I love
Patti Lacy! So I was thrilled when she agreed to stop by for a visit. Her newest book,
Rhythm of Secrets is now out! Patti has offered a giveaway copy too, so check out those details following the interview.
Karen: Thanks so much for joining us at Write Now! Congratulations on your upcoming books,
Rhythm of Secrets and
Reclaiming Lily. What inspired you to write Rhythm?
Patti: I read a Chicago Tribune article about a woman who found her birth child. “Go slowly,” she had told the cabbie driving her from the hospital back to the home, where her child would be given to adoptive parents. “I have one cab ride to give this baby a lifetime of love.”
Oh, that story ripped my heart in two, haunted me, day and night. So I plopped it into a Word file and began to plot, plot, plot.
Karen: Can you give us a sneak peek into the story?
Patti: OF COURSE! You know how I like to expose secrets!
Sheila Alexander has lived three separate lives. Now a conservative pastor’s wife, she is skilled at hiding secrets birthed in a New Orleans brothel. When the son she gave up years ago comes knocking, memories revive her heart but threaten her security.
Torn between preserving her marriage and again losing her son, Sheila faces a difficult decision. Will she give in to the legalistic demands of her husband and his congregation? Or will she help her son…and find a lost girl named Sheba?
Karen: Are you a plotter or pantster?
Patti: BOTH! I love the freedom of adding twists but just cannot clarify goal/motivation to the degree I need without some plotting. Plus, my agent Natasha wields a big stick and demands a DETAILED proposal!
Karen: I enjoyed your blog posts about your trip to China and the research for
Reclaiming Lily. What specific things were you looking to experience and research to help you with the book?
The flavor and sounds and smells of an extraordinary country. Getting up close and personal with the gorgeous Chinese people. Capturing the dimensions and magnitude of the country. Sigh. I didn’t get to visit an orphanage, though. But there’s tons of books…and testimonies…available.
Karen: Love the title,
Reclaiming Lily. What inspired you to choose this name? Is the book set in the present?
Patti: Oh, Thanks! Of course Bethany House will mull over my choice. So it’s not for sure.
The birth sister of a Chinese teenage has a terrible reason to “reclaim” the adoptive daughter of an American pastor and his wife.
Reclaiming Lily examines the concept of sacrifice and grapples with the problem of who really owns another human being. Get ready for a tearjerker!!
Karen: What was the biggest surprise you encountered while in China?
Patti: How much the people liked Americans, though they DID NOT like our chocolate!!! Even gourmet bars! And to think I toted them thousands of miles for that!!!
Karen: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Patti: No! I had no idea God would plop me into this quirky profession. I started in 2005.
Karen: Here are some quick and random questions just for fun -
Favorite color? Blue
Favorite meal? Oh, no. I like nearly ALL food except organ meats. Hmmm. Seafood pasta with steamed garden-fresh vegetables, sour dough bread, and olive oil/balsamic vinegar polished off with chocolate cheesecake.
Favorite vacation spot? Another impossible question! Places I cherish: Maine, Washington state, Oregon, Switzerland, Ireland, CHINA!!!!
Favorite season? FALL!
Karen: What was your most memorable writing conference moment?
Patti: Hearing Lynn Austin speak at Right to Publish in 2005.
Karen: What advice do you have for someone who would like to write a novel?
Patti: Write for the Audience of One with all your heart, soul, and mind and try to forget everything else.
Karen: What are your favorite writing resources?
Patti: Oh, an EASY ONE!!!
Bird by Bird by Lamott,
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King, and
The Moral Premise by Williams.
LOVED being here today. Thanks!
Karen: Thank you, Patti!
Stop by and see Patti at her
blog. While you're there, check out her
website too. She has loads of good stuff there, including info on her other books. She'd love to see you!
Giveaway Details
To enter to win a copy of Patti's latest,
Rhythm of Secrets, note these important details:
- Leave a comment with your email address. Entries without email address are not eligible.
- Receive an extra entry by becoming a follower, or by reminding me that you already follow.
- Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on Facebook, your blog, and/or Twitter. Please be sure and comment telling me so.
- This is only open to US residents.
- Deadline to enter is midnight Eastern Standard Time, Friday March 11, 2011. Winner will be announced Saturday March 12 and notified via email, and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
Have you read any new releases so far this year?
Happy reading and writing,
Karen
