Tracey Devlyn
End Game
An FBI agent assigned to investigate a meddlesome lobbyist for her role in a possible pay-to-play scheme discovers a secret political organization willing to destroy everything to attain ultimate power—including the woman he loves.
The Writer’s Dossier – The Tracey Devlyn interviews
DOSSIER update 5/20/2024:
I’d like to openly thank Tracey for trusting me with sending her some off beat questions and going with it. She’s been a joy to work with through two Dossier releases now, and I’m really looking forward to meeting her in New York a week after END GAME is released. The world is a better place because Tracey’s in it. Please take a moment to hit up her website to see some of the great causes she supports.
DOSSIER: You’ve done contemporary and historical suspense with some spicy romance in there, but then you shifted gears into romantic suspense and created the Blackwells Series. END GAME is the fifth and final novel for now, so, what are you going to miss most about those characters and all you’ve put them through?
DEVLYN: What a tough question! I think what I’ll miss most is how the characters put family first. They annoy the hell out of each other, but, in the end, nobody messes with the Blackwells.
DOSSIER: Writers do a lot of unseen collaboration with each other, even if it’s just bouncing some ideas off each other, hanging out at conferences and talking shop, or even sharing chapters for a sanity check. How has your partnership with Adrienne Giordano gone from where it started to where it is today, and how would you value such relationships between writers still trying to break out?
DEVLYN: Adrienne and I started out as critique partners, then we became best buds and started a blog with another pal. Before long, the three of us were brainstorming books together, then someone suggested we write in the same world. Steele Ridge was born. We now have over 30 books in the series. Our third partner stepped away from writing a few years ago, so it’s just the two of us now. It’s been a wild ride. One I cherish!
Having writing partners is a great way to reach more readers and learn the art of collaboration. Publishing, whether trad, indie, or hybrid, is built on successful, collaborative relationships. Communication is not only key, it’s a must. Agents can better place your novel if they understand your professional goals. Editors can deliver the sh*t sandwich in a way that clicks for you if they know what buttons not to push. And writing partners can build amazing stories together by tapping into each other’s strengths. In my trio, one of us brought plot structure to the table, another character development, and the third twisted the hell out of everything.
Above all, writing partners must respect each other, check their egos at the door, and adapt to change. The rest is a heck of a lot of fun and hard work.
DOSSIER: We usually stick to two questions for a Dossier update, but we have to ask because people are dying to know—what’s next for you and Steele Ridge Publishing?
DEVLYN: Once END GAME publishes on May 20, we’re taking a break from Steele Ridge (after 9 years!). I know, I know—it’s a little sad and little frightening, but Adrienne and I have some passion projects that we’ve been dying to write and haven’t been able to squeeze them in between SR releases. We’re both super excited about these projects and can’t wait to share more in the near future!
Tracey Devlyn’s first Dossier, obtained and released on 9/5/2023.
DOSSIER: When you wrote FLASH POINT for the first book in the Blackwells series, how did you feel about moving from doing historical romantic suspense into writing about an FBI agent and the world of high-value asset recovery? Be honest, is there a side of you that sometimes wishes you could go through the Hogan’s Alley training range in Quantico or search for centuries-old treasure, or is the occasional kayak and hiking excursion enough?
DEVLYN: The culture shock was incredible. I’m still recovering. Who knew it would be so freeing for my heroine to be able to drop the f-bomb or fire a Glock at a baddie or refuse a third cup of tea??
DOSSIER: The day your first book came out, you went to work that morning and then answered questions on a release party blog during your lunchbreak, didn’t you? How has release day changed for you over the years now that you are a … well, USA Today bestselling author with so much more control?
DEVLYN: Nowadays, I’m writing full-time. Which means my release days are exactly the same as before, except now I don’t have to wait until my lunch break to comment, repost, or retweet—or is it reX now?
DOSSIER: When and where do you write, and what kind of environment do you prefer? (Music/silence/your own personal writing room at the Biltmore?)
DEVLYN: I much prefer the library to the music room. All that pounding on the pianoforte can be so distracting. When I’ve had my fill of the gawking tourists, you can generally find me writing away on my reMarkable tablet in my FROG hideout or on the screened-in porch with my rescue dog.
DOSSIER: When you say you’re a “pasta lover”—and this is an important point for the entire staff at The Dossier—please explain more about what you mean. Does it go as far as making your own old-world pasta dough at home with specialty curated semolina four and organic eggs, or are you just the first in line at Olive Garden waiting for the doors to open on a Tuesday?
DEVLYN: When we moved from the burbs of Chicago to the foothills of Western North Carolina three years ago, I had visions of making my own pasta. Got all the equipment I needed for Christmas one year, and I was ready to go. Then I watched a few videos and saw how much work was involved. Rust has now collected on my pasta maker.
But that’s okay. I happily visit the Asheville City Market and purchase the most amazing homemade pasta from a nice gentleman. Some say I have a keen eye for ferreting out the best pasta dishes on any menu. Could be I have an addiction. Best not to think on it too long.
DOSSIER: The Dossier believes you’re on to something by meshing in a little more romance into a traditional thriller because of the way it fills a gap in the genres. What kind of feedback have you received from thriller readers vs feedback from your earlier romance/suspense fans?
Are the thriller people all, “Ew, more killing & less kissing?” or do they secretly appreciate the break from the brooding loner whose only lover is the sacrifice of their demanding job of saving the world?
DEVLYN: So far, I’ve been saved from any “Ewww” emails. Could be I haven’t penetrated the traditional thriller market substantially enough yet. Stay tuned.
Learn more about Tracey at: Instagram | Facebook | X | Amazon author page