Teresa (Tracy) Grant studied British history at Stanford University and received the Firestone Award for Excellence in Research for her honors thesis on shifting conceptions of honor in late fifteenth century England. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her young daughter and three cats.
In addition to writing, Tracy works for the Merola Opera Program, a professional training program for opera singers, pianists, and stage directors. Her real life heroine is her daughter Mélanie, who is very cooperative about Mummy’s writing. Tracy is currently at work on her next book chronicling the adventures of Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch.
e-mail Tracy
That’s the short version of my bio. The longer version is that I’ve been making up stories as long as I can remember and writing them down since third grade when we were assigned writing a story in class and I realized I had a wealth of characters and plots inside my head.
My mother, a social psychologist (as was my father), loved books and read out loud to me a great deal. We also went to the movies a lot as a family, particularly old movies. When I was six, we saw the Laurence Olivier-Greer Garson “Pride and Prejudice”. I loved it and immediately wanted to read the book (or rather have it read to me). My mom said “I’m not sure you’ll like it, but we can try”. I thought it was wonderful—to me, at that age, it was a story about girls (older than me but young enough that I could identify with them) dealing with their sisters and parents, growing up, falling in love. (Every time I reread “Pride and Prejudice” I get different things from it, but I was totally hooked at the age of six).
A family trip to England and Scotland the next year helped cement my love of British history. My mom and I went on to read all of Jane Austen and then my mom discovered Georgette Heyer’s Regency-set novels and introduced me to them. Even when I was reading on my own, we still tended to read the same books and talk about them. On a family vacation when I was thirteen (and we were both engrossed in Anthony Trollope’s Palliser series) we began to plot a Regency romance together. We worked on it off on and on for several years, while my mom was running a project to study school violence and I was going to high school, studying theater, writing a play and a (never published) alternative history historical fantasy series, and being a teenager.
I went on to college at Stanford where I majored in history (specializing in the late fifteenth century for the never-published historical fantasy series, though I learned a huge amount about historical research that’s been invaluable in researching the Regency era). The summer between my sophomore and junior years in college, my mom and I went back to our Regency romance in a very focused way. We sold it (to our own amazement) the next winter. That book, “The Widow’s Gamibt”, was published in May 1988, just before I graduated from Stanford.
My mom and I went on to write seven Regency romances and four novellas under the name Anthea Malcolm and one Regency/Peninsular War-set historical romance, “Dark Angel”, under the name Anna Grant. Co-writing with my mom was a wonderful experience. We spent hours doing research, pouring over plot outlines, comparing drafts; we laughed a lot (we also argued more than we ever did about mother-daughter stuff :-)) and we built on each other’s ideas.
My mom died in 1995. I went on to write three historical romances as Tracy Grant. But I found that elements of historical fiction and historical mystery were creeping more and more into my romances. My mom had introduced to the British “golden age” mysteries by writers such as Dorothy Sayers, Marjorie Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. Those are still some of my favorite books—particularly the ones where there’s a love story threaded through the mystery series and a romantic partnership involved in the mystery solving. The summer between high school and college I discovered Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles and introduced my mom to them (leading to endless discussions–I was so excited to meet my fellow writer Penelope Williamson and find she also loved the Dunnett books and then to discover the online community so I could talk about them more).
By the time I finished my last historical romance, “Rightfully His”, I realized that what I really wanted to write was an historical suspense novel with a love story in it but with room for the sort of intricate suspense plot I’ve always loved in mysteries and the in intricately-detailed social and political historical background I’ve always loved in historical fiction. That was the beginning of the Charles & Mélanie Fraser/Malcolm & Suzanne Rannoch books.
Photos:
Raphael Coffey Photography
Kristen Loken Photography
Piece of Heart Photography
Tracy Grant - Novelist 
May 9, 2009 at 8:42 pm
[…] About Tracy […]
December 21, 2010 at 4:37 pm
[…] seem rather appropriate that the book goes from one Tracy to another. To claim your prize, just email Tracy Grant and she’ll send it right along to […]
March 27, 2011 at 7:35 pm
I am looking for a way to sign up to be notified of new site entries. I hope this works.
