Patricia Elliott

Patricia Elliott and I contributed to the same anthology. Slow Burn is an anthology about fire fighters in Australia and all of the royalties will go to a charity to benefit those fire fighters.

Author Bio

Patricia Elliott lives in Beautiful British Columbia with her family. Now that their lovely kids are all teenagers, she has decided to actively pursue her passion for the written word.

When she was a youngster, she spent the majority of her time writing fanfiction and poetry to avoid the harsh reality of bullying. Writing allowed her to escape into another world, even if temporarily; a world in which she could be anyone or anything, even a mermaid.

Dreams really can come true. If you believe it, you can achieve it!

Tell us about yourself

First, I want to say thanks for hosting me on your blog. It’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Patricia Elliott and I’m 43 years old. I’m a romance/dark fiction author from British Columbia, BC, where I currently live with three of my children; they are 17, 18, and 21. It still blows my mind that they are almost all adults now. Time escaped on me somehow. One minute you are holding them in your arms, and the next, they are too big to pick up without throwing out your back. *That might just be me getting old now. Haha

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Writing has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was about 9 years old, back in the 80’s, we moved to the country. The internet didn’t exist back then and cable in the country left a lot to be desired. I think we had about three channels, everything else was fuzzy.

After I started at my new school, I became the target of every bully. The same people bullied me pretty much throughout my remaining school years, with more bullies being added to their group each year.

Eventually, I learned that I could escape into different worlds by reading and writing. A mere paper and pen became my coping mechanism because I could be anyone or anything I wanted to be; a popular athlete, a mermaid, or even a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I found it was also a great way to release my pent up emotions.

I never really thought about being an author though. The likelihood of getting published in the 80’s or even 90’s felt like it was on par with becoming a professional athlete. Only traditional publishing existed at the time, and you had to mail your stories in via snail mail.

It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I started to think of the possibility of becoming an author. That’s when I actually wrote my first full-length novel, “Her Lover’s Face.” However, the book wasn’t revealed to the world until over a decade later when Richard from Black Velvet Seductions gave it a shot. I signed my first book contract with them and it was published in February 2018.

I’ll never forget my journey to publication. The road was full of twists and turns, but in the end, I made it out the other side and got to hold my book baby; so, if you want to publish a book, don’t give up. Your time will come.

What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you like to write in?

I tend to read romantic suspense more than anything else, even though I do love a good horror story, too. Most of my work tends to fall into the romantic suspense category, but I have been known to dabble in dark fiction, horror, and even fantasy. Life isn’t the same without zombies. 😉

Is your book for adults, young adults, or children?

My current stories are definitely for adults, but I do have some young adult/children stories in mind to write at a later date under a pen name.

What is your current release or project?

I’m pretty excited about my upcoming release, it is a short story called, “Into the Fire,” which has been included in the Slow Burn charity anthology, which is being published by Little Quail Press. Our wonderful publisher will be donating all the proceeds from our book sales to the NSW Rural Fire Service to help the first responders in Australia. They were devastated by wild fires earlier this year and need all the help they can get. My story takes place in Australia. The main character, Ash, is a firefighter and responds to a call at his ex-girlfriend’s house. He ends up getting more than he bargained for when he arrives…

I also had a novel released in November of last year by Black Velvet Seductions, called, “Not You Again!” Both of these stories revolve around the theme of second chances. What would you do if you came face to face with your first love? Would you run the other way or run into their arms? Emma, the main character in my novel, was so shocked that all she could do was compliment him on his shoes.

Tell us about the key characters

In regards to my story, “Into the Fire,” Ash Daniels was born and raised in a small Australian town. After going through a tough time and having the town stick by him in his late teen years, he decides to stay and help those who helped him by becoming a firefighter.

Theresa Martin was born and raised in the same town, until her dad made her leave. Years later, after the loss of her parents, she returns to sell her family’s farm, but ends up falling in love with it all over again.

