Ask the Author: R.W. Patterson
Answered Questions (8)
R.W. Patterson
"Horns and Halos" by Nia Rose is high on my reading list! I also look forward to reading "The Cabin" by Jasinda Wilder.
R.W. Patterson
I'd love to trek through the Boreal Forest--travel northern Canada and soak in the natural beauty. I've researched it extensively for some of my books, and have fallen in love with the stately trees! Love the trees and the mystical qualities they bring to any setting. But, honestly, the book world of Alice in Wonderland would definitely be awesome--a trip to remember, I'm sure.
R.W. Patterson
My most recent book, coming July 10th, Light Over Dark Water, is the finale for the Heart and Soul series, which is comprised of Solace From Shadows, Light and Shadows, and Dark Night of the Soul. It is the culmination of almost nine years of growing the primary characters, Elaine and Ian.
Taking on the finale was definitely an arduous journey, and in many ways this book feels threaded through my own life that has evolved over the years...
Raising five sons, (one special needs), navigating the trials and tribulations of breast cancer, while being an entrepreneur and having a passion for writing, is challenging...but Elaine's tenacity and fortitude as she evolves through the series has been something of an inspiration to myself! Wouldn't change a thing...as everything happens for a reason, and nothing in life is wasted, not even our personal passions and interests.
My journey of healing inspired a modern-day romance novel which I am currently outlining...I find myself already excited to share the characters that are evolving daily.
Much love and Gratitude.
Rae
Taking on the finale was definitely an arduous journey, and in many ways this book feels threaded through my own life that has evolved over the years...
Raising five sons, (one special needs), navigating the trials and tribulations of breast cancer, while being an entrepreneur and having a passion for writing, is challenging...but Elaine's tenacity and fortitude as she evolves through the series has been something of an inspiration to myself! Wouldn't change a thing...as everything happens for a reason, and nothing in life is wasted, not even our personal passions and interests.
My journey of healing inspired a modern-day romance novel which I am currently outlining...I find myself already excited to share the characters that are evolving daily.
Much love and Gratitude.
Rae
R.W. Patterson
Hi there, Sarah!
Houston is located about 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico--Galveston being the primary port. I was born and raised in Houston, and even attended the University of Houston. Grew up in the tumultuous years of the oil boom, recessions and the industrial shifts (where oil and refineries were the primary employers), while attending awesome games at the Astrodome and taking summer trips to the beach. If you like weekend road trips, driving three hours southwest will lead you to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas, which are summertime faves for my family. Texas is definitely home sweet home!
My Heart and Soul series actually begins in Austin, TX (where I currently reside), and then makes a shift to the Blue Ridge Mountains...and ultimately into the dense Boreal Forest of Northern Canada.
Houston is located about 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico--Galveston being the primary port. I was born and raised in Houston, and even attended the University of Houston. Grew up in the tumultuous years of the oil boom, recessions and the industrial shifts (where oil and refineries were the primary employers), while attending awesome games at the Astrodome and taking summer trips to the beach. If you like weekend road trips, driving three hours southwest will lead you to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas, which are summertime faves for my family. Texas is definitely home sweet home!
My Heart and Soul series actually begins in Austin, TX (where I currently reside), and then makes a shift to the Blue Ridge Mountains...and ultimately into the dense Boreal Forest of Northern Canada.
R.W. Patterson
Writing has been a haunting force since childhood. Poetry and storytelling go wayyyyy back. I recently found a journal my mother bought for me when I was nine...poetry scribbled in pencil filled the pages.
Honestly, inspiration isn't hard to muster with any difficulty. Finding time, however, is the issue. Characters find me 95% of the time, even in my dreams! So with a busy life as a mother of 5 sons (my youngest is special needs), a Spiritual Life Coach and a writer...I sacrifice sleep to put pen to paper. But the characters...their stories...and their ever-expanding relationships...are the forces behind what little intrinsic drive that's needed. Oh, if only there were more hours in a night!
