Tracy had a profound influence on my life. She was a loyal friend and an excellent writer and editor. I once told her I would never submit anything for publication without her critique. A Few Degrees Off Center started as a series of unnamed short stories, but as she read and critiqued them, then encouraged me to consider writing a novel. Without her inspiration and encouragement, the stories would probably still be under construction.
Founding Mobile Writers Guild was an adventure that often brought us to laughter and frustration—it was always a joint effort without rancor, unusual in today’s world. I will always be amazed and grateful for that wonderful working relationship.
Raising children almost the same age, we made the rounds of museums, movies, plays, McDonald’s, and oh so many others. My life has been greatly enriched for having known and worked and played together.
My strongest wish is that the young adult book she almost finished, her new mystery novel, and so many short stories that she had crafted and never submitted had made it to print. Tracy had a deep desire to touch the lives of young people in a positive way and that is another way she will be remembered.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf, Tracy carried almost one hundred packages from SCBWI to the children—flashlights, stuffed animals, and, of course, books. She donated over a hundred books to the Mobile Public Library in the few years she lived here.
Tracy, you are a part of my life forever. Save me a seat in the Great Library. Mahala
