Tracy’s Blog

Reading T’lea’s Tea Leaves: musings from my mind, and the voices found therein.

Generation Annihilation
The Inspiration Behind a Novel Set in an Abandoned Lunatic Asylum. It’s release day for Generation Annihilation, and I’d love to share a bit about the inspiration behind the writing of this novel. I was on a tour of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, a handful of years ago. Having a natural inclination toward the more paranormal side of life, this asylum has stood out as a diamond in the proverbial haunted locale ruff. So much so that I’ve taken four tours in total, one in the middle of the night, and am always eager to return for another. The visit that inspired […]
New Give-Away of Old Cover
The Reformation of Marli Meade is the IPPY Gold Medal winner for Best Regional Fiction, Mid-Atlantic Region, and the novel has a new cover. In honor of this beautiful new cover and branding of the novel, I’m giving away five autographed copies of the old cover. Interested? View this post in its entirety: The entry period is 9/10/23 – 9/24/23. What is it about this novel that has earned a rating of 4.07 on Goodreads, and 4.6 rating on Amazon. Notable reviews: “…Marli’s despair hooks the reader from the first page…” InD’Tale Magazine “A fast-paced, entertaining YA {novel}…well-written and unpredictable.
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The Reformation of Marli Meade Turns Five
The Reformation of Marli Meade turns five this year, and to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to share insider info about the writing of the novel. I drew inspiration from real-life events, Disney, and folklore to create a dark, sinister, and atmospheric YA thriller, which won the gold medal for Best Regional Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Interested? CLICK HERE. The story is available in soft and hard cover, eBook, and audio. Here are some quick facts about the writing of Marli’s story: Marli has one distinguishing physical trait: wild, red hair. The inspiration […]
An Author’s Most Influential Books
Years before I was a writer, I was a reader. I’ve devoured books for as long as I can remember. The Archie Comics. Sweet Valley High. Anything by Sydney Sheldon. Trips to the library or to the book store were my favorite outings where I would plead with my mom to buy just one more book, arms already laden with treasures. Ah, the bliss. I’ve read hundreds and hundreds of books. But what are the most influential? First of all, what does ‘most influential’ mean to me? Books that I’ve read more than once. Books that have left a lasting impression. Books that I always recommend. Let’s give it a […]
Pet Loss – Coping with the Death of a Soul Pet
Honoring Ed Two years ago, I met my soul dog. Covid had hit. My oldest went to college. The world turned upside down in a million different ways, both globally and personally. Even though our family already had a dog at the time, Lila, who is still with us, and my daughter’s two rescue cats, I needed a baby, a comfort, a companion. I found a breeder in Pennsylvania that had a litter of French Bulldog puppies. Since it was only a two-hour drive from my home, I went to meet the breeder and the puppies. The puppies weren’t ready to leave their mama yet, so I returned home, sent in a deposit, and […]
Anxiety, and The Benefits of Adult Coloring Books
Folks, I have anxiety. Like, a lot of anxiety. I’m also highly sensitive, hyper-reactive, empathic, and introverted. I am a walking cocktail of simmering unease, and am always seeking ways to comfort myself. While I can’t always prevent knocks at the door, errands that need run, people who need talking to, or any other basic, mundane aspect of human existence that overwhelms me, I can find things that soothe me. My latest find? The adult coloring book. I have found my soothing calling card. These bad boys are a game changer for me. I own five coloring books (and I only started coloring three […]
“And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell…”
(Yes, that’s a Gossip Girl quote. Don’t judge…) Who are any of us, really? Don’t we change on the regular, from clothes to weight to outlook, even to personality? I read somewhere recently that we completely change every ten years. So, the person I was even ten years ago is no longer similar to the person I am today. Well, yeah. Duh. I don’t know about you all, but I have changed so much over the past decade that my younger self wouldn’t recognize my current self. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I started on a journey of transformation when I hit the big 4-0, eight years ago. I recently […]