SEEING THINGS - Patti Hill - Free book

I'm happy to welcome Patti Hill back to the blog. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write the kind of books I love to read—relational, winsome, and authentic. When I read a great book, I’m left with questions to ponder and friends to remember.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Marrying my husband, Dennis, followed closely by giving birth to Geoff and Matt. I’m blessed to have wonderful men around me. I also have a lovey-pie dog named Tillie.

How has being published changed your life?

Oh boy! I’ve gained relationships with amazingly creative people all over the world; I’ve wrestled with ideas and beliefs that may have gone unattended had I not been forced to face them in the writing process; and best of all, the circle between writer and reader has become more intimate. I love hearing from readers. I consider their e-mails replies to my books. What an honor to meet so many wonderful people.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished Sharon Souza’s Lying on Sunday, a truly wonderful book. Now, it’s on to Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas for my fiction read. In the nonfiction category, I’m reading The PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb. This is NOT just another book on prayer. I’m back in prayer kindergarten and loving it. I also keep a writing related book percolating. I’m reading Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle, a true classic and quite inspirational.

What would be your dream vacation?

Early February. Southern hemisphere. Tahiti. Snorkeling. Eating. Napping. And more napping.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I make the setting of each book a character, so I must immerse myself in the climate, geography, culture, and history of a place. That usually means I pick a place within driving distance that will provide subplots for my story. The Queen of Sleepy Eye is set in the North Fork Valley of Colorado, just over an hour from where I live. Traditionally an orchard and ranching community, the mid-seventies brought new players to the valley—back-to-the-land types or hippies. Along with the coalminers, the place literally sparked interesting possibilities, besides being a beautiful place to visit. The people there are lovely, so eager to share their stories. I loved spending time there. I’m trying to convince my husband that my next story must take place in Ireland, which would mean an extended stay on the Emerald Isle. And just think, no snakes!

Seriously, I just penned a dream list—a bucket list of sorts—and I want to do some short mission trips. Our pastor just got back from Thailand and Japan. I’m game. Here I am, Lord, send me!

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

This is a tough question because there’s not a smarter man or better companion than my husband, so I would have to say: Give me a lonely child to bathe and clothe and feed and cuddle.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

My husband and I love to try out new recipes and invite folks over to share the outcome. So far, we haven’t made anyone sick. I love hiking in the high country in aspen and spruce forests during the summer and snowshoeing in the winter. Travel to almost anywhere is on my list as long as I’m not rushed. I want to meet people and spend time with the locals. Also, I have lots of flowers in my garden, so I enjoy early-morning puttering to weed and tidy. Mostly, I spend non-writing time maintaining relationships with people God has graciously gifted me as friend and family.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Writing is definitely brain work, and when my brain gets taxed, it’s likely to wander. I check the mail, clean out a drawer, round up dust bunnies, bake a loaf of bread, call a friend…anything but write! If I give myself a reasonable daily goal, then I’m more likely to meet that goal, so I can go play. There’s nothing like sorting through an underwear drawer! Remember: Writers need recess, too.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Be prepared! Take the time to learn the basics of stellar storytelling. Don’t hurry. You’re writing for the King. If he’s given you the gift, you owe it to him to wield it to his glory. Also, pray a lot and dive into Scripture. Get to know the heart of God. You’ll be representing him in your stories to one extent or the other.

Tell us about the featured book.

Birdie Wainwright isn’t concerned about seeing things others can’t. As a woman with macular degeneration, she considers the clarity and color of her visions a gift from God.


A splash of purple flowers on the sidewalk or mountainsides of edelweiss are welcomed diversions from the fog that covers her central vision. Besides, she has mountains to climb and tangos to dance—until a tumble down the stairs breaks her ankle.

Anxious to reconnect with her son and grandson, she accepts her son’s invitation to convalesce in Denver, miles and worlds away from her mountain home. And then, Huckleberry Finn comes to call. The line between reality and whimsy turns brittle. Faith is tested. And hope is reborn.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Yes, come and visit me! I love hearing from readers.

