Each day leading up to the 32nd annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony, we’ll be featuring an exclusive interview with one of our 36 finalists. Learn more about these incredible local writers and gear up to see the winners announced live in person April 28.
Interview with P. J. Tracy, author of Ice Cold Heart, part of the Genre Fiction category, sponsored by Macalester College
How does it feel to be a Minnesota Book Award finalist?
Fantastic! It is an honor to get a nod from colleagues and readers, and a thrill to know I was able to entertain them.
Tell us something about your finalist book that you want readers to know?
It reaches back to the Balkan Civil War, a tragic time in history that seems to have largely fallen away from collective memory.
Share something about your writing process and preferences. For instance, where is your favorite place to write?
When I’m deep into a novel, I become a recluse, contrary to my sociable nature. I sit at the big desk P.J. and I shared for two decades, which is conveniently adjacent to the kitchen. Work and food (and sometimes wine) are necessities, sleep is optional.
Minnesota has a reputation as a state that values literature and reading. In your experience, what is it about our state that makes it such a welcoming place for writers and book creators?
I think storytelling is an inherent part of our diverse cultural history, and there is an endless supply of source material. Minnesota is extremely open to the arts in general, and that’s not something you find everywhere. And if you’re not into winter sports…
What is something you are good at that few people know about?
Sports gambling.
What do you love about libraries?
The wonderful memories they evoke. The smell of books. The silence. The devoted people who keep them alive and vibrant. Libraries are places filled with magic waiting to be discovered.
P. J. Tracy is the pseudonym of mother-daughter writing duo P. J. and Traci Lambrecht, winners of the Anthony, Barry, Gumshoe, and Minnesota Book Awards for the Monkeewrench series. They wrote together in multiple genres before P. J.’s passing in December 2016, but she remains a powerful inspiration and muse.
See the winners announced live at the Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony! Presented by Education Minnesota; media sponsor: Star Tribune.
