By Blood: Author Interview

By Blood

Tracy E Banghart

For 17-year-old Emma Wong, spending a summer in England should be a dream come true. Gorgeous scenery? Check. Lots of hot guys with accents? Yes, please.

Throw in an estranged mom, annoying new stepdad, and drooling baby half-brother, and it’s a disaster even her favorite cherry red leather jacket can’t fix. Even worse, there’s (hot) live-in research assistant Josh to contend with. The only thing more embarrassing than drunk-kissing him hours after they meet? Knowing he’ll be witness to her family’s dysfunction all. summer. long.

But when Emma meets a mysterious girl who happens to be a Druid, her vacation suddenly promises to be far more intriguing than she anticipated. Powerful rituals, new friends, an intoxicating sense of freedom...and Simon, the sexy foreign stranger she was hoping for. It’s all a perfect distraction from dirty diapers and awkward family dinners.

Trouble is, intriguing doesn’t often mean simple. And Emma is about to discover just how not simple her life really is.

By Blood is a novel about the ways that blood can bind us to others – or tear us apart.

Author Interview

1.Hey! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi there! Well, let's see. I've been writing since I was a kid and have been working at it full time since 2009. I'm married to an Army man, which means we move a lot, and I recently became a mom to the cutest little guy, named Oliver, who is 10 months old. I love to travel, read, and eat (sometimes bake) cupcakes. Total pet lover, with two big dogs and one small, super cuddly cat. I am obsessed with interspecies cuddling - dog with cat, cat with baby, you name it…I'll whip out my camera and try to get pictures and/or video (usually while either squeeing or sighing). :-)

2.What inspired you to write this novel?
I actually wrote Moon Child first, and when Emma (the MC's best friend) appeared it was like a lightning bolt…she had so much personality and so much to say. I just knew right then that she needed her own story. And at the time, I was really missing England (I went to grad school there), so I decided to ship Emma off to Oxford with her estranged mom and sit back to watch the hijinks! Emma was always like that…she took control and I just had to type as fast as I could to catch up.

3.Describe By Blood in three words
sexy, magical summer

4. What is your favorite part about being an author?
Probably the times when I am really INTO the writing…when the words are flowing and I can see the story playing out in my head and everything is clicking and my characters feel like real people, with real emotions, needs, sorrows, and joys. These days, with a baby to chase around the house, I don't get much writing time, so when I do I enjoy it even more!

5.Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Night owl for sure!

6.Skittles or M&Ms?
oooh…M&Ms! Chocolate FTW

7.Would you say you are a good or bad cook?
Good. Though my husband is way better at using the grill.

8.Print or E-book?
Both! I read different genres in different ways. YAs usually in print, romance novels as ebooks.

9.If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?
Right this second…I would buy all new furniture and clothes. Our rental house had a mold issue when we moved in that we didn't know about…and now EVERYTHING has to be cleaned or thrown away (and we have to move again!)! :-/

10.What is one question you wished interviewers would ask and what is your answer to that question?
Well, I think you asked great questions! Maybe…hmm…I guess maybe "what are you working on now?"

To which I would reply, a new adult scifi trilogy! :-) The first book, SHATTERED VEIL, will be out in the spring. "When the man she loves is Selected for Military and sent to war, Aris gives up everything - her home, her name, even her face - to be with him, only to discover that her new role as a Military Flyer has much larger implications - it could change the fate of her entire nation." I'm really excited about this one - I wrote the first draft when my husband was deployed to Iraq for a year, so it's very close to my heart.