Tracy Price-Thompson

SC: When did you decide you wanted to write?

TPT: I am not one of those writers you hear about who've always known they wanted to write. I started out as a reader, an avid reader who had a love for words and literature, and when I was about to leave the military I decided to parlay that love of words into a writing career. I wrote several short stories at first, and even had one or two published in major anthologies, and eventually I expanded from shorts to novels.

SC: How many novels in all have you written?

TPT: I have written six novels, three of which are published, another, Knockin' Boots, which will be released by Random House this fall, and two others that are awaiting publication.

SC: Do you have a favorite?

TPT: Great question! I guess my favorite novel is always the one that is about to be released. The upcoming book is usually the freshest for me, and because I take great pains not to write the same thing twice, it is usually a unique situation that I've created. In my next novel, Knockin Boots, I take bold risks with my writing and allow my muse to lead me down some pretty sensuous and controversial paths.

SC: How long did it take you to write your first novel?

TPT: Oh, it felt like forever, but actually it took about a year before Black Coffee was in publishable shape. As an emerging writer I had quite a bit to learn, and the rewriting process was a very educational one for me.

SC: Where do you get your inspiration for your stories? Are the characters based on real people?

TPT: Contrary to some beliefs, while I may base my stories on real events, I don't base my characters on people I know or on personal experiences. I find that too limiting and restrictive. I get my inspiration from my own innate creativity Quite often I don't even know exactly what will happen in my novels before they are completed. I might start out with an idea and a plot, but then the story takes on a life of its own and my characters become fully realized and begin to do their own thing.

SC: After writing your first novel, did you self-publish?? If so, how was that experience?

TPT: Yes, I self-published Black Coffee, although Chocolate Sangria was created first. This was at a time when the publishing arena was very different than it is today, and I self-published using print-on-demand technology when it was in its infancy stage. Publishing has changed, and subsequently, so has self-publishing.

SC: What feedback have you received from fans?

TPT: I've received a lot of wonderful and candid feedback, all of which I have appreciated because it contributes to my growth as a writer. I start out writing each book with respect for my reader, in that way I give them the very best that I can in that particular work without simply "warming over" my previous works. I think my readers respect me for that and are willing to support me because they know that I write and create new scenarios exclusively for them.

SC: What authors do you admire? Did one of them inspire you?

TPT: I admire a lot of authors. Gloria Naylor, Sandra Jackson Opoku, Donna Hill, Gloria Mallette, the list is long. All of them inspire me because I am also a reader, and reading what is on the market helps me stay on top of my writing game.

SC: Is writing your only passion?

TPT: Absolutely not. I am passionate about my faith, my marriage, my children, improving my health, surroundiing my children with positive images of black people and black love, and the study of martial arts.

SC: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

TPT: I would say kicked back on a tropical island, but I'm doing that right now! :) Aside from my husband being deployed to Iraq, I like my life today. I guess I see myself in five years just as I am now. Happy, content, striving for self-improvement in all areas, loving and raising healthy, self-determined black children who love life and love themselves.

SC: What advice would you give aspiring authors?

TPT: Read, read, and read a little bit more. Study the craft of writing. It kills me when I hear aspiring writers say they want to write a book, but then they admit that they don't read. I always ask them if they'd pay to visit a dentist if he didn't brush his teeth. I believe writing to be a craft, like any other. It takes diligence and respect for the craft in order to excel in it.

SC: What would you like readers to learn from your stories?

TPT: Maybe I'd like readers to learn that there is more than one way to skin a cat. That there are tons of stories out there that are well-written and that edu-tain, and that a creative mind is truly a blessing.

SC: Are you working on another novel? What is it about?

TPT: Yes, I am working on something untitled, and I am not yet comfortable giving away the plot details! They'll probably change!

SC: Where can people purchase your books? Do you have a website?

TPT: My novels, Black Coffee, Chocolate Sangria, and A Woman's Worth can be purchased at most bookstores, and are also available online. Knockin' Boots will be released this fall.Support your local African-American bookseller!

My muse lives in my hair.
It is androgynous and completely realized. Insatiable and unharnessable, it is the most responsive lover I have ever known. My muse is her own woman. A wild child, a free spirit, an independent thinker and a funky muldoon. A rebellious teenager who just won't obey his parents. A jubilant slave woman who has made it to the freedom and knows her day is near.