Web site: http://www.pattihillauthor.com/
e-mail: patti@pattihillauthor.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/home
And my newest and grandest presence yet: http://novelmatters.blogspot.com/

I will be blogging with seven other amazing writers with powerful and gentle voices. We’ll blog on a rotating basis on all things that make books irresistible. Writers can hone their crafts. Readers will gain an inside look. This blog went live on January 1, 2009. Come see Jennifer Valent (starred PW review for her first novel), Sharon K. Souza, Latayne Scott, Debbie Fuller Thomas, Bonnie Grove, eh?, Kathleen Popa, and little ol’ me. From our conference calls, we can guarantee no dull moments.

Lena, thanks for your hospitality. It’s been an absolute honor to spend time with your readers.

He reigns,
Patti

Patty, my readers and I thank you for spending this time with us.
Readers, here's a link where you can order the book. If you use this link, it will help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.


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Author Patti Hill - THE QUEEN OF SLEEPY EYE - Free Book

Let's give a hearty welcome back to Patti Hill.

Patti, why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write the kind of books I love to read—relational, winsome, and authentic. When I read a great book, I’m left with questions to ponder and friends to remember.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Marrying my husband, Dennis, followed closely by giving birth to Geoff and Matt. I’m blessed to have wonderful men around me. I also have a lovey-pie dog named Tillie.

I only had girls, but I got the guys as grandsons and now a great grandson. How has being published changed your life?

Oh boy! I’ve gained relationships with amazingly creative people all over the world; I’ve wrestled with ideas and beliefs that may have gone unattended had I not been forced to face them in the writing process; and best of all, the circle between writer and reader has become more intimate. I love hearing from readers. I consider their e-mails replies to my books. What an honor to meet so many wonderful people.

Yeah, the readers keep us writing, don't they? What are you reading right now?

I just finished Sharon Souza’s Lying on Sunday, a truly wonderful book. Now, it’s on to Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas for my fiction read. In the nonfiction category, I’m reading The PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb. This is NOT just another book on prayer. I’m back in prayer kindergarten and loving it. I also keep a writing related book percolating. I’m reading Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle, a true classic and quite inspirational.

What is your current work in progress?

We haven’t nailed down the title yet, but I’m excited about the story. I’m going from a 17-year-old protagonist to a 72-year-old protagonist with macular degeneration. What a fabulous journey! Birdie is all I want to be in a few years—independent and athletic woman with a tender ear for God’s voice. She also spends time with Huckleberry Finn. Hmm. I wonder how she does that? You’ll have to wait until October 2009 to find out, but the wait will be worth it. I love Birdie!

What would be your dream vacation?

Early February. Southern hemisphere. Tahiti. Snorkeling. Eating. Napping. And more napping.

Can I come with you? Seriously, how do you choose your settings for each book?

I make the setting of each book a character, so I must immerse myself in the climate, geography, culture, and history of a place. That usually means I pick a place within driving distance that will provide subplots for my story. The Queen of Sleepy Eye is set in the North Fork Valley of Colorado, just over an hour from where I live. Traditionally an orchard and ranching community, the mid-seventies brought new players to the valley—back-to-the-land types or hippies. Along with the coalminers, the place literally sparked interesting possibilities, besides being a beautiful place to visit. The people there are lovely, so eager to share their stories. I loved spending time there. I’m trying to convince my husband that my next story must take place in Ireland, which would mean an extended stay on the Emerald Isle. And just think, no snakes!

Seriously, I just penned a dream list—a bucket list of sorts—and I want to do some short mission trips. Our pastor just got back from Thailand and Japan. I’m game. Here I am, Lord, send me!

I love mission trips. The farthest one away I've been on is Guatemala. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

This is a tough question because there’s not a smarter man or better companion than my husband, so I would have to say: Give me a lonely child to bathe and clothe and feed and cuddle.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

My husband and I love to try out new recipes and invite folks over to share the outcome. So far, we haven’t made anyone sick. I love hiking in the high country in aspen and spruce forests during the summer and snowshoeing in the winter. Travel to almost anywhere is on my list as long as I’m not rushed. I want to meet people and spend time with the locals. Also, I have lots of flowers in my garden, so I enjoy early-morning puttering to weed and tidy. Mostly, I spend non-writing time maintaining relationships with people God has graciously gifted me as friend and family.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Writing is definitely brain work, and when my brain gets taxed, it’s likely to wander. I check the mail, clean out a drawer, round up dust bunnies, bake a loaf of bread, call a friend…anything but write! If I give myself a reasonable daily goal, then I’m more likely to meet that goal, so I can go play. There’s nothing like sorting through an underwear drawer! Remember: Writers need recess, too.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Be prepared! Take the time to learn the basics of stellar storytelling. Don’t hurry. You’re writing for the King. If he’s given you the gift, you owe it to him to wield it to his glory. Also, pray a lot and dive into Scripture. Get to know the heart of God. You’ll be representing him in your stories to one extent or the other.

