Monday, April 12, 2010

Welcome, Patricia Sargeant!!


Please help me welcome Patricia Sargeant! Patricia will be popping in and out today to visit with us and answer your questions - so put your thinking caps on and let's have them! I've posed a few questions to Patricia to kick things off - here's our conversation:

I appreciate you taking time to guest here today, Patricia!
The pleasure is mine, Laurie. Thank you so much for inviting me to spend time with you and your community.
Can you share a little about yourself with the readers here?I'd love to. I was raised in Brooklyn, New York. My husband and I live in Columbus, Ohio, now. Although I enjoy living in Columbus, I'll always consider Brooklyn home. Brooklyn's in the house!!! :)
I have three siblings who are all voracious readers. We're very close. In addition to reading, I love watching movies, jogging and pasteries. And ice cream. And Diet Mountain Dew. That's it. For now.
You now have four books and two anthologies available to your readers, is there any one that is your favorite? Any characters that become close to your heart while creating their story?
Oh, those are fabulous questions. Truly, all of my titles are favorites for different reasons and in different ways. I connect with the themes I explore. That's what connects me to the stories and the characters while I'm writing and after the stories are released. I think the themes I've addressed are ones with which everyone can identify.
The theme for You Belong to Me is family; how do you define family? Is your family a close knit group of people related by blood or marriage? Or do you cast the net a little wider to include friends? Or do you cast it even wider than that? On Fire's theme is trust. I don't think you can have love without trust. Sweet Deception's theme is identity. Do you define yourself or do you allow other people to define you? And Heated Rivalry's theme is self-worth. Do you know your self-worth?
Regarding characters, I love them all, even the ones who need to be smacked, like Harold, Ronald's brother in Sweet Deception. And Traci, Steven's problematic ex-fiancee in Heated Rivalry. They're not really bad; they're just troubled.
Can you tell us about what you're working on now?
I'd love to. Thank you for asking. I'm working on a contemporary romance trilogy featuring a fictitious National Basketball Association team. The first book, Fast Break, is scheduled for release in 2011. The theme is winning. I think to be a winner, you have to be willing to risk losing. With this trilogy, I'll introduce my contemporary romance pseudonym, Regina Hart.
Your characters have had a multitude of professions. How much research goes into each book? Do you enjoy that part of putting a book together?
I do quite a bit of research for my books. As you noted, most of the research is on the characters' professions and the location in which I'm setting their story. I do enjoy it - to a point. Let's not get carried away. :) The research supports the world building. For characters to be three-dimensional, readers need to understand them personally and professionally. They also need to be able to "see" them in their environment.
Some people don't think research is important for fiction. I vehemently disagree. Fiction must be based in fact to encourage readers to spend time in your world. For example, in On Fire, Sharon decorated her apartment with used furniture. Newspaper reporters don't make a lot of money. Trust me. I was a newspaper reporter. It would not have been realistic to put her in a swanky condo.
Are there any particular professions that fascinate you or that you may be considering for future characters?
Laurie, can you read my mind? LOL! Last week, I was talking with a psychology professor about the sports psychology field. I'm considering creating a sports psychologist character for a future book.
You work outside the home, a very busy woman! How do you find the time to write such well-rounded stories? I think I would find myself jotting notes all day for ideas I didn't want to forget (thank heavens for Post-it notes!).
Oh, Laurie! You and I are of the same mind. I used to use Post-It Notes. I recently got this cool cell phone with a Memo application. It's fabulous.
Thank you very much for your kind words about my stories, Laurie. I really appreciate them. Frankly, while on deadline, I don't get much sleep. I often stay up late to try to make my daily page counts. But it truly is a labor of love. I love my characters. I love spending time with them. I love helping them to grow and gain the courage to face their problems. It's very gratifying.
I know some authors use storyboards or 3x5 cards, notebooks, etc. to keep track of the layering in their books, can you share your method of keeping all of those details straight?
I've tried the index card method. I found it very helpful. But I'm most comfortable with a basic scene-by-scene, chapter outline. When I sit down to write, I open my manuscript outline file and review the scene I'm working on that night. My description includes the scene's date, time, location, characters in the scene, and each character's goal, motivation and conflict.
Are family and friends supportive of your writing?
My family and friends are very supportive of my writing. Their support and encouragement was crucial to my first publishing contract and is crucial to my motivation. They believe in me, encourage me and cheer me on. I'm very fortunate.

