Author Tracy Ryanwho was born and raised there hardwick, Recently released “Wicked Nemesis of the Hunted” is her fourth book Massachusetts– The “Wicked Game of the Hunter” series. Worcester Journal Last Call caught up with Ryan to talk about books, writing, and things only locals know about.
Can you tell us about the “evil hunting enemy”?
It is the fourth in a series. The series is called The Wicked Game of the Hunter, and The Wicked Enemy of the Hunter is the fourth book in that series.
It has a lot of the same characters as the first three books, but it’s really about three main characters, Emma Sharpton, Hunter Logan, and Ryan Donovan, who are forced into a murder mystery with some corporate espionage as well. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but Emma finds herself haunted throughout the first three books, and this book picks up where they left off.
What is the premise of the series in general?
there cancer– A protective drug developed by Hunter Logan, a race against anyone who tries to steal the drug’s formula. Like I said, Emma was kidnapped and hunted down in the first three books, and Hunter and Ryan have been working to find out who really is the culprit behind all the shenanigans.
It all revolves around this cancer prevention drug that Hunter Logan and his company are developing. The “stalker/killer” in the book is pushed to do these nefarious things so they don’t know who’s behind what’s really going on, but the attempts on Emma and Hunter’s lives revolve around the cancer prevention drug and the theft of formula and ingredients.
Can you talk about your writing? What does your process look like?
I’d say it’s a little more on the dramatic side though. It is definitely exciting and fast paced. I tend to dive into character profiles, so you can really get to know the characters throughout the book, which many of my readers have told me helps them bond. I had one person tell me it was like the characters were now their friends. I do a lot of detail on making sure people understand the psychology of the characters and the actual story.
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My process is to insert bits of real life into my books. The places in the book are real. A lot of the business there is real, like the wine I talk about in my book, which is actually my friend’s winery. I’m trying to fit into real life, even though it’s obviously a fictional book, because to me that makes it more real to the reader.
For example, my hometown of Hardwicke is right there, and it was very important for me to put that in. It’s a pretty little cow town in the middle of Massachusetts that no one’s really heard of, but now, with these books, in Canada They ask me about it. The house I’m talking about in Hardwicke, that Emma grew up in, is the house I grew up in. If you can’t turn real life into fictional books, readers won’t relate to them.
Is The Hunter’s Wicked Game set entirely in Massachusetts?
set in boston, hardwick, down the head also, Waltham. One of the scenes in the first book is the house she grew up in, which is a 250-year-old colonial home. It is built on a stone foundation, not like today’s houses. Needless to say, it’s a little awful in there. I dig out that growth, because it was always scary in the basement, and here they make a big discovery involving a cancer prevention drug, which is hidden deep in the basement.
In the final book, “Enemy Villains”, there is another house in Hardwicke that used to belong to someone she grew up with. I knew that house and how it was created, and I drew on the wonderful aspects of that house. Set up like an estate, it has this long, long, long, tree-lined driveway that set the scene for what was going to happen in Enemy Villains. It is a secluded yet upscale home that people envy, but there are definitely secrets hidden in this home.
What other aspects of your life inspire your writing?
I joke with my friends, “Be careful, you might look like a character in the book.” The company that Hunter Logan acquired in the books is based on a company I used to work for. There are different places and people out there, especially people, where some of the names are 100% fictional, but half of the names are real people that I know that I was able to incorporate into the book.
You grew up in central Massachusetts and have lived here most of your life. What is your experience in the region?
Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the Worcester bar scene. My cousin and my uncle are part of Worcester Fire DepartmentSo I definitely spent quite a bit of time in the city. I don’t think Hardwick will ever change drastically. People move there to be in a very quiet rural setting.
There are no more farms, as there were when I was growing up, but Hardwicke doesn’t like change. On the one hand, it’s great, but on the other hand, they are probably missing out on opportunities. Hardwicke still has the oldest country fair in the United States, every year, the third week of August, and like clockwork, it’s the same type of event. There’s very little change going on there, which is rather nice.
What is your background as a writer?
This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I actually started writing the first book about ten years ago now. The catalyst was my father’s death and that helped me overcome that loss. Immersing myself in a fantasy world, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. When he died, she gave me the boost I needed. Life is too short, and if I want to do something, do it. I started writing.
I always wrote short stories. My mother joked that I spent more time in the library than I did at home. I’ve always been an avid reader, mostly like mysteries. I read a lot growing up, and my favorite classes at school were always creative writing classes. Whether it’s keeping a journal or writing short stories, and then having the chance to turn that creativity into books, it sure feels great to me.