Happy Tuesday! Today I am sitting down with Contemporary Fiction author Pat Nichols. Hope you will join us as we get to know her and her books. Happy reading.
The Interview
Tell us about yourself?
After retiring from a twenty-seven-year corporate career, I am proving it’s never too late to follow your dreams. I was born in Illinois, grew up in Orlando, and have called Georgia home since the eighties. My high-school-sweetheart celebrated our fifty-fourth anniversary in June. We’re still best friends. Although Tim doesn’t like to read, he listens to my chapters during the draft process, gives me excellent feedback, and answers an important question, “Would a man say that?”. We have a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren—one is with the angels. We’ve been fortunate to travel to all our favorite places in the world—Italy topped the list. Now we’re homebodies enjoying time with family and friends.
What genre do you write? Why?
During my corporate career I worked with hundreds of amazing women from all walks of life. Their life stories compelled me to write contemporary fiction about women pursuing their dreams amidst life’s challenges.
What is your favorite hobby?
I enjoy reading and watching movies. Every so often I tackle a jigsaw puzzle. The last one had 2000 pieces. Took two months for my husband and me to finish it. When I ride in a car, I enjoy Sudoku. Fortunately, it doesn’t involve math, just patterns.
What is your favorite type of fantasy creature?
Any talking dog.
Why?
Although we no longer have pets, when our children were home had black Labradors. I loved those dogs and often wished I could read their minds.
Do you like to write with a pen and paper or computer?
I write with a laptop. Funny thing, I took typing courses in college and nearly failed the class. Who’d have guessed I’d learn to type with speed and accuracy. Oh, did I mention the value of spellcheck and the fact that I can’t read my own handwriting?
Who is your favorite character you have created?
That’s a difficult choice, but Sadie Liles edges out the others because after spending thirty years in prison, she had had the most to .
Who are your top favorite authors?
Two of my favorite authors are Francine Rivers and David Baldacci. Quite different genres and styles. I’m also a fan of Ane Mulligan, and newer authors Lindsey Brackett, Marilyn Marriott Howton, and Sherri Stewart.
What should we expect from you in the coming months?
Book two in the Willow Falls series—The Trouble in Willow Falls—will release in October and book three in 2020. Later this year I will plot book four. When a reader asks how many books I plan for the series, my answer is God and my characters will let me know when to stop.
What would you like to say to your fans?
Your comments and reviews touch my heart and encourage me to continue perfecting my craft. I wish I could personally meet each of you and thank you for reading my debut novel.
Pat Nichols
Retired from a twenty-seven-year corporate career, Pat Nichols draws on her experience in seven different management positions working with hundreds of amazing women from all walks of life to create stories about women facing challenges in the pursuit of their dreams. Her debut novel, The Secret of Willow Inn, Willow Falls series book one, was released January, 2019. Book two in the series is scheduled for release October 2019 and book three in 2020. Pat received a 2018 NGCWC Georgia Peach Award for her short story, The Vet and Valentine’s Day and the 2017 CRW Woman of the Year Award. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International.
Connect with Pat!
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The Secret of Willow Inn
Two women fighting for their dreams—one who’s long lost hers—are united by tragedy and a long-held secret.
Pregnant with her first child, Emily Hayes is eager to help her mother finish transforming an estate into the Willow Inn and write a novel about Willow Falls’ colorful history. A tragic event threatens her parents’ plans to refurbish an abandoned hotel and transform the obscure Georgia setting into a tourist destination.
Sadie Lyles left Willow Falls a murderer who’d killed the town hero. She returns as a despised felon and seeks solace in the town’s café. Emily struggles to unite the close-knit community and becomes Sadie’s biggest advocate. She strives to uncover the truth about the crime and save her town from dying.
To appease her father, Rachel, a VP in his Atlanta real-estate-development firm, relegates her acting dream to secret performances for imaginary audiences. After meeting charming, flirtatious Charlie Bricker, manager for Willow Falls’ future vineyard, she vows to break free from her father’s control.
The tragedy and Willow Inn’s secret past launch Emily and Rachel on a collision course with destiny and truth.
Allison D. Reid 