KILLER HOBBIES: Launch Week Interviews and Articles: Tracy's Top Ten

My third written child, Karma's a Killer, was officially released Friday, January 8, and the busy push of parties, appearances and publicity has taken over my life--in a good way! Here's a sampling of some of my favorite articles, interviews, and reviews from the first week of the book launch.

Launch Week Articles: Tracy's Top Ten:

Cozy up with Kathy: Yoga for Dogs? "The practice of Doga actually has many benefits. Yoga practice in the presence of dogs is calming to both man and beast. Dogs are sensitive creatures—highly attuned to human energy. Anything that makes humans more peaceful also brings calm to their canine companions."
Examiner.com: An interview with me about writing, yoga and Karma's a Killer: "I wrote this story, at least in part, to help readers truly get to know and understand Kate. Through this case, Kate discovers the origins of her pogonophobia—the irrational fear of beards—and learns why she has, at least up until now, has been so terrified of commitment. Although most of the book is about Kate’s sometimes-inept attempts at murder investigation, the most satisfying part of the book is rediscovering Kate."
Dru's Book Musings: An interview with Blackie (a crow!) who has a very important role in Karma's a Killer: "I sure wish I could speak English. Not only was I here at Green Lake the day Kate overheard a fight between two women, but I saw one of those women get murdered later that night! I’ve been trying to tell Kate what I saw, but she doesn’t understand me. Bella, her crazy German shepherd, ignores me. Probably because I eat all of her cookies.If I leave Kate a clue, do you think she'll figure it out?
OmniMysteryNews: I interviewed yoga teacher/sleuth Kate. She had this to say on behalf of her dog Bella.... "As for your canine readers,[Bella would] tell them to stay the heck away from her house, her yoga studio, and me. I'm her best-trained slave, and she's not willing to share me. And Bella gave me a special message for the brown-suited, box-carrying psycho-killer that drives the UPS truck. She has her eye on you. One false move, and she'll eat delivery man for dinner."
Musings and Ramblings: I talk about Seattle and what makes it the perfect setting for a mystery series: "Seattle gets a bad rap for being gray and rainy, but the flipside is that you’ll never see a place greener or more lush outside of the tropics. Within an hour or two, you can visit a major university, climb a mountain, go boating, dip your toes in the ocean, ski, attend live theater, shop in a quaint island town, and hang out with a troll holding onto an actual Volkswagen. And don’t get me started on the annual nude bicycle parade…"
Blog Critics: An interview with me in which I talk about research, writing, and the writing life. "An important character in the book, Blackie, is a crow that was raised as a fledgling and released back to the wild. I have been fascinated by crows since my own German shepherd, Tasha, befriended a crow in our neighborhood. Learning more about these intelligent, highly social, and quirky animals was one of the biggest joys of writing the book."
The Story Behind the Book About how a pigeon I rescued at Whole Life Yoga made an impact on this book. "There are so many stories behind Karma’s a Killer. The story of the neighborhood crows that have befriended my German shepherd, Tasha. The story of fractured family relationships. And of course, story of solving a murder. But the story closest to my heart is that of a pigeon I saved over three years ago..."
The Dark Phantom Review: An interview in which I discuss the craft of writing: How to create compelling characters and settings: "I use all five senses when describing a setting: smell, sight, taste, sound, and touch. I also use a sixth sense that I can only describe as energy: Some places feel light; others heavy; still others, prickly. And the energy of a space changes based on the perspective and mood of the character inside it."
As the Page Turns: Yoga, writing, and persevering practice. "Slogging through a first draft often feels less like making love, more like walking through hardening cement. When things get tough, I remind myself of one of yoga’s most important principles: persevering practice."
The Writers Life: Writing, reviews, and author egos. "Being a writer is a lot like being a Hollywood movie star. There are a few that make it big. The rest wait tables at your local Applebee’s. If making money is your goal, try something easier. Like brain surgery."

That's just a sampling, and lots more is scheduled to happen the rest of this month and in February. Next week I'll share a few more!

Thanks for your support, and I hope you check out the series!

Tracy Weber