Laurie, thank you again for inviting me to spend time with you and your friends. I've had a great time.
Happy reading everyone!


Patricia is graciously offering a copy of TAILS OF LOVE to one lucky reader here - thanks, Patricia! To be entered in the draw, simply leave a comment, or even better, a question for Patricia! Good luck!

37 comments:

Lori Foster aka L. L. Foster said...

No kidding, Patricia is busy! On top of all that, she does the promo for the annual "Reader and Author Get Together.' She's one of the nicest, most generous people I've ever met and I like her oodles.
Patricia, your new series sounds fantastic! Didn't you tell me you were a big basketball fan yourself? Or was that football? Some sport. LOL

See you in June!
Hugs,

Lori

Barbara said...

Hi Patricia-

Great to see you here. Wonderful interview Laurie. Not sure what questions to ask yours were great.

Patricia I do have one question. I have so far been unable to finda a copy of Heated Rivalry. Did ask my bookstore about ordering it and hopefully will get it soon.

Have you found this to be a problem with past books or is it just this one? Think I may take a trip to Indy this weekend and will look for it then.

You had mentioned you were going to go look for sightins of the book last weekend. Did you have any luck?

Will come back with more questions a bit later.

Have a great day and I am still on the hunt for HR.

Barb V. said...

Just wanted to say hello to Patricia. I am a member of the Scamps group, and I am always impressed by how sweet and gracious Patricia is on the loop.

Excellent interview Laurie. You asked, and Patricia answered, questions I didn't even realize that I wanted to know the answers to. Now that's a great interviewer!

(Please don't enter me in the book drawing, as I'm already lucky enough to have a copy of Tails of Love.)

Laurie D. said...

Thanks to Lori and both Barbs for stopping! We're off to a slow start but I'm hoping things will pick up when readers get off work this afternoon/evening. There's the possibility of spring break trips keeping people away too - in that case I'm super jealous!

smarthotblondie said...

Laurie, great interview! "Heated Rivalry" is just great! I really loved the heat between Val and Steve and the development of the dynamic at the ad agency.
Patricia, thanks for the advice about a manuscript notebook. I tried a storyboard but outgrew it during revisions. I am going to use the notebook idea to finish the additions I am making to my manuscript. You are so supportive of all of novice authors. Love that!
P.S. I, too, already have a copy of "Tails of Love".

Patricia Sargeant said...

Lori, hi!!! Thanks tons for stopping by to chat. I'm super excited and over the moon about attending the June Get Together. Doing a bit of the promo helps me channel my excitement. LOL!

You also have a great memory! I love both football and basketball. You and I were chatting about the fact that a Whole 'Nuther Side of Patricia is revealed during the games. LOL! I've fondly nicknamed her Pottymouth Patricia. LOL!

Can't wait to see you in June!

Huge hugs and smooches!!!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Hi, everyone!

Thanks so much for stopping by to chat with Laurie and I today.

I'm on my lunch break, just peeking in to say hi. Today is definitely a Monday. Several Atomic Wedgies to deal with. LOL!

I'll check back again after work.

Hugs to all!!!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Barbara!!!

Lovely to "see" you. Thank you so much for stopping by to chat.

I agree 1,000 percent that Laurie offered outstanding interview questions. They were interesting and challenging. I loved them.

Barbara, thank you very much for your interest in Heated Rivalry. I'm very sorry and truly disappointed to learn you're having trouble finding it. Sadly, this is a problem I've had with all of my releases. I won't go into the long tale of woe (Laurie won't invite me back.), but I do appreciate very much - more than I can say, actually - your asking your bookstore to order it for you. Hopefully, your request will make it easier for other people to get a copy of Heated Rivalry. I hope you find the story worth the trouble. :)

Regarding my request for Heated Rivalry Sightings, one person told me Heated Rivalry wasn't in her bookstore. I checked four stores - one Borders and three Barnes & Nobles. No luck. I'm hoping this just means the book hasn't been unpacked yet. That's happened to me before. I'll check again this week.

