LOVE'S AUTUMN HARVEST - Patricia Lee - One Free Book

Welcome, Patricia. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Most of my characters are components of people I know or have known. My first novel contained images of my life rearing a daughter with autism. This newly released novel depicts the drive and determination of a long time neighbor who always grew enough vegetables every summer to feed the entire city block. The love story reflects the mix of stories of many different couples I have known. I am not really in any of the books but thoughts and actions I’ve experienced are.  

 What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I was scheduled to attend an ACFW conference in Indianapolis, but when I arrived at the Eugene, Oregon, airport for the first leg of my trip through San Francisco, the flight was cancelled. Not postponed. Not rescheduled. Cancelled. I spoke to the ticket agent explaining I had to get to the conference which was to begin the next day. He looked at the flights going out and suggested a commuter flight north to Portland. A red-eye jumbo jet was flying to Chicago at midnight, and I could try to go standby on that. “That flight,” he said with a frown, “is full. But often there are last minute no-shows which might give you a seat.”

 Did I have enough faith?

 I took the challenge. The plane in Portland was indeed full. I sat waiting, watching the passenger seating chart fill as people checked in. As time for departure drew near, the seating had diminished to five empty seats. Then four. Finally only two remained. It didn’t look good. Suddenly I heard my name called. Because the ticket agent in Eugene had put me on standby, I was granted the last remaining place on the plane. I gave thanks for the goodness of God because I had no idea how I would get back home if that plane hadn’t carried me East.

 God indeed is good. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I wrote my first story when I was six years old. I don’t remember any of it but my teacher was so impressed that she gave me a bookmark and wrote on the back of it, “Keep writing, Patty. That stuck with me as I moved on through school, wrote columns for the local paper, and studied journalism at the University of Oregon.

 Tell us the range of books you enjoy reading.

Though I write contemporary romance with a twist of women’s fiction mixed in, I read a lot of historical fiction. I’m drawn to life in other times, fascinated with the detail most authors include, and like the feeling of escaping to another era.

 How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I’m not a hustler. I’ve lived long enough to know life is more than hurrying from one task to another. If one never slows down, much of life is missed in the rush.

 I approach each day with a list of things that need to be done. When I was younger, I filled the day with housekeeping tasks interspersed with the needs of my children. When I homeschooled them, I used assigned chores as part of the daily curriculum. Privileges were granted or suspended on the basis of the work completed. Now that I’m older, I give each day a sprinkling of work, fun, and relaxation. Reading is a favorite past time, as is growing flowers. Both give me a sense of peace in God’s great creation.

How do you choose your characters names?

I often begin a work with a stand-in name for a character, like a place holder at a dining table. Then as I get to know the character and get a sense of who he or she is, I find a name better suited to his or her personality.  In my most recent release, I knew I had to have a name that fit the situation comedy of the third character. Hillary means laughter so that character was born and she gets into a lot of tight spots. Eileen became the main character but she’s whimsical so I renamed her Eily (I-ly with a long i). Marshall was named to be a strong male model as he will need to be as the story unfolds.

 What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My daughter has autism. I made a commitment to her when she was very young to give her every opportunity to have a normal life. That meant finding the right teachers for her, discovering activities in which she could grow, and giving up my personal life to see her achieve. My husband and I spent a lot of years figuring her out but she now is a thriving adult who can handle most of what life throws at  her. She speaks, even though I was told she probably never would. She has her own art business. She loves church. She will always need support, but I’m proud of what she has accomplished. 

That’s wonderful. If you were an animal, what one would you be, and why?

I would be a cat. Anyone who has ever owned a cat knows they are independent thinkers and they do things on their own terms.  The saying that dogs have masters and cats have staff is spot on. Besides, sleeping 18 hours a day can’t be all that bad, can it? 

What is your favorite food?

I had to think long and hard on this question. I enjoy most dishes but to name a favorite is a stretch for me.  My most often go to food is cottage cheese. It’s bland and can be combined with many other ingredients. I like it mixed with fruit or with a spoonful of salsa stirred in spread on dark rye toast. That makes a quick and tongue satisfying lunch, though most people would probably find that weird. That’s okay, it’s my lunch. 

For breakfast, I often eat cottage cheese with a little fruit cup with no sugar added and a couple of tablespoons sunflower seeds. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock and how did you overcome it?

I had to learn to humbly accept my limitations. When I first began writing fiction, I thought I could do a fairly decent job. After all, I’d written for magazines and blogs and newsletters for years. What an arrogant point of view that was!  I soon found writing a sentence to transmit content is a lot different than writing a scene to provoke emotion.  Writing fiction is more than putting a noun in front of a verb and adding, “said.” I joined a critique group who kept me in my place, attended writer’s conferences where I rubbed shoulders with popular best-selling authors, and entered contests where feedback was provided on my manuscripts. Over time, my writing evolved to a level worthy of publication. TIME was the key.           

In the keynote address I gave last Saturday on a writing Zoom conference, one of the points was “It’s all about the process.” That’s what you’re talking about. Tell us about the featured book.

This novel, Love’s Autumn Harvest, is a story that was born out of a challenge by a speaker at a writer’s conference.  He said to change up our writing. Write something totally different from what we usually write. See what happens. I decided I wanted to write something that wasn’t too serious, a story that would make people laugh. Thus Eily (pronounced I-lee) McKintrick and Marshall Frye were born, one a widow, the other a widower, both with no interest in a love interest. To further complicate the plot, I added Hillary Shepherd, a divorcee with her sights set on snagging Marshall. The result is a laughter filled romp through a three-way love triangle. I believe readers are going to love all the characters and have a good time reading the story. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

One onion

That’s all she needed

Medium-sized, yellow or white, hot or mellow 

HER IDEA BORE ALL THE EARMARKS of trouble. 

Beyond Eily McKintrick’s kitchen window, widower Marshall Frye worked in his garden, dirty canvas cap plopped like an afterthought on his balding head. Bib overalls billowed whenever the wind wafted through the manicured rows. Every day she saw him out her window, hoe in hand, back bent, head bobbing in time to the rhythm of his arms. Today was no different. 

But not every day did she need an onion. 

She studied the recipe for garlic beef enchiladas in front of her, drugstore reading specs suspended on the end of her nose. Ticking off the list of spices with a forefinger she located each one in her kitchen cupboard—cumin, sage, and chili powder. She removed the spice jars from the lower shelf and set them on the counter. 

A stepstool under her feet, Eily rummaged through the assorted canned vegetables stored higher in the cupboard. Standing on tiptoe, she dug into the corners, wobbling when the stool squeaked. Her hands flew out, gripping the door of the cupboard, heart racing.

One of these days I’ll move the waffle iron and the bread machine and put the canned goods below the counter. No sense breaking my neck for a container I could just as easily get from the ground. 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Facebook: @patricialeebooks

Twitter: lee_patricia__

Website: www.authorpatricialee.net

E-mail: patricialeewrites@earthlink.net 

Thank you, Patricia, for sharing this novel with us today. It sounds like a fun read. 

Readers, here are links to the book. 

https://amzn.to/3gIevER - Paperback

https://amzn.to/3kCCcAC - Kindle

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