Wonderful advice, and very timely. Tell us about the featured book.

The story is a look back to the summer of 1975 for Amy when she was seventeen years old. She has just graduated from high school and believes it’s high time her mother, Francie—the deposed queen of the 1958 Sleepy Eye Corn Festival—lays aside her tiara and grows up. Studious and focused, Amy is twilight to Francie’s midnight beauty. But Francie, as gregarious as she is impetuous, can’t imagine her life without Amy. She detours her daughter’s push for independence with an unplanned stop in Cordial, Colorado, where ranchers, coal miners, and hippies struggle to find common ground. In this tender coming-of-age story for both mother and daughter, values clash, belief sparks, myths fade, and mature love debuts.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Yes, come and visit me! I love hearing from readers.
Web site: http://www.pattihillauthor.com/
e-mail: patti@pattihillauthor.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/home
And my newest and grandest presence yet: http://novelmatters.blogspot.com/

I will be blogging with seven other amazing writers with powerful and gentle voices. We’ll blog on a rotating basis on all things that make books irresistible. Writers can hone their crafts. Readers will gain an inside look. This blog goes live on January 1, 2009. Come see Jennifer Valent (starred PW review for her first novel), Sharon K. Souza, Latayne Scott, Debbie Fuller Thomas, Bonnie Grove, eh?, Kathleen Popa, and little ol’ me. From our conference calls, we can guarantee no dull moments.

Lena, thanks for your hospitality. It’s been an absolute honor to spend time with your readers.
He reigns,
Patti

And thank you, Patti, for spending this time with us. We loved it.

Readers, you can order The Queen of Sleepy Eye by clicking this link:

Also you can leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Just remember to come back a week from Saturday to see if you have won. Or you can sign up for FeedBlitz at the top of the right hand column, and you won't miss a single interview or announcement. Then if you don't win, you can still use this link.

Patti Hill

Good morning, Patti. Welcome to my blog. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Writing fiction is a playground for the mind. I experiment with the experiences and relationships that make my spine tingle to whittle them down to size. For instance, Mibby, the widow in my Garden Gates Series, puts on a brave front to run her garden design business and take care of her son, but she sleeps in her husband’s T-shirt and lies on his shoes to freshen his memory. Readers comment on the depth and honesty of my characters. That may be because I’m of an age where I’m no long trying to be Princess Evangelical. Instead, I strive to love as my Savior loves and to keep my relationship with Him fresh and vital—and then write my little heart out. All of this is to say that who I am and what I believe is on every page. This is not unique to me. A writer can’t help but reveal their soft underbellies. The narrator of my work in progress is a seventeen-year-old girl trying to pry herself from her mother’s iron grip. I’m having a blast letting her lead me through the story. For 4-6 hours a day, I’m seventeen again. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

