Finding Faith--Interview with author Robin Patchen

Thanks for joining me today, Robin.

I’m thrilled to be here. Thanks for having me!



Faith House released in November with White Rose Publishers. What inspired the story? 

When Hurricane Sandy hit back in October, 2012, I watched the footage on TV like the rest of the country. The story stuck with me, probably more than any other news story since 9/11. There was something about seeing all those homes, flooded and destroyed, that broke my heart. The news cycle moved on, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. When I set my table for Thanksgiving dinner, I thought of all the people who would not be able to celebrate in their own dining rooms. And then when we decorated our Christmas tree, I thought of all the people whose heirlooms and ornaments had been swept away or destroyed by the flood waters. So when I started thinking about a Christmas story for Pelican’s annual Extravaganza, it made sense that I crafted a story that took place in the aftermath of the hurricane.



Tell us about the Facebook page you started for Hurricane Sandy stories.

The goal was to collect stories. It hasn’t really caught on, but the reasons behind it remain. I am still thinking about all those hurricane victims and praying for them.




How did you name your characters?

Sadie’s name just came to me. No idea where it came from. Max is the name of one of my daughter’s friends, and I just like it. He’s such a great kid, studious and godly—from what I can tell, anyway. And that’s what my Max is like, so I just adopted the name.





Was any part of Faith House based on your own life?

Sadie really struggles with trusting God, and boy, have I been there! I believed God for my salvation a lot of years before I trusted him with everything else in my life. And I’m sure I haven’t arrived yet, but it’s amazing to see how faithful God has been over the years. Surrendering the most important things in my life has been a huge struggle, but one I’ve never regretted.




Have you ever been to New York?
Yes, a number of times, but not since I’ve been an adult. My husband and I lived about 4 hours from the city when I was still in the Boston area, but we never went, even though I always wanted to. I guess we figured we had all the time in the world. Who knew God would relocate us to Oklahoma?




What are you working on next?

I’m about halfway through a book that will take place here in Oklahoma. Not quite ready to share the blurb with you—mostly because I haven’t written it, yet.  And of course I’m praying for a publisher for a full-length novel I wrote two years ago called Finding Amanda.



Thanks for coming today, Robin!

Thank you!



I've read Faith House, and it's an amazing story. Buy it today while it's still available at a low holiday price. Simply click on one of the links below.


Amazon
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