Patty Smith Hall

Writers are always trying to find ways to reach our readers so when Camille Eide contacted me about a continuous author blog tour where I answer a few questions, I jumped at the chance. So thank you, Camille! Please go visit her at Extreme Keyboarding . Question 1 : What am I working on now? At the moment, I'm writing a proposal for a new series based in the Georgia gold rush--and yes, there was a gold rush in the North Georgia Mountains in the 1830s. An unconventional woman goes in search of her missing father after her by-the-book uncle arranges a marriage to save the family business. Question 2: How does my work differ from others in my genre? A writer friend once told me that I write about strong women facing unusual circumstances in order to do the right thing. I like that. I also create stories around pieces of history most folks have never heard of. Question 3: Why do I write what I do? When I first started writing about women in unique historical circumstances, i...

Writers are all about words; how you put them together in a sentence; how those words blend together to convey a thought or feeling. So it’s not surprising that an article by a brilliant writer on the process of selecting one word that would be a touchstone for the year to come would make such an impact on the writer in me. The first time I did this a few years back, I knew instantly what my word would be--I’d been struggling to finish my book and figured it might take an act of Congress(and we know how SLOW those guys are!) to get it done. So it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know I needed PERSEVERANCE. I mean, it made sense--I needed something to put my backside in a chair and write, and amazingly enough, having that word pushed me toward finishing my novel and eventually publication. This year, I’ve been having trouble coming up with a word to focus on. Not sure why, really--I’ve spent more time with my dictionary this year than I have some of my oldest friends. I’ve prayed ab...

I was cleaning out our apartment in preparation of moving into our new home when I came across this note. It was written a few weeks before I learned my first book was going to be published but the lesson is one I hope I carry with me throughout the rest of my life: June 18, 2010 Something the pastor said this morning really pricked my heart this morning--when the children of Israel was stuck in the wildness because of their fears, God wanted them to remember all the things He'd done for them. That way, when they reached the Jordan River, they'd have a faith and strength in God to take that first step into the water's edge. That got me to thinking. Is this time I'm waiting to hear about my manuscript a time I need to remember all God has done to encourage me to this point in my writing journey? Looking back, I'm amazed at God's goodness and incredible patience in my life, especially when I think about how it has unfolded. What if: 1) My mom hadn't bothered t...