We're celebrating the release of Every Time I Think of You by best selling Author Tracey Garvis-Graves! Check out how Tracey came up with the idea for the book and take a peek at the excerpt below. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Title: Every Time I Think of You
Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romantic Suspense
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SYNOPSIS:
Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.
Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.
Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.
And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.
Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.
An idea was born.
One of the
questions
I’m often asked is, “How did you come up with the idea for this book?” My books
are fairly plot-driven, and Every Time I
Think of You was no different. I could see the opening scene in my head
like a movie so I knew what the inciting incident – in other words, the event
that would send the main characters’ lives in another direction – would be. But
in this case, my opening scene was the result of not only plot, but also a
character. I have wanted to write a book where the main character was a crime
reporter for a while now. I tend to gravitate toward heroes who are regular
guys, and I wanted to see what would happen when I put this particular hero
into various situations (and a little hot water). What would he do? How would
he react? What, exactly, was he made of?
However, if
main
character Brooks McClain was going to be a crime reporter, that meant I had to
come up with a crime (which ultimately, I’d have to solve). I’ve never written
a book with a mystery or suspense element before, but I wasn’t going to let a
little thing like that get in the way of telling this story. I’ve said time and
time again that I never want to be an author who writes the same book over and
over, but with that motto comes challenges. I have to deal with the discomfort
that comes from tackling something different than I’ve done before, and often
this means learning new things.
I have a
love/hate
relationship with research. I keep telling myself I’m going to write a book
that doesn’t require as much research, and then I write a book that requires extensive research. I should really
start listening to myself! Some of the things I did in the name of research for
Every Time I Think of You included
taking a four-hour firearms safety course and learning how to load and shoot a
gun, which was something I didn’t have any experience with.
I also
studied ALS,
also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, by reading memoirs and poring over
countless websites dedicated to the disease. Although the timing of the recent
ALS ice bucket challenge is merely a coincidence, it makes me happy to know
that this devastating illness is receiving such an outpouring of support from
the general public.
I studied
addiction,
specifically methamphetamine addiction. What I learned was heart-wrenching,
eye-opening, and often tragic. In total, I read six memoirs about addiction and
read countless online articles. I watched a fascinating Frontline documentary from
PBS about methamphetamine addiction and its effects on law enforcement and the
community.
I reached
out to a
criminal defense attorney in California so that I could gain an understanding of
that state’s legal processes, and I spent several hours in person and on the
phone with my cousin Jack, who is a detective with the Des Moines Police
Department. Jack was instrumental in explaining the outcomes of all the
different scenarios I proposed (naturally, I named the detective character
after him). I interviewed three different crime reporters (who all told me
slightly different things), and one of them saved me from a potentially
embarrassing gaffe. In Every Time I Think
of You, I include an actual newspaper article written by Brooks McClain.
Newspaper
reporters use the Associated Press
Stylebook to ensure that their articles are written correctly whereas The Chicago Manual of Style is the go-to
guide for fiction writers. The crime reporter who proofed my article had me make
a small tweak so that it was correct in form.
I spoke to a
nurse,
to make sure I got the details of Daisy’s DiStefano’s work schedule correct.
There were less significant things I needed the answers to, such as what kind
of jewelry a nurse would be permitted to wear to work and what floor she might
work on if she were involved with a particular patient.
In addition
to the
factual research necessary to write this story, I also had to choose the path
I’d take to solve the crime. I learned that there were a few different ways I
could handle this: One, I could write the story in such a way that the reader
would probably not know who
committed
the crime until the very end. Two, I could choose the slightly-less-suspenseful
route and let the reader be privy to clues that would allow them to guess the
identity of the perpetrator much earlier. That way, I could let the focus of
the story rest on how the person
would be brought to justice. I chose option two because I felt it would lend
emotional resonance and depth to the story.
Now that I
knew how I’d tell the story, I needed to
concentrate
on the characters. I usually have a pretty good outline in place before I sit
down to start writing. This method doesn’t work for everyone, but for me it
helps to have a roadmap of sorts so that I don’t waste too much time writing
myself into corners. This is not a spoiler because you know from the blurb that
the book deals with the aftermath of the death of Daisy’s beloved grandmother.
However, once I was about a fourth of the way through the first draft, I
realized that the character I’d chosen to
commit the crime didn’t actually do it.
I fought it
for a
while, but the more I got to know these characters, the more I realized my
inner muse was right. This person couldn’t have done it. EXCERPT
Delete,
delete,
delete, delete. Sigh.
