Q&A with Traci L. Slatton‏, the author of The Year of Loving

Now available from Parvati Press is The Year of Loving by author Traci L. Statton.

The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

I first became interested in storytelling when I was 6 years old. At that age, I went from reading “See Spot Run” to reading novels within a few months. The first “big book” I read was called “Angel Unaware” about a deceased child, now an angel, watching his family from heaven. I was deeply moved by the book. It was like a lightning bolt through my soul, and I knew then that I wanted to do that, I wanted to write novels. Since then, writing novels has been the longing that leads me through my life.

What was your first book/story published?

I had poems published when I was a teenager in my high school literary magazine. A few articles were published in the Yale Daily News when I was in college. Throughout the years, I’ve been submitting poems and short stories to various places.

What inspired you to write THE YEAR OF LOVING?

I’ve been involved in the world of art for almost twenty years because my husband Sabin Howard is a famous sculptor, so I wanted to write about this weird, wonderful, mesmerizing slice of life.

What character in THE YEAR OF LOVING is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

The main character Sarah Paige shares my love of art and my love of the outdoors. However, she is a very different person. I used to be an astrologer and I always do my protagonist’s chart. Sarah has Libra rising, Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Pisces, in the Vedic astrological system. I have Virgo rising, Sun in Cancer, Moon in Leo.

What is your favorite part in THE YEAR OF LOVING?

There’s a sex scene in Chapter Four that was really fun to write. Chocolate and plastic baggies were involved. A good time was had.

I also enjoyed writing the scenes set outdoors in New Paltz, NY, when my main character Sarah Paige is hiking. I have a special affinity for being out in nature and hiking.

What was the hardest part to write?

The hardest scenes to write were the scenes around parental alienation. It’s harrowing to write about children unfairly rejecting their parent in the context of a bitter divorce.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

An international spy or an Extraterrestrial. The mother ship is circling.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Interesting question. I read many reviews, but not all of the Goodreads reviews. On Amazon and in the Book Review Blogs, most reviewers try to be fair and to give a fair reading and review. Also, over the years I’ve cultivated bloggers who are intelligent and honest, and I trust what they have to say, even if they don’t love one of my books. Honest, fair feedback is essential to the growth and development of a writer’s craft.

However, there are trolls on Goodreads who are just out to do a hatchet job on an author as publicly as possible. For whatever reason, mixed in with the many wonderful Goodreads reviewers, there are angry, bitter people whose goal is to throw a lot of mud. So I avoid those reviews.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

I love the work of Daniel Silva and Richard North Patterson. Sue Grafton writes some of the most beautiful prose anywhere. I enjoy Janet Evanovich—her novels make me laugh out loud. My favorite all time novel is an obscure work of historical fiction called WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY by Richard Powell. This is a wonderful story set during the Trojan War.

Do you have any other books/stories in the works?

Yes. Readers who enjoy my romantic paranormal dystopian After Series, comprised of FALLEN, COLD LIGHT, FAR SHORE, and BLOOD SKY, will be happy to hear that I am working on the 5th book in the series. I’ve also started a stand-alone book which is magical realism in nature.

About the Author: Traci L. Slatton is the international bestselling author of historical, paranormal, and romantic novels, including IMMORTAL (BantamDell) and BROKEN; the award-winning dystopian After Series which includes FALLEN, COLD LIGHT, FAR SHORE and BLOOD SKY; the bittersweet romantic comedy THE LOVE OF MY (OTHER) LIFE; and the vampire art history romp THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR. She has also published the lyrical poetry collection DANCING IN THE TABERNACLE and THE ART OF LIFE, a photo-essay about figurative sculpture through the ages. Her book PIERCING TIME and SPACE explores the meeting ground of science and spirituality.

For more information about the author, please visit her website at: www.tracilslatton.com/

You can follow Traci on Facebook, Twitter, and on her blog.