About Tammy L. Grace:
Tammy L. Grace is a fiction author who brings readers entertaining stories that take them on an emotional journey, filled with complex relationships of friendship and family in her Hometown Harbor Series. Set in the picturesque San Juan Islands in Washington, escape with a close-knit group of friends and their interwoven lives filled with both challenges and joys that resonate with women. Each book in the series focuses on a different woman and her journey of self discovery.

Tammy creates compelling characters who readers love or love to hate. In her Cooper Harrington Detective Novels, readers will delight in the fast paced whodunits, featuring Coop and his loyal golden retriever, Gus. Set in Nashville, Coop, a snarky t-shirt wearing lawyer turned private detective, with the help of his dog and faithful friend and assistant, Annabelle, work to solve murder mysteries with plenty of twists.

Born and raised in Nevada, Tammy loved reading at a young age. With the help of her middle school teacher, she discovered the joy of writing. After spending a career in local and state government service, she retired and finally has the time to dedicate to writing.

When Tammy isn’t working on ideas for a novel, she’s spending time with family and friends or supporting her addiction to books and chocolate. She and her husband have one grown son and a spoiled golden retriever.

What inspires you to write?
Reading wonderful books all my life inspired me to want to write novels. I love to read to escape and for pure enjoyment. I find as I continue to write, I’m often inspired when I visit a new place. It seems to prompt a new idea for a story. In fact, a trip to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington inspired me to write the Hometown Harbor Series.

Tell us about your writing process.
I’ve always been more productive in the morning, so tend to write early in the day. I have a home office where I write on a computer and enjoy listening to piano music while I write. I outline my novels, some more extensively, but always leave myself open to taking a new path as I write. I use notebooks for ideas and lots of sticky notes on a white board as I write. I also keep extensive notes on my characters.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I always interview my main characters so I have a good sense of not just what they look like, but who they are are before I write. I find it’s important to know their backstory and what drives them, so I can do a better job of making them “real” for the reader. If I know what it is that is deep inside of them, it’s easier for me to figure out what they would do in different situations. I tend to “become” them when I write them, so I find myself thinking like they might think and sometimes it takes me on a new path, different from what I might have planned.

I also take a lot of pains with naming my main characters. I usually do research into popular names for the time period in which they were born and sometimes for regions of the country. Plus, it has to be a name that “fits” the character.

What advice would you give other writers?
I think it’s important to keep writing and to finish the book. Once you’re done with the first book, continue to write more books. I also think it’s important to research all the publishing paths available and pick the one that fits you best, not the one everyone else shouts about, but the one for you.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I attended a writing conference soon after I finished my first book to find out more about publishing. I met with agents who expressed an interest in my book, but after talking with dozens of authors, decided on the indie route. In the modern publishing world, even the big publishers don’t do much marketing for authors, so I decided if I have to do it anyway, I’d rather do it all. I lack the patience for traditional publishing and enjoy having control of my projects, so elected the indie publishing model.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the traditional route will continue to dwindle as indie options become better and more diverse. I personally like print books best, but think e-books are here to stay. They are very convenient and inexpensive and I love them for travel. I love to read and know many people who are avid readers, which makes the future of being an author very bright.

What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers

What genres do you write?: Women’s Fiction and Mystery/Private Detective

What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Tammy L. Grace Home Page Link
Link To Tammy L. Grace Page On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.