Who Is My Neighbor? Tracy Krauss

With this question, I am sure you are expecting some kind of reference to the story of the 'Good Samaritan'. While it is one of my favorite Bible stories, I'm actually going to tell you about a current writing project called NEIGHBORS - a series of short novella length stories that I'm writing published by Helping Hands Press.

This series is dedicated to anyone who has ever had to pull up stakes and move, or to anyone who feels like they don’t fit. As a person who has moved multiple times, I know how hard it can be. The good news is, if God is with you, you are always at home.

The story itself takes place in Calgary and was inspired by my love of 'people watching'. Airports, waiting rooms, shopping malls –these are ripe fields for the student of human nature. It was during one of these ‘research’ sessions that I started a list of possible characters that might make an appearance in one of my novels. As I began to flesh some of these people out, it dawned on me that I had an entire community. What if they lived in the same neighbourhood where they could interact? I soon realized that several characters had their own unique story to tell, perhaps not long enough for a full-length novel, but perfect for a series. Thus NEIGHBORS took shape.

To date, the first three volumes have been released and there are six more to come. Volume 1- New In the Neighborhood is about displaced rancher Lester Tibbett, who has moved to the city with his teenaged sister to get a job on a construction crew. Life is far more complicated than what he is used to, especially when he finds himself attracted to a mysterious woman who is out of his reach.

Volume 2 Stuck In the Neighborhood is told from Professor Sherri Chan's point of view. As the youngest member on the faculty of a small college, she has always taken pride in her ability to rise to any challenge, until her boyfriend proposes and her life goes into a tailspin.

In Volume 3 Sneaking Around the Neighborhood, Lester's younger sister Patsi gets into trouble when she starts hanging around with a rich friend from school and her handsome older brother.

Volume 4 Working the Neighborhood should be releasing this month and Volume 5 Back In the Neighborhood is in the production queue. Four more installments round out the series with the possibility of another entire book if all goes well.

I hope you enjoy meeting this varied, sometimes quirky, cast. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author, playwright, artist and teacher, with several best selling and award winning novels to her credit. Tracy received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Saskatchewan with majors in Art, and minors in History and English. Apart from her many creative pursuits, she directs an amateur theater group and leads worship at her local church. She and her husband, an ordained minister, have lived in many remote and unique places in Canada's north, and currently live in northern British Columbia. For more visit her website: http://tracykrauss.com