I really haven't fallen off the planet, or even crawled into my cave on my deserted island... I have pictures to post, and a post written up long hand, but I just have not had the time to get it up here yet. My parents were here last week and I took a computer break. Wow! Talk about wonderful! I SO needed that! And this week has been a blurr. Good, but oh-so busy. You all know how that goes. So anyway, I'll get the pics off my camera and be back hopefully on Thursday.
There's still two giveaways open because I haven't had time to draw winners, so make the most of it! Just scroll down the page for Nicole O'Dell's and the other one is DiAnn Mills'.
Welcome back to Patterings, Nicole! It's always fun having you here. =) What verse is special to you right now? Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
That’s been my life-long theme verse. I love the assurance that I didn’t start the process in me, and I’m not the one who’s going to finish it. It’s a beautiful promise that I claim for my kids, too. I can relax a little knowing that they are a work in progress and that the work WILL be completed in me and in them.
Also.,..
Proverbs 19:20-21 tells us to Listen to counsel and accept discipline so we can be wise the rest of our days. Many plans are in our heart, But it’s the counsel of the LORD that will stand.
I use that verse in a lot of things relating to the Scenarios series.
What do you do in your free time? I change diapers! I have 17-month old triplets…there are a LOT of diapers! I wish they’d slow down—they’re growing up so fast—but I do look forward to the days when I can get back on my bicycle and go for hours. My favorite ride is about 50+ miles up and down the Chicago lakefront.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl. In many things, that’s a helpful trait, but the inability to exercise moderation can also be limiting. If I can’t do it full out, I don’t do it at all. Sometimes that keeps me from trying new things or starting something I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish. It also means I’m hard on myself. I’m very driven and I don’t cut myself too many breaks.
Which character in your new releases most interested you while you wrote? I really struggled over Kate’s choice in Making Waves. I felt the agony of her decision and could really understand why she’d have a tough time deciding. It’s very easy for a teen to vehemently say she’ll never take drugs of any kind. But in Kate’s situation—not that it made it okay to take drugs, it just presented a scenario that showed things aren’t always so cut and dried.
Also, because of my own swim-team experiences, I knew what Kate felt when she dove into the water. Writing those scenes made me long for the pool. I even had dreams about being at swim practice.
Tell us about the series these books are part of. Magna and Making Waves are books three and four in the Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series. In each book, the reader can test her decision-making abilities in an eye-opening, but safe way. Each book follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then the reader gets to choose between two alternate endings.
What part of writing do you enjoy the most? Most writers dislike this part, but I LOVE the revising and editing time right before a manuscript gets submitted. I’ve learned so much since my first books and that fine-tuning process allows me to tweak my words and apply the techniques I want to explore. Since I’ve been working on these books two at a time, I usually go back and forth between them, for a week at a time during editing.
What sparks a story for you? So far, I’ve pulled from my own experiences as a teen. Sometimes I could relate to the right choice, sometimes the wrong. None of them are exactly as they happened to me—so don’t jump to conclusions, Mom—but my own life has definitely influenced much of what I write.
I get many of my ideas while I’m in the shower. My family is used to me running to my computer after a hurried shower that I cut short when an idea struck. I beg them not to say anything for just a minute while I try to get my thoughts down. There is nothing more frustrating to a writer than being distracted from an idea that was sure to be a best seller or life changer! ;)
When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it? High Stakes and Essence of Lilly come out in the Spring of 2011. High Stakes deals with the issue of cheating in school, and the tough decision of confessing to a wrongdoing to clear a friend’s name. Essence of Lilly deals with physical intimacy among teens.
You can purchase Magna and Making Waves from CBD and Amazon:
Nicole is giving away a copy of Magna and Making Waves. To be entered in the book giveaways, leave a comment and check back on Tuesday, May 4th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar. **Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.
Nicole O’Dell and her husband Wil have six wonderful children, the most recent additions being triplets, born in August 2008. Nicole and Wil recently began a youth group at their church for grades 7-12 where Nicole focuses on the teaching, Bible study application, service outreach planning and evangelism focus for the group. She enjoys speaking at other churches, youth groups and parenting groups to offer insight into healthy, Godly navigation of those rough teen years. Over the years, Nicole has worked as a youth director, a Bible study leader for women and teens, a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center and was a veteran camp counselor for over a decade.
