An Interview with Tracey Kyler
Tracey Kyler lives in Ohio with her family and mini Goldendoodle, Tucker, who thinks he runs the show. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, crocheting, visiting local restaurants, taking family walks, and binge watching The Great British Bake Off and documentaries. She is an avid Formula One fan and loves cheering on her favorite hockey and football teams. And of course, all things paranormal, mythological, and Star Wars!
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
For me, titles to books come really easily (I just know it from the beginning) or they are really hard to land. There is nothing in between. Luckily, Seizing Fate came early on in the writing process. Fate plays such a large part in the story, but I wanted my characters to still have some sort of agency within the direction that fate pushes them. I wanted them to grab hold of the ride they were on which is what led to the title.
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
My jaw dropped when I saw the book cover image and I knew immediately that it suited my novel perfectly. The creation of the Gargoyle Order symbol, the stone, the font, it was all spot on. The first time I held my book in my hands was surreal and wonderful at the same time. To see it as something tangible that you can actually hold is hard to explain. I’m not going to lie, I cried!
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
When I was young, I used to write small pieces but then adulting happened and I didn’t have much opportunity to focus on writing. A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to focus back on my writing. It’s a great creative outlet for me. When I returned to writing, it was really just for myself. I wanted to see if I could write something as large as a novel. See if I could carry a story for that large of a work. Once I accomplished that, I challenged myself to take it to the next level. In regards to writers and works that influenced me, I read Dracula, Frankenstein, all of those classics, when in my early teenage years and loved them. Of course, I also loved fairy tales and all of the Disney princess stories. With Seizing Fate, I wanted to write in the genre that I love but I didn’t want to use the classic vampire or wolf characters for this story. I’ve always thought gargoyles to be fascinating and in researching their protection myth, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
There are a couple of aspects for me. One was seeing my dream come to fruition. You put your heart and soul into your writing which makes it a part of you. Then you put yourself out there and open yourself up to being vulnerable, with others reviewing your work. It’s a journey that at times can be hard but you have to let the rejection roll off your shoulders and keep going. Take any constructive feedback you receive, course correct a little and keep going. When you connect with the right people and they accept your book for publication, it’s amazing. The second aspect is showing my boys that it is worth chasing your dreams, even if it takes a while to get there. Do what you love for yourself and see where it takes you.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
One of the themes of my book is found family and I truly believe in that concept. I am very lucky to have several people in my life that are not related at all by blood but who are definitely my family. All of my stories are about finding your right place in the world. Sometimes that takes you in unexpected directions, but it brings you home.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am currently finishing the first draft of book two of the Gargoyle Order and working on book three as well. I also have several other books that are in some stage or another, so I plan on sharing my characters and stories with everyone for a long time!
How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?
Atmosphere Press has been so lovely to work with mainly because of their supportive nature. They guide and teach to bring you along in the proper direction, but they also do not squash the writer’s idea and creativity. I could not have asked for a better team of people to work with, truly.
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