Interview with Tracie Banister

Today we're talking with author Tracie Banister about her novel IN NEED OF THERAPY.

Welcome, Tracie! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Like my favorite fictional heroine, Scarlett O'Hara, I am a Southern belle who lives on the outskirts of Atlanta. I'm addicted to television (I watch everything from Disney shows to Top Chef and think the DVR is the best invention since the wheel.), crossword puzzles (I do 3-5 a day and like to time myself.), and salt and vinegar potato chips (My one junk food weakness.) Animal rights (I have three rescue dogs, two with special needs.) and finding a cure for diabetes (I've been a Type 1 diabetic for over 25 years.) are my two passions. I love theater and try to get to New York to see several Broadway shows every year. And, of course, I am a rabid reader who enjoys a wide variety of genres, everything from Historical Romance to Steampunk.

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since I was a child and have tried my hand at everything from plays to literary analyses to short stories and full-length novels.

Tell us about IN NEED OF THERAPY. What’s the story about?

I think my book blurb says it best:

Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

As so often happens with my books, the basic concept for In Need of Therapy came from an outside source (In this case, my mother!) One day, she said offhandedly, "You should write a funny book about a female psychologist," and a light bulb went off over my head. It just seemed like such a great idea since I've always been fascinated by psychology (I took several courses on the subject in school.) I decided to set the book in Miami and make the heroine a Latina, which opened up all kinds of wonderful possibilities with her having a large, crazy family that caused just as many problems as her patients did. Throw in several potential love interests, all with glaring flaws, and I had a really fun, multi-layered story to play with.

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I've never been part of a formal critique group, but I and several of my author friends bounce ideas off each other and trade feedback. I mostly self-edit because I'm a pretty big control freak and I'm very meticulous about spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc., but I've learned the value of having someone else give my manuscript a final once-over before sending my work off to be formatted. When you've read a book twenty times, it's easy to miss a typo or two.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

I'm a little bit of both, so I suppose that makes me a plotty pantser. :) I would sooner walk into traffic than write an outline; I loathe the things. However, I have been known to use dry erase boards and copious amounts of neon-colored post-its to help me figure out the chronology of a book and how different plots/characters intersect. I always know the beginning and ending of my books and I write very detailed character bios before I ever start work on a book. Then, I set the characters down on the page and let them play. They're very good at leading me where they need to go and I find that my stories unfold in a much more organic way when I use this method rather than plotting out every little detail in advance. I always say that the best bits in all of my books are the surprises, not the things I planned.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

I get frustrated when I can't translate the scenes in my head on to paper as perfectly as I would like. That doesn't happen a lot, but when it does, I want to rip my hair out! In those situations, it's usually best if I just move on to another chapter and let the scene germinate in my subconscious a little longer. Eventually, my brain will work through whatever problem I'm having.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Pens, post-it notes, the internet so that I can quickly do research, a thesaurus, baby name books, and hand lotion. I know that that last one is a little odd, but I find the process of rubbing lotion into my hands to be very helpful when I'm pondering creative choices. Also, massaging my hands periodically throughout the day keeps my carpal tunnel from acting up.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Teleportation, because I love to visit new and exciting places, but I hate having to travel to them. How awesome would it be to wake up and say, "I'd like to have a croissant for breakfast," then blink, and you're sitting at a café on the banks of the Seine noshing on fresh, buttery bread.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

One of Pilar's patients in In Need of Therapy is a hypochondriac, so I googled some pretty strange diseases while I was writing that book. Stuff like Arachnoiditis, which is not the condition that afflicted Peter Parker in Spiderman, but an inflammation of the nerves surrounding the spinal cord, and Acromegaly, which is a growth hormone disorder.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: therapy, parakeet, and parachute.

Although Percy, the parakeet, had been through months of physical therapy for his broken wing, he still didn't trust that he could fly and insisted that a parachute be strapped to his back before he would attempt it.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

relaxing on the couch, watching one of the many shows I've recorded on my DVR. It's all research for my writing, of course. ;)

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

I have such a long list of people who've been instrumental in helping me to achieve my goal of becoming a published writer. First and foremost, my mother, who has always encouraged and believed in me. Plus, all of the friends and family members who have patiently listened to me yammer on and on about my work for the past 8 years. And finally, all of the wonderful authors, bloggers, and readers I've met online this past year who have been so generous with their advice, comments, and support. I could not have done any of this without them!

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

I have a blog and I'm very active on Twitter and Facebook. If you love books, TV, dogs, or all of the above, please follow or Friend me! I always enjoy connecting with readers and other authors.