Thanks tons for your support, Barbara. I really appreciate it.

Huge hugs!!!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Barb V., hi!!!

Thanks so much for visiting with us. I appreciate your time.

Thank you also for your kind words regarding my demeanor on the Scamps, Vamps and Spicy Romance loop. It's so easy to be pleasant with our group. Everyone is so friendly and supportive and hilarious! I love sharing the chuckles - and the occasional groans :) - with our community. The warmth and friendship is a treasure.

It's so funny that you mention that Laurie asked questions you didn't even realize you wanted answers to. I was wowed by Laurie's questions. Very insightful. She's a skillful interviewer.

Thanks again for your time, Barb V.! I hope to see you soon!

Hugs!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Smart, Hot Blondie, hi!!!

Wow! Thank you so much for stopping by. How are you? What are you working on now?

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding Heated Rivalry. I'm so glad - and hugely relieved :) - that you enjoyed it.

It's so interesting you mentioned that at one time you did storyboards for your works in progress. I think different methods of outlining work for us at different points of our careers and perhaps even for different projects. Laurie had asked me about the notecard method. I did use notecards once and I thought it worked great. But I went back to my standard outline method for Fast Break. That's what I was most comfortable with this time. I think we just have to keep in tune with our comfort level.

Keep writing! :)

Hugs!

Patricia

Laurie D. said...

Patricia, I'm hopeful that readers everywhere will keep asking their booksellers to stock your books. It must be incredibly frustrating that your books aren't being made available to readers - feel free to vent all you like!

I remember conversations on the Scamps loop back in the fall between you and Janice Maynard that made me realize what a huge sports fan you are! I remember joking that I saw sides of each of you that I would have argued didn't exist before that! How wonderful to be so passionate!

Marcia James said...

Great interview! I agree with smarthotblondie that HEATED RIVALRY is great! ;-) I hope the novel gets well-deserved widespread distribution.

I, too, have TAILS OF LOVE. Another good read.
-- Marcia ;-)

Lisa F. said...

It seems to be a growing trend that readers are having difficulty finding the books they want to buy, especially in the brick and morter stores. Shame!

I could picture Patricia's sweet voice answering your questions, Laurie. So quietly and with a smile on her face.... Great interview and answers!

I have Heated Rivalry waiting on me to find the time read it. I just bought a Nook and have been spending some time playing with it so haven't read anything today!

Judy F said...

Hi there Patricia. Hows my little ray of sunshine today?

I loved all of your books, you have a way with characters that just draws me in and keeps me there.

I checked again at Borders on sunday by me and no luck. I will keep hounding them.

When is your next book coming out? Greedy aren't I?

Great interview ladies
Hugs

Patricia Sargeant said...

Marcia, hi!

Thank you so much for stopping by and posting a comment, and for your kind words regarding Heated Rivalry. I really appreciate your time.

Hugs!!!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Lisa F., how are you? It's so nice of you to stop by to chat. Thank you!

I was wondering whether it was my imagination or whether books by some of my favorite authors are getting harder to find at the brick
and mortar stores. Last year, I had to request my local store order four books for me - and these were by bestsellers.

Will I see you in June, Lisa?

Hugs!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Laurie D., hi!

Oh, you have a fabulous memory!

I was losing my mind over my teams - the Jets and Giants - last fall. Sometimes I do get a bit carried away, though, and need to leave the room. It's for the best. :(

Huge hugs!!!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Judy F., hello, sweets! How's my ray of sunshine today? It's always such a pleasure to "see" you. {{hugs}}

Thank you so much for your wonderful, wonderful words about my books. I really appreciate them.

And thanks for your kind words about the interview. Laurie's questions were incredible.

