Seal of Destiny Tour: An Interview with Traci Douglass

We're happy to have Traci Douglass joins us today on our stop along the Seal of Destiny Blog Tour! 

How long have you been writing?
I've been writing seriously since November 2011, with an eye toward publication. Seal of Destiny is my first novel.

What inspired you to write Seal Of Destiny?
A dream I had last November. I woke up and couldn't get the story out of my mind. To keep my sanity, I started writing. Not sure if it worked. LOL!

When you first started writing Seal Of Destiny, did you plan for it to be a series?
Yes, I always planned on having a book for each of the seven Seals and the warriors who protect them.

Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
Hmm. Good question. I suppose it depends on the day. Some days I feel tough, like Mira. Some days, I feel strong like Kagan. But most days I feel ornery like Argus! :D

What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
Ha! Let's see... Well, I don't kill bugs unless absolutely necessary. I feel compelled to catch them and release them back into the wild. Unless they're those awful things with a million legs. Those are just wrong and should be destroyed.

If your real life as a teenager was a Young Adult book, what would you, the main character, be like?
I'd be the snarky kid in the corner who has great insights about all the people around them but is totally clueless as to how to make their own life perfect.

What book have you read too many times to count?
What book haven't I read too many time to count... :) I do love the old Johanna Lindsey stuff, Tender Rebel and Gentle Rogue and the Mallorys. And Harry Potter. One can never have too much Harry.

What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
Just get it down on the page. You can fix everything except a blank page.

If you could hop into the life of any fictional character for a day, who would it be and why?
Oh, good question! Only one? Well, in that case I'd have to say... Albus Dumbledore. What fun to have all those magical powers and the run of Hogwarts! Plus the wisdom to know what to do with your authority. And I bet I could finagle a spell or two to keep me there well past one day.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
LOL! The vast array of profanity around the world. And Enochian, the language of the angels. It's a real language, with dictionaries online.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Reading, listening to music, watching movies. I'm a Project Runway fanatic and love the Wednesday line-up on ABC (Modern Family, The Middle, The Neighbors, Suburgatory). Great stuff. I also love to eat chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
A combination of both. I think all writers draw some inspiration from their own lives when creating their stories. The trick is to make it universal, to disguise the events well enough so no one knows which is true and which is make-believe. :)

About the Author:

Traci is the author of paranormal/urban fantasy and contemporary romances featuring a sly, urban edge, including her current Seven Seals series. Her stories feature sizzling alpha-male heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes; smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get; and scrumptiously evil villains who are—more often than not—bent on world destruction. She enjoys weaving ancient curses and mythology, modern science and old religion, and great dialogue together to build red-hot, sizzling chemistry between her main characters.

A storyteller since childhood, she began putting her tales down on paper in November 2011 after the idea for the Seven Seals Series occurred to her in a dream. She finished the first draft of what was to become Seal of Destiny in one month and decided to pursue a full-time writing career in January of 2012. Life has now been a rollercoaster, crash course in pursuing your dreams.

Traci is an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance Writers of America (IRWA) and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers (FF&P) and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction through Seton Hill University. Her stories have made the final rounds in several RWA chapter contests, including the 2012 Duel on the Delta, the 2012 Molly Awards, and the 2012 Catherine Awards. An earlier draft of Seal of Destiny won the paranormal category of the 2012 Marlene Awards sponsored by the Washington Romance Writers.

Other current projects include upcoming books in the Seven Seals series and a new futuristic detective series with hints of the paranormal and plenty of romance.

Check out my review of Seal of Destiny.

To learn more about Traci Douglass and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.