Interview with Author Tracey Bateman

Congratulations for the publication of “All That Remains,” third in the new Guideposts mystery series, “Secrets of Wayfarers Inn.” 

This Guideposts series is about three friends who buy an old inn that used to be part of the Underground Railway. The setting is Marietta, Ohio. Did you do any special research about the Underground Railway in preparation for writing this book? If so, can you tell us about it?

Have you visited Marietta, Ohio? 

I haven’t. A couple of the other authors who live a little closer have and gave us some great input about local businesses and other research resources that have helped a lot.

How do you like writing what seems to be two stories—the one in the past about Prudence and the present day story? 

I’ve written a lot of historical and contemporary both in my career, and the era of slavery and the Underground Railroad is a favorite time for me to study and read about. So it came pretty naturally. Also, I’ve used the back and forth method of writing in several of my books over the years, so I enjoy bringing the past into the present.

I like how you tied the skeleton in the tunnel into the mystery in historical part of the story as well as the present day part of the story. Did the idea of the skeleton come from a real event you discovered or was it something you thought of? 

The first three books in the series came with an inciting incident for us to build on. The brilliant minds at Guideposts had already imagined the skeleton and photograph in the tunnel. I just let my imagination go and ran with it.

Is this the first book you’ve written for Guideposts? 

It is for a continuity series. Back in the day, I wrote two for the Love Finds You series for Summerside Press before they closed it down.

This mystery series, like most of the other Guideposts mystery series, is a collaborative process, from beginning to end, which isn’t the traditional model for writing a book. What were your favorite parts about the collaboration? 

I think I’m the squeaky wheel sometimes. LOL I always try to figure out how to take a thread or character from one of the other authors’ book and draw it into mine, so the readers feel a sense of recognition from book to book. I’m not sure I succeed, but I try. The best part of collaboration is seeing the talent from authors I have never read before. Becky Melby did an UH-mazing job building the foundation of the characterizations of our three amateur sleuths and the historical elements of the Inn. I’m a huge fan of hers now as a writer and a person.

Between her and Kathleen Y’Barbo (who I have been a fan of and friends with for years) it was so easy to take what they created and move forward with the character of Janice.

How does the collaborative process impact your own writing? 

Early in my attempt to become a writer, I connected with critique groups so I’ve always recognized and appreciated the benefit of brainstorming, feedback and constructive criticism. So, collaborating is right in my lane. In a series like this, we have to try to communicate so that we keep the consistency in characterizations, secondary characters, and events surrounding the inn. Hopefully, we’ve accomplished that. It’s fun to take what others imagine and build and it’s also fun to create something and see how others build from their own experience and imagination. You just can’t hold too tightly to your own ideas and try to control someone else’s process. Being flexible and willing to work as a team is easy for me.

You and I talked a little bit about your character, Janice Eastman, and how her personality developed in the book—which I thoroughly enjoyed, by the way. Can you talk about that a little bit? 

Well, Janice was an existing core member of the trio of ladies, and she had personality traits and life experiences that were already established when I got my hands on her. I was privileged to be the one to take what Becky and Kathleen had already begun, and make her into a flesh and blood character. They had already made her fun and quirky and fearful. The lovable “little sister” character. But as she was written, she couldn’t really carry a whole book from her point of view. So, I wanted to know why she was those things. I took her deeper than her quirks, because as individuals, we are the sum of dark and light, deep and surface. She was a pastor’s wife for thirty years, a teacher, and raised two kids. She had to be more than a scardy cat with a few screws loose. J With her husband gone, she’s not a pastor’s wife anymore, and she’s just retired from teaching, so two huge pieces of her identity puzzle have been removed. I wanted to explore who she is deep down and let her establish her identity as a strong widow, part business owner, and mom and grandmother. I loved getting to know her.

Did you get to know your character Janice as you wrote the book or did you have her pretty much fleshed out before you began? 

For me, I learn my characters the way I learn the new people in my life. I just ask questions and let the answers unfold. I had to work a bit to find some of her answers.

Did you come up with the title, All that Remains, or was it assigned to you? 

It was assigned. But I couldn’t have come up with a more appropriate title in a million years. Not only did the existing title help me plot the book, but it also gave me the theme.

In the reader’s note at the end of the book, you posed the question, what is left when our identity is suddenly gone? . . .And your answer gave me goosebumps. When you are stripped to nothing, all that remains is this: you and Jesus. . .That was beautiful. 

Thank you. I’ve gone through my own “stripping” over the last couple of years and found that this was the perfect book for me to write. God used it to speak some real truths to me and deepen my personal relationship with Him. I always tend to pass my lessons along.

Do you have a website and/or Facebook page where people can find you? 

My website is being redone—slowly—but Facebook is a good place to find me. Or email. Author4god@gmail.com

Thank you, Tracey! I look forward to your next book in the series!

You can find Tracey's book at this link: All That Remains