BLOG TOUR: A KILLER RETREAT by

About Tracy Weber
Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mysteries series featuring yoga teacher Kate and her feisty German shepherd, Bella. Tracy loves sharing her passion for yoga and animals in any form possible. The second book in her series, A KILLER RETREAT, is now available and published by Midnight Ink.

Tracy and her husband live in Seattle with their challenging yet amazing German shepherd Tasha. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, walking Tasha, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house.

I'm honored to have Tracy here with me today.  Let's get to know her a little better!

How long have you been writing?

I started writing my yoga blog in 2011, but my first foray into fiction was two-and-a-half years ago when I started writing my first novel, Murder Strikes a Pose. A Killer Retreat is my second novel. I’m still pleasantly amazed at how lucky I’ve been to get my first two books published.

What inspires you to write?

The joys and adventures of my life, real and imagined. My work is fictional, but it is often inspired by crazy situations my dog, Tasha, has gotten me into. And I have a great time watching strangers and making up stories about their worlds. If I can weave a yoga lesson or two into the work, all the better.

But that’s not all. My friends, family, and yoga students support me in my writing and encourage me when I’m feeling unworthy. Readers contact me to tell me they appreciate my work, and that gives me great confidence and joy. If it weren’t for all of their support, I’m not sure I could continue.

How long did it take you to write A Killer Retreat?

I feel like I’m a notoriously slow writer, though on a book-a-year contract, I guess I can’t be that slow. First drafts seem to take me forever. The first draft of A Killer Retreat took about five months, though I certainly wasn’t writing consistently during that entire time period. The next ten or so drafts took an additional six months. Fortunately, my editor didn’t ask for any rewrites after it was submitted, so I was able to then move on to my third book, tentatively titled Karma Can Be Killer.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I have to pick just one?

A Killer Retreat takes place on Orcas Island, which is one of my favorite places in the world. Creating fictional Orcas required me to mentally immerse all of my senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch—in my favorite places. It was like going on vacation without leaving my home. So although I loved writing most of the scenes, the ones where Kate fully experiences Orcas Island and the fictional Elysian Springs Resort Center are my favorites.

Who designed the book cover?

Isn’t the cover cute? I’m really lucky in that my publisher, Midnight Ink, hired the same artist to design my book covers that designed the banner on my website, http://tracyweberauthor.com/ . She’s a very talented artist, and I love to support her work. Her name is Nicole Alesi and you can check out more of her work at this website. http://www.nicolealesi.com/
This is the second in the series. Is easier to write the second one or harder?

A little of both, actually. My first book had been percolating inside me for a couple of years, so the plot came out pretty easily and I wrote the first draft in three weeks. In this book, I already knew the characters, but I still had to create a new fictional world since they were traveling to a new location. The plot was a little bit more complicated as well, so I had to do more research on the specifics of the murder. The easy part was mental. I had already written one book, therefore I knew I had the capability two write a second.

Is there a third coming out in the next year?

Yes, book three in the series, which is tentatively titled Karma can be Killer, has already been written. It will be released January 8th, 2016. In this book, Kate, Bella and their friends will be back in Seattle. In addition to some important new human characters, the story includes a number of unique animal characters, including goats, a crow, a pigeon, and two barred owls. It’s a lot of fun!

Kate Davidson is a vegan yoga teacher and dog lover. How similar are you to Kate?

Kate and I share passions (yoga, animals, and our German shepherds), and we have similar body types and body image issues. We are both headstrong and can be a tiny bit opinionated. But we have completely different neuroses. Kate suffers from pogonophobia (the irrational fear of beards), commitment phobia, and anger management issues. Her out-of-control temper often makes her do things that she later regrets.

I, on the other hand, have no problem with beards, and I rarely lose my temper. I’ve been happily married for over 17 years, and I have never had problem committing to anything. Which doesn’t mean that I’m not neurotic. I suffer from occasional anxiety, I’m overly attached to my dog, and I have moderate, shall we say, control issues.

Both Kate and I have many faults, but we continue to learn, grow, and we try to leave a positive mark on the world. What’s more important than that?

What are your favorite things to do besides writing?

I’m sort of a homebody these days. I love hanging out with my dog and hubby, curled up with a good glass of wine and watching a movie. I also enjoy going on long walks with Tasha-dog, especially if said walks involve sunshine and a beach. And no week would be complete without having dinner and a hard cider at my favorite ale house. That all sounds pretty blasé, though. Maybe I’ll have to take up skydiving.

Who is your favorite author and why?

I love lots and lots and lots of authors that I love, but my favorite has to be Susan Conant. Not only have I devoured every single one of her books, but it was her work that inspired me to become a writer myself. If you haven’t read one of her Dog Lover’s Mysteries yet, you’re missing out.

Anything else my readers might want to know about you?

I love hearing from readers! You can friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tracywe or e-mail me at Tracy@WholeLifeYoga.com. You can also sign up to receive my author newsletter. Nothing makes me happier than hearing from someone who has read and appreciated my work.

Thank you so much for joining us today.  Here's the synopsis, links and the giveaway... be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

For more information, visit her online at TracyWeberAuthor.com and WholeLifeYoga.com.

Author Links
http://tracyweberauthor.com/
http://www.wholelifeyoga.com/blog/
https://www.facebook.com/tracywe
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148442.Tracy_Weber
https://twitter.com/TracyWeberTypes

Synopsis
Yogi Kate must clear her name of murder in this charming yoga mystery

When Kate Davidson gets an offer to teach yoga classes to wedding guests at the Elysian Springs resort, she jumps at the opportunity, even though it means being forced to endure the wedding ceremony of the center’s two caretakers.

Avoiding the M-word turns out to be the least of Kate’s problems when a wedding guest is found floating face-down in the resort’s hot tub, shortly after a loud, public (and somewhat embarrassing) fight with Kate. The police pick Kate as their number-one suspect, so she’s forced to team up with boyfriend Michael, best friend Rene, and German shepherd sidekick Bella to find the real killer. But they’ll have to solve the murder before the police arrest Kate, or her next gig may last a lifetime–behind bars.

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Book Depository

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