Molly Jacobs isn’t sure what she should do: Should she follow through with stealing some clothes for her friends from Magna the trendy girls clothing store where she works? Or should she do what she knows is right, even if it means losing her friends? Girls ages 10 to 15 make the choice in this interactive story and see how the consequences change Molly's life. Includes a contract and prayer to remind the reader of the importance of making godly decisions.
Here's an excerpt of Manga:
The patio door slid open, and Mrs. Jacobs leaned her head out. “Molly, phone for you. Uh, you might want to come in here to take it.”
Molly furrowed her eyebrows and threw the ball one more time, sending Rocco after it—a blur of fur darting across the grass—before she went to the house.
“Who is it, Mom?” Molly slid the door shut behind her.
Covering the receiver with her hand, Molly’s mom whispered, “It’s the manager from that store.”
Molly wiped some doggy slobber on her jeans and then grabbed the phone. She took a deep breath and waited for her racing heart to calm down before answering. “Hello, this is Molly.”
“Hi Molly. It’s Donna from Magna calling. I’m very pleased to be able to offer you a position with our store if you’re still interested.”
“I’m very interested! Thank you so much.” Molly danced around and punched the air while trying to maintain her composure.
Donna skimmed the topics of hourly wage, start date, training, and a schedule. “We’ll cover all of that in more detail during the training.”
“That sounds great!” What about Jess and Sara?
“I’m really looking forward to having you start with us, Molly. Your training will begin on Monday. You’ll be training alongside Amber. It’s much easier to start you both at the same time. How does that sound?”
“Perfect. I can’t wait.” Molly grinned at her mom who smiled and nodded. No Jess and Sara, I guess.
“Great. Do you have any other questions?”
“I don’t think I have any. . .”
Mom pointed at her clothes and raised her eyebrows.
“Oh Donna, just one question. What should I wear for training?”
“The first week it won’t matter that much, because you won’t be on the sales floor very often. Casual, jeans and a nice top, something like that. After that you’ll need to wear Magna merchandise. We’ll talk about all of that in your training.”
“Great. I’m really excited. Thanks so much, Donna.” Molly hung up the phone and grabbed her mom’s hands and jumped up and down. “I can’t believe it!”
“Congratulations, dear. Your dad is going to be so proud of you.”
Uh-oh! Molly looked out the window. She stood rooted to the spot and stared at her friends playing with her dog in the backyard. I’m excited, but they’ll be disappointed. Bittersweet.
Holding the door handle, Molly turned toward her mom and opened her mouth to ask her what she should do about Sara and Jess. But Molly already knew. She’d have to tell them right away. She shook her head and slid the door open. Sigh.
Sara and Jess compared cell phone pictures while Rocco barked for attention. Jess flipped hers shut when she saw Molly’s face. “What happened? You look like you just lost your best friend.”
“I may have, I guess.”
“What are you talking about? What happened?” Sara slipped her phone into her bag.
“That was Donna on the phone.” Molly looked down at her hands and picked at an invisible hangnail, dreading what she had to tell them next.
When she didn’t speak right away, Sara raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “What did she say?”
Still not looking up, Molly said, “She offered me a job.”
“Hey, that’s great!” Jess grinned.
“And that doesn’t mean she’s not going to call us, too, right?” Sara asked hopefully. She looked at Jess. “Hey, maybe we should get home in case she does.”
Still smiling, Jess squinted at Molly. “No. Molly knows that Donna isn’t going to hire us. Right, Moll?”
Molly tried to hold back the tears about to spill over to her cheeks. She slowly shook her head. “She isn’t going to call you guys. Well, actually she probably already did leave a message for you to tell you that she isn’t going to hire you.”
“Why, though? Did she say why?” Sara looked like a little girl who’d just been told she wouldn’t be going to the zoo.
“She didn’t exactly say why, just that she hired me and Amber for evenings and weekends. I start on Monday.” Molly bit her fingernail. “Are you guys mad?”
“Mad? Of course not,” Jess said matter-of-factly. “In fact, I figured this is how it would go. Congratulations.”
Molly shielded her eyes from the sun and peered at Jess closely, waiting for a glimmer of jealousy. She seemed to mean what she said, but how could Molly be sure?
