Interview with Patricia Bradley, Author of Silence in the Dark

Heidi here. Today we are hosting Patricia Bradley.

Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi and loves to write suspense with a twist of romance. Patricia’s books include the Logan Point series and two Harlequin Heartwarming romances. When she has time, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens.

backcover copy:

In one of the most dangerous states in Mexico, Bailey Adams is running for her life . . . again.

When Bailey Adams left Logan Point two years ago for the mission field of Chihuahua, Mexico, she thought she was getting away from her problems. Running into her ex-fiancé Danny Maxwell was not part of the plan—neither was being chased through the city by the local drug cartel, the Calatrava. Now despite her best efforts, Danny is her only chance of escaping the people chasing her and getting back to Logan Point safely. Can Bailey find the strength to face what’s coming? And in the midst of the chaos, can she keep herself from falling in love with her rescuer all over again?

Patricia, thank you for stopping by to visit with us today and congratulations on your new novel, Silence in the Dark. I’ve enjoyed all of your Logan Point novels, what instigated you writing this series?

First, let me thank you for having me on Stitches in Time. I just love this blog! I’m not sure I had a series planned when I wrote the first book, Shadows of the Past. I would have been deliriously happy with one published book. Thank goodness God does more than we can imagine or dream! But as I wrote the first book, I knew I wanted to write Ben Loan’s story and that’s what precipitated APromise to Protect.  And then I had to know what happened to Robyn—she’s the one who had been missing for two years in Shadows of the Past and that was Gone Without a Trace. And this last book, Silence in the Dark came about when Ben Logan asked Danny Maxwell if he’d heard from Bailey in the second book. When Danny said no, I knew I’d have find out why and where Bailey was. So, it’s like one thing leads to another.

Ah, the mind of a writer :-) What advice can you give to aspiring novelists to produce a sound novel that’ll sell?

Learn the craft by studying craft books and taking classes every chance you get.  Some of my favorites are Susan May Warren, James Scott Bell, and Randy Ingermanson. But most of all, don’t give up.

Awesome tips, all three of those novelists are master teachers. I love plotting and am always looking for tips. How do you plot a novel?

I panstered my way through the first book and it took five years to get it publishable. With nine month deadlines, I didn’t have the time to repeat that, so I used a plot board to create twenty chapters and in each block I put what would happen in that scene. I wrote two books that way before my WIP said it didn’t want to talk to me and tell me what I needed to know. Now I used James Scott Bell’s 14 Pillars to sort of outline my book, but I don’t fill out all 14 pillars, just the main ones. Like The First Door of No Return, and the Point in the Middle where either something new is revealed that sends the character in a different but correct course, or the character realizes he can’t keep doing the things he’s doing and overcome his obstacles. I don’t know always exactly how it will end or who the villain is. Does that help at all?

Absolutely! I think most pantsters are plotters to a certain extent.  I'm curious, how close to the final version does the first draft read?

I usually only write 2 drafts before I turn it in. The first draft is to lay down the suspense thread, the second to beef up the romance and make sure the spiritual thread is complete. Then it will go through at least 2 more edits once it gets to the publisher. However, often I start out with one person in my mind as the villain and sometimes it turns out to be someone else. :-)

  

Interesting, sounds like you have a solid editing path. Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?

Meeting Susan May Warren and going to four Deep Thinker retreats. I learned what I was doing wrong and what I was doing right.

I second the Deep Thinker Retreats, awesome time away and Suzie is the best teacher ever! Time for a fun question . . . You are alone and stranded on a desert island and can have ONE food product and ONE drink, what would they be?

Coffee!!! And Spaghetti. :-)

Oh Patricia, that is simply crazy! What about chocolate and Diet Coke? Anyway, can you tell us about future books planned?

I am currently working on the second book in the Memphis Cold Case series and it is set at the Pink Palace there. The first one, Justice Delayed, is set mostly in East Memphis, and I’m thinking of an Elvis and a Beale Street theme for the other two. All the books will feature a cold case that ties to a current case and it will go back and forth in time.

Wow, that sounds super exciting! Patricia, thank you for your time today, it was fun! And congratulations again on your newest novel SILENCE IN THE DARK.