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Stafford coach also has thriving writing career

November 7, 2008 12:36 am

Traci Hunter Abramson is a grown woman with one thing in common with Hannah Montana.

Like the secret pop star, Abramson also leads something of a double life.

Out West, she's a best-selling Mormon suspense novelist who was No. 6 on the Mormon Times' recent list of top 10 reader favorites.

In Stafford County, Abramson is known primarily as a mom of four and as a coach of North Stafford High School's swim team.

"Here, a lot of people don't even know I write," Abramson said with a laugh.

She is a bit surprised by the career turn, too.

Abramson, 41, has never taken a creative writing class. She studied business at Brigham Young University in Utah. After graduating, she moved to Northern Virginia and was a finance officer with the CIA.

It was only after she became a stay-at-home mom in 1995 that she decided to try writing. Her initial goal was to write romances for the Mormon book market.

She started with an idea she'd first had in college about a competitive swimmer who's in the witness protection program.

Abramson worked on the novel for 7 years. She'd write early in the morning, during her children's nap time and after they went to bed.

Her sister-in-law, who also enjoys writing, helped edit.

She sent her novel to Utah-based Covenant Communications, the largest independent publisher in the Mormon book market. The publisher rejected it, recommending that Abramson flesh out her characters.

She spent about a year refining. "Undercurrents" was published in 2004.

Since then, she has written six novels for Covenant. She describes her books as suspense with a touch of romance. Plots typically feature a regular person caught up in international intrigue, said her editor Kat Gille.

"Royal Target," which was released this month, is a departure. The novel has some suspense, Gille said, but is primarily a modern-day fairy tale.

"It's a rags-to-riches Cinderella story" Gille said, "about an everyday girl who ends up being a princess."

Abramson sixth book, "Lockdown," is a more traditional suspense novel. It is scheduled to be released in February.

Although Abramson's books are available on ama zon.com and at Borders Books Music & Cafe, most are sold in the Southwest at Mormon bookstore chains such as Seagull Book and Deseret Book.

Her most popular novel so far, "Freefall"--about a hostage rescue in the Middle East--was No. 2 on Seagull's bestseller list this spring. Abramson got the news at a book signing in one of the Arizona stores.

"I thought the manager put my book on the bestseller shelf to make me feel good," Abramson wrote in a press release. "Then I found out my book really was supposed to be there. I still have a hard time believing it."

Abramson's work has earned praise from critics as well. Her second book, "The Deep End," was a Whitney Award finalist for mystery and suspense.

"Freefall" has been nominated for a Whitney in the same category. These awards recognize the best work from Mormon publishing companies, according to whitneyawards .com.

"Traci's strength as a writer lies in her ability to put the reader in the moment," wrote Rachel Langlois, Covenant's director of public relations, in an e-mail. "Having come from a CIA background, her insider knowledge of government workings makes her plots and characters entertaining, yet believable."

However, her books are different from mass-market suspenses in one respect.

"Hers are books that the whole family can listen to and not have to worry about having an embarrassing moment of cursing or inappropriate behavior," Langlois wrote.

The Mormon book market has grown in recent years, partly due to the mainstream success of Mormon authors such as Stephenie Meyer, author of the popular "Twilight" young adult romances.

But the field is still small.

Abramson's best seller is "Freefall," which has sold more than 8,000 copies, Langlois said. In the Mormon market, a book is doing well if 3,000 to 4,000 copies are sold, Langlois noted.

Abramson, a self-described "chronic overachiever," has an idea for a suspense novel that she believes could achieve mass-market success. The novel would require more research than she has time for now.

Her editor also sees crossover potential in Abram-son.

"We're just kind of crossing our fingers and seeing how it will go," Gille said.

Even if she never sees her name on the New York Times bestseller list, Abramson said she'll still be happy.

"I just feel lucky to do something I love and get paid for it."

Kim Baer: 540/834-0656
Email: kbaer@freelancestar.com