Synopsis

Ash Daniels is single and plans to stay that way. Theresa Martin, the only woman he ever loved, left him high and dry, disappearing from his life years ago without a trace. Now, his only focus is saving his town from a raging bushfire that has scorched the land all around them. When he’s dispatched to his ex-girlfriend’s place, his painful past comes rushing forward. His only hope is that he can stay focused long enough to save her place and not die in the process.

Theresa Martin never expects to face a life or death situation; but, when the bushfire reaches her back yard, she realizes that the secret she’s been keeping isn’t hers to keep anymore. She has to tell Ash why she ran away before death rips that chance away.

But what he’ll do with the news is anyone’s guess…

Short Excerpt

“Mummy,” Zack screamed. Theresa Martin’s heart lurched and her eyes shot open, her blood curdling at the sound. She couldn’t see anything. Thick black smoke blanketed her bedroom in darkness. “Zack!” she cried as she reached over and grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand, dialling triple zero. She rolled off the bed and dropped to the tan carpet below. Sharp pains radiated in her chest. Why hadn’t her smoke alarm gone off? “Emergency Services. Do you need police, ambulance, or fire?” “Fire! My house is filled with smoke,” she cried. Crawling on her hands and knees, she approached her bedroom door and carefully touched the handle. The metal was cool beneath her fingers. Thank God. The strong stench of burning wood, like a giant bonfire, permeated her senses, stinging her eyes. “For what city or town, please?” “Kangaroo Valley.”… Slow Burn – The Fires That Bind Us Anthology Various Authors

What’s your favorite scene?

That’s tricky to say without giving too much of the short story away, but it has to do with a koala and a little rugrat who tries to be brave, like a firefighter would be. You can’t have an Australian story without a Koala, right? Not in my eyes anyway.

What advice would you give a beginner?

My advice is to just have fun. Focus on your story first and foremost; write whatever stokes your passion—the story that’s on your heart to write. It will breathe life into your work and your readers will thank you for it.

And this might be different than what other writers say, but don’t get too caught up in all the writing rules while writing your first draft. There are tons of them out there and trying to follow them all, especially early on, can stifle your creativity; and, you’ll end up focusing more on trying to follow the rules than actually writing your story. There is time for that later while editing.

Social media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPatriciaElliott

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AuthorPatricia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpatriciaelliott

Other:

Website: https://patriciaelliottromance.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorpatriciaelliott

