SAVING MRS. ROOSEVELT - Candice Sue Patterson - One Free Book

Welcome, Candice. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon? My writing journey started with contemporary romances, but in the last couple of years, God has brought along opportunities for historical romances. I feel perhaps He’s transitioning me into a hybrid author who will traditionally publish historical romances and Indie publish contemporary romances.

Tell us a little about your family. I’m a mom of three boys. Our oldest left for college in the fall, so it’s been an adjustment not having him home every day. Our middle son is a senior, so he’ll be leaving the nest soon as well. Our youngest is a middle-schooler. And we also have a Great Pyrenees who’s basically like another kid.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how? Definitely. I’m no longer bothered by small errors in a book because I now know no matter how many times it’s edited and how many people read through it ahead of time, those pesky little mistakes still find their way in there somehow. I also have a better appreciation for how much work goes into a book, on the author’s end and the publisher’s.

What are you working on right now? I’ve recently pulled out the first draft of a manuscript I’d written and had put away when the opportunity to write Saving Mrs. Roosevelt came about. It’s a full-length Christmas novel set in Maine. It isn’t under contract yet, but I’m hoping it will be soon.

What outside interests do you have? I love to travel. I also enjoy baking and decorating cakes and desserts.

How do you choose your settings for each book? The setting of a book needs to be its own character in a story, so I choose my setting very carefully. The setting has to match the mood and plot of the story. Most of my books are set in Maine, but a few are not. It depends on what the story needs. I write very descriptive settings because I want the reader to feel as if they’re there when reading. Therefore, when writing, I surround myself with pictures of the setting, so it comes across on the page.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why? I would love to meet Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables and many other great works of fiction. I’d love to see her Prince Edward Island and talk about writing and storytelling.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels? That it’s exhausting. LOL

I love writing books and everything that comes with it, but once I’ve turned the manuscript into my publisher, my brain requires a good month of rest and relaxation.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now? He’s teaching me that my writing isn’t for everyone. Reading is subjective and some readers will love my books and others will hate them, but as long as I’m writing what He’s calling me to write, He’ll take care of the rest.

That is so true. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful? Grow a thick skin. Rejection is part of the journey, but DON’T let it stop you. Pick yourself back up and keep going until you succeed.

Be a reader. It’s how you will learn and grow. Study how others craft a novel, but always stay true to your own voice.

Think outside of the box. Create plots (high-concept storylines) that don’t fit a common mold. This will keep readers engaged and help you stand out from other authors.

Tell us about the featured book. Shirley Davenport is as much a patriot as her four brothers. She, too, wants to aid her country in the war efforts, but opportunities for women are limited. When her best friend Joan informs her that the Coast Guard has opened a new branch for single women, they both enlist in the SPARs, ready to help protect the home front.
Training is rigorous, and Shirley is disappointed that she and Joan are sent to separate training camps. At the end of basic training, Captain Webber commends her efforts and commissions her home to Maine under the ruse of a dishonorable discharge to help uncover a plot against the First Lady.
Shirley soon discovers nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust? Why do the people she loves want to harm the First Lady? With the help of Captain Webber, it’s a race against time to save Mrs. Roosevelt and remain alive.

Sounds intriguing. Please give us the first page of the book.

Lubec, Maine

December 1942

Shirley Davenport was a breath away from dying.

            Of boredom.

            She lowered the newspaper to her lap. Why did men get to have all the fun?

            Brows arched, Daddy looked up from the boat he was cleaning and held out the scraper. “I’m sorry. Did you want to remove the layers of crust? I wouldn’t call it fun.”

            Embarrassed, Shirley bowed her head. She hadn’t meant to voice her thoughts aloud, but she did that sometimes.

            “I was speaking of the war, Daddy.”

            The heater surged beside them, warming a small bubble of space in the massive barn. The scent of hay and dust and kerosene wasn’t a pleasant one, but she’d rather be working in a cold dank barn any day than in a stuffy kitchen.

            Her father winced and stood from his crouched position, hand bracing the pain she knew lived in the curve of his back. “I know.”

            A gust of winter forced its way between the cracks of the old structure. Christmas was over, and a new year awaited. While two of her brothers were scattered across the globe, fighting for freedom and justice, she was stuck in a little town by the frozen sea, doing the same things she’d done since childhood.

            And would probably do every year for the rest of her life.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Candice-Sue-Patterson-Author-420360958035447/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candicesuepatterson

Website: https://www.candicesuepatterson.com

Quarterly newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/candicesuepatterson

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Mrs-Roosevelt-WWII-Heroines/dp/1636090893/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Saving+Mrs.+Roosevelt&qid=1643735629&s=books&sr=1-2

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