This decade, the quirkiest thing was walking around the International Christian Retailer Show in bright gardening gear, florescent Crocs included, to hand out flower pens to promote In Every Flower. And because I didn’t want to do this alone, my friend Sharon Hinck dressed up in a cape a la Becky Miller to hand out her own swag. It’s always more fun to be quirky with a friend.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I was fourteen. I’d moved sixty miles away to a foggy beach town. I spent my days writing homesick missives to my friends. One of the girl’s mother said I should be a writer. Who me? All I knew of writers was what I’d seen in the movies. Inspiration strikes like lightning, the author pounded a typewriter from sundown to sunrise, resulting in a fat manuscript neatly stacked on his desk. The idea stuck with me, so I was a journalism major in college—the first time around—and an English literature major the second time around. When professors kept saying I should give a writing career a chance, I still didn’t believe them. Finally, my advanced writing prof made submitting a piece for publication a class requirement. The picture book is still unpublished, but I received the loveliest rejection letter. I taught school for four years, all the while playing with plots and characters as I drove to and from school. My mother insisted I attend a Writing Great Fiction class by Lauraine Snelling when she came to town. Lauraine helped me organize all my ideas and gave me a place to put my first step on the long road to publication. Finally, I was a writer. This story took place over an undisclosed number of years.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My first choice in reading is a slice-of-life story, rich in language and honest to the core. I read Elizabeth Berg, Annie Dillard, Jan Karon, and Marilynn Robinson. I also love a well-crafted essays on life and faith. Anne Lamott, Barbara Kingsolver, and right now, I’m reading a book of essays on writing—imaging that!—by writers who have spoken at the Festival of Faith and Writing. The essayists have certainly challenged me to ratchet up the quality of my writing and my focus on Christ. I just finished reading Sharon Hinck’s The Restorer. What a marvelous, layered story she has created. I’m going to dip my toes into more fantasy because of this great read. And I love historical fiction. I could go on and on.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I’ve written a picture book about a spring-time hike up a desert canyon that is still in the drawer. My three published works are the Garden Gates Series, Like a Watered Garden (a Christy Finalist last year), Always Green, and In Every Flower. The main character is a youngish widow with a 13-year-old son. She’s a garden designer. She meets the most amazing characters by tending people’s gardens. Readers tell me they laugh and cry all the way through the series as I open up Mibby’s life and relationships for the world to see. One reviewer described my writing as “faith with its working clothes on.” My work in progress is The Queen of Sleepy Eye, a coming-of-age novel of a mother and daughter.

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

Oh my, this is a tough one. I use the Marilyn Monroe method—I just put my lips together and say no...most of the time. I can’t resist lunch with friends, which is murder to my writing goals, so now we go out to breakfast. I don’t watch the news or much television at all. I play in the garden, go for long walks with my dog, cook and entertain with my husband, and read. Occasional travel is a must, even for a weekend. Since I work at home, getting away seems like the only true break.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I keep a list of interesting names, rummage through phone books, and take notes of obituary names with a nice ring. I held a contest for my WIP. The winner is a character. I’ll also throw names of friends in the text.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Please note that I am not singularly responsible for the way they turned out, but my sons are amazing men. It took a lot of macaroni and cheese to get them to manhood, but they’ve arrived. They’re smart, funny, independent and loving people. Also, my dog sits every time I tell her to.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A dog, definitely. They are who they are with no sense of self-consciousness. They bark when they’re excited, run when there’s something, anything, that needs chasing. They’re always dressed for the occasion with no worries about matching socks or the need to iron. Food appears magically in their bowls, and they never have to clean up after themselves. Yes, I’d prefer it if they’d shake paws upon meeting another dog, but nobody’s perfect.

What is your favorite food?

Anything with garlic or sour cream.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I hinted at this earlier. I thought writers put it down on paper perfectly the first time. A writers workshop changed all of that. I saw other people’s sloppy copies and the changes they worked and reworked. Also, reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott helped tremendously. Who knew there was someone more neurotic than me out there? My office is covered with little birds to remind me to just write one scene at a time. Phew, what a relief!

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Consider the road to publication a marathon, not a sprint. Figure out where you are as a writer. Are you an expert or a novice? Prepare yourself accordingly. This can’t happen in a vacuum. You need feedback from professors or other writers who are a bit further along on the journey. Surround yourself with people who will give you honest feedback about your writing and believe them. When you’ve written something marvelous, take it to a writers conference for professional critiquing and to strengthen your calling.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

In Every Flower explores the not-so-rosy road of remarriage and the courage and commitment it takes to overcome the pitfalls, all while your sixteen-year-old son is trying his best to undo your world. Sounds depressing, but it’s not. Mibby has a quirky, straightforward approach to life. She leans heavily on Christ and the friends around her. You won’t find any villains in my books, only people with conflicting needs—just like life.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Come see me and hear me at www.pattihillauthor.com. I’m running a comfort food recipe contest right now. Please fill my mailbox with your recipes, even if they include Spam.

Get ready for an onslaught, Patti. Thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, you know the drill. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of In Every Flower. Don't you just love the cover?

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