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Volume 1, January 12, 2004 Greetings! This is my first newsletter for TracyGroot.com, and I want to thank you folks who signed up for it. The fact that you're actually interested in something I have to say is not only astonishing, it's a little poignant—don't you have anything better to do? If not, read on, I'll cheerfully provide distraction from what you're avoiding. That's what friends are for. Let's cover business first: my second book, Stones of my Accusers, is now available. Imagine my surprise when a lady in line at our coffee shop said, "Hey, I'm reading your book." And I said, "Great." And she said, "Stones of my Accusers." She was already half done with it, said she was enjoying it. I was delighted. To quote John Travolta, "Ain't it cool?" (That's from a movie called Broken Arrow, I think. Christian Slater said to him something like, 'You're insane!' and he replied, "Yeah—ain't it cool?" I cannot account for why that line stayed with me…) I'm not sure what I'm more excited about, the recent publishing of Stones, or the continuing work on my third novel, working title, Madman. It's a story about the Gerasene Demoniac. I tell my husband Jack that my job description shouldn't be Writer, but Professional Imaginator. I've been putting down research for this book for nearly a year, and I'm finally writing-!!!-and loving it to pieces. One of the things I augment my research with is Professional Imaginating: You're packed to the seams with 2000 demons, till there's hardly a space left for you. You're as captive as a guy on death row, and no governor is going to commute your sentence. Hope, whatever that used to be, is gone. You've made your bed, you're lying in it, and you can't even kill yourself because They won't let you; They're having too much fun. A guy comes across the sea one stormy night with his friends. He lands on the shore, and you can hardly believe his sole purpose is to look you up: you've got a reputation, you're the local legend: the foaming-mouthed freak, the naked and unchainable, the Devil Incarnate. He does a favor for you no one else can, no one else could…and your story is noteworthy enough to make it to the Bible. Your name is even remembered, and passed down by a guy named Pseudo-Peter of Sebaste. (From an 8th century document—how cool is that?) I'm thrilled about Stones of my Accusers. Looks like it's getting a nice reception, so far. I love my Stones characters, especially Theron my ornery mosaicist, and Orion my reluctant hero. I miss them already, wonder what they're up to these days. Read it for Theron alone, and love him like I do. My confession, however, is this: Madman is my current captivation. You know what? Mel Gibson said he was born for his work, "Passion", and I've got enough folly to say the same of my Madman. That maybe I was born for such a time as this, for such a book as that. Maybe I was born to tell the story of Kardus, no matter who reads the book, no matter how many copies sell. If you have the shrieking temerity—you, the one reading this newsletter—to actually believe you were born for such a time as this—this time, this place, this epoch—to believe you might have something special to do, something only you can, something only you were meant to do…well, then. I think you might know God. Grace and peace to you and yours, Tracy If you would like to receive updates on the latest books by Tracy Groot including new events and updates from the author, please sign up for the official TracyGroot.com newsletter below. We respect your privacy and will not sell or rent our email list to anyone else. Thank you in advance for trusting us with your information. |
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