Sadly, my next title isn't out until 2011. But for now, I'm really enjoying getting to know these characters.

Thanks again for chatting with us, Judy F.

Hugs!

Patricia

Becky said...

Hi Patricia and Laurie! I enjoyed reading about both of you. Looking forward to seeing you soon, too.

Congrats on the new release!

Hugs, Becky

Barbara said...

Patricia-

This is the age old question but I will ask you because your books seem to be so varied as far as characters profession and such. Where do you get your story ideas from?

Also you mentioned above that your alter ego will write contemporary books. I consider these contemporary so how will they differ in story line from what you currently write?

Do you ever see yourself writing something other than romance?

What are you currently reading? What book or author would you say is your favorite "comfort read" and why?

Thanks for spending time with us today. It's always great chatting with you. Looking forward to seeing you in person in June.

Anonymous said...

Hello, Patricia! I so enjoyed reading your comments and answers. What a nice interview, Laurie!

Patricia, I look forward to reading your basketball team stories. I appreciate your comment that, to be a winner, you have to risk losing. So true for everyone, and certainly writers, too!

Best of luck with your new release.

xoxoRobin Gianakopoulos

robynl said...

I look forward to the new contemp series.

what a cute cover for tails of love; I love dogs and cats and stories about them or with them in. I'd love to enter for this book and thanks.

Patricia Sargeant said...

Hi, ladies!

I'm running a bit late for work this morning. {{blushing}} I'll check back during my lunch break to respond to your great comments. Thank you so much for spending time with me. I really enjoy your conversation.

Huge hugs!!!

Patricia

Anonymous said...

Hi Patricia! Sorry for stopping in late. I just got word you were here this morning. (digests always leaving me catching up. LOL) Loved the interview and the new series sounds like a lot of fun. Can't wait to read it!!!
Hugs!
~Paige :)

Laurie D. said...

Barb S, you always come up with the most excellent questions! I struggled to come up with the few I did - Barbara Walters has nothing on you, my dear!

Robin, Robyn and Paige, thank you for stopping by! Patricia has been the most wonderful guest, she's definitely one of the sweetest women I've ever met. Unless, apparently, you get between her and her favorite teams!

Patricia will be naming a couple of winners later today, so be sure to check back!

Thanks again for being here, Patricia - it's been fun!

Laurie D. said...

Oh, and Becky! Thank you for dropping in! Be sure to get your hands on HEATED RIVALRY, you won't be disappointed!

Pat L. said...

Who is your favorite author? And what book will you always remember?

Patricia Sargeant said...

My friends, a million pardons for stopping in so late. Crazy day at work today. We had a day-long photo session for the upcoming magazine. What a zoo! But we survived.

Thanks so much for your patience.

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Becky!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by to chat, and thank you for your cheers on Heated Rivalry's release. I really appreciate them.

Huge hugs to you and best wishes for your continued writing success!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Barbara!

Hi, again! :)

Barbara asked: Where do you get your story ideas from?
One of the reasons your question is considered an age-old question is because it's such a good one. Thank you for asking. I get my story ideas from my characters. The ideas always seem to come from an issue with which one of the characters is struggling. With Heated Rivalry, Valerie questioned her self worth, and Steven wrestled with the consequences of always wanting to be liked. In Sweet Deception, both Joan and Ronald struggled with their identity within their families. On Fire's Matthew no longer trusted people. In You Belong to Me, Nicole and Malcolm wanted a second chance with each other.

Barbara asked: You mentioned above that your alter ego will write contemporary books. I consider these contemporary so how will they differ in story line from what you currently write?
Another good question. Sweet Deception and Heated Rivalry are contemporary romances. I love writing contemporary romances, but I also want to continue writing romantic suspense. I'd prefer to write romantic suspense as Patricia Sargeant, but will continue writing contemporary romances as Regina Hart.

Barbara asked: Do you ever see yourself writing something other than romance?
No. I've thought about this from time to time. Short story long, :) for me, the character is the story. For the story to be engaging, the character's motivation must be compelling. I can't think of a more compelling motivation than love. So, if I ever publish that mystery series or that thriller, it will still be at the core a love story.
Barbara, in what other genres do you read and/or write?

