the many
faces of Tracy
Sri Lankan Tales and Curries
I'm British but my dad was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and was one of six kids—yep, a big, bustling family. Growing up, my Sri Lankan nan would whip up the most amazing curries you've ever tasted. Dad would always regale me with tales from his childhood, like riding to school on the back of a giant tortoise (still not sure if that's fact or fiction!) and having monkeys frolic around in his garden like it was no big deal. It's these incredible stories and flavours that have shaped who I am today... and my writing, too.
From Cellar Vampires to brad pitt
Even as a kid, I was adamant I'd be a writer. I was told by my mum this came from 'Papa', my grand grandad who was a London bus driver and would regale my grandad and his sisters with amazing stories before bedtime. I used to chop up my mum's Littlewoods magazines to create my own quirky characters for books. My first literary masterpiece? A gripping saga about a girl discovering two vampires chilling in her cellar. After graduating from university with an English Literature degree, everyone told me making it as an author was a moonshot, especially with no financial cushion. So I got a job in PR, still getting my writing fix by crafting press releases while brushing shoulders with a celeb or two (or three. Hi, Brad Pitt!). Finally, I broke into journalism and climbed my way up to being an editor at a travel mag, globetrotting the world.
Wagging, Buzzing, Scurrying
If you peek into my life, you'll find it's filled with the pitter-patter of furry feet and the flutter of wings. I've always had a dog by my side—no home feels complete without a wagging tail and those big, loving eyes, am I right? But it's not just about pets for me. My front garden is like a five-star hotel for all sorts of animals: hedgehog houses, fox-feeding stations, and even a mini picnic bench for the local squirrels. And let's not forget the wildflowers! Got to keep those bees and butterflies happy too. And–brace yourself for this one—I recently reared maggots into flies. I know, sounds gross as hell, but it was strangely captivating.
Loss and love
I'm a full-time author now, writing from the home I share with my police detective husband (handy for a crime author), my 10-year-old daughter (who's mad about cosplay), and our fluffy King Charles Cavalier (who thinks she's royalty, and who am I to argue?). But there's someone else who influences me too, though she's not physically here: my mum, who we lost in 2021 to that bastard, cancer. The grief altered something fundamental in me; almost as though I went through a metamorphosis, like the insects I so love. I'm still figuring out who the 'new me' is, but the transformation has had a profound impact on my writing too—deepening it, giving it new shades of emotion and meaning... and a new darkness too, hence my Dr Vanessa Marwood series. Even though there have been tough times, as I sit down to write each day, surrounded by my loving family, I feel both anchored and free. Anchored by the love around me and the responsibilities of daily life, yet free to explore the emotional landscapes my mum's memory and my own changes have opened up.
