Author, Tracy Krauss shares about her latest book, “Wind Over Marshdale.”   Make sure to check out all the free gifts you can get when you purchase her book on October 16th, 2012 here:  http://tracykrauss.yolasite.com/wom-landing-page.php.

Thanks for sharing with us about your book today, Tracy!

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LINESPACE

I grew up in a small prairie town. I remember well the smell of grain dust in the air in the fall during harvest time, the constant chirp of crickets in the evenings, or the way the wind grazing over the tops of the grain fields made me think of a cat’s silky coat being stroked by a giant invisible hand. I loved watching a thunder storm out my front room window, taking in the power and awesomeness from the safety of the indoors while the whole thing played out across the huge expanse of sky that is such an important part of the prairie landscape. These are the memories of my childhood, and even though I no longer live there, there will always be something special about the place where I grew into an adult. I think the openness of the land and sky has a profound effect on those that are connected to it, and sometimes I long still for that sense of freedom that only comes from wide open spaces.

My latest novel, WIND OVER MARSHDALE, is set in a town very similar to the one I grew up in. In fact, I modelled Marshdale after my hometown of Mossbank , and those that are familiar with the area will recognize many of the unique geographical features, even though the names have been changed. For instance, there is a large, shallow, alkaline lake near my hometown which is a bird sanctuary of sorts and which is considered a prime hunting area for ducks and other water fowl. Old Wives Lake was named after a Cree legend of the ‘Old Wives’. In the days before the arrival of the ‘white men’, there were some warring tribes in the area. In order to save their village, some elderly women stayed behind in the camp near the lake and kept the fires burning. This allowed the rest of the people to escape. When their enemies saw the smoke from the fires, they raided the camp, but found only the ‘old wives’ – the rest of the people made it safely away to a new spot where they were no longer threatened by their enemy. I invented a new legend and call the lake ‘Old Man’s Lake’; still there is some similarity.

I wanted to highlight the rich cultural heritage of the area, especially the indigenous aspects, while also bringing about some modern conflict. In my book, a Cree man is heading up an archaeological dig in the area, but is met with a lot of opposition – much of it racially based. Of course, there is also romance, and some other surprises, too. I love writing about interesting characters and this book is full of them. Many of them are what I consider to be ‘types’ that you find in every small town. I’ve moved a lot in my life and most of the time I’ve lived in small towns. Believe it or not, you really do find these same people everywhere – the town drunk, the town ‘crazy’, the town busybody… I know it almost sounds cliché, but these people really do exist in almost every town I’ve been to! I certainly did not base any one character on a particular person, but took characteristics that I’ve noticed are ‘typical’ and created my own cast of very unique individuals.

Of all of my novels so far, I feel a special connection to WIND OVER MARSHDALE, possibly because of the memories that were invoked as I described the setting in such detail. I hope readers will sense the authenticity of the place. In a way, when you read it, it is like stepping into the world I grew up in.

 

Tracy Krauss is launching her book WIND OVER MARSHDALE on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Full of intrigue, romance, and plenty of surprises, see what’s hiding just beneath the surface in this seemingly peaceful town. You can help her achieve ‘best seller’ status by purchasing the book at Amazon.com TODAY – and receive all kinds of cool free gifts while you’re at it!

Here’s how:

1. Go to the Landing Page onTracy’s Website

2. Buy the book at amazon.

3. Go back to the Landing Page and fill in the form with your name, email and purchase number.

It’s that easy! You’ll be directed to your free gifts and all you have to do is choose which ones you want.

 

LINESPACE