Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always been a writer, so I can claim an infinite number of books written, however… I have published 2 books so far. (Although 2 more are slotted to launch before the end of the month!)
Right now I live in the Midwest with my wonderful husband and our two yellow labs, Hynson and August. We live on a lake and when I’m not writing and my husband isn’t working, we like to take the boat out (we haven’t yet figured out how to sneak past the dogs, so they usually come with) with a bottle of wine and spend the summer evenings on the water. And since I haven’t fully embraced the cold winters, those nights are spent by the fireplace with the dogs.
Happily, we live close enough to our family and can see our nieces and nephews regularly. We’ve found that this is also a very effective form of birth control.
While I don’t have half the drama my characters do, I do have a happily ever after and couldn’t ask for a better life.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Off the Record was inspired from watching a documentary from HBO about the super rich.
I loved the idea of writing a book focusing on the Billionaires who were always billionaires. It was actually an old documentary I saw on HBO that really pushed me. Listening to the Whitney heir talk about finding satisfaction in working and not in the size of his bank account and being sincere in his declaration pushed me. And that started Ian Stirling’s character. From there, his friends emerged and the next thing I knew Ian was the heir to a publishing empire.
Then the character of Merideth came about. I needed an intelligent woman who wasn’t focused on the social or gossip pages. She also needed to not be impressed by Ian. (And she isn’t, for the most part…)
The next book in the series is in its editing stages, and it still focuses on Ian and Merideth, because they really are so much fun to write, but it is also the start of Stone’s story and the woman whose presence will change the carefully planned trajectory of his life.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have been known to take showers when I get stuck on a scene.
I think it’s like the athletes who wear the same socks when they are on a winning streak. It worked for me once and now it’s my goto unsticking tradition
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neal Stephenson, Hemingway, Atwood, Gaiman, and Christopher Moore just to name a few. Honestly, almost everything I read ends up influencing me in some way. I find a turn of phrase or a build up of emotion that grabs me and try to duplicate it in my own writing.
What are you working on now?
Editing the second Billion Dollar Headlines book and fine tuning the second book in Copperwood.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Gosh, anything that gets my book in front of readers who are willing to take a risk with a newly published author. I think newsletters are the best option at the moment, so anything that gets readers to look at my work and say, “I want to read more from Reese, I’m going to sign up for her newsletter!”
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep on writing. Don’t stop. No matter what.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep on reading and writing. It’s the only way to get better.
What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading Royal by Winter Renshaw (I wish I could write even half as well as she does – she is amazing!)
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on a third series, but only the outline. I don’t want to say too much because I’m not yet sure where it’s going to go, but Copperwood has 4 books planned and Billion Dollar Headlines has at least 6. So those need to be wrapped up before I open the door on a brand new series.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Cryptonomicon, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Dirty Job.
Author Websites and Profiles
Reese Patton Website
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