“Yeah, congrats.” Sara smiled, but the corners of her mouth quivered. She looked away, the disappointment evident in her dark eyes.
Molly slapped her jeans and got to her feet. “Look, I don’t have to take the job. It wasn’t my idea anyway, and it was something we wanted to do together. Why don’t I just turn it down?”
Sara’s eyes lit up for a second before they darkened again. “No. That wouldn’t make any sense.”
Jess shook her head right away. “No way! You’re taking the job. After all, we only really need one of us to get the discount. Sara and I will just have to figure out other ways to make money so we can use it.”
Molly laughed and exhaled deeply. “You’re always thinking, Jess. But I’m sure there are rules about the discount. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Making Waves
Kate Walker joins the swim team and becomes obsessed with practice and making it through the championships with flying colors. With a scholarship on the line and pressure from everyone, what will Kate do when she’s faced with pressure from her teammates to take an illegal substance that will help her swim multiple events in their championship meet? Girls ages 10 to 15 make the choice in this interactive story and see how the consequences change Kate s life. Includes a contract and prayer to remind the reader of the importance of making godly decisions.
Here's an excerpt of Making Waves:
She didn’t dare look back. She lost more of her lead with every single stroke. Had the water turned to mud? Kate’s arms had never felt so heavy before. Rather than glide across the surface, her hands landed with a resounding thud on the water like when she swung the mallet at one of those amusement park games.
The unthinkable happened. She felt a flutter on her calf—the dreaded touch of the swimmer behind her. Her stomach sank to the bottom of the pool. First she saw a pair of hands pulling through the water near her face. She tried to speed up—not a chance. She just couldn’t do it. The hands gave way to arms and then the top of a head. Who could be passing her? Ugh! It was Pam—a very smug-looking Pam. Kate knew she swam better than Pam—or did she? Maybe everyone had been wrong about her.
She’d failed. She didn’t want to talk to anyone or even show her face. She hurried through her shower and then rushed to her locker to try to get out of there before the other girls finished with theirs. She just wanted to go hide out in her classes until the afternoon practice. Maybe she’d even go home sick. She clipped her wet hair back without even combing it and shoved her things into her locker, but she didn’t make it out in time.
Pam and Brittany, wrapped in towels, turned the corner down the row they shared with Kate. They got dressed in deafening silence while Kate shoved things in her bag and slammed her locker door. Pam sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. Then, she stared into Kate’s eyes and said, “Hey, Kate. It’s no big deal. We all have bad days. Don’t let it get you down.”
“Yeah, I have bad days all the time.” Brittany rubbed her hair with her towel.
“Listen. . .” Pam put her foot up on the bench and rubbed lotion on her leg while she talked. “I had a really hard time my second year on the team. I started to take my swimming more seriously, so I worked really hard. I was more tired all the time and my schoolwork started to suffer.” She grimaced at the memory. “My parents almost made me quit the team because I just trudged around, tired all the time.” She put her leg down and started on the other one. “Eventually, I just had to find a way to get the energy I needed to get through everything and still perform well.”
“Me too,” Brittany said. “I had my issues when I first started, too. Over time, after you find out what works for you, you settle into a routine and everything gets a little easier. You’ll figure it out.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t know what to do.” Kate plopped onto the bench, put her head in her hands, and blinked back the tears. “I feel so much pressure. My mom is pressuring me not to let anything slip. Coach is pressuring me to be the best. I’m pressuring myself to earn a scholarship.” She took a tissue from Pam and blew her nose. “All of those are good things, but sometimes it’s just too much when you put them all together—especially when I’m so tired.”
“Tell me about it! We all feel those stresses. . .or at least some of them.” Brittany slipped her arm around Kate’s shoulder as they left the locker room to head to their first-period classes. “I tell you what, meet us out here before practice this afternoon. We’ll share one of our secrets with you.”
“I’ll be here,” Kate promised. Maybe they did have the perfect solution—only one way to find out.
You can purchase Magna and Making Waves from CBD and Amazon:
Nicole is giving away a copy of Magna and Making Waves. To be entered in the book giveaways, leave a comment and check back on Tuesday, May 4th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar. **Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.
