Before I get started, I want to announce that to celebrate the June 30th release of EDGE OF DAWN, I’m giving away a copy of IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, the first book in my Light Warriors series. A winner will be randomly drawn from all those who leave a comment.
I had to turn to Twitter for help on blog topics and one of the suggestions mentioned was to talk about what inspired me to be a writer. I’m not sure there was one thing, though. In my memory, it’s a series of events spaced years apart.
First, I always had stories in my head. When I was a little girl and playing Barbies with my friends, they’d be done with their scenario and I’d still be enacting mine. I never understood why my scenes–and that’s what they were, actual scenes–were so much more elaborate than any of my friends. I only know I had a story to go through and prods to “hurry up” didn’t get it finished any faster. :-)
Then there was all the daydreaming I did when I was bored. At school, in church, at some social event my parents dragged me to, I’d just find a corner and zone out, playing different scenes from some story out in my head. I did it constantly.
I never put anything down on paper, though. Not until eighth grade. A friend of mine decided to write a book with the entire class as characters. I didn’t like what she did with me, she refused to change it, so I decided to write my own story. Only I found I couldn’t write real people, it felt uncomfortable, so I put down one of my daydreaming stories.
After that, it seemed everything was geared toward me writing something. I worked on the school newspaper in ninth grade and the yearbook in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth. I had the opportunity to take a journalism class my junior year in high school, I was in Advanced Placement English, I took composition.
By the time I entered college, I knew I wanted to write, and since I already realized fiction wasn’t a lucrative career path, I majored in journalism. I started out as a broadcast copy major and switched to advertising copywriting, which I guess is fiction writing in a way. And every time I strayed from writing after college (which was often), I met someone who steered me back toward the path.
So what inspired me to write paranormal romance, particularly my Light Warrior series about a society of magic users who protect humans from demons and other evil creatures? I blame it on too much television as a kid. :-) I was totally hooked on reruns of I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched.
Who wouldn’t want to have magic? Look at some of the cool things my hero from EDGE OF DAWN can do. Logan can travel thousands of miles in seconds simply by doing the spell to open a transit–walk through this gateway, and boom, you’re there. He can throw fire and lightning, which is a pretty cool way to fight, he doesn’t have to clean his house–at least not dusting and vacuuming. (Logan’s kind of a slob, so there are still clothes on the floor.) Forgot something at home? No problem, just do a little spell and bring it right to you. (And wouldn’t that come in handy?)
I had a really fun time writing EDGE OF DAWN and not only because of the magic. Logan and his heroine, Shona, were cute together and Logan, while being this badass warrior, is really sweet with women. Hey, he has three little sisters and he dotes on them. That was one of the things that I found so interesting–his family dynamics. Then there was his developing relationship with Shona all the while trying to hide magic from her and still fight the bad guy that’s after her. Yeah, it wasn’t easy for him, but then I have this thing about torturing my characters.
To find out more about EDGE OF DAWN or any of my other books, please swing by my website: www.pattioshea.com I have the back cover copy, excerpts, and other information available there.
Ok, the cleaning thing would be awesome – but I’d need a decluttering spell, too!
by Chris July 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 am ♦Thanks for guest blogging for me, Patti! Yay!
by Crystal Jordan July 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 am ♦Okay I love the idea of not really having to clean and the ability to get something you forgot. Congrats on the release. It sounds like a great book.
by Larena Wirum July 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am ♦
Hey congrats on your new release!! Sounds like a great book!! And i definately wish i could do magic, especially when my house is a wreck and i wish i could transport to a beach in Hawaii, LOL!!
by Natalie July 2nd, 2009 at 9:27 am ♦Natalie :0)
Chris,
I need the filing spell. :-) I’m terrible about organizing my stuff.
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 am ♦Thanks for inviting me, Crys! You totally rock!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 am ♦Thanks, Larena! The cleaning is a big one for me. I like everything neat and tidy, but am so pressed for time.
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 9:52 am ♦Thanks, Natalie! And oh, yeah, Hawaii! I love it, but it’s an 8 hour plane ride from Minnesota. Transporting would definitely be the best thing ever. :-)
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 am ♦Hi http://www.crystaljordan.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/yahoo.gif
by Rob Charron July 2nd, 2009 at 10:00 am ♦Thanks for having a terrific author like Patti on your site.
Patti, thank you for sharing with us all.
I am going to read EDGE OF DAWN and would dearly love an (autographed?) IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR.
Love from Canada
twitter.com/RKCharron
xoxo
Rob,
Thanks for coming over! I hope you enjoy EDGE OF DAWN!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 am ♦Hi, Patti
by Ali July 2nd, 2009 at 11:28 am ♦Okay, I know it’s book 3, but you made Logan sound like such a great guy, that I just had to buy Edge of Dawn right now, lol
Ali,
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the story!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 1:42 pm ♦I love Patti’s books. Thanks
by Debby July 2nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm ♦Aw, Debby, Thank you!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm ♦Congrats on the release and thank you for the chance to win In The Midnight Hour
by Jeanette Jackson July 2nd, 2009 at 4:19 pm ♦Great post, Patti! I also created stories with my Barbie dolls. Funny how they almost always ended up in bed with Ken!
Don’t OD on coffee. At least without sharing, anyway!
by SquareLibrarian July 2nd, 2009 at 4:54 pm ♦Thanks, Jeanette!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 5:55 pm ♦Ooh! You had Barbie and Ken in bed together, too? I thought about mentioning that in the blog, but then I figured I was going to ramble on long enough anyway without really going into detail. I’m glad I’m not the only one. (BTW, did you ever see the video (I think it was for a commercial) where Barbie dumps Ken and goes off with GI Joe? That was funny!)
I have two pounds of Caribou Guatemalan. I’ll put a pot on. ;-)
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 2nd, 2009 at 5:59 pm ♦Patti, Loved your talking about your new book. Can’t wait to read it.
by Joyce July 4th, 2009 at 4:55 pm ♦Thank you, Joyce!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 5th, 2009 at 6:23 am ♦The winner of an autographed copy of IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR is SquareLibrarian!
Thank you everyone for stopping by and commenting!
Patti
by Patti O'Shea July 5th, 2009 at 5:39 pm ♦