Barbara asked: What are you currently reading?
Who Wrote the Bible? I'm on deadline with Fast Break right now. When I'm on deadline, I limit my reading time, and I prefer to read nonfiction.
Barbara, what's on your nightstand right now?

Barbara asked: What book or author would you say is your favorite "comfort read" and why?
Oooh. This is such a hard question. For today, my answer would be Jayne Ann Krentz. Her dialogue is quick and witty. And there are so many scenes that make me sigh with happiness. One of my all-time favorite Jayne Ann Krentz books is Smoke and Mirrors. Have you read it? If not, get thee to a book store or library, my friend. :)
Who's your favorite comfort author or which title is your favorite comfort read?

Barbara wrote: Thanks for spending time with us today.
Thank *you* for spending time with me, Barbara. It's been great fun. I look forward to catching up with you in person in June.

Huge hugs!!!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Robin G.!!!

What a pleasure to see you here. Thank you so much for visiting with us. And thanks a million for your well wishes for Heated Rivalry.

Hugs!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Robin L.,

It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you very much for stopping by and posting a comment. If you would please contact me at BooksByPatricia@yahoo.com with your mailing address, I would love to send you a copy of Tails of Love.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Pat L.

Thank you for visiting with us. I'm afraid my list of favorite authors grows daily. LOL! But I'll always remember the book that made me want to become a published author. It's Black Hearts in Battersea by Jane Aiken. I read it when I was nine years old.

What is one of the titles you'll always remember?

Best!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

Paige, hi!

Never apologize for being late, sweets. You're right on time. :)

Thank you so much for your cheers and your best wishes. I really appreciate them. I can't wait to see you again.

All the best!

Patricia

Patricia Sargeant said...

I really hope I haven't missed any questions or comments.

Laurie, thank you so much for inviting me over. I've had a lovely, lovely, lovely time.

My friends, you've given me such a wonderful experience which I'll always treasure. I've felt so welcomed here. Thank you so much. Hugs all around.

Robin L, I'd love to send you the copy of Tails of Love, if you're interested, please contact me at BooksByPatricia@yahoo.com and provide me with your mailing address. Thanks again for stopping by.

Barbara S., you mentioned you'd read Tails of Love. I'd love to send you a copy of Sweet Deception. If you're interested, could you please e-mail me at BooksByPatricia@yahoo.com with your mailing address?

Group hug!

Patricia

Barbara said...

OH the author asks the reader questions....lol

Patricia's first question was what genre's do I like to read? I read a broad range of genre's. My favorite romance subgenre's are Romantic Suspense, Paranormal and I am a recent fan of Urban Fantasy. I also read the occasional mystery and main stream novel. Love James Patterson in that vein. His books are always quick reads for me because of the way he writes those short chapters.

Patricia asked What's on My Nightstand? I just finished Jules Bennett's latest Desire release For Business.....Or Marriage. LOVED IT!!!! I am currently reading something called Touched By An Alien by a new to me author Gini Koch. Hope I got that name right. PIcked up this book on a fluke but am loving it as well. It's billed as science fiction but definatly has romance in the mix and I think it may be the start of a series. I love finding new authors out of the blue like this.

Patricia's last question was what are my favorite comfort authors or books? I love to reread the "In Death" books by JD Robb. This is probably my all time favorite series. Love how after 30 plus books she still seams to keep the series fresh and new. Then there is the Roarke factor....need I say more? Other books that come to mind are the classic Mackenzie books by Linda Howard. Love those and have read them many times.

Thanks for the conversation Patricia. Hope you had a good day today...mine was very hectic. I think I need an adult beverage to unwind.

Patricia Sargeant said...

Barbara,

Ah, yes. The Roarke factor. What's not to love? LOL!

I enjoy J.D. Robb's In Death series, too. I'm way behind, though.

We have a lot of reading interests in common.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Just two more days! Yay!!!

Hugs!!!

Patricia