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17717239.Patricia_Elliott

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079SL5S3N

Mystic Desire

Mystic Desire
A Paranormal Romance Anthology
with stories by
Breanna Hayse, Alice Renaud, Zia Westfield, Dee S. Knight, Carol Schoenig,
Callie Carmen, Anne Krist, Suzanne Smith, Patricia Elliott, R.M. Olivia,
Richard Savage, Lora Logan, Jan Selbourne
Mystic Desire is a collection of short paranormal romance stories. This is a chance to read and discover the work of a diverse group of very talented authors.
The themes in this book are varied, as are the collection of characters and artifacts, including Native American dream catchers, mystical jewelry, and characters such as lustful vampires, hot warlocks, a grumpy leprechaun, a ghostly terrier, a zombie apocalypse and things that go bump in the night.
From soft and tender love to hot passionate, kinky sex,
there is something for everyone in this anthology.
Unconditional Lust – Breanna Hayse
The massive, hideous merrow leader, Muruch, craves the taste of human flesh. Confined to the ocean, he feeds his horde with sailors from ships pulled into the maw of the Bermuda Triangle. When US Army Captain, Nurys Shaye, puts her life on the line to save him after being captured, his hunger for human flesh is shadowed by the desire for her body and her love. Will she be able to see past his appearance and trust him to break down her walls and teach her to feel?
The Sweetest Magic of All – Alice Renaud
When a sexy apprentice witch and a hot warlock go back in time to locate a magical amulet, they find more than they bargained for. It’s May Eve, the most magical night of the year, and normal rules don’t apply…
Bewitching the Wolf – Zia Westfield
The Witch, Alice Humphreys has poured her heart and soul into creating a magical B&B where guests experience the fantasy vacation of their dreams! Brodie MacEwan has been sent to investigate the mysterious death of his uncle. He never expected to discover his soul mate in his dreams. But is the illusion real? Alice knows that there is something all too predatory about the Scotsman and he makes her body tingle in places it shouldn’t!
An Awareness of Evil – Dee S. Knight
Only two things stand between evil and a small girl: the visions of Amanda McMasters and Detective Brendan Gilchrist. Neither can afford to be wrong.
Love that Binds – Carol Schoenig
On the outskirts of a small town where nothing grows, a young girl, Ianthee, is being bullied and accused of being a witch. Young Caleb, inexplicably drawn to Ianthee, comes to her rescue. Before they can explore their feelings, Caleb and his family disappear. What happened to him, and what part does a long-ago legend play in their lives?
Dream Catcher – Callie Carmen
Long ago, a medicine man had made a matched set of dream catchers as a wedding gift to protect the Chief’s daughter and her warrior husband. He had called upon the benevolent spirits to keep the two soul mates safe and in a loving, healthy marriage. It was foretold that if the two dream catchers were ever divided the new owners would be drawn together as soul mates. Was that possible?
Life Saving – Anne Krist
Saving lives isn’t just for adults. Sometimes the innocent magic of a child can do the job better.
The Mortal Vampire – Suzanne Smith
Remy enjoys life as a vampire, never giving a thought to sucking every last drop of tasty blood out of his unfortunate victims and leaving them doornail dead. But his cold and carefree existence changes the day he crosses paths with the beautiful and mysterious mortal Angela.
Love from the Mist – Patricia Elliott
When Jace Warden learns that his brother plans to announce his engagement at a family get together, he flees to the other side of the world to escape the joyous celebration.
Or at least attempts to… His plane never makes it, and he winds up trapped on an island. Little does he realize, he’s not alone; there’s a mischievous little entity milling about, and she wants to play.
Love’s Ghost – R.M. Olivia
Sorry, babe. I know it hurts to hear.” John frowned. I’ll make this brief. I spoke to the man in charge, and he is giving me one last chance.”
Come again?”
I’m allowed to make love to my wife one last time before I have to cross over. So, are you ready for your husband? Are you ready for me, Ingrid?” He lifted my chin up and ran his thumb along my lips. I felt a chill go down my spine. How could this be real? How could this be happening?
Love Knows No Apocalypse – Patricia Elliott
Getting stranded in the middle of a storm was not Samantha Wheeler’s idea of an ideal situation, especially in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. But fighting zombies was the easy part; her heart, though, was a whole other matter. Thanks to a man named Steve Jones.
When they find themselves in danger, she has to decide what’s more important – dying for someone you love or surviving.
Calling All Angels – Lora Logan
Elijah Baker, an immortal tasked with fighting against demons that exist on earth, finds peace when he meets his new neighbor, Celeste. But when he realizes that their love comes with a cost, he is faced with choosing between his calling and a chance at true love.
The Anniversary – Richard Savage
A cruel twist of fate wrenched Evelyn and Peter apart on their wedding anniversary. Evelyn’s life descends into darkness. James enters her life giving her a chance of happiness. Evelyn discovers a piece of jewelry, that has the power to grant her time with Peter on their anniversary. She adores James, but needs Peter. Can she ever really let Peter go, while there’s still a chance they can be together?
Through the Veil – Jan Selbourne
A beautiful March day in 1875 ends in tragedy when the wagon carrying Helen and Marcus plunges down the mountainside. Generations pass before Rachel Finlay finds an old sepia photo of a man and woman. She knows them but she’s never met them and now, for the peace of mind she desperately craves, she goes back to where it began. In time, through the veil, knowing she may never return.
**scroll through the slideshow to find out more about the authors!!**
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

See author interviews

Carol Schoenig, Suzanne Smith, Lora Logan, Callie Carmen, Zia Westfield, Jan Selbourne, Dee S Knight, Alice Renaud

Read my review on Goodreads I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of authors new to me! I got to read their style and find out if I wanted to try more of their writing.