My blog:  http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/traciebanister

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/tracie.banister

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y

Amazon UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342893151&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-need-of-therapy-tracie-banister/1112265620?ean=2940015006889 

Author Update: Denise Grover Swank

In May of last year, I interviewed up-and-coming author Denise Grover Swank. Well, time has flown by, and now Denise is successfully launching her novel TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES. I watched the book trailer, and now I really want to get my hands on this book. Let's take the opportunity to catch up with her.

Welcome back, Denise! Congratulations on your launch. Tell us about your new book.

Thanks for having me back, Dorothy! Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is the first book of the Rose Gardner Mysteries. It's part mystery, part romance, part chick-lit, and part humor that all combines to make a fun read. The synopsis is below:

For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.


Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.


Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

Sounds amazing! How did the idea for the book come to you?

I took my son to the DMV to get license plates for his car. It was a hot, humid June day and the room was stuffy and full of cranky customers. I told him "It would be awesome to have a character work at the DMV. You could get some interesting stories." He just rolled his eyes and gave me his "whatever Mom, you're acting weird again" look. But the wheels were spinning. I started the book four days later.

Muses work in mysterious ways. What was the easiest part about writing this book, and what was the hardest?

The easiest part about about writing this book was that the story literally fell out of my fingers. Rose started talking and didn't stop until the story was done. She's such a fun character that it was a thrilling, magical ride. I wrote the first draft in 30 days.


The hardest part was cutting it down. When I finished, the first draft the manuscript was 102,000 words. It took MANY passes during edits to get it down to it's current 93,000 words. And that wasn't even revising. The story is pretty much as a I wrote it with only very minor revisions. It was cutting down the side thoughts Rose tended to throw in. While many were entertaining, they sometimes slowed down the story. It took me awhile to clean some out. (Kill your darlings. LOL)

Sounds like Rose had a lot to say. Quick Writing Test! Use these words in a sentence: power drill, equilibrium, and symphony.

Awesome word choices! One of my characters, Joe, actually uses a drill in Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes to fix Rose's busted door. I'll write the sentence from Rose's POV. I've set it up with a few other sentences. I also cheated. To make it all make sense, I used a semi-colon. *hangs head in shame*

A mechanical whine drifted from the kitchen, irritating my already aching head. But when I turned the corner to investigate, I froze. Joe hunched in my doorway, working on the doorjamb. The blood rushed from my head, upsetting my equilibrium; the noise of the power drill in his hand had become a symphony.

That was brilliant! So well done that I forgive your cheating. ;) So now that your book is out, are there any shout outs you'd like to throw out there?

This book wouldn't be possible without the help of my critique partners, Trisha Leigh, Eisley Jacobs and Kathy Collins. They believed in this story as much as I did and encouraged me every step of the way. I love you guys!

And finally, let our readers know where they can find your book.

You can find Twenty-Eight and a Half WIshes as a ebook and paperback at Amazon.com, ebook at Barnes & Noble and paperback my Createspace store page: https://www.createspace.com/3614250


Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is also listed on Goodreads and has a book trailer:

Thanks so much, Denise. I wish you continued success with your book. And be sure to let us know when your next book comes out!

Interview with Dawn Maria

Hello everyone! Grab a seat and get comfy because today we're having a chat with Dawn Maria of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Welcome to We Do Write, Dawn. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm married (just celebrated our 20 year anniversary), have two teen boys (17 & 14, which means I'm drinking more) and am a proud pet owner (one cat, two dogs, everything I own is covered with pet hair). By day I work for the school district as a Para-Educator. I'm a one-on-one aide to a special needs student. I love my day job. I've been writing since I was a kid. I taught myself to type on my grandparents' Smith Corona, which sits in my office today. I've always wanted to be a writer, but finally got serious about it five years ago when I started taking Creative Writing classes at Phoenix College. I graduated from their Creative Writing Program in December 2008.

And you're actually a published writer. I read you've had some of your work published in magazines, and you've got a short story coming out this spring. Can you tell us about that?

I'm just beginning to see more of my work get accepted in the last year. One of the goals I set for myself was so make sure I send out at least one submission a month. It's a realistic goal for my lifestyle (day job, family and writing life) and keeps me moving toward my dream of getting my novel published. It feels good to have something out there too. I always feel hopeful when I submit. Rejections can be tough, but the more you send stuff out, the more likely you'll get something accepted.

That's good advice. And now you're writing a novel! What is the name and genre of your manuscript?

The book is called WHERE ARE THEY NOW? and it's Chick Lit (I'm not ashamed to say, though the new moniker I keep seeing is Upmarket Women's Fiction). The book explores the distance between what we think we want from life and what we actually have through the adventures of four women who used to know each other in the 80's and are brought back into each other's lives unexpectedly.

