Happy Tuesday, Reader Friends!
I hope this week is treating you well! I have another interview for you this week. I hope you’ll enjoy meeting Patricia Bell as she discusses her novel, The Surrogate.
About the Book
The Blurb: “All she has to do is sign her name on the dotted line to become $100,000 richer. For the first time in her life, nineteen-year-old Emily Calhoun’s dreams are within reach. Her wealthy employers want a child and she’s in a position to help.
But when complications arise in the pregnancy, Emily finds herself in a situation beyond her control. And a moral dilemma that eats away at her conscience.
She thought she was doing the right thing… a good thing…
…until it all went wrong.”
Interview
Toni: What made you want to become a writer?
Patricia: In high school I dabbled in poetry, but was told by my art teacher that I would never make it as a poet because my poems rhymed. If I’d have thought about it back then I’d have come back with Dr. Seuss but I was young and very self-conscious so I put my pen away and did not pick it back up again until my thirties.
Toni: That’s awful. I’m glad you found the courage to pick it back up. Who are some authors who inspire you to write?
Patricia: God, the author of life, is my biggest inspiration, but on the human side there are too many to mention. If I had to pick just a few I would say Stephen King, Terri Blackstock and John Grisham.
Toni: Definitely God! And Terri Blackstock is one of my fave authors. How many books have you written?
Patricia: All total twelve books but since I just started publishing in June, I have 5 published and I am working on number 6. I am hoping to get one out a month until they are all out. Then I will start writing again.
Toni: Nice plan! Tell us about your new book.
Patricia: So, The Surrogate is my newest release. It’s about a young girl who has come from a rough home. At eighteen she’s thrown out of the house to fend for herself. She is propositioned by a rich couple to be a surrogate for them. All she has to do is deliver a healthy baby and she will receive $100,000. I don’t want to give any more away, but things don’t go as she expects them to go, and soon she is running for her life.
Toni: How intriguing! Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?
Patricia: All of my books have a message. In this particular one the message I want to relay is that money cannot buy you happiness. That there is so much more to life than the love of money. Also, that even when we mess up pretty bad, God can still work it for our good.
Toni: Amen! What are your future project(s)?
Patricia: I am currently editing my sixth book, An Eye For An Eye. It’s the second book in the Canyon Rock Series and it’s about a young lady who is trying to get away from her abusive husband. She’s burned all of her bridges and has nowhere to go. She lands herself in the small town of Canyon Rock and tries to make a life for herself and her son. Of course, if that was it, it would be a boring and short story. I’ll let you read it to see what happens next.
Toni: Can’t wait! Thank you so much for stopping by. Readers, do you have any questions for Patricia?
About the Author
Patricia Bell is an Arizonian, who has traveled much of the world. Growing up a military brat and joining the Navy herself, at the age of eighteen, has allowed her to see many places and experience the world. She’s also served on Mission trips to Uganda, Africa, which has greatly changed her perspective on life and living.
She has since settled down and now writes YA and Mystery Novels. She is an Avid reader of Christian fiction of any kind, and sometimes dabbles into the unknown world of Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and John Grisham.
She’s married to the love of her life and has three children who are now grown and facing the world on their own. Years of raising her teenagers has given her plenty of experience in the YA realm. As a matter of fact, if you read her stories, you may glimpse some of their characteristics within.
Toni Shiloh 