Thanks,
KS
March 27, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Kathy, you should be able to subscribe to the RSS feed for Dear Reader and when I post a new Dear Reader I post a new Fraser Correspondence, so you’d be notified of both. You just click the “subscribe by email” at the bottom of one of the Dear Reader posts (one of the individual posts). I also always post on Twitter and Facebook when I post a site update, so following me on one or both of those is another way to be updated.
Thanks so much for wanting to stay up to date on the site! Let me know if you need more info.
April 2, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Tracy:
My best bud and critique partner just gifted me with a copy of Beneath a Silent Moon, which she says she loved. I clicked on your blog and now remember you and your mom coming to the (then) Monterey Bay RWA chapter. I will sign up for updates.
April 2, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Hi Suzanne! I have such fond memories of speaking at the Monterey Bay RWA with my mom, and I remember meeting you and how nice you all were to us. So glad your friend gave you Beneath a Silent Moon. Let me know what you think!
July 20, 2011 at 12:49 am
Hi Tracy;
I’ve joyfully stumbled upon “Vienna Waltz” and am already enjoying it (only to about pg 30 or so). I’ve read all of L Willigs books, so I most excited to read all of yours!
Cheers, Denise
July 20, 2011 at 1:42 am
So glad you found Vienna Waltz and are enjoying it, Denise! Do keep me posted as you read. Lauren’s books are so wonderful, I’m always thrilled when a reader who likes her books enjoys mine.
July 22, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Just wanted to let you know that the Anthea Malcolm books are on my “keepers” shelf – I reread them at least once a year.
July 23, 2011 at 7:32 am
That’s wonderful to know, Karen! Do you have a favorite of the Anthea Malcolm books?
July 25, 2011 at 2:42 pm
If I had to pick it would be between “The Widow’s Gambit,” “A Touch of Scandal,” and “An Improper Proposal.” But what I love about the series as a whole was how when you put them all together, it became a complete picture of the politics of the time.
July 25, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I love your comment about liking the whole series because of the picture of the politics of the time, Karen. My mom would be thrilled as well. if you don’t mind a couple of more questions, when you reread the books do you reread in the order they take place in or in the order in which they were published? And do you have favorite characters?
July 27, 2011 at 3:40 am
I have once or twice attempted to re-read them in the order that they take place (it took me a couple years to get hold of all of them from used book stores as they were out of print … and it’s a lot harder now, as my copy of The Courting of Philippa was loaned to a friend and never came back to me ~sob). I’ve never been sure that I managed to read them in the exact correct order. It was kind of like a logic problem. My best guess of chronological order was as follows:
The Counterfeit Heart
A Touch of Scandal
An Improper Proposal
The Widow’s Gambit
A Sensible Match
The Courting of Philippa
Frivolous Pretence
But I’m not entirely sure where The Widow’s Gambit fits in because it didn’t mention a year.
In any case, I usually read them by mood. If I want something that is closer to a romantic comedy, I’ll re-read The Widow’s Gambit, if I want more of a love story, I’ll re-read A Touch of Scandal, and if I want to read something closer to a mystery, I’ll re-read An Improper Proposal. The other ones get re-read more in an order of which one it has been the longest since the last re-read. I don’t know if I have ever read them in the exact order they were published.
My all time favorite is probably Livia because she’s so clever and always comes up with a plan; but I also like the tenacity and bravery of Fiona; and Rachel is fun because I’ve never before seen a character who is a theater manager (they always seem to be actresses or playwrights). But I’ve also always liked Edwina, Gwendolen, Francesca and Simon.
July 27, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Thanks for replying, Karen! Yes, that’s the order. It’s:
The Counterfeit Heart (1812)
A Touch of Scandal (1813)
An Improper Proposal (1814)
The Widow’s Gambit (1816)
A Sensible Match (1818)
The Courting of Philippa (1819)
Frivolous Pretence (1820)
Have you read the four novellas? The last one, Fit for a Prince, has Simon as the hero and is set in 1824.
I love all the characters, but Francesca was always a special favorite. She appears or is mentioned in all the books.
July 28, 2011 at 4:27 am
I have read the novellas (and I had to hunt for the one with Simon’s story!). 🙂
Right now I’m reading Vienna Waltz and much enjoying it (I’d read the first two books in that series a little while ago, and was happy to see you now have new releases in Nook format).
July 28, 2011 at 8:19 am
So glad you found the novellas! And that you’re enjoying Vienna Waltz. Yes, The Mask of Night, which follows Daughter of the Game/Secrets of a Lady, is now available in Nook format, which I’m really excited about.