We've all seen bumper stickers like this. Well, last fall, on one of our zillion trips out of town, I saw a little sign tacked to a telephone pole that said Start seeing tractors. I had to laugh because only in small town, rural USA would you ever see a sign like that. Well, what do you know but I saw several tractors on our way home that trip. That's not unusual, though. What was unusual was that I actually stopped to realize that I saw them. Tractors are so part of the landscape around me that I no longer notice them, let alone look for them.
I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me... ~Habakkuk 2:1, NAS
How many times are we not seeing what's going on around us? God sends blessing after blessing our way, but do we recognize them and give thanks for them? He sends more than “just” blessings, too. He sends provision, help, joys... so many things, but it's up to us to notice them. He seldom clobbers us over the head and demand our attention. He often simply whispers to us in the daily, ordinary things of life.
Let's be like Habakkuk and keep watch for God at work in our lives. I bet we'll start seeing things we never noticed before.
Not too long ago I answered a call for submissions. For a couple of weeks I had been mulling over an experience and planned on writing about it, so I was excited to see that this particular organization was looking for something on that topic because I've written for them several other times. In the past, it had just been a matter of letting them know I was interested in writing something for certain topic and my name was plugged in. I'd write my article, get it to the correct place by the deadline and that was that.
Well, it didn't go that way this time and I had a Naaman attack. See, someone who had recently stepped into position sent me a nice, cheerful reply (remember Elijah's servant who spoke with Naaman?) assuring me I could submit the article for consideration in the body of an email. Oh-kay. I felt like I'd been blindsided. That's neither a yes or no, and truthfully? A no would've been easier to deal with. A no would've let me believe they weren't interested in the angle I was approaching from or the slots were filled already. Submitting for consideration in the body of an email made me feel like...well, let's just say if you heard what was going on inside my head, you'd think I was a kin of ol' Naaman's before he visited the Jordan River.
But just like Naaman heard his servants encouraging him to obey, I felt God's gentle nudges, encouraging me to flex and grow with the organization—one that I strongly believe in and love. I wrestled. I struggled. I prayed. I confessed. And I surrendered.
So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. ~2 Kings 5:14, NAS
I'll be writing that article and sending it in for consideration, in the body of an email, instead of how I've been told to submit the other articles already on the schedule with them, that even have a later deadline than this new article. And you know what? It doesn't matter. The situation has already served an important purpose: it pointed out to me oh-so clearly just how closely I need to watch my attitude. If I'm not careful and attentive, the old Namaan will creep into my thinking even more, and I do not want that. Not at all. I want my attitude to be restored to the attitude of a child of God who's right with Him. I want a clean attitude and a clean spirit.
How about you? Do you struggle with a Namaan attitude at times, too? Listen to God's still voice and go to the Jordan. Namaan's obedience changed his life forever.
Last month I was able teach some great ladies about blogging in my Clearing the Blog Fog workshop. We had a great time laughing as we learned. And yes, I learned too! This month it's been fun watching them grow and jump into blogging. What a blessing and encouragement it is to see! I don't think we can ever have enough Christian bloggers! =)
This week Rita, who was in my class last month, is giving away a spot in a blogging class. You can read about her giveaway here at her new blog, Rita's Random Ramblings.
If you're interested in blogging, but you don't know where to start the basic workshop, Clearing the Blog Fog, will help you. We walk through blogging basics and setting up a blog. Then move into posting and all the little things that can be confusing when you're starting out. There's two times currently available: May 3-31 and July 3-31, but if those dates don't work for you, let me know and we might be able to set up other times.
If you've been blogging for awhile and want to learn how to give your blog a makeover, then check out Do It Yourself Blog Make over. It's a two week class and we walk through customizing your blog with backgrounds, sidebar headers, nav bars, and more. The class runs May 17-31 and June 21-July 5.
In other news: SPRING! And it's gorgeous! It doesn't get any better than this. If you know of how to lock this weather in for the rest of my life, let me know! =) The red buds and dogwood are in full bloom, tulips are everywhere (so are the dandelions and even those look nice this year!) and the sun is shining. Life is good!
God is doing amazing things here. In me and my life and at Adding Zest. I am standing in awe of God and all He's done and is doing. BIG things are happening at Zest. A team of ladies has joined us, we'll be moving into a new site "soon" (it's a relative term LoL) and there are a few other things Heidi and I have been working on fast and furious and hope to announce and launch soon. I've been on a HUGE learning curve for three months, and it's been fun! Challenging, but fun. =)
God is demonstrating His perfect timing to me again these days...