The real
perpetrator
had a motive, but it was subtle and at first I couldn’t see it. And the person
who I’d originally intended to commit the crime was actually somewhat responsible. But it will be up
to the reader to draw their own conclusions about what transpired that evening
in Daisy’s grandmother’s apartment, because the opening chapter of the book is
narrated by Daisy’s three-year-old son, who has a very limited ability to
explain it. I actually first wrote this opening chapter from the point-of-view
of Daisy’s grandmother, Pauline. It gave the book a much darker tone than I
wanted so I scrapped it and decided to let Elliott take the reins.
There is
also one final
plot thread that I chose not to tie up with a big red ribbon. Initially I wrote
a paragraph that would have explained why
a certain character made the choice that he did, but then I realized it wasn’t
necessary. Readers are smart and book discussions are extra fun when there’s a
bit of speculation involved.
I’m not an
especially
fast or prolific writer, and that’s fine with me. Between the research and the
actual writing time, this book took fourteen months to complete, and there were
times I wanted to pull my hair out. I’d told my husband there were a couple of
twists I was hoping to pull off, but wasn’t sure I knew how to accomplish them.
I told several people that writing this book made my brain hurt (but one of the readers who received an advance copy
told me she kept
saying to herself as she read it, “This book
is so smart!”). When I hear feedback like that, it tells me that everything I
did in the name of Every Time I Think of
You was worth it.
I hope you
enjoy
Brooks and Daisy’s story.
I glanced at
my
watch. “I need to get going.” I stood and Daisy followed me toward the door.
“Don’t hesitate to call the police for any reason. Pay close attention to your
surroundings. Keep your door locked. Don’t ever open it without the chain on.”
I paused, once again struck by how alone she seemed. Was anyone watching out
for her? “Listen, I don’t mean for this to sound as sexist as it’s going to,
but is there a guy around?”
Rarely did I
ask such
a personal question, especially when the answer was absolutely none of my business.
And I’ll
admit to
being more than just professionally curious as I waited for her answer.
“There was,
but not
anymore,” she said. “It’s just Elliott and me. We’ll be okay. When someone
knocks, I look through the peephole. If I don’t recognize the person, I leave
the chain on when I open the door. I also bought a gun.”
She said
that last
part with such nonchalance that it took me a second to process it.
“You what?”
I probably said it with a little more force than I should have.
She looked
taken
aback. “Shane helped me pick it out.”
I was
speechless.
“I’m sorry, but you don’t—”
“Look like
the type
of person who would own a gun?”
It was hard
to argue
with that statement when it was exactly
what I was going to say. “Yes.”
“I didn’t buy
the gun
because I wanted to. Frankly, I would rather not own one. They scare me,” she
said. “But I bought one anyway because the thought of looking something evil
right in the eye and knowing that I’m more than likely going to come out on the
losing end of it terrifies me. The fear that I’ll be assaulted, or raped and
left for dead, or worse yet, that someone will try to harm my child, is the
reason I have this gun. That’s the type I am.”
I saw her
then,
really saw her. Five foot seven, maybe, but small-boned. She was wearing a
fitted V-neck T-shirt that emphasized her slight build. I could see the
prominent ridge of her collarbone and the deep hollow at the base of her throat
that I suddenly couldn’t stop looking at. She’d be no match for anyone. If she
wanted a gun, I was hardly in a position to tell her she couldn’t have one.
“I’m sorry,”
I said.
“I was out of line. It’s really none of my business what you do.”
“It’s okay.
Pam
reacted the same way you did. But I’m doing everything I can to be a
responsible gun owner. I’ve signed up for the safety class so I can learn how
to handle the gun. How to shoot it. I’ll apply for the permit as soon as I have
my certificate. I’ll go to the shooting range, and I’ll practice.”
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GIVEAWAY
ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE (INT):
ONE signed copy of On the Island, Covet, and ETITOY. Also included, a $50 gift
card to Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Also, the winner will receive an ARC of
Tracey's next work-in-progress, The Girl He Used to Know (an
adult contemporary second-chance romance novel). And finally, Tracey will either
use the winner's name in The Girl He Used to Know (first name or last name
only, or the actual real name if comfortable) OR the winner can suggest a name for a
character.
Taking her
to the
shooting range was something I could do to help her. It would also give me a
chance to spend time with her, which was something that was becoming more
appealing by the minute. I could feel the boundary between witness and reporter
starting to blur, but I really didn’t care. It had been a while since a woman
had sparked my interest the way Daisy had. “You don’t have to justify anything
to me. It sounds like you’re doing everything right,” I said. “I’ll let you
know if I hear anything on the case.”
“I would
really appreciate
that.”
Elliott put
down his
coloring book and ambled across the room.
Daisy lifted
him into
her arms. “You look tired, buddy. Are you ready for your nap?”
