Title: The Sort Of Life Of Julie Winterfeldt
Series: The Sort Of Life Of Julie Winterfeldt
Author: Tracy A. Fischer
Release Date: 13th March 2015
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Julie Winterfeldt is newly single, and not by choice. Her seemingly perfect marriage of seven years was ended when Julie finds that her husband, Daniel, has an apparently not-too-passing interest in gay porn. And in being gay, in general. Divorced in her mid-thirties and finding herself on her own for the first time in, well, ever, she’s got to figure out what she’s going to do with her life. Add in a very unexpected curve ball that life decides to throw, Julie's not quite sure she's going to make it.
Narrated in Julie's warm, funny and disarming voice, THE SORT OF LIFE OF JULIE WINTERFELDT shows how heartache, humor and a whole lot of surprise can come together in life's unpredictable twists and turns. Tracy A. Fischer's debut novel will make you laugh and cry, all the while cheering for Julie and the friends that help her along the way.
Narrated in Julie's warm, funny and disarming voice, THE SORT OF LIFE OF JULIE WINTERFELDT shows how heartache, humor and a whole lot of surprise can come together in life's unpredictable twists and turns. Tracy A. Fischer's debut novel will make you laugh and cry, all the while cheering for Julie and the friends that help her along the way.
PURCHASE LINKS
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
What is your name, where were you born and where do
you live now?
My name is Tracy Fischer. I was born in
Minnesota, and I live in Wisconsin, which sometimes surprises me as I do not
like cold and snowy weather. But, I do love my family and the vast majority of
them are here, so here I will stay!
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did
you want to be?
I have always loved
writing and have always written in some fashion. I also wanted to be a teacher
and a lawyer as well as a social worker, which is what I have become.
Writing has always been in the background, however, and in many ways, it
is where my heart has always been.
When did you first consider yourself as a
"writer"?
I still feel strange calling myself a
writer. I had an appointment with a new doctor recently, and when he asked me
what I did for a living, I was too shy to say that I write books. I need to
work on that!
Do you work another job as well as your writing
work?
Yes, I am a social worker. I have
worked in homeless services, adoption and am now a social worker in a nursing
home. Some of most interesting ideas have come from experiences in the social
work field.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you
had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My newest book is named "The Sort
of Life of Julie Winterfeldt." 20 words or less is always hard for me to
do. I guess I would say this book is the story of a great friendship, an
interesting turn of events and a whole lot of drama along the way!
Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
I self-published.
How long does it usually take you to write a book,
from the original idea to finishing writing it?
I would say about 6 months, but it
takes me a long time to edit after the initial writing.
What can we expect from you in the future? ie
More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
There will definitely be more books in
the chick lit genre, but I am currently working on a book for young adults that
has more of a sci-fi bent to it as well.
Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part
of a series?
I already have the
second book in the "Julie Winterfeldt" series written and am getting
through the editing process. The third book in the "Julie" series is
percolating in my mind as we speak. And I am almost finished with a book for
young adults that has a sci-fi bent to it.
What genre would you place your books into?
Definitely Chick Lit
What made you decide to write that genre of book?
The Julie and Kate characters and their
friendship led me down this path. My characters' voices come to me in the first
person, and all of my main characters, so far, have been women. So, I don't
really think I chose to write this genre, it just ended up falling into that
category based on the character's stories.
Do you have a favourite character from your books?
and why are they your favourite?
It would be hard to say who my favorite
was, I love almost all the characters for different reasons. One surprise I had
in this book was how much I liked the character of Nick Delikis, the divorce
lawyer. I originally thought he would be a very minor character, but he
developed into much more.
If you had to choose to be one of your characters
in your book/books which would you be? and why?
I think I would be Kate Blach, Julie's
best friend. She lives a pretty leisurely life, but also has a heart of gold,
spends her time and money helping others, and is the most loyal friend anyone
could ask for.
How long have you been writing?, and who or what
inspired you to write?
I've written stories since I was a
middle-schooler. When I was in eighth grade, I had a wonderful English teacher
named Mr. Rykal how encouraged me and told me I had a gift for writing. When we
ran into each other at a grocery store when I was grown up, he asked me again
if I was still writing, and I told him I really wasn't at that time. I had
recently had my first son and was working full time, writing had gotten shoved
to the background. He encouraged me again, and said I needed to keep writing.
His voice was always in the back of my mind, telling me I should write.
It's amazing how a great teacher can have such an impact on someone's
life, isn't it?
Do you have a certain routine you have for writing?
ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I work full time, am married and have
two young sons...I have to take my writing time however I can get it!
Do you have anybody read your books and give you
reviews before you officially release them? ie. Your partner, children, friends,
reviewers you know?
My husband is always my first reader. I
have a small core of family and friends that also read and edit for me. And I
also use a professional editing service after I have made those edits.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Absolutely. I am obsessive about
it.
Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their
review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
No, never. That would totally ruin the
integrity of the reviewing process. I would not even think of doing this!
How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs
for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
Titles are hard, and I have to sit with
one I like for a long time to decide on it. My aunt, Jackie Siekert, is an
amazingly talented graphic designer. She designed my cover and put up with my
hundreds of change requests and ideas. The cover designing process was a hugely
collaborative process, and I know my cover would not have been even a tiny bit
as good without her. I would highly recommend her for any other aspiring
authors.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then
choose the title?
I have done it both ways. For
this book, the book was completely written before I had a title. For my current
work in progress, the young adult book. the title came within the first few
paragraphs of writing.
Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you
actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it
takes the story?
I let the writing flow. Some
things that happen in the stories surprise even me!
What do you think makes a book a really
good/bestseller ?
I think there has to be an interesting
or different hook, something that surprises people a bit. Of course, most books
that become a bestseller have thousands of dollars of marketing behind them,
and I'm sure that doesn't hurt either!
What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a
hobby?
Reading, of course. I also love to
listen to audiobooks. I love watching movies and just relaxing with my family.
We have three dogs, two Golden Retrievers and a Maltese, and they keep us
entertained, too!
Have you ever based characters on people you know
or based events on things that have happened to you?
Not really. There are a few characters
that are combinations of people I have known, but none of them are directly
based on a certain individual.
Are there any hidden messages or morals contained
in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this
story is..")
No, not intentionally, anyway!
Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories
or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I was an obsessive reader as a child. I
lived in a small town and went to a small school, both of which had small
libraries. I would often read books over and over again if there was nothing
new to read, and re-reading my favorites never bothered me!
Did you have a favourite author as a child?
That would be a tie
between L.M. Montgomery (The Anne of Green Gables series) and Laura Ingalls
Wilder (The Little House on the Prairie books).
[I loved both those series when I was younger too!]
Do you have a treasured book from your childhood?
If yes, what is it?
This is a tough one, but I guess I'd go
with "Charlotte's Web."
Is there a book you know you will never read? Or
one you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
I once tried to read a biography on
Jane Austen for a book club. Every time I'd start it, my husband would find me
passed out asleep in bed. It probably didn't help that I had a new baby at the
time, but I know that is one book I will never be able to finish!
Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I don't, and I don't think I
will.
If you could invite three favourite writers to
dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
Ai yi yi! What a great question! I
think I would invite J.K. Rowling, Elizabeth Berg and Gillian Flynn if I was
inviting modern authors. I would just sit back and listen, and I bet it would
be fascinating!
AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook page: Tracy A. Fischer
Facebook page: Tracy A. Fischer
Goodreads author page: Tracy A. Fischer
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