Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .

What drew you to the genre you write?
I’ve always loved mysteries. When my sister and I were little, she would dress up like Sherlock Holmes—the Basil Rathbone version—and we’d make up mysteries to solve. As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve become much less fond of graphic violence. I still want a real mystery, one that makes me think and gives me enough clues to try to solve it along with the characters, but I don’t necessarily want to see all the gruesome details! That’s one of the things I love about cozy mysteries. I also love small communities where everyone knows everyone—and, underneath all the gossip and disagreements, they genuinely care about one another. Add some British humor and a setting I’d like to visit, and I’m very happy.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I’ve been writing in one form or another for most of my life. I started keeping a diary when I was twelve, and as a teenager I wrote plays that I convinced my siblings to perform for our family. In my early twenties, around the time I began working in a library, I started writing short stories. I also wrote a children’s book for a college literature class that I’ve held onto all these years. Then life, work, and family took over for quite a while, but the stories never really went away. Maggie Penrose had been living in my imagination in one form or another for more than thirty years, and eventually I decided it was time to finally put her on paper. Apparently, she was very patient. That became The Secrets of Seaward Grange.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I’ve had a pretty varied working life. I spent about six years working in a library and the better part of twenty-five years in early childhood education, with a little retail mixed in along the way. I now work in public-sector consulting and also handle social media and digital communications for my church. Looking back, I think all those years spent working with different people and personalities probably gave me more material for writing than I realized!

How many books do you have published?
I currently have one published novel, The Secrets of Seaward Grange, the first book in the Maggie Penrose Mystery series. The second, The Marked Page, is scheduled for release on October 10.

Where do you write?
Most of my writing happens at my desk on my Mac, usually with instrumental music playing in the background and something caffeinated within reach. My desk isn’t exactly an elegant author’s retreat—it’s usually covered with folders from work, church projects, and whatever I’m currently doing with my books! But I also write wherever an idea finds me. If something comes to me, I’ll put it in the notes on my phone. That happens pretty much anywhere, actually. Phone, computer, sticky note—if I have an idea, I have to get it down before it disappears.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
I really don’t have just one. I love mysteries, historical fiction, and the classics, but I’ll read just about anything if the story interests me. For me, it’s less about the genre and more about finding a story and characters that pull me in.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m part of the puppet ministry at my church! It’s called Hands of Friendship, and I write the scripts as well as perform. So apparently writing mysteries isn’t enough—I also spend part of my time writing dialogue for puppets.

Who is an author you admire?
I don’t think I have one particular author I’d single out.

Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
I’m probably still a beginning writer myself, so I’m not sure I’m qualified to give anyone advice! Publishing my first novel was terrifying. Writing a book is such a personal thing that putting it out into the world felt a little like publishing my diary and inviting strangers to read it. I’m still learning to get past that fear. So I suppose my advice would be: don’t wait until you’re no longer afraid. Write the story you want to write, let yourself be proud of finishing it, and then be brave enough to let someone else read it. I’m still working on that last part myself.

What is next for you?
Next up is The Marked Page, the second book in the Maggie Penrose Mystery series, which I’m planning to release on October 10. And Maggie isn’t finished with me yet! I already have several more mysteries planned for her and the residents of Porth Merryn.

Where can we find you?
You can find me on Facebook at The Penrowe Society, where I share news about the Maggie Penrose mysteries along with little glimpses of life in Porth Merryn. The Secrets of Seaward Grange is available on Amazon.

Now to have some fun . . .

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast

Fruits or vegetables
Fruits

Sweet or salty snacks
Sweet

Ice cream, cake, or pie
Cake, especially cheesecake!

Cooking, baking, or dining out
Cooking

City life or country living
Country Living

Beach or mountain
Mountains, unless the beach is in Cornwall!

Early bird or night owl
Early bird

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Fall

Extrovert or introvert
Introvert

And even more fun . . .

What is your favorite movie?
I could never pick just one! I have a whole list of movies I watch over and over. Apparently my taste runs from Hobbits to Jane Austen to dinosaurs to pirates to Klingons with quite a lot in between.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
An endless supply of books, an endless supply of notebooks and pens, and a greenhouse. I’d bring my Maltipoo, Sam, but he’d hate the heat.

My bio:
Tracy O’Shields is the author of The Secrets of Seaward Grange, the first book in the Maggie Penrose Mystery series. A lifelong lover of mysteries and stories, she created the fictional Cornish village of Porth Merryn as the sort of place she’d happily disappear to—murders notwithstanding. When she isn’t writing, Tracy works in public-sector consulting, handles digital communications for her church, and spends time with her family and dogs. She lives in South Carolina, where she is usually surrounded by books, half-finished projects, and something caffeinated. The Marked Page, the second Maggie Penrose mystery, is planned for release in October 2026.