VK Tritschler - A Dream Job Turned Bad

VK Tritschler is a full-time busy body and part-time imagination conjurer. She lives on the amazing Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, having moved there from her hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand. Her family consists of a very patient husband, two rampant boys and too many pets to mention. She has a wonderful set of amazing writers who support her in the form of Eyre Writers, and in return, she offers crowd control services for the Youth section who are the future best-selling Australian authors. Her first book “The Secret Life of Sarah Meads” was released in 2018 and since then she has kept herself busy participating in the Anthology “Magic & Mischief”, publishing “The Risky Business of Romance”, participating in the NYC Writing Challenge, the Clunes Booktown, and helping to organize and run the Eyre Writers Festival. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Trade Secrets.

Please give us a short introduction to what Trade Secrets is about.

Trade Secrets is set at a marketing agency in Adelaide, South Australia. Emily, fresh faced from university, is embarking on what she thinks is her dream job. But when she meets her complicated colleagues, her bawdy boss, and the hot guy that works for the opposition company, she begins to learn that sometimes dream jobs can sometimes be a nightmare. Will she find her place in the working world, or lose everything, including her heart?

Tell us more about Emily. What makes her so special?

Emily goes through the journey of finding herself. She starts off being naïve and malleable. But as she learns the ropes at work, and with her heart, she grows stronger and makes more mature decisions. It is this change in her which makes her special.

What makes Jimmy tick?

Jimmy is a complicated character, and the kind of guy that readers either love or hate. He doesn’t have a filter, and often his thoughts fall out of his mouth before he has truly thought things through. He also doesn’t conform to social norms, making him awkward in social scenes. But he has a big heart, and he truly cares for the people in his life. And I hope this shows in the story.

You include a lot of humor in your writing. Why do you take this approach?

Laughter is important in my life. It can be used to diffuse tough situations, but also it can highlight the silly things that we do without even thinking about it. Some of the best comedy is taking a daily life task, and breaking it down into parts. We, as people, do things by habit as much as by need. There is a great deal of humour in that process. For my books I often put my characters into heightened states, and use the humour to bring them back out.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I can speak several languages, I can write books and watch tv at the same time, and I’m a part-time cat whisperer. Sometimes I use all of these skills at the same time. That’s more like a super power in my humble opinion.

You live in the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. How has this influenced your writing?

Every morning when I wake up, I get to look out across the blue water of the bay and across the rolling hill of the township. This has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world to live, and it makes me grateful. I travelled for many years, and the travelling definitely influences my writing. It gives me a chance to include these amazing places into my stories, and relive some of my experiences with my readers which is a fabulous gift.

Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

Absolutely! The new book I have coming out shortly, A Town Called Nowhere, started as a writing prompt from a fellow author. It morphed into a concept and then the characters took over. There is nothing more exciting that learning about the direction of the story as you go.

Why did you title this "Trade Secrets"?

Because this book is about the main character Emily, who is persuaded by her boss Jimmy, to spy on the competition by dating the handsome Harry. Therein she would be trading in corporate secrets. But also, I liked the idea of a play on words, with Emily constantly trading off secrets be it in her love life, or her friendships.

What is the best writing advice you've ever received?

Keep writing. I know that everyone says it, but it is so easy to get distracted and lose focus. It is far easier sometimes to properitise other things above your commitment to writing, but it comes at the detriment of your story, your writing growth and your skills. So even when I think that I can’t squeeze in another minute, I find it, and then I get down some words or ideas.

Why do you write romance? What drew you to the genre?

I have always read romance. From Austen to Mills & Boon, romance is something which I understand and connect with because its about people. When I did my degree in psychology I learnt that I have a lot of connection to how people feel, and therefore I try and use it into my writing so that the reader feels emotional pulled into the story.

What is the most romantic thing you've ever experienced/witnessed?

My parents were a great romantic gesture. My mother was travelling the world from her hometown in New Zealand when she met my father in Canada. He was from a tiny fishing town and it was his first experience in big city living when he moved to Vancouver. He asked her to marry him within days, and then flew to New Zealand (at great expense!) to meet her off her boat to make sure she would say yes. Luckily for me, she did!

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I can write anywhere, anytime and pretty much on anything. I often write while I am watching television or in a café. Noise is not an issue, the lack of an idea is the only stopping block. So if I am struggling with a storyline, I enjoy sitting in a café and people watching until inspiration hits again. It’s amazing what interactions you see in a small town coffee shop.

What are you working on right now?

I am doing final edits on my next book, A Town called Nowhere, a paranormal romance about were-panthers in Australia. It’s a little play on the idea of there being large cats roaming Australia. I have also started a new rom-com, because I love to have a light heartedly write sometimes. In my back shelf is a thriller (who knows when that might come out!) and several trilogy books which are in process. I like to keep more than one book on the go at a time, so I can write to my mood.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you? 

The best place to keep track of my latest and greatest books is on my website www.vktritschler.com – avid readers who join my newsletter also get giveaway information and secret hints and tips!