Tracey Garvis Graves has a story with heart...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

I came to Tracey Garvis-Graves's books a bit late. However, I have loved the ones I've read so far, which include her latest and greatest novel, The Trail of Lost Hearts. (See my five-star review.)  I currently have her debut, On the Island, in my five-book pile and I look forward to reading it soon. I hope to read her other books that I missed, as well. In the meantime, I'm excited to share a signed copy of Trail, courtesy of Tracey!

Tracey Garvis Graves is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and international bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into thirty-six languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, White-Hot Hack, The Girl He Used to Know, Heard It in a Love Song, and The Trail of Lost Hearts. She is hard at work on her next book. (Bio courtesy of Tracey's website.)

Visit Tracey online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:

Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching—the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects—is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life.

Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe—or men in general—but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.

What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"I cannot get enough of Tracey Garvis Graves. She just keeps getting better and better." 

―Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six

"Tracey Garvis Graves has crafted a powerful story of resiliency and the strength of the human spirit. A poignant, heartfelt read." 

―Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestselling author of When We Let Go

"I've yet to read a Tracey Garvis graves book I didn't devour and cherish with my whole heart." ―Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate Equation

"Tracey Garvis Graves is a master!" 

―Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing The Trail of Lost Hearts?
The biggest reward was how the story turned out. I had a vision that I was working toward, and seeing it finally come alive on the page felt amazing. The biggest challenge was NOT seeing it come alive in the first several drafts and becoming frustrated. I rewrote the entire book at least twice because I just couldn't get it to work at first.  

Did you know much about geocaching before writing The Trail of Lost Hearts? If not, what inspired you to write about it?
Much like Wren's comments in the book, I'd heard the term and knew what it meant, but that's where my knowledge ended. But I initially pictured this story as more of a heist tale with the characters involved in a competition, of sorts. This led me down the path of needing something for the hero or heroine to abscond with before the other character could get to it. The seed of the initial idea eventually led me to geocaching. I became a huge fan of the activity while writing the book and bought the paid version of the geocaching app. Looking for urban caches in my downtown neighborhood delighted me, and I look forward to finding more when I'm out walking or hiking this spring. Also, side note, heist novels are really difficult to write! 

If you could tell the debut novelist version of yourself one thing, what would it be?
You will need to break in all over again with every new book you write. Publishing does not hold spots, so be prepared to earn yours with every new manuscript if you want to stay in the industry. 

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
I recently finished reading the biographies of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk written by Walter Isaacson. I also read Bad Blood by John Carreyrou about Elizabeth Holmes and her Theranos startup. They were fascinating, hubris-filled, often cautionary storylines with a ton of overlap in the traits of all three people. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Sarah Jessica Parker. As a massive Sex and the City fan, her voiceover would feel like listening to an old friend.  

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I would take you on a walking tour of my urban neighborhood and point out the first geocache I ever found. I'd make sure to point out our state capitol building that looks over downtown Des Moines and is known for its dome covered in thin sheets of twenty-three-carat gold. I'd also take you to my neighborhood bookstore and my favorite place to buy cupcakes.  

Thanks to Tracey for chatting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends April 1st at midnight EST.

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