A Conversation with Tracey Barski, a Romance, Science-Fiction Author

Q1. If you could be transformed into one animal, which one would you choose?

My first thought is cheetah because they’re fast, and I’ve always loved them. But, let’s be honest, I want to be a house cat so I never have to catch my food, and I can sleep in the sun for like 20 hours a day.

Q2. What time do you usually go to bed at night?

Late. My goal is usually 11pm, but I often stay up until midnight or 1am, then hate myself in the morning.

Q3. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?

I’m an ambivert, or what I’ve heard called a “social introvert.” I thrive in groups and social settings; I love meeting new people and spending time with others. But I also really crave some alone time on a regular basis. Usually one to two times a week.

Q4. Who is your favorite Disney character?

Maybe Olaf from Frozen. But that could be because I have small children who watch it a lot.

Q5. Would you rather travel to the past or to the future?

Future. Because I can always learn about and even dress up and live like I’m in the past. But I know nothing of the furture, and I’m curious by nature.

Q6. What is your last Google search?

I looked up Minorca, Spain because of a reference in a book. I’m not good at geography and had no idea where Minorca was.

Q7. What object do you misplace or lose the most?

My mind. Then probably my phone.

Q. What books did you grow up reading?

Mysteries, mostly. I like the tension of trying to figure out the clues and the little bits of danger involved. It has made me a very analytical consumer of entertainment. My husband hates that I almost always guess correctly what’s going to happen in a movie. He usually shoots me a glare when I say it and then it happens. It is one of my great joys in life.

Q. Interesting. What, to you, are the most important elements of good writing?

I want to experience the life of the character, so if I can get pulled into what is happening around them and what they’re experiencing as a result, that is good writing. A lot of the style is window dressing. But if the story is being told well and the character is likable enough, I can get into it.

Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Secrets? I’m not sure about that, but maybe I’m so good at hiding my secrets in my writing that I don’t even know about them. I do put elements from my own life in my stories. I like when people who know me well find them. I used a personal memory as a little anecdotal story in my book, and my good friend who was with me for the real event was excited when she read it.

Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?

I read negative reviews of some of my favorite books/authors/movies. Not everything is for everyone. I haven’t gotten a negative review (aside from my brother and his girlfriend not liking my main character, ha). But I know that if someone doesn’t like it, it wasn’t for them. If the negative review is well-written, I’d consider it some constructive feedback. If it’s just mean or vague, or unhelpful, I ignore it. There are plenty of really popular books that I don’t like too. So I have to remind myself that tastes vary from person to person.

Q. What does literary success look like to you?

Getting your book out to those who will love it. I never set out to sell a bunch of books or make myself famous. I just got joy from sharing my story with people I knew, and I realized there were probably more people out there I didn’t know who would enjoy it too.

Q. Let’s talk about your book. Tell us about it. No major spoilers.

My main character, Cassidy, has basically bveen alone her whole life. She gets arrested for pickpocketing by a local detective. While sitting in jail, she gets transported to an alternate version of her life. She has friends and family, but the kicker is the other version of her has recently been murdered by a serial killer who is still at large. It has the mystery element of figuring out who the killer is but also how she was transported and how to get back. A lot of emotional turmoil and self-discovery happen. There’s a slow-burn romance because I can’t resist.

Q. What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?

The middle, probably. That’s usually the slowest part because the inciting incident and all those changes have already taken place and the climax of the story hasn’t happened yet. It’s work to make it interesting without too many crazy things happening.

Q. Would you and your main character get along? 

Definitely. I think she’s hilarious. She’s also frustrating, but I’m an overly forgiving person.

Q. What are the essential characteristics of a hero you can root for? 

Redeeming qualities and a goal you can support. They can have faults, but they have to be likable to an extent. Do they have to be perfect? No. But they can’t just be a straight up jerk or make all stupid decisions all the time. Give and take, realism, etc. No one is all bad or all good. We’re all a little of both, so the hero has to be that way too. And you really need to care about what happens to them and what they’re trying to accomplish.