Last Chance Rescue named a Finalist in the Romance category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!


Last Chance Rescue: a Story of Rescue and Romance in the Colorado Rockies
Fiction romance novel by Tracey Cramer-Kelly

When Brad Sievers runs into his old friend Jessie Van Dyke at his high school reunion, little does he know how much it will change his life. When his high-powered advertising career fizzles, he falls into a most unlikely career opportunity -- becoming a member of Jessie's search-and-rescue team. Nothing in his life has prepared Brad for this, but he finds it more fulfilling than a dozen advertising campaigns.

Through dangerous rescues and personal trials, Brad and Jessie become close friends. They share in the birth of her first colt from her rescued horse; Jessie helps Brad when one of his first rescues doesn't make it. When one of their rescue victims turns out to be a fellow soldier from Jessie's Iraq War days, Brad almost loses her to old demons. But when Brad is severely injured in a training accident, Jessie nurses him back to health as only she can. And when she goes missing one night, Brad realizes just how important she has become to him.

Both Brad and Jessie must fight their own defenses to finally let down the walls that will allow them to rescue each other. This is a story about breath-taking action and adventurous lives, and the heart that is behind it all.

Written with the voice of experience, Last Chance Rescue draws on the author's own Army Reserve training and medevac experience. Tracey's ride-alongs with actual search-and-rescue teams give the thrilling rescues the energy that puts the reader right in the action. Last Chance Rescue will RIVET you from beginning to end!

Click to view Last Chance Rescue book trailer "movie" (time: 1:07 / format: Windows Media)

You will LOVE Last Chance Rescue if you like: It's not all about romance... there's also plenty of adventure:
In the Author's Words... (AKA Tracey's blog!)

Last Chance Rescue

Essay Chosen for "A Daughter's Story"

An essay I wrote about my father and his influence on my life - using our shared passion for motorcycling as the central focus - has been accepted and will be published in an anthology due out in June 2010! More details soon...


January: Prime Writing Time?
Normally January is prime writing time here in Minnesota (the weather encourages indoor activities!) - in fact, it's usually kind of boring - but I am startled (pleasantly, in some ways) by the fact that it's February already. The only writing I got done in January was a pitch letter for a major contest (less than 300 words - but it's GOOD).

We had a bout with the flu (everyone in my house, one after the other, except my son) that lasted 10 days. I finally hired help at work and have been spending a lot of time training him (which I don't particularly enjoy). And since he needed a computer, he got mine and we got a new one for ME - and it took all weekend to get the software reloaded and straighten out my email program, etc. (There's still a laundry list of smaller issues to clean up.)

I managed to read one book ("Eclipse" by Richard North Patterson) but only 72 pages into my marriage mentoring studies.

But I HAVE been enjoying time with my kids (especially swimming at the Y and making chocolate-chip cookies) ... and I'm working on another tough but really compelling scene in novel #2!


Tough Scene, Novel #2 (Dealing with Guilt)
Took me all afternoon to get it outlined. That's about two pages of actual writing! Sometimes I wonder why in the world I would want to write another book...


Reading Instead of Writing
I did a little of both over the holidays. I usually prefer books over movies, but I loved the movie "Dancing With Wolves." So I finally picked up the sequel, titled "The Holy Road" by Michael Blake.

First off, I think it would be challenging (make that daunting) to write a sequel to a novel that was made into such a popular movie.

Second, this is pretty different: Unlike Dances with Wolves, there is no ‘main character’ in this book. That is both a plus and a minus.

On the plus side, it allows Blake to share several very distinct points of view (from staunch resistance to resigned acquiescence) – which is probably a very accurate depiction of the internal struggles of the Native Americans (considering the history in play here). I was impressed by Blake's ability to do this.

On the minus side, it is difficult to empathize with any one character when you're jumping from one head to another every chapter. For me, the minus over-rode the plus – in the first story I cheered for Dances with Wolves as I got to know him and his deep struggles. Although I could feel respect toward the various characters in this novel, that strong bond between reader and character did not have a chance to form.

(I also thought the book needed a better title - there was very little to do with the railroad ("Holy Road") in this book.)


One Small Interview for (Wo)man ... One Giant Step Forward for Book
I just had a really enjoyable - and hugely productive - meeting with what I call a "SME" (Subject Matter Expert). This SME is an ex Air Force physician, and when I first met him back in July, I had put this novel (the one I'm working on now) on the backburner - even though the plot line was more than half done.

Much of that had to do with time constraints. But also, I think, I was stagnating in certain aspects of the plot. I don't feel my fiction needs to be 100% percent literal and accurate - it IS fiction, after all, and needs some room to breathe - but I do like believable settings, and understanding the settings enough to use them for character development (like flying with medevac before I wrote "Last Chance Rescue").

Meeting this particular SME really jump-started the novel. It was like a message from above: 'YES, I want you to write this story now, and I'm sending you the tools to do it.' I know it will be a better story because of this person's experience, insight - and willingness to share those with me. So thanks, SME (you'll know who you are)!


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© copyright 2008 Tracey Cramer-Kelly and Twigglecat Books. All rights reserved.