August 21, 2011 at 10:36 pm
I do not have nook or kindle – I enjoy reading books in a tangible form. How can I get your Mask of Night in a book format?
August 22, 2011 at 1:52 am
Thanks for your interest in Mask of Night, Shelly, Unfortunately, at this point it is only available in Kindle and Nook format. You can download a free Nook or Kindle app that lets you read a Nook or Kindle book on your computer (or phone or iPad), but that still wouldn’t give you the book in tangible form. I’m hoping if the ebook does well enough, a print publisher will pick the book up and bring out a print copy.
February 29, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Hi Tracy,
I’m writing to invite you to promote Imperial Scandal
in a guest blog at RomCon. You would have the option of offering an original blog or a sneak peak of your new release to our avid romance readers. If you’re interested, please visit our “be a guest blogger” under the blog section of http://www.romconinc.com
Thanks!
CJ Snyder
Blog Assistant
March 1, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Thanks so much, CJ! I will check out the link. I’d love to be a guest blogger.
April 10, 2012 at 1:25 am
Dear Tracy,
I stumbled across your books last fall and tore through them rather quickly. I sought out your site to get some clarity on the character and author name change between the different books. I had to leave a comment when I read that you are a fan of the Dorothy Dunnett Lymond Chronicles which is a much treasured series for me. I’m looking forward to future releases from you.
April 10, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Any chance of getting the Anthea Malcolm books & novellas released as ebooks? Pretty please? My copies are in tatters.
April 10, 2012 at 6:23 pm
That’s so lovely to hear, Melanie! It’s always particularly nice when readers are also fans of books that have influenced me. So glad you found my books. And as you may have seen on the website, my four-month-old daughter is also named Mélanie!
April 10, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Thanks for asking about the Anthea Malcolm books, Lynn! Yes, I do plan to release them as ebooks. Scanning and proofing reading is time consuming so I need to fit it in around my writing schedule. But knowing there are readers who want them is a definite incentive!
May 4, 2012 at 10:17 pm
I love Tracy’s books but buying on the Kindle, I have no idea in which order
to read the Charles/Melanie Fraser. The first one I read was Imperial Scandel and now I know that Beneath a Silent Mon should be No.1
Is that correct? And in what order should I be reading the Fraser books?
Sandy M
May 5, 2012 at 6:09 am
So glad you enjoy my books, Sandy! Charles & Mélanie Fraser and Malcolm & Suzanne Rannoch are basically the same characters. The chronological order of the books is
Vienna Waltz – November 1814
Imperial Scandal – June 1815
Beneath a Silent Moon – June/July 1817
Secrets of a Lady (originally Daughter of the Game) – November 1819
The Mask of Night – January 1820
Hope that helps! There’s more information in the FAQ on my website, and also feel free to post more questions or email me through the About Tracy page.00000000
June 24, 2012 at 6:52 pm
I have read all your books with delight- but would love it if you would move forward in time from 1820. Charles and Melanie (sorry, can’t think of them as Malcolm and Suzanne!) have a lot more complex historical events to live through. I would like to see how their relationship develops under the pressure of further French upheavals, say up to 1831? Also how are David and Simon going to fare if David has to marry for dynastic reasons?
June 24, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Thanks so much for posting, Michele – I’m thrilled you found the books and enjoy them. I defintiely want to move the series forward beyond 1820. My plan is to move Malcolm & Suzanne forward to a place equivalent to Charles & Mélanie in 1820. This will mean going through some of the same revelations but in different ways (for instnace, Malcolm will learn Suzanne was a French spy but without Colin being kidnapped and Malcolm will react somewhat differently). It will be challenge to do it without repeating myself, but I’m also really excited to explore those revelatins again now I know the characters better. I anticipate that taking one or possibly two books. Then I’ll be able to right in 1820 and beyond – I already have the first post Mask of Night book plotted and ideas for several others. David and Simon’s relationship and the pressure on David to marry is definitely something I want to explore and in fact as I envisage the series, the developments in their relationship will impact Mel & Charles/Suzette & Malcolm. So yes, lots more to explore and I look forward to doing it! Meanwhile, I hope you’ll continue to enjoy their back story. A novella about their wedding, HIS SPANISH BRIDE, will be out in late November, and the THE PARIS AFFAIR, set in post-Waterloo Paris, will be out next April.
