BEAUTY IN BATTLE - Robin Patchen - One Free Book

Welcome back, Robin. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

He has been moving, Lena! Phew, it’s been a wild ride getting books from my laptop into readers’ hands. If I ever decide to release three books in four months again, somebody, please stop me!

It’s been wonderful to connect with readers, though. That’s my favorite part of releasing books—meeting and chatting with readers and hearing their feedback. In the midst of that, I’ve written another book, Legacy Rejected, which will release in July, God willing. It’s the story of Ginny, who readers of the Beauty series will remember was Jack’s real estate agent. Poor Ginny was pretty lonely in the Beauty books, but thanks to meeting Jack and Harper, she now has a solid group of friends in Nutfield. Good thing, too, because when her parents’ enemies catch up with her, she’s going to need them.

Tell us a little about your family.

Ah, my favorite subject! My husband, Eddie, and I have been married for 25 years. We both grew up in New Hampshire, but we’ve lived for 23 years in the Oklahoma City area. We have three children ages 21, 19, and 17. Our 21-year-old, Nick, is a missionary serving with Youth with a Mission. He’s currently leading a team of 15 in the Himalayas, where they’re sharing Jesus and serving a local Christian community. My 19-year-old, Lexi, is working and preparing to start college next year. She’s a great singer and has a wonderful sense of humor and a unique talent for voices and accents. She plans to study broadcast journalism and possibly pursue a career as a voice actor. My baby, 17-year-old Jacob, is a junior in high school who decided a few years ago to become a social media star. He’s the kind of kid who sets goals and then sticks with them until he reaches them. As of right now, he has 300k+ followers on Tick Tock, a social media app for teens, and it’s growing every day. Obviously, God has blessed me beyond measure with this family.

Wonderful!! Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Writing and editing—my other job—have made me a more critical reader, and not in a good way. Too often, I find myself thinking of ways I would have written a certain passage differently or silently editing as I go along. On the other hand, when I get fully sucked into a book, I go back and reread, trying to figure out what the author did. I love it when that happens, and I learn so much from other writers.

What are you working on right now?

As soon as I get Legacy Rejected sent to my critique partners, I’m going to dive into the edits of a book I wrote five years ago. This is the book of my heart, the only book I feel like the Lord gave me. I’ll be honest: I don’t feel up to the task of this edit. I’ll be relying heavily on the One who gave me the story to begin with. Only He can make this book all that it can be. I hope someday to be able to tell you and your readers all about Marley’s story.

I’ll look forward to that. What outside interests do you have?

Besides writing and editing? There’s my relationship with God, which is always first and foremost in my life. There are my family and my friends, whom I love to spend time with. But as far as hobbies go… does sleeping count? If so, that’s my favorite hobby.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Recently, my books have all taken place in Nutfield, a fictional town in New Hampshire. I chose that because it reminds me of home. In the book I just finished, I have the heroine having lived in Louisiana. I chose that because I have family there. It’s a nod to my cousins in that part of the world.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

Today, I think Benjamin Franklin. He was such a unique character who lived in an amazing time. I’d love to ask him a million questions. (I’m sure he’d love that.)

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I wish I’d known that there was no rush. I was so desperate for a publishing contract that I took the first one that came along. I’m not saying it was a bad decision, but there are things about those first books that I’d change now if I had the chance. I wish I’d waited until I had a little more experience and, frankly, ability.

We’re all tempted by the first offered contract. I did the same thing. At least, it was just a one-book contract. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

The same thing He’s been teaching me for years and years: to trust Him. Every season has its own challenges, and with each one, I have to lean into the Lord in different ways. The good news is that each lessons stays with me. My faith grows little by little. I wish I’d hurry up and learn everything I need to learn so we could get through these latest trials. Apparently, it doesn't work that way.

It’s all about the process. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Don’t run ahead of God. Be patient and go where He leads.

Find great critique partners you trust, and then take their advice seriously. It’s possible they see things in your writing that you can’t see.

Don’t settle for mediocre. Keep learning and improving.

Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Beauty in Battle: Book 3 in the Beauty in Flight Series 

The truth is out, but will it set her free or land her in the grave?

Harper doesn’t want to return to Maryland to face the police. The mess she left behind makes her look guilty of the worst, but it’s too late to run again. Red is safe and the authorities are waiting. At least Jack is by her side.

Now that Jack knows the truth, his feelings for Harper are deeper than ever. He’s not about to leave her side, especially knowing a killer is after her.

But Derrick is on their trail, and he’s come unhinged. And he may not be the biggest threat lurking.

Don’t miss the exciting conclusion of the Beauty in Flight series. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Darkness swallowed Harper's rental home even before Jack navigated his pickup around a corner. She leaned against the cold window and restrained the sigh that wanted out. It was deja vu all over again.

When she’d first navigated the streets of Nutfield, rain and fear and exhaustion had made the little town seem scary, even sinister. Now that she was leaving, she knew better.

She’d like to tell herself she’d see the house again, see this town again, see Red again. But she’d fallen into that trap before.

When she’d hugged her parents good-bye, taken off to Los Angeles to see her name in lights, hadn’t she been sure she’d go back home to Kansas someday? Go back to flaunt her glorious success? What a naïve, foolish girl she’d been. She hadn’t been home, and now she’d never go, never have the opportunity to beg her parents for their forgiveness, to rebuild the bridges she’d torched with her own stupid choices.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

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Beauty in Battle Links:

Amazon SERIES: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MWC4GVS/

Universal: https://books2read.com/u/4AJgAe

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Robin_Patchen_Beauty_in_Battle?id=afGDDwAAQBAJ

Thank you, Robin, for sharing this final book in the series with my blog readers and me.

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