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 Mission 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 Louisiana
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
The truth is out, but
will it set her free or land her in the grave?
Harper doesn’t want to return to Maryland
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
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Your readers are invited to download a free book when they
join my newsletter list by clicking here: https://robinpatchen.com/subscribe/
Keep in touch on Facebook and find out about new releases on
BookBub, Goodreads, and Amazon:
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Beauty in Battle
Amazon SERIES: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MWC4GVS/
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/4AJgAe
Thank you, Robin, for
sharing this final book in the series with my blog readers and me.
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