“I’m not
tired,”
Elliott said, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
“Oh, my
mistake,”
Daisy said, smiling at him. “I think we’ll try a nap anyway, just in case.” She
looked at me. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“It was no
problem.
I’ll see you soon.”
As I stepped
into the
hallway she said, “Brooks?”
I turned
around.
“Yes?”
“Maybe I’m
reading
this wrong, but you seem to genuinely care about my safety, and I want you to
know that I appreciate it. I need all the help I can get.”
I met her
gaze and
held it for a moment. “You aren’t reading it wrong at all. Take care, Daisy.”
She smiled
and it
illuminated her face, making every feature even prettier. She closed the door,
and I made my way down the hall.
It was true
that I
cared about Daisy’s safety. Maybe Scott DiStefano had never abused or neglected
Elliott, but Daisy’s decision to arm herself made me wonder what he’d done to her.
.png)
**The restrictions to this are that it will not be the name of a main character. It
will be a supporting or minor character. Also, this is a fictional character. It is not a
character based on the winner.
Code: <a id="rc-4a501259398" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/
rafl/display/4a501259398/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</
a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
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NGE1MDEyNTkzNmEzMjcwYWY1N2NlODA1YWVlMmE3OjM5OA==/
Tracey Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet.
She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, two
children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using
colorful language and a snarky sense of humor to write about pop culture,
silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You can e-mail her at
traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to hear from you.
About the Author:
Monday, August 4, 2014
Cherish - Cover Reveal
We
are thrilled to share the gorgeous cover for Cherish, by New York
Times Bestselling Author Tracey Garvis-Graves. This
novella is a companion to Covet.
Title: Cherish (Covet 1.5)
Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Women's Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Fans of Covet by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves will be delighted by this novella-length sequel.
When Daniel Rush wakes up in the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, the last person he expects to see at his bedside is his ex-wife Jessica. Their marriage disintegrated after the death of their infant son Gabriel, and Daniel gave Jessie what he thought she wanted: the freedom to start over with someone else. But Daniel never updated his emergency contact information, and Jessie is the one who receives the call with the devastating news.
Daniel was Jessie’s one true love. Together since college, Jessie had dreams of raising a family with Daniel, and growing old together. When Gabriel died, Jessie buried those dreams with her beloved son and shut everyone out, including Daniel.
Daniel faces months of grueling rehabilitation and he’s going to need some help. Jessie is the last person anyone expects to volunteer, but this is her one chance to make amends, giving her and Daniel a shot at getting things right this time.
The road to recovery will be long and arduous. But with Jessie leading the way, Daniel just might be able to get his old life back.
Daniel knows how to covet. But can Jessie help him remember how to cherish?
*Please note that this is a novella-length sequel. Reading Covet before Cherish is highly recommended in order to enhance your reading pleasure.
See where Daniel's story begins, with Covet
About Tracey Garvis-Graves
Tracey Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and
Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe.
She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky sense of humor to
write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You can e-mail her at
traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to hear from you.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Every Time I Think of You - cover reveal
We are so excited to share the cover for the upcoming Every Time I Think of You, by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis-Graves. We also have the first
chapter available for you to read!
Title: Every Time I Think of You
Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: 9/16/14
Add on Goodreads
Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and
her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of
violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.
Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.
Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.
And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.
Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.
About Tracey Garvis-Graves
Tracey
Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines,
Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky
sense of humor to write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You
can e-mail her at traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to hear from you.
Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.
Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.
And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.
Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.
Pre-Order Every Time I
Think of You at Amazon
Chapter One
Three-year-old
Elliott DiStefano hid underneath his mother’s bed when the shouting started. He
didn’t understand what the raised voices coming from the living room meant, but
instinct told him to hide.
No one ever
yelled in his house. Sometimes they used a different tone with him, firmer.
“Stop climbing everything, you little monkey,” his mama would say or, “It’s
time to pick up your toys and get ready for bed,” Nana would announce. Most of
the time he would do what they said, although sometimes they had to ask him
twice, especially if what he’d rather do was play a little longer. But they
never spoke to him in such a harsh way, and they never told him to shut up like
the man in the living room just did to Nana.
Elliott
clutched his favorite green army man tightly in his hand. His nana had given
him a bath after their early dinner at five, and asked if he was ready to put
on his pajamas. “I can do it myself,” he’d told her, and she’d smiled and
walked out of the bedroom he shared with Mama, closing the door behind her.
She’d promised they could watch a movie and that Elliott could have one of the
cookies they’d baked earlier that day for his bedtime snack. But then someone
knocked on the door and now there was yelling and no movie and no cookie.
