Author Interview: Patricia Hale

Yesterday, I reviewed the book In the Shadow of Revenge by Patricia Hale, today she is here for an interview!  Without further ado . . . 

1.  What do you find yourself rambling about?

I tend to ramble about writing.  I don't talk about a story until I have it written, but then I think about it constantly.  I ramble about it to select people whose feedback I value.  If there's a plot or a conflict between characters that I'm not sure about, I discuss the scene with my husband or a close friend.  I love re-working scenes and characters and I'll welcome a critique as often as I can get one.  Then I take the suggestions back to my desk and roll them around in my head until the scene or character or whatever I'm trying to revise comes out right.  Sometimes I take people's advice and sometimes I don't but even when I don't, listening to their perspective broadens my own.  I try not to ramble about the process of writing, like time management and discipline though those are huge pieces of the process because I think rambling about those things just waste time.  Either do it or don't.  And now I'll stop, because I think I'm rambling . . . 

2.  Who was the first character that launched the story in this book when you were writing?

I was at work one day having lunch and flipping through a magazine when I came to a picture of three little girls holding hands and walking down a dark alley.  The picture was a clothing advertisement, but each of the girls was so unique that they grabbed my attention.  One was African American, dressed in a red, frilly party dress with a tiara pushed into a head of wild brown curls flowing in every direction.  On her left was a girl with long brown wavy hair wearing a navy blue smock and buckle shoes.  The third girl had straggly, uncombed dirty-blond hair.  She was wearing jeans and sneakers and a short sleeved shirt that showed fake tattoos on her arms, the kind kids lick and press against their skin.  I tore the picture out of the magazine and hung it over my computer at home.  I started creating a character for each girl and Cecily, Amelia and Hilary were born.

3.  If you could put your book into one person's hands, who would that be?

I would put it in the hands of a television writer/editor because I think it lends itself to being a visual production.  The plot is very fast paced and could easily be revised/condensed into a movie made for T.V.  It's the kind of story I look for on television at the end of a long workweek, one that will provide a couple of hours of good old, heart-pounding entertainment.

4.  What part of the writing process do you love the most?

I thoroughly enjoy the solitude of writing.  The promotional aspect of publishing is the hardest part for me because it is the antithesis of who I am.  I'm happiest hiking trails in the middle of nowhere, kayaking on a deserted lake and sitting in the quiet of my home office (a converted walk-in closet) letting my mind wander into places I'll never be.  I'm an introvert and prefer the company of my dogs, two German Shepherds and a Beagle mix (my husbands not too bad either).  I can go days without talking to anyone so I guess it makes sense that I write.  My ideal day is writing for five or six hours in complete silence and walking away from my desk feeling good about what I've created.

5.  What is next on your plate?

I'm currently working on what will be the first book of a series featuring a male/female PI team.  The story focuses on their hunt for a serial killer who is targeting women as they leave an abusive relationship.  The subplot is the relationship between the killer and the priest he confesses to after each murder.


Thank you to Patricia for answering my questions!  
Thank you to Regina at Partners in Crime Tours for setting up and facilitating the interview!