Tracy Falbe is a writer of indie fantasy for people who don’t do what they’re told. She lives between a little lake and a pond. The water is a great comfort to her. She loves both dogs and cats. Writing is her chosen craft, and she’s slowly building a decent little business out of it.
When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing stories since grade school. In my teenage years I wrote two novels, but I never did anything with them. In 1997, when I was 25, I began writing seriously and produced what became my first novel Union of Renegades. Now all of these years later, I am publishing my tenth novel Journey of the Hunted.
What inspires your writing?
I take my thoughts and feelings from what is happening in the world and what has happened in history and express them through fiction. Big issues like war, slavery, patriarchy, and Nature inspire me. I also like to ponder how people deal with difficult circumstances that demand sacrifices.
What is the best part about being a writer?
I’m so happy that I did not wait for the right time to start writing. So many people put their creative desires aside for responsibilities of career and family life. Perhaps I’ve been irresponsible. I know I’ve made significant financial sacrifices to pursue my art, but, at mid life, it feels so good to have a portfolio of novels out there. I can die knowing I did what I loved. I don’t keep things locked inside me. I craft stories and move farther into my creative journey every year.
Is there something special or unique about you or your book you’d like to tell us about?
I was surprised to discover that very little fiction is set in Renaissance Europe. Except for some novels that revolve around Tudor England, there is almost nothing. Renaissance isn’t even a category for historical fiction that I can find. You’ll see ancient, Medieval, Regency, Victorian, and so forth, but no Renaissance.
When you consider how fascinating, transformative, radical, and brutal this era of European history was, it’s a shame more fiction is not set in this period. I know there is a large audience. I’ve enjoyed many Renaissance faires. There is no shortage of people who appreciate this era of history. A good deal of nonfiction is published on the subject, but it deserves fictional exploration as well.
My novels in the Werewolves in the Renaissance series give readers an exciting yet thoughtful way to learn more about this time when our modern institutions were established. Sometimes it’s frightening how little has changed in 500 years!