The farmers around here are plowing their fields in preparation for planting and I cannot drive past those fields without having an attitude adjustment— a needed adjustment. Last week I went from bouncing off the ceiling to sub-basement level within moments. The resulting splatter wasn't pretty, but there was truth to what was being said, and I knew it. My problem wasn't with the truth, it was with the fact that my bubble had been burst. Pierced, actually, and a realm that I had declared mine was being breached...again. Oh, not by God, He'd been invited in as a welcome addition, a necessary addition. This invasion was by someone else and it sent me for a triple loop.
The day after I landed in the sub-basement, we passed the first of the fields that had been plowed. My initial response was, “Lord, I feel like I've been plowed, too.”
His quiet response was so gentle and loving it was hard to hold the tears back. “You have to plow before you can plant.”
I want a bountiful harvest for God, that means I need to be plowed so He can plant a crop in me. Farm discs are sharp and are designed to cut deep and turn the dirt over. They're nothing to mess with but they serve their purpose well. God's discs are nothing to mess with, but He often lets us decide how well they serve their purpose.
God's been plowing me.
It's not been comfortable, but I thank God for it. I also thank Him for His perfect timing. Each time I go to town (which has been more than once a day this week) it seems there are more fields that are plowed and they remind me of what God is doing in my life. If I want a bountiful harvest for my Lord, then I need to submit to His plowing and preparation in my life. Each trip to town I can smell the fragrance of the freshly turned soil. It's a smell that I've always enjoyed— a fragrance that seems to represent new life.
As God plows our lives, may the fragrance of our plowed lives be pleasing to Him. A fragrance with the promise of new life.
May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV
Happy Wednesday! I've had a few curve balls thrown my way recently and I'm... well, I'm scrambling and recovering from those. You know how life can be sometimes.
First off, this is a Winner Wednesday. Sorry, but my humor's been AWOL, so I didn't even try to contain that one, I just let 'er rip cuz I'm so happy to have some again.
The winner of Stephanie Grace Whitson's book, Sixteen Brides, which by the way, is excellent, is Denise.
The winner of Lynette Eason's book, Too Close to Home, is Raspberrygirl. Congratulations, ladies! Get me your addresses and I'll forward them on to the authors. =)
Secondly, I'm posting today At the Well about Schoolwork and Responsibility. Raising kids that are responsible isn't easy, and how you handle schoolwork plays a part in that. I'd love to have you join me there!
And now, it's my pleasure to welcome DiAnn Mills back to Patterings. DiAnn was here a month ago with Sworn to Protect and I have to tell you, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed that book. We received it late one afternoon and she was done the next morning--and that was a Wednesday so we had church that evening. She was turning pages as fast as she could to find out what happened to Danika and it looked to me like she would've crawled inside the book if she could have. Thank you, DiAnn for such wonderful books! We truly enjoy your writing! =)
What verse is special to you right now? Always Jeremiah 20:9
But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
This verse inspires me to write fiction in which one or more of the characters reacts to the happenings in his/her life and solves problems according to his/her faith. I want to show godly character not tell it.
What do you do in your free time? Read, cook, enjoy grandchildren, study writing. Did I say enjoy grandchildren? :)
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? More energy! I mean I’m a bit hyperactive, but I’d like more! Seriously, I wish I’d have followed Christ closer as a young person.
Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote? Sage interested me because she was in a role that traditionally belonged to a man. Yet she didn’t lose, or want to lose, those characteristics that made her a woman.
I am not an animal person, but Sage felt a closeness with animals and a unique ability to communicate with them.
What part of writing do you enjoy the most? All of it! From the planning to the plotting to the characterization to the research to the actual writing to the editing. Each step allows me to make my book the best it can possibly be.
What sparks a story for you? All kinds of things! Personal stories. Media headlines. History. Unique occupations. My mind whips into “what-if” and the story grows from there.
When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it? Sworn to Protect is an April release by Tyndale (You can read about it here.)
A Woman Called Sage is a May release by Zondervan.
