Welcome Today's Featured Author
Kathleen Irene Paterka!!
BUY LINKS for Kathleen’s books:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Irene-Paterka/e/B0081KP1YQ
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com
About Kathleen Irene Paterka:
KATHLEEN IRENE PATERKA is an Amazon bestselling author of numerous women’s fiction novels. Her popular James Bay series includes Fatty Patty, Home Fires, Lotto Lucy, and For I Have Sinned, while her recent women’s fiction novel The Other Wife is set in Chicago. Secrets of the Royal Wedding Chapel, a Las Vegas tale of romance and royalty, was released by Booktrope Publishing in October 2015. Kathleen lives in Northern Michigan with her husband Steve, where she is busy working on her next James Bay novel.
Interview With Kathleen Irene Paterka:
Can you tell us a little about your books?
Interpersonal relationships fascinate me, and I tend to gravitate towards anything that causes disharmony. Husband vs. wife. Mother vs. daughter. Friend vs. Friend. What happened to cause the chaos? How can it be resolved? I write women’s fiction; each of my six novels deals with issues which will resonate with women. The women’s fiction genre can be hard to define; it doesn’t necessarily include romance (though it can), and it doesn’t necessarily promise a happily-ever-after (but it sometimes does). Women’s fiction revolves around how the main character(s) deal with particular issue(s) in their lives, and the emotional journey and growth which results. In Secrets of the Royal Wedding Chapel, the heroine Lily Lavendar has relationship issues with both her aging mother Mimi (who owns the wedding chapel) and teenage daughter Tori (who runs away from home to be with Mimi and help run the chapel). Though Lily has no interest in running the chapel, she returns to Las Vegas to ‘rescue’ Tori from the nonsense of ‘happily-ever-after’. But when she arrives in Las Vegas, a family crisis forces Lily into the wedding chapel business, and she’s trapped in the dilemma of what to do?
Which book has been your favorite to write?
Are authors allowed to have a favorite book? Mine is For I Have Sinned. Of my six published novels, it’s probably the most unusual book I’ve written, since it’s told through a male perspective of Fr. Greg, a Catholic priest. He’s been a priest for nearly 30 years, and while he’s still in love with God, he’s fallen out of love with the church and its stuffy set of archaic rules. When a young interracial couple joins his small rural parish, Fr. Greg finds himself waging a battle as he confronts his parishioners’ bigotry and prejudice. When an attractive widow from the parish joins hands with him to befriend the young couple, the problems only escalate—and so do the rumors about a romance. Caught up in a war with church leaders and his own guilty conscience, Father Greg is trapped. He’s good at standing up for others, but now he needs to learn how to stand up for himself. It’s the only way he’ll become the man he was always meant to be—with or without the Roman collar. If I never write another book, I’ll always be glad that I wrote For I Have Sinned. It truly was the book of my heart.
What inspires you to write?
People fascinate me, and I love exploring why they behave like they do. ‘What happened?’ is where the story magic begins. For me, the best part of being an author is being able to escape to my office, sit behind my computer, and fall into the imaginary world I’ve created on the screen. I love spending time with my characters. There’s always a certain sadness that occurs when I type ‘The End’. It’s hard to say goodbye to characters in a book.
When did you know you wanted to write a book?
I don’t think there was any one specific moment when I realized I would be a writer. I’ve been scribbling stories since I learned how to hold a pencil, and I grew up knowing that someday I would write books. While in school, my professors attempted to steer me towards poetry and short stories, but I rebelled. I never had any interest in writing anything but novels. I love the freedom which comes from having at least 100,000 words (or 400 pages) to play with. A novel allows the author to explore all sorts of character development and themes.
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I’m a very slow writer. My best time of day is early morning, and I’m normally at my computer no later than 6 am. I have a little timer on my desk, and I set it for two hours. When I start a story, I know the beginning, the end, and ‘a couple things that happen in the middle’. Mostly, I know the characters, and I tend to sit back and allow them to do what they like as the story unfolds before me on the computer screen. Writing is like falling into a lovely dream. It’s as if I’m watching a movie clip in my mind, and typing as fast as I can to get it all down before it disappears.
Do you have a favorite spot to write?
My computer in my home office is where I work. It’s a quiet spot, with a sign on the door which reads: “STOP! Is there blood involved? Is the house on fire?” My family has learned not to bother me if I’m in my office with the door closed. I’m able to concentrate and fall into that lovely magical world where my characters live and play, all captured on the computer screen. And, at the end of a good long twelve months, if all has gone well, I end up with a brand new novel.
What do you do when you are not writing?
The word ‘relax’ is not included in my vocabulary. Even when I’m not writing, my mind is constantly at work, with characters chatting away in my head, possible story scenarios running amok, and life-in-general taking 2nd, 3rd or 4th place in line. When it gets to be too much for my husband Steve, he whisks me off to a dark movie theater, where I like watching romantic comedies or legal thrillers. We’re coming up on the holiday season, so I’ll be spending some time indulging in my favorite Christmas movies: Love, Actually; White Christmas; Holiday Inn; While You Were Sleeping; The Family Man. And naturally, being a writer, I’m also a reader. When I’m not writing or watching movies, I’m reading a good book.
If you could spend 24 hours as a fictional character, who would you chose?
Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With The Wind. Scarlett is a strong, feisty woman who’s passionate about the people and the things she loves. I’ve always been fascinated by the fashions, architecture and history of the deep south, and it would be a great chance to experience that. Plus, give me 24 hours as Scarlett, and I’d do everything in my power to win back the heart of Rhett Butler. PS – Being Scarlett comes with an added bonus… what girl wouldn’t love an 18 ½ inch waist?
What are writing projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the 5th book in my James Bay series. It’s about a popular restaurant that’s been featured in the other James Bay novels. Chuck owns the restaurant and his daughter Katie manages it. The story is told through Katie’s point of view. Chapter One begins with a mysterious young woman showing up at Chuck’s and taking a seat at the bar. Who’s the stranger? What’s she doing in James Bay? And why is she so fascinated with Chuck? Katie’s radar is on high alert. She’s very protective of her dad, and she doesn’t appreciate strangers trying to worm their way into his affections. Soon their little family is thrown into chaos. But why does one person’s presence cause such a huge disruption in their lives? The book does not have a title or a release date. I estimate it will probably be available sometime in 2016. It should be a delicious read, especially since each chapter will feature a favorite recipe from Chuck’s menu.
Thanks again, Gia and Tabitha, for hosting me today! I hope this info I’ve shared about myself, my books, and my writing life has proved helpful for readers. What I find amazing is that every book in the world is just a combination of 26 different letters. It’s how an author strings those 26 letters together in different combinations that provides for a fascinating read. And isn’t that what we’re all searching for: a great book to read. Hopefully I’ve given you a little bit of my inside world. Happy reading!
Connect with Kathleen:
Kathleen’s website: http://www.kathleenirenepaterka.com
Subscribe to Kathleen’s newsletter: http://kathleenirenepaterka.com/for-readers/
Find her on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826393.Kathleen_Irene_Paterka
Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka/
Find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KPaterka/
Find her on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kathleenpaterka/
Thanks again, Gia and Tabitha, for hosting me on your blog today! ~ Kathleen
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