Author Tracee Lydia Garner is back with the latest installment in her Jameson Family Series. I recently spoke with her about Against My Window.
Tell me about your latest book, Against My Window.
I’ve always been intrigued by amnesia, and while it seems to be a little different for everyone; I always thought to myself, “the heart—and the gut—knows” despite the amnesia. While I don’t know if that is clinically true, I was intrigued about the premise. My “what if” centered around what if you were to set some things in motion, in this case, divorce and then you’re in a car accident, you have head trauma, your “wife” comes in to tell you, we’re divorced and an entire chunk of your life is just gone? Those are the issues facing Jina and Tony. A strained marriage made even worse by the lack of memory to help explain everything that’s transpired before he was injured in his accident. He can’t remember why he wanted to divorce her in the first place.
What inspired you to write it?
I try to think of different scenarios. One thing that I’ve always thought about was Tony’s motivations (or any man for that matter). Motivations get someone (someone he loves dearly and would protect at any cost) out of harm’s way and to leave you because they believe there’s danger but now they don’t remember the danger at all. I want to believe even if it’s not quite true but I believe regardless of the facts presenting themselves, the heart is the one truly in charge, telling the body and mind what to feel despite facts and concrete evidence.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
I fell in love with the written word as an elementary school student. To this day, I still remember Mr. John Brennan, a teacher’s aide who read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to me and other students in our story circle time. It was simply just the most fun thing ever, and 20 years later, I remember dedicating one of my books to him and three other (high school) English teachers who just encouraged me not only to read but also one teacher in particular who encouraged me to write. Not a single teacher, parent, or other person in my life had encouraged my writing like my eleventh-grade English teacher. She was just a fan of mine, even writing a small little term paper or book review on the book turned movie that we had seen at school. Earlier in my schooling, Mr. Brennan in particular was just so animated and had variation in his tone and his body language just helping the story come alive, and we all just laughed because it was the very funny Judy Blume’s real-life tales. I’ll never forget how Mr. Brennan made that time so special. I just disappeared into his voice and the way in which he portrayed the characters through his reading to us. It was also probably the only time I stopped talking long enough to listen to the adults in the room.
What’s the best part of being an author?
Honestly for me, the best part is the planning and then getting invited to present and make appearances. I am finally feeling like a sought-after (a tiny bit) author with more experience under my belt. I’m such a planner, I get into marketing ideas, events (pre-pandemic) and other things to get the book out there before the book is done. Coming up with characters of course is also fun and those first few ideas and writing until about chapter eight before the oh, this is a real book I have to figure out until chapter 30. LOL It’s a honeymoon until about chapter eight to 10 I’ve discovered, then we’re really married and have to make it work. LOL
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest part up until this recent book was around the things that are universal to most authors I feel. The promotion woes, knowing if you’re doing enough, or the right things on various platforms, inundated with such volumes of both social media platforms, ways in which to market your books and the time suck of everything. Now, at least in the last year, it’s been motivation through the pandemic and with this book in particular, it was the subjects I chose to tackle. Marriage, being I’ve never been in, seemed a tad extra difficult to me. I didn’t feel as confident writing about folks who were already together and honestly the excitement wasn’t quite there. Getting people together I now know is exponentially easier. It just seemed extra hard, and I’m going to do it again (just one more time and then I’m done with the married folks) LOL. Jojo and Angie are together in the fourth and final installment of the Jameson family series, though it’s Angie this time who wants out, feeling she’s not quite wifey material and it will be on Jojo to convince her otherwise.
The final issue, probably just the difficulty and making a choice to keep going at it, but if you do love it, you’ll find a way even if you get discouraged at times.
What books have you read lately and loved?
I’m actually into a cookbook and writing instruction trip right now. It’s a bit of a phase, I am writing a book on entertaining in addition to other projects, but cooking became major to me in the pandemic. I had more time as I am a slow cook and I had a little more energy not having to go out every day. I discovered quite a few new recipes, but Joanna Gaines, Laila Ali’s book, and then on writing instruction, visiting some writer types I sadly discovered were deceased, like William Zinsser, On Writing Well. His style was so humorous that when I went to look him up and made the discovery he was no longer living and a few others I was sad to find. As far as recipe books, the stories that go with the foods are fun, plus my next book (Angie and Jojo) will be about a chef who desires to open her own restaurant, and I’ll likely include some recipes and such with my newsletters in preparation for marketing that final book in the Jameson series.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
I was reading Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, I’m almost ready to get back to it, and then I’ll read Stacey Abram’s new fiction title While Justice Sleeps. I’m trying to move into more books by some very popular authors who’ve been wildly successful, instead of my well-loved romance community but they are first in my heart.
Who would you cast in a movie to play your main characters?
That’s such a hard one; I had to go to Pinterest and look. Tony is the serious, quiet type and not many an actor comes to mind, but Aldis Hodge is a cutie, and he looks like he could feel the role nicely. For Jina, I really like Nia Long since she was on The Guiding Light more than almost 25 or so years ago? I watched with my mom after school and The Best Man franchise. She’s so no nonsense and a great actress.
What’s next for you?
I am writing the fourth and final book in this Jameson Family Series, I’m thinking of throwing myself an “I did it party!” This series is more than several years old, I hate to list the years, but the one so many have been waiting for, Jojo Jameson, the oldest brother, a military man, ready to give up his career to be a family man, in an Occasional Hero (the name of the book). After that, I already have covers for the next series, and there’s three books in that. I have a cart-before-the-horse problem with my book covers. I cannot get anymore done with my graphic designer friends until all the ones I have already have actual stories to go with them. But my next series will be about three brothers and is set in the deep hills of a created southern island where the three men own a private resort. All types of shenanigans are in store for the single ladies who come for a little R and R get more than they ever imagined. 😉
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Thank you so much for the opportunity. I feel so fortunate to be a part of BFA. Congrats on all of its success.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Against My Window by Tracee Lydia Garner.
Connect with bestselling author and speaker Tracee Lydia Garner:
Email: Hello@traceegarner.com
Website: http://www.traceegarner.com
Blog: http://www.traceegarner.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/traceelydiagarner
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/teegarner
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/teegarner