Meet: Tracie Pfrogner

There are women who enter your life loudly.

And then there are women who arrive gently—like a subtle shift you don’t quite notice at first, until everything feels a little different.

That’s Tracie.

We met through Ellen, at an Italian festival in the city—the one I can never remember the name of.

But it was at brunch months later, as a psychic told us things we didn’t even fully know how to hear yet, that the connection deepened.

She was told her words were on the verge of reaching the world.

And I was told it was time to stop circling the life I wanted—and finally step into it.

And somewhere in that in-between space…

Tracie became more than just someone I met.

She became part of the moment everything started to shift.And because Tracie is the kind of woman whose story deserves to be told in her own words…

I asked her to share a little more about the life she’s building, the stories she’s writing, and what it really means to choose joy—on purpose.

1. Tell us a little about yourself in your own words.

I’m a romance writer who firmly believes in happy endings in real life just as much as I like writing them into my books. I’m currently pursuing the traditional publishing path for my first book, a Christmas RomCom, It’s the Most Terrible Time of the Year, while I work on my second book. I live on the Upper East Side with my rescue chihuahua, Mr. Bentley, and I’ve lived in NYC for 9 years after moving from my hometown in Ohio right after college. I’m an eternal optimist, and this guides every single thing I do in life. When I’m not bent over my keyboard writing in my apartment, I love to go to the theatre and see Broadway musicals, browse bookstores (I read over 100 books a year), or drink a Hugo Spritz outside at a sidewalk bistro and chat with friends.

2. What inspired you to become a writer?
Was there a specific moment or has it always been part of you?

Reading has always been like breathing to me–some of my earliest memories are my mom reading me Harry Potter in the bathtub! I’ve written on and off over the years, but when I had the idea for my first book all the way back in December of 2019, I wanted to write the story that I wanted to read. 

80% of adults want to write a book, but only 15% actually start, and only 3% of those who start finish their manuscripts. I wanted to be a part of that 3% who finish, so I fully committed and completed my first book last year! I describe my creativity kind of like a faucet–over the years, I would turn it on a little bit to write here and there, and then last year I turned the whole thing on. The water has just been gushing like Niagra Falls since, and I haven’t stopped writing!

3. You’re currently working on your second book — what can you share about it?

It’s a forced-proximity, forbidden-romance set in NYC during the summer, which I’m describing as Mona Kasten’s Maxton Hall series meets HBO’s Succession. A lot of family dynasty, big money, high stakes, and a forbidden romance between co-workers!

4. Where do you feel most inspired to write?

The Rose Reading Room at the New York Public Library on a Saturday morning, right when the doors open at 10 AM. It feels like you’re studying at Hogwarts, and the space itself feels sacred and is incredibly inspiring. Tourists aren’t allowed into the actual study space, so it’s so peaceful and a great place to focus. After I write for a couple of hours, I always treat myself to a seasonal draft latte at La Colombe afterwards–they had a Cereal Milk latte once that I still dream about.

5. What’s something people might be surprised to learn about the writing process?

How incredibly slow the traditional publishing process is! You take a year or more (or if you are me, five!) to actually write a book, then you start the querying process to find a literary agent to represent you, which is you pitching your book to 20 to over 50 different literary agents, who you might not hear back from up to six months, and then if you’re lucky a few will request the full manuscript, then take another 3 months to read, then you hopefully get an offer to sign with an agent who loved the book! Next up is editing your book with your agent (could take another few months), and then you get put on submission, when your agent, on your behalf, pitches your book to publishers, and hopefully someone wants to buy it! Then comes your book deal, and then a year to a year and a half later, it’s finally in bookstores, and people can buy it! So it’s a very long process. Being patient and keeping your optimism up is key!

6. What does living like a “Bonne Vivante” mean to you?

To me, living like a “Bonne Vivante” is really about choosing delight on purpose. I think there are so many little luxuries in everyday life, but you only notice them if you slow down enough to actually experience them—like your morning coffee made just the way you like, the way the light hits your apartment through your open window, or just listening to a really good song on a walk in Central Park. 

I also really believe in prioritizing your own happiness. There’s that Kim Cattrall quote I love—“I don't want to be in a situation for even an hour where I'm not enjoying myself”—and I feel like that’s such a guiding principle for me. I’m building a life that feels good from the inside out, where my joy and creativity aren’t afterthoughts; they’re the point.

And honestly, I love a little glamour in everything—I love a theme, I love any excuse to dress up and be a little fabulous. I think a Bonne Vivante constantly finds reasons to celebrate. She romanticizes the ordinary, but she also creates moments worth celebrating.

Rapid Fire

• Favorite book of all time

This is such a hard question to answer, as I have literally so many favorites! But one book I think about a lot is The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. It’s about a couple who meet in college at NYU on 9/11, and you follow their relationship through the years. It’s a heartbreaking read, but also so full of love and so well-written. I cry every time I read it!
• A place that changed you

New York City: I moved here two weeks after graduating from college and never looked back! It’s a city that’s challenged me, saved me, and pushed me to become my truest self. I grew up watching so many iconic movies set here, like Breakfast at Tiffany’s (my absolute fave!), and I’m so grateful to live here, and it really feels like I’m living in a movie every day.
• Favorite NYC spot

UVA - my favorite Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side
• Drink of choice

Espresso Martini
• Your go-to “romanticize your life” ritual

A morning walk to my local park with my rescue pup, drinking an iced vanilla latte, and listening to Olivia Rodrigo or Sombr.

Would you be open to sharing a short excerpt or sneak peek from your upcoming book?
(Just a paragraph or two — something you feel excited about!)

I let out a soft chuckle that’s cut off as I watch his throat swallow, and his tongue licks his bottom lip. I’m brought back to the dive bar, drunk on tequila and the way Leon is looking at me right before we both leaned forward and kissed. It’s the same look he’s giving me now.

The air between us thickens, too heavy to breathe, so I abruptly stand from my chair, and Leon follows. Now we’re standing in front of his desk, both just staring at each other, when Leon clears his throat.“If you keep looking at me like that, Baxter, I’ll do something we can’t take back.”

I bite my lip. “Looking at you like what, Leon?” I ask softly. There’s such a fine line between me wanting to scream at him and also wanting to rip his clothes off these days, that I never know which Leon I’m going to see at work. Will it be the Animal Haven volunteer who plays with puppies or the stone-cold rich boy I picked up from the airport all those years ago? The whiplash is getting my brain confused, but my body knows exactly what it wants.

He steps one foot closer to me, and I hear his breath intake as he says, “You’re looking at me like you can’t stop thinking about that kiss either.”

I mean…

If that didn’t do something to you, I don’t know what will.

An afternoon of champagne and giggles—never to be underestimated.

Tracie came into my life at a moment when I was being asked—very clearly—to stop waiting and start choosing the life I actually wanted.

And in so many ways, she embodies exactly that.

Through her writing, her optimism, and her unwavering belief in happy endings—she’s proof that when you fully commit to your story, things start to unfold exactly as they’re meant to.

Et Voilà!The Bonne Vivante table gets a little longer.

Follow Tracie and her writing journey: traciemariep