The man’s
voice was scary and mean. Nana sounded like she was crying and as Elliott’s
fear grew he began to tremble. The yelling got a little louder, followed by a
crash and a thud. Then nothing. Was the bad man still there? What if he’d left
but planned to come back? Elliott could no longer hear Nana’s voice and he
wondered where she went. Did she leave? Did she go with the man? He curled
himself into a tight ball and began to cry silent tears.
He had no
way of knowing how much time had passed. It was dark under the bed and the
crying had tired him out, so he rubbed his stinging eyes and took a little nap.
When he woke up he desperately needed to go to the bathroom. His mama and Nana
had been so proud of him when he stopped wearing diapers, and he hardly ever
had accidents, but he couldn’t risk leaving the safety he’d found under the
bed. The minutes ticked by and though he tried his best to hold it, he peed in
his pajamas, soaking himself from the waist down. He started to shiver.
It was quiet
for a long time and then someone banged on the door and shouted something, but
Elliott didn’t know if that was bad or good. He heard voices in the living
room, not yelling, just talking, but he remained hidden. Mama would be home
soon and she’d know what to do. Elliott decided to wait for her under the bed.
More voices,
drawing closer. The door to the bedroom opened. Elliott froze, wondering if it
was the bad man coming to get him. He didn’t make a sound as a pair of legs
wearing dark blue pants, with a stripe down the side, came into view. If he
didn’t say a word or make any noise, maybe the person would leave.
No one would
have known he was there if he hadn’t coughed at that very moment. It was a bit
dusty underneath the bed, and Elliott already felt a little wheezy, like he
might need another dose of his medicine.
The legs bent as someone crouched down to look under the bed and Elliott
squeezed his eyes shut, terrified of what he might see.
“It’s okay.”
The man said, speaking softly. “I’m a policeman. I’m here to help. Can you come
out from under there?” Heart pounding, Elliott didn’t answer. He couldn’t.
More
footsteps. More dark blue legs. Elliott stayed put. No one was yelling, but
Elliott’s heart was still beating fast, and his body felt like Jell-O. A lady
wearing a dark blue uniform lay down on the floor next to the bed. “What’s your
name?” she asked. She sounded a little like his mama. Her smile was nice like
Mama’s, too. He didn’t think a bad person would smile at him, so he answered
her. “Ewiott,” he whispered.
“My name is
Officer Ochoa but you can call me Regina, okay?” He nodded. “How old are you,
Elliott?” she asked. Using the hand not clutching the army man he held up three
fingers.
“Three, huh?
That’s a good age. I want you to know that you’re safe and no one will hurt
you. Can you come out from under there? Here, take my hand.” She stretched out
her hand to him and he hesitated but finally touched her palm with his fingers.
She urged him gently toward her. Once he was close enough she reached in and
grabbed him by his pajama top, pulling him the rest of the way out.
Elliott
blinked and let his eyes adjust to the light. One of the officers noticed his
wet pajamas, and his shivering, and they wrapped his Thomas the Tank Engine
comforter around him, speaking in low, soothing tones.
“I want Nana
and Mama,” he said. They could barely hear him.
“What is your mama’s name?” they asked.
“Daisy,” he
said. He knew this was true because it was the name other people called her
when they said hello. And it was easy to remember because it was the name of a
flower, and he liked flowers.
“Do you know
your last name?”
He nodded.
He and Mama had practiced saying it. “DiStefano,” Elliott said. Maybe it didn’t
come out as clearly as it sounded to him because they repeated it back like a
question and he nodded.
The officers
exchanged a glance and one of them said, “Got it.” The officer who spoke
scribbled something on a pad of paper and left the room.
“We’re going
to take you to the police station and we’ll call your mom so she can come get
you,” Officer Ochoa said. “Okay?”
He wanted
his mama more than anything, so he said okay, and when she bent down and
scooped him up, comforter and all, he put his arms around her neck. She hurried
down the hallway and just before they got to the door, when he would have tried
to look for Nana to make sure she was coming too, Officer Ochoa pulled
Elliott’s head down to her chest and all he could see was the dark blue of her
uniform.
Trailer
About Tracey Garvis-Graves
Tracey
Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines,
Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky
sense of humor to write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You
can e-mail her at traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to hear from you.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
On the Island - review
Anna Emerson is a 30 year old teacher who is heading to Maldives for the summer to tutor 16 year old, cancer patient, T.J. Callahan who is currently in remission. When their plane crashes on the way to the island, the two of them must work together to survive. As each year passes and T.J. grows up into an adult, their feelings start to change. At first I had some reservations about their relationship but ultimately I found myself rooting for them. The age difference is not weird at all and nothing happens while T.J. is a minor. As a couple, they have a lot to endure and their story was just perfect.
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