Honestly, inspiration isn't hard to muster with any difficulty. Finding time, however, is the issue. Characters find me 95% of the time, even in my dreams! So with a busy life as a mother of 5 sons (my youngest is special needs), a Spiritual Life Coach and a writer...I sacrifice sleep to put pen to paper. But the characters...their stories...and their ever-expanding relationships...are the forces behind what little intrinsic drive that's needed. Oh, if only there were more hours in a night!
R.W. Patterson
I'm currently putting the finishing touches on my fourth supernatural romance book, LIGHT OVER DARK WATER. It's the last book in the Heart and Soul series that follows Elaine Pearson and Ian Kearney from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Boreal Forest. Writing this four-book saga has been a journey in itself, and aligns with the lessons of letting go and surrender that Elaine must learn as she navigates the passing of her husband and children...
Life is full of twists and turns, joys and sorrows, and lessons learned become sustenance, if allowed, for creativity and inspiration. Nothing is wasted.
Once this last book is released, I have plans, outlines and crude blueprints for another series...characters are already whispering in my head!
Love and Gratitude,
Ramonica
Life is full of twists and turns, joys and sorrows, and lessons learned become sustenance, if allowed, for creativity and inspiration. Nothing is wasted.
Once this last book is released, I have plans, outlines and crude blueprints for another series...characters are already whispering in my head!
Love and Gratitude,
Ramonica
R.W. Patterson
Best advice?
--Stay true to yourself. (ugh, cliche!)
--Don't hair split before you've purged the words, otherwise stories can't be told.
--Don't lose sleep over worrying what others are going to think. People's opinions and perspective are vastly diverse, and that's alright.
--Write with an image in your mind's eye.
--Write to evoke emotions.
--Write to escape and to have fun. It's all good.
--If you suffer from writer's block, write as if no one is reading! It works--alleviates the intrinsic pressure authors oftentimes put on themselves.
--Talk out plots or story lines with friends.
--Go into any writing endeavor with an open mind and open heart.
--Surrender to the journey. As characters expand, so does the story.
Hope this offers a bit of insight.
--Stay true to yourself. (ugh, cliche!)
--Don't hair split before you've purged the words, otherwise stories can't be told.
--Don't lose sleep over worrying what others are going to think. People's opinions and perspective are vastly diverse, and that's alright.
--Write with an image in your mind's eye.
--Write to evoke emotions.
--Write to escape and to have fun. It's all good.
--If you suffer from writer's block, write as if no one is reading! It works--alleviates the intrinsic pressure authors oftentimes put on themselves.
--Talk out plots or story lines with friends.
--Go into any writing endeavor with an open mind and open heart.
--Surrender to the journey. As characters expand, so does the story.
Hope this offers a bit of insight.
R.W. Patterson
This was actually a huge stumbling block for me to overcome. In college I was a journalism major for two years before I switched to sociology and psychology. Writing had become difficult and I abandoned it for quite some time to pursue other goals. As almost two decades passed, I found myself writing in my head on long walks, but never sat down to put pen to paper. Instead, I grew characters that eventually became the foundation for my Heart and Soul Series--twenty years in the making. Seven years ago, I gave myself permission to write again--to "bleed red" on the computer screen. As I attempted to rekindle the confidence that writing for an audience demanded--I wound up creating a four-book series (Heart and Soul). On December 31, 2015, I officially put "Solace From Shadows" into the world, and it feels great. "Light and Shadows" (Book Two in the Series) is slated to be released in early May 2016.
So...how did I deal with writer's block? I had to walk away--then come back with a fresh perspective about writing--choosing to write what made me happy, what came easily without worrying about other's opinions was a shift-point in my writing world. Finally, it was reclaiming the joy in writing again--and letting go of the insecurities that had plagued me all those years ago. Time is a healer of sorts, and hindsight offers a world of perspective, for which I am always grateful. Blessings.
So...how did I deal with writer's block? I had to walk away--then come back with a fresh perspective about writing--choosing to write what made me happy, what came easily without worrying about other's opinions was a shift-point in my writing world. Finally, it was reclaiming the joy in writing again--and letting go of the insecurities that had plagued me all those years ago. Time is a healer of sorts, and hindsight offers a world of perspective, for which I am always grateful. Blessings.
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