Sounds like something I'd like to read. Is your manuscript complete or still a work in progress?

I finished my book, but I'm in another round of revision, so I guess it's correct to say WIP.

Do you have a word count goal, and how far along are you at this point?

This round of revision should add another 25,000 words to the current 58,000. I'm getting deeper into the characters in this revision and slowing down the pace. I missed a lot of great opportunities in the current draft.

What is your next step when you're done with revisions?

Once I'm done, the next step is finding an agent. I submitted to about fifteen last year and had a few requests for partials, but not a full. I made the typical emerging writer mistake of submitting before the MS was really at its best.

I've read that happens to a lot of aspiring writers. We're so anxious to get our material out there that we jump off the diving board before the pool is filled. Another good tip for everyone out there - make sure your work is actually ready. So, do you have a critique group or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I have a former classmate who reads for me, but I'm hoping to get connected with a novel writing group. I have a wonderful accountability partner, Deni, whom I met on Twitter, and we check in daily to motivate each other. I'm getting better and better at self-editing each year, but there is no substitute for fresh eyes looking at your work.

That's true. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Right now finding the time to sit down and write is the hardest part. During the summer, when I'm off work, I've attended writer's residencies and retreats, usually for two weeks. That time made all the difference. The point I'm at in my revision requires that kind of concentrated time and I don't have it. I write during my break at work and before and after work when I can. The problem with after work is that's when I'm in mom-mode. Life with teens is as busy as it was with babies and toddlers, which has been a real shock.

I'm not good at staying up until midnight, so I feel very frustrated. Spring Break hits in a couple of weeks and I will likely sequester myself in my office. I find that once I sit down, getting to work comes easily.

Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

I think it's important to understand what your creative process is and work with it. Often writers go to conferences and hear about other people's processes and then walk away feeling they're doing something wrong. Trust your process. I don't write everyday and that's okay. I write Monday through Friday. Often I do end up writing on the weekend, and if so, that's bonus time. I think frequency is more important than quantity. However, the more time you spend writing, the more work you'll produce. Know what you own demons are. My big one is time management, so I focus on getting my butt in the seat, even if it's brief.

I have a notepad that has the days of the week on it. I try to sit down every Sunday and map out what I hope to get done M-F. Because my time is so limited, this helps ensure I don't forget something and quiets the to-do list voice in my head.

Who are your inspirations?

If I had to pick one book that has inspired and taught me the most about craft, I'd have to say Tim O'Brien's THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. I'm drawn to unusual structure and that book turns structure on its ear. It's fiction that reads like non-fiction, a novel that reads like short stories. A novel really is a blank canvas that you can fill how you want. That's so cool! We get to make those choices and that part of the process is exciting to me.

Anne Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD is a resource I return to again and again. It's the best reference out there.

In my reading life, I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. I also read everything Jane Green and Claire Cook put out. They're two women's fiction writers whose work and careers inspire me.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Can you name three things about yourself people may not know (or maybe they do know but they are special traits/hobbies/quirks)?

1.      Well, even though I read and write Chick Lit, I'm a huge Science Fiction geek. Star Wars, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, I love them all and am very active in a fantastic online community, Galactic Watercooler (GWC). I have a couple geek quotes in my novel and will likely have a geek character in the next one. Who knows, maybe one day I'll try and write a Sci-Fi novel.

2.      I am one of those obsessive scrapbook moms. Please don't hate me because my sons' baby books are done! I love scrapbooking and get out to special events to crop whenever I can. A photo album scrapbook is the story of your real life.

3.      Quirks? I am very anal about how the dishwasher is loaded. What's weird about this is that I'm a complete slob. The kitchen (or the entire house for that matter) can be a mess, but I'll make sure the dishwasher is loaded efficiently. I think it has something to do with being a visual person. It drives my husband and sons crazy because I always redo their work.

Hehehe, that is kind of quirky, but endearing. Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

My husband and sons are very supportive. They all understand what "I'm working!" means now (though it took a while). They also provide great material for my blog.

I have to give a shout out to my BFF, Kathryn, because she comments on every blog post I write, God bless her. My friends from GWC are also incredibly supportive. It means so much to me when people take time out of their busy schedule and read my blog.

And finally, where can people find you online?

First there's my website and blog- Method to the Madness www.dawnmaria.com

I love Twitter and am on it all the time. Please say hello to me @DawnMariaAZ

I've avoided Face Book, but will probably join in the summer when I'm on break from work. I am so distracted by Twitter, I'm scared to add another website to play around in!

Yes, I know what you mean. But I'm glad you took the time to be distracted by this interview, because it's been great getting to know you. Thank you so much for chatting, and I wish you much success with your novel! Keep us up to date with any developments!