August 10, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Quite a nice “About” page. I really enjoyed the part about your writing with your mother. Though I never wrote with mine, we had a similar friendship, I think. She’s the one who got me into movies, too, then I turned it about and got her into Bollywood film with me. I miss her.
I haven’t read any of your books yet, but I think I must. On a post on the History Hoydens blog, you said you loved Sally Watson books as a kid (Jade) and here you say you liked Georgette Heyer novels (my favorite is Venetia)…the next thing you know, you’ll be saying you liked Anya Seton (Katherine)and I will begin to think we shared the same bookcase! With those “references” I’m bound to enjoy your work.
Jenny Ketcham
Filmigoris.net
August 10, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Hi Jenny, nice to “meet” you! So glad you found my site. How great you shared movies with your mother. I’m so looking forward to introducing my daughter to my favorite movies and books (and plays and operas) as she grows up. Wonderful to meet someone else who loves Sallie Watson and Georgette Heyer. Venetia is one of my favorites as well, along with The Grand Sophy and An Infamous Army. As for Sallie Watson’s books, along with Jade I particularly liked Hornets’ Nest and Lark. I did like Katherine as well. I wouldn’t say it was as formative for me as Georgette Heyer or Sallie Watson or Dorothy Sayers or Dorothy Dunnett, but definitely a book I enjoyed.
September 13, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Tracy,
I am enjoying your site. you are living some of my dreams. I am fluent in French, lived in Paris for a year, lived in Istanbul for three weeks, my BF is Turkish 🙂 and I am a writer who majored in English, minored in French. I am a single Mom of a beautiful teenage daughter, Christina. I would love to be an opera singer and I sing to strangers all the time on my daily errands. I have an idea for my book–finally!!! historical novel. I was googling and saw your site. You have a typo in your BIO the word “three” is in there too many times in the cat sentence.Love, TracIE
October 3, 2012 at 12:08 am
Thanks so much for posting, Tracie! How exciting you have an idea for an historical novel. Does it involve opera? You have a wonderful background for a writer!
And thanks for pointing out the typo – yikes! Will get it fixed.
December 12, 2012 at 1:43 am
Dear Tracy
Thank you for your quick reply!
Any thing you can do to help me buy “His Spanish Bride” will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you again
Cathy Peirce
February 15, 2013 at 4:26 am
I’m a new fan of Malcolm and Susanna and was delighted to find your websight. Even more so to discover your love of Dorothy Dunnett’s stories, which in my eyes are some of the best historical novels around. I haven’t read your other books, mostly because I didn’t realize they were connected. But I will now!! Your books contain something most historical mysteries do not – great attention to history’s details. As a fellow Anglophile, I’m always concious of that aspect. Thanks so much for some really great reads.
February 16, 2013 at 2:20 am
Thanks so much, Imhess! I always find it flattering when Dunnett readers enjoy my books :-). I have a degree in history and research and weaving historical details into the texture of the book are some of my favorite parts of the writing process. Do stay in touch and let me know how you like the other books. How did you find the Malcolm & Suzanne series in the first place?
February 17, 2013 at 12:30 am
I found them “browsing at the library”. I retired recently and a dear friend and fellow reader said I shouldn’t just zip in and out when I go there but take time to find new things to read. We’re lucky in that our library puts stickers on the spine indicating genre…i.e. mystery, western, fantasy, etc. I always pluck those mysteries off the shelf and look them over. When I picked up the first – Vienna Waltz – I was immediately reminded of Deanna Raybourn and Tasha Alexander. Good adventure, twists and turns, just enough romance but not too much, and a good page-turning plot!! Bravo – you met the criteria. Oh yes, and great characters. Thanks again and I’ll let you know how I like the others.
March 21, 2013 at 4:10 am
Tracy, I promised to come back and wanted you to know that I found a copy of Silent Moon on Amazon and a copy of Secrets.. at my nearest Hastings. What was curious about Hastings is that you are not classified as a mystery – just straight fiction. I thought the mystery/suspense of Vienna Waltz and Imperial Scandal were the real strengths of the tales. Anyway, I’m ready to read on…
Also, I’ve taken the time to read more deeply into your site – it’s filled with interesting stuff!!! I loved the section where you were talking about reading a series in the proper order. Very interesting to know that others look at that habit differently. I’m compulsive – I need my books in order. The lady you wrote about who read Francis Crawford of Lymond out of order amazed me – until I remembered that each story was pretty self contained. Ah, well…It’s great that we readers are all so different! Thanks again for this great site!