Pursuit of Justice is an October 2010 release by Tyndale. This is the third book in the Call of Duty series. An FBI agent seeks to solve a series of murders in West Texas only to find her father is a suspect.
Thank you for being with us again, DiAnn.
DiAnn is giving away a copy of A Woman Called Sage. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Tuesday, April13th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar. **Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.
DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Currently she has fifty books in print with over a million and a half in print.
Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.
DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and a mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops.
DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. You can find her online at www.diannmills.com.
A Woman Called Sage
Sage Morrow has everything---an adoring husband and a baby on the way---until five ruthless gunmen change her life forever. Now accompanied only by her magnificent hawk, she's a Colorado bounty hunter bent on retribution! But the stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped. Will the hunter become the hunted?
You can purchase A Woman Called Sage from CBD and Amazon:
DiAnn is giving away a copy of A Woman Called Sage. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Tuesday, April13th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar. **Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.
Tell us about your epiphany moment when you decided you were going to seriously pursue writing and eventually publication. When I first started writing, I did so as a way to combat loneliness. As a teenager and then young adult, I didn’t really have any aspirations to become published other than the occasional thought, “Wow, that would be kind of cool.” However, the came when I was a relative newlywed with a husband who traveled for a living. That meant I was often at home at night all by myself with nothing but the television for company. That got old pretty fast. Finally, two years later, when my daughter was only a few months old, I started working on a story I had running around in my head. It was only at this point that I convinced myself that I could actually sit down and write the thing.
Which of your books (published or upcoming) has been the most fun for you to write and which character is your favorite? I would have to say the second book in the Women of Justice series. That book just flowed. I wrote it straight through and hardly had to do any revisions before sending it off to my editor. She didn’t make any changes either. That was really cool. I just loved doing the research on that book. I learned a ton about serial killers and what forensic anthropologists do.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Probably finding time to write. I just have to plant my tail in the chair some days and not worry about laundry, dust bunnies or cooking a healthy supper.
Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote? I liked the villain. Isn’t that terrible? He is such a horrible person and yet he’s fascinating, too. I had to do a lot of research into the mind of a psychopath. Seriously disturbing, yet fascinating, too.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? LOL. I’m having trouble with this one. I’m not really a very quirky person and I don’t know that I have any strange habits. Ha. Maybe I should ask my husband this one and get back to you.
Are there things you put off doing because you dread them? Cleaning house and cooking.
What would a perfect day for you look like? To have my family around me as we play on the beach ending with supper at The Boundary House then back to the condo to put my feet up and write 5,000 words before crashing into bed.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I like everything except Sci-Fi. I really don’t like anything to do with the supernatural or paranormal. I guess I’m the one person who can’t stand vampire stuff.
Are there certain foods or snacks keeps the words flowing for you? Unfortunately. Krispy Kreme donuts. Ahhhhh……………yeah, definitely. You can see them all sitting on my hips and waist now.
Are there spiritual themes you like to write about? Forgiveness, unconditional love, grace, mercy.
What lesson is the Lord teaching you right now or recently taught you? That I’m writing for Him. That the words He gives me to put in a book are for His glory. That I only have to please Him in my writing and that’s all that matters.
When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it? The next book in the Women of Justice Series is due out in September of this year. It’s called Don’t Look Back and is about a forensic anthropologist who was once the hostage of a serial killer. She managed to get out alive, but is dealing with the memories and such. When she starts putting some bones back together, she realizes that the person on her autopsy table has some of the same distinguished wounds that she herself had. It’s then that she realizes her would be killer is back to finish the job.
I also have a Steeple Hill book coming out in August of this year. It’s about a US Marshal protecting a judge. And falling in love with him at the same time.
Lynette is giving away a copy of Too Close to Home. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Wednesday, April 7th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar. **Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.
Since Patty quit running from God's call on her life and surrendered her pen to Him, she's been happy. Life is never dull as she juggles being a wife, mom to a handful of kids and a couple of Capuchin monkeys, life on the road, and being a writer. As long as she's obeying God's leading, she figures that sanity is a novelty and not a necessity in the zoo she lives in. Patty clings to the promise that God will enable her to do what He asks of her, otherwise she would be living with the scaredy cats at the Funny Farm and not just occasionally visiting. You can find her on Instagram, too, where she daily sneaks in a few sane moments.