New York Times bestselling author, Tracey Lange, spoke to me about finding literary success later in life, her past life working with inner-city gang kids, and exploring messy family dynamics in her latest THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN. Tracey Lange is the author of debut novel, We Are the Brennans, an instant New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Finalist, praised by The New York Times, Good Morning America, PEOPLE and more. Her latest novel, The Connellys of County Down (Celadon, August 1), is described as “... a story about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone awry, and the consequences of improbable love.” Kirkus called it “A compassionate look at family dynamics and a reminder that it’s never too late to heal.” Country Living named it a "28 Best Fall Books for 2023" and wrote, "This is a novel about resilience and what it means to be a family, especially when times are really hard." Tracey Lange has a degree in psychology, has worked in mental health, and owned and operated a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Tracey Lange and I discussed:  How writing about mental health helped fuel her fiction Why you’re never too old to publish What sets her sophomore novel apart from her debut Writing characters who cross good intentions with bad decision-making Why you need to find your writers group if you haven’t already And a lot more! Show Notes: traceylange.com The Connellys of County Down: A Novel By Tracey Lange (Amazon)  Tracey Lange Amazon Author Page Tracey Lange on Instagram Tracey Lange on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices