialogue that's a plus.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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