Bateman, Tracey V.

(Tracey Bateman, Tracey Victoria Bateman)

PERSONAL: Married, 1989; husband's name Rusty; children: four. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES: Home—MO. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Warner Faith, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. E-mail—tracey@traceybateman.com.

CAREER: Writer.

MEMBER: American Christian Fiction Writers (president); American Christian Romance Writers (vice president).

WRITINGS:

CHRISTIAN FICTION; AS TRACEY VICTORIA BATEMAN

Darling Cassidy, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2000.

Tarah's Lessons, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2001.

Laney's Kiss, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2003.

But for Grace, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2003.

Emily's Place, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2003.

CHRISTIAN FICTION

(With Jill Stengl) A Christmas Sleigh Ride, Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2004.

Torey's Prayer, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2004.

Everlasting Hope, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2004.

Timing Is Everything, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2004.

Betrayal of Trust, Steeple Hill (New York, NY), 2005.

Beside Still Waters, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2005.

A Love So Tender, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2005.

Second Chance, Heartsong Presents (Uhrichsville, OH), 2005.

Suspicion of Guilt, Steeple Hill (New York, NY), 2005.

Reasonable Doubt, Steeple Hill (New York, NY), 2005.

365 Secrets of Beauty, Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2006.

CHRISTIAN FICTION; AS TRACEY BATEMAN

The Color of the Soul (first book in the "Penbrook Diaries" series), Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2005.

"CLAIRE" SERIES; AS TRACEY BATEMAN

Leave It to Claire, Warner Faith (New York, NY), 2006.

Claire Knows Best, Warner Faith (New York, NY), 2006.

Also author of articles and short stories. Contributor of novellas to books, including China Tapestry: Four Romantic Novellas Woven Together by Asian Traditions, Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2002; The House Love Built: Four Romances Are Built on the Foundation of Faith, Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2003; Highland Legacy: Four Generations of Love Are Rooted in Scotland, Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2003; and A Stitch in Time: No Man's Land Blossoms with Love in Four Novellas, Barbour (Uhrichsville, OH), 2004.

WORK IN PROGRESS: I Love Claire, the next book in the "Claire" series.

SIDELIGHTS: A prolific author of Christian fiction, Tracey V. Bateman told Lisa Tuttle in an interview posted on Tuttle's home page: "I think the most important thing for any writer, published or otherwise, is let the Word dwell inside of you…. I don't want to write my words, but His."

Since the start of her writing career, Bateman has authored many religious novels, including Darling Cassidy, Torey's Prayer, and Beside Still Waters. In 2005 Bateman published the Christian suspense novels Reasonable Doubt, Suspicion of Guilt, and Betrayal of Trust, among others. In Reasonable Doubt, the protagonist, Justin Kramer, becomes a suspect in his wife's murder even though he is innocent. Justin takes his twin sons and seeks refuge at a cabin where he spent his childhood. At the cabin, he reunites with his high school sweetheart, Keri Mahoney, who is now a police officer. Keri and Justin come together in order to find his wife's killer. Reviewers praised Bateman's skill in building suspense, and Melissa Parcel, writing in the Romantic Times Book Club Online, called Reasonable Doubt a "wild ride." Parcel also pointed out Bateman's "strong characterization" and "straight-from-the-headlines action." Additionally, Linda Mae Baldwin, in a review posted on the Road to Romance Web site, called the book "wonderful," and commented that "any reader would be enthralled" by the story.

Bateman's Suspicion of Guilt introduces Denni Mahoney, a woman who runs a home for troubled girls. When someone tries to destroy the home by causing floods and setting fires, Denni and the girls must be kept safe while detective Reece Corrigan determines who is trying to sabotage their home and why. The novel elicited mixed reviews, and Parcel, again writing in the Romantic Times Book Club Online, called the story "fascinating" but felt it was "hampered by a farfetched conclusion." However, Laura V. Hilton, in a review posted on the Dancing Word Web site, called Suspicion of Guilt an "enjoyable read."

In Betrayal of Trust, journalist Raven Mahoney is interested in senatorial candidate Matthew Strong's mysterious withdrawal from the political race. Raven, who was at one time engaged to Matthew, rekindles the relationship in order to expose the inside story. Raven learns that Matthew has an adopted daughter whose biological father is threatening to go public with the family's secrets; the closer Raven comes to uncovering these secrets, the closer she is to danger. Reviewers complimented Betrayal of Trust for its suspense and realism. Parcel, critiquing the novel in the Romantic Times Book Club Online, stated, "Raven's faith journey is heartfelt and emotional." Parcel concluded that the book is a "winning tale." Hilton, again writing on the Dancing Word Web site, agreed, noting that the novel is "a cute romantic suspense … perfect for a mystery lover and romance lover both."

In 2006 Bateman began a new series featuring protagonist Claire Everett. In the debut novel in the series, Leave It to Claire, Claire must put her career as a Christian novelist on hold as she recovers from surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. She resolves to improve her life during the six weeks of recuperation by losing weight, making friends, attending church more frequently, and reconnecting with her four children. Meanwhile, Claire must deal with the news that her own mother has decided to move away, and cope with her ex-husband and his new wife, who have started attending Claire's church. Critics had mixed responses to Leave It to Claire. A Kirkus Reviews critic found the book "sadly intolerant for a work of Christian literature," and further noted that "the novel's worst sin is … its aching predictability." A Publishers Weekly reviewer felt differently, noting that Bateman "delves into difficult topics while managing to keep things light." Other reviewers agreed, and a Christian Fiction Review Web site critic commented that although Leave It to Claire is categorized as "mom lit," the novel "is entertaining and interesting enough that you don't have to be a mom to enjoy it." Jill Elizabeth Nelson, writing in the Romantic Times Book Club Online, also praised the book and concluded that the story's "hilarious pratfalls lead the way to Claire's discovery that the best plan is God's plan."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2005, review of Leave It to Claire, p. 1241.

Publishers Weekly, October 17, 2005, review of Leave It to Claire, p. 40.

ONLINE

Christian Fiction Review, http://www.christianfictionreview.com/ (April 6, 2006), review of Leave It to Claire.

Dancing Word, http://www.dancingword.net/ (April 10, 2006), Laura V. Hilton, reviews of Suspicion of Guilt and Betrayal of Trust.

Lisa Tuttle Home Page, http://www.lisatuttle.com/ (April 6, 2006), interview with author.

Road to Romance, http://www.roadtoromance.com/ (August 15, 2005), Linda Mae Baldwin, review of Reasonable Doubt.

Romantic Times Book Club Online, http://www.romantictimes.com/ (April 6, 2006), Melissa Parcel, reviews of Reasonable Doubt, Suspicion of Guilt, and Betrayal of Trust; (April 6, 2006), Jill Elizabeth Nelson, review of Leave It to Claire.

Tracey V. Bateman Home Page, http://www.traceybateman.com (April 6, 2006).

Tracey V. Bateman Web log, http://traceybatemanblog.blogspot.com (April 6, 2006).