March 24, 2013 at 1:33 am
Thank you so much for reporting back, Imhess! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the books and the site. It is interesting how readers are different – I think each reader collaborates with the author in a way and reads a slightly different version of the book because they bring their own thoughts and experiences to to story and fill in the blanks differently. As you’ve probably seen, I now have an enovella out, His Spanish Bride, about Malcolm and Suzanne’s wedding, and The Paris Affair, which picks up after Imperial Scandal, will be released on Tuesday.
March 24, 2013 at 4:36 am
Sadly, until I spring for a Kindle, I can’t read “Spanish Bride”. But as soon as I save up my pennies and get one, I’ll be downloading it to enjoy! Lauren Willig has a book I want as well, but it’s only in e-book form. And I’m looking forward to “The Paris Affair”. Thanks for the suggestions!!
March 30, 2013 at 12:06 am
If it’s any help, you can download a free Nook or Kindle app that lets you read ebooks on your computer, phone, or tablet, Imhess. I read books on my iPad and rather to my surprise I find I love it.
March 30, 2013 at 6:27 am
Ooooh, Tracy – I didn’t know. Thanks for the tip. I’m on it!!!
June 17, 2013 at 10:46 pm
Dear Tracy, I still can’t find His Spanish Bride, and so would be most grateful if it would be at all possible to mail me a copy as you suggested. If it is, please let me know the cost and where to send it. I have just finished the Paris affair and as always thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks, Antoinette
June 17, 2013 at 11:11 pm
So glad you enjoyed The Paris Affair, Antoinette! If you email me through the email Tracy link at the top of the page, I’ll be more than happy to arrange to get you a copy.
June 15, 2015 at 1:08 pm
I just wanted to tell you I just discovered your Rannoch series-picked up Daughter of the Game in my cancer clinic last week and IMMEDIATELY ordered the others print and what I could not get in print–on Kindle-though I am not thrilled with E books. Is London Gambit a new book or the working title of a previous book. I am busy going thru all your blogs
June 15, 2015 at 9:06 pm
I’m so glad you discovered the series, Patti, and that you are enjoying it! Thank you!! London Gambit was my working title for The Berkeley Square Affair. But it’s a good title – I may use it for the book I’m writing now!
Thanks for posting and do stay in touch!
Tracy
September 16, 2018 at 8:02 am
Tracy, I am enjoying The Duke’s Gambit. But I spotted what may be an error in chapter 11, about Malcolm and Harry’s visit to Lord Beverston. They have apparently travelled to Surrey but Beverston says he didn’t know Malcolm was in Ipswich. Ipswich is in Suffolk not Surrey. Are you sure you mean Surrey?
Looking forward to the next book!
October 18, 2021 at 2:53 am
Hi Susan,
Sorry for the delayed reply – I missed this! You are quite right and good catch. I changed some locations around in late revisions an missed that in the final edits.
Hope you continue to enjoy the series!
Warmly,
Tracy
October 18, 2021 at 8:33 am
I’d forgotten all about this! Loving the series, Tracy, please continue writing. All the best Susan Healy Sent from Samsung tablet.
October 18, 2021 at 1:12 am
I am reading the Rannoch / Fraser books in order – and find it interesting that Malcolm / Charles’ 2 best friends from school are what today we would think of as gay (the identity didn’t really exist until later) — what it says about his sense of himself as an outsider. Also, if Raoul is also Colin’s father – that makes him both Colin’s father and grandfather.
October 18, 2021 at 2:52 am
Hi Marianne,
Thanks so much for posting! I agree, I think it says a lot about Malcolm that a lot of his friends are outsiders in various ways. And yes, Raoul is both Colin’s father and grandfather- which I think both complicates that situation and in some ways makes it easier as Raoul can slid into a role as Colin’s grandfather without stepping on Malcolm’s feet as his father.
Did you know there’s a GoodReads Group for the series? It would be great to have you join!
https://www.goodreads.com/group/topics_by_user/173472-tracy-grant-book-club?user_id=276963-tracy
Cheers,
Tracy