Looking Out The Window: Tracy Wainwright Talks About Her New Book, In An Instant. Gives Away An E-book.

A Warm Welcome to Tracy Wainwright

Tracy will give away an eBook of In An Instant. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.

Hi Tracy, first, tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a wife and homeschooling mother of 4. We’re in a great parenting place with our children now aged 10 to 16 with the first one already dual enrolled in college. We are also first time puppy owners with the most adorable puppy in the world who’s keeping us on our toes. We love summers where we spend as much time as possible playing on the water, fall where we roast way too many hot dogs and marshmallows, winter to snuggle in and watch family movies, and every spring we love being able to get out in the fresh air again.

Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read?

I didn’t start out loving to read, but ended up reading out of self-preservation, as all the rest of my family spent hours and hours with their noses in books. I read lots of Judy Blume, Sweet Valley Twins, and Nancy Drew.

Tell us about your latest book.

In an Instant is my first full length mystery to be published. It started with a simple idea of what would happen if a wife left for work one day and didn’t show up. Why would an average woman vanish in thin air? What secrets was she hiding from everyone in her life that led to her disappearance? These questions led to the story of Luke and Julie and how they each navigate these tragic circumstances, as well as the officer who’s caught off guard by finding himself emotionally invested in this particular investigation.

What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it? 

I love the intertwining of lives that come together during tragedy and how the characters find hope and grow in their relationships with the Lord. I hope readers would tell others that this story is entertaining, engaging, and powerful in its message of healing and forgiveness.

What themes do you write about?

I am one of those authors who doesn’t do a good job at sticking with one genre or theme. I have written novels, picture books, Bible studies, and spiritual growth books. I write with the hope that people who read my books will be transformed in some way – whether it’s in the area of healing, learning more about God, being encouraged to take their thoughts captive, or learning tools for coping with stress.

What is your writing schedule and where do you write?

Writing schedule? What’s that?  I’ve never had a set schedule. When my children were smaller, I’d write during nap/rest time or if I woke up in the middle of the night. As they got older, I often wrote while they were completing their homeschool assignments at the table near me. My husband and I moved in our newly built house a year and a half ago that we did most of the work on ourselves, so very little writing was accomplished for a while. Summers tend to be my most productive time when we’re out of school and our schedules are much lighter.

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?

Just like with my tendency to write different genres, I also write different ways. There are some books that start with an idea and I just sit down and throw myself into writing. Those stories sometimes seem to almost write themselves. At other times, I have an idea for a character, a theme, or the ending of a story and sit down and plot and outline. I tend to let the book lead me in how it needs to be written.


Does your faith affect your writing? Is so, how?

My faith is intricately woven into my writing. I’ve found that I can’t separate my relationship with God from the things I write. Whether it’s a Bible study that is meant to guide people to God’s Word and grow in their understanding of it or a cozy mystery that never mentions God, my goal is to always point people to Him. Sometimes it’s in very obvious ways, at other times it’s very subtle.

Do you put yourself in your books?

There is almost always a piece of me in my books. There are bits of my story that my characters get to experience and sometimes little quirks of mine that they have to deal with.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I’ll share the advice I recently gave to a group I was invited to speak at: First, write for your audience. Know who you’re writing for (including the genre and its rules) and write for them. You can write on the same topic and it will end up very different in contemporary fiction, nonfiction, or a children’s book. Second, get other eyes on your work. Friends and family can help some, but they won’t know what editors are looking for or the rules of writing for publication. Cultivate relationships with other writers and share critiques, find a writing mentor, or pay an editor. Third, read, read, read. Read about writing. Read about editing, Read about publishing. Read what you want to write. There is a lot to learn about writing for publication even if you’re gifted in writing. Do your research and learn from those who’ve gone before you. Forth, write, write, and write some more. Keep writing more and more and more. Your writing will improve as you do it more. It will also improve as you get feedback and edit your work – often multiple times. At least a third of your writing time (if not more) will be revising. Lastly, don’t give up.

About In An Instant

The Clock is Ticking...

Julie Montgomery left for work but never arrived. Her husband, Luke, reports her disappearance, but Officer Terrence Cooper isn't convinced anything's amiss. As he looks into the case, he discovers that not only are Luke Montgomery's fears warranted, but that Julie had been hiding a dark secret.

Julie vanished in an instant. By the time Terrence unravels the truth, will it be too late to get her back?

Buy on  Amazon

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Bio: Tracy Wainwright has always loved reading, but didn’t become a writer until she was almost 30. Words became an outlet for her through a trying time, grabbed hold of her, and never let go. Tracy works her writing in-between and around raising and homeschooling four children, squeezing in time for her hubby, and now entertaining a new puppy. She always has her hands in multiple ministries and enjoys speaking to church, women’s and writers groups. To cope with a very full, blessed life, she consistently works on perfecting naptime.

Learn more about Tracy and her books on her Website