Dicky To's Inspirational Writings

Candice Sue Patterson

Today, it’s my honor to have romance author Candice Sue Patterson on my blog. After the interview, you will learn more about Candice and her debut e-novella Bright Copper Kettles, which releases December 1^st. You may also connect with her through Facebook.

Candice would like to give away a copy of Bright Copper Kettles today. Simply leave a comment below with a way to contact you, and you’re registered. A winner will be chosen and announced on Monday.

Candice:  Thank you, Dicky. It’s my pleasure to chat with you today.

I do stay very busy with my family. I have three growing boys with bottomless stomachs, so all of my evenings are spent in the kitchen. I won’t even talk about laundry. J We also live on a 10-acre hobby farm where there are always chores to be done. I basically write whenever I can. Sometimes it’s in the kitchen while I’m cooking dinner. I’ll type a few sentences then stir what’s on the stove. Sometimes I write late at night after everyone’s in bed. Mostly though, I try to write in between chores while my two oldest boys are at school, but that’s not always easy with a toddler. I do my upmost to put my family first, but deadlines challenge this at times. My husband and kids are all very supportive and understanding. They’re willing to pitch in and fill the gap when I have to be at my computer.

Dicky:       I read the first chapter of Bright Copper Kettles and some other manuscripts of yours. Your writing was full of beautiful, visual descriptions. Have you taken any writing courses?

Candice:   Thanks, Dicky. I completed a two-year course through The Institute of Children’s Literature several years back. I worked with a multi-published author who taught me the basics of writing fiction. When I’m reading or writing, I see the scenes play in my head like a movie. That makes it easy for me to describe the scene’s setting using all five senses. Where I’m a stickler on detail, I’m also weak in other areas of writing. It’s a constant growing process.

Dicky:       Bright Copper Kettles is a heart-warming romance story. What was your inspiration?

Bright Copper Kettles

Candice:   I’m very sentimental, and I love history, so I always weave threads of nostalgia in my contemporary romances. When I saw an article in American Profile about the D. Picking Company in Ohio, who still produces hand-hammered copper kettles, drums, and pots after 140 years of business, I knew instantly that I wanted to incorporate that into a Christmas story. The more I researched coppersmithing, the deeper the faith message of the story went. God provided all the elements I needed at exactly the right time.

Dicky:       When you learned that Pelican Book Group accepted Bright Copper Kettles as part of their Christmas Extravaganza, how did you feel?

Candice:   Shocked, ecstatic, and very humbled that the Lord would allow me to use my love for words for Him. I didn’t sleep the night I got the e-mail. This story was definitely a labor of love. God laid it on my heart, but after writing the first few chapters I began to question whether or not to continue. There were times I put it aside and never wanted to look at it again. Then there were times I couldn’t type fast enough. There were even times in my personal life where my faith was tested in eerily similar ways to my characters. Looking back now, I realize the devil was doing his best to hinder this story. But God is good even through difficult circumstances, as my hero and heroine learn. I pray Bright Copper Kettles will be a blessing to those who read it.

Dicky:       As a Christian writer, do you think weaving Biblical messages into the storyline is the key element in all Christian fiction?

Candice:   For me it is. Some Christian writers choose to create stories that are clean and entertaining, but don’t necessarily have a Biblical message in it, and I think that’s great. With all the garbage that’s thrown at us these days, we need books that we can pick up and know it’s free of language and explicit scenes. I, however, choose to add a Biblical element to my stories. I love watching the characters relationship with God grow, and I find myself growing along with them.

Dicky:       Before you start writing a new story, do you create character charts to determine their goals, motivations, and conflicts?

Candice:   Before I begin writing a story, I do have a general idea of my characters. For some reason, the title is one of the first things that comes to me. I start with the hero/heroine’s physical descriptions and what will throw them together to create a plot. I’m mostly a seat-of-the-pants writer, so a lot of things come to me as I write it. Yes, this produces many revisions, but I love watching them come to life before my eyes.

Dicky:       Candice, thank you so very much for your time.

Candice:   Thanks for having me!

Bright Copper Kettles Blurb

Christmastown, Vermont: where it’s Christmas 365 days a year…

To Darcy Carr the holiday is depressing enough without reliving it every day. Her thriving wreath business and faithful cat are no longer enough to distract her from the pain of her past memories or her current loneliness. Is her frosty neighbor, the only one in town with no Christmas decorations, just another Scrooge, or could he be the one she’s been looking for?

Coppersmith Dean Whitfield hasn’t celebrated Christmas—or anything else—since the death of his wife and unborn child. And he certainly has no desire to carry on the family tradition of crafting a star for the town’s Christmas tree, even if it will benefit a charity. Can Darcy and the joy of the season thaw his frozen heart and help him love again? 

Candice Sue Patterson’s Bio

Candice Sue Patterson studied at The Institute of Children’s Literature and is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in southern Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, splitting wood or baking bread, she’s at her computer working on a new story. Candice writes contemporary romance with threads of nostalgia set on the east coast.

Links for the book:

Bright Copper Kettles is now available on Amazon for 99 cents.

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Kettles-Christmas-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B00GM4XA8M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1385169448&sr=8-2&keywords=Bright+copper+kettles

Pre-order now at Christianbook.com for release December 1^st.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=bright+copper+kettles&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1&search=

Bright Copper Kettles can also be purchased from the publisher, available December 1^st.

http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=508

Links for Candice:
www.candicesuepatterson.blogspot.com
www.quidproquills.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candice-Sue-Patterson/420360958035447

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 23rd, 2013 at 9:13 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.