Hello, reader friends! Join me in welcoming author friend Patricia Lee! She is visiting us today as part of a JustRead blog tour celebrating her Mended Hearts series! Patricia is here answering a few quick questions and sharing a giveaway opportunity for y’all!
about the author
Patricia Lee is a published author, having written since she first learned what words could do at the age of six. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Oregon. Articles to her credit have appeared in Moody Monthly, Power for Living, Expecting and Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse as well as in two anthologies— Cup of Comfort Bible Promises and In the Company of Angels. She is part of a team of bloggers who submit short devotionals for FaithHappenings.com.
Patricia is a member of the Oregon Christian Writers and of American Christian Fiction Writers. She and her husband have two adult children and live in the Pacific Northwest with two sleepy cats.
Visit her website or connect with Patricia on facebook or twitter!
q&a
What is your favorite hobby or activity not related to books?
P: My husband and I enjoy growing flowers. When he retired he expanded our little piece of cement at the back of our garage into a full-sized patio and garden area. Now we have created our own Italian villa in our backyard. We’ve held several social gatherings there this summer.
B: Sounds lovely!
What are some of the challenges you faced while writing A Kite on the Wind?
P: The biggest hurdle came when I signed the contract with Mountain Brook Ink and the publisher told me she wanted a three-book series from the stand-alone novel, An Anchor on Her Heart, that I had pitched to her.
I panicked, knowing that there weren’t many extra characters in that story. I chose Rudy’s swimming buddy, Kurt, who was on his way to work on a horse rescue ranch in eastern Oregon, a book I already had pretty much completed. I found Claire Simpson, who was the learning specialist at the school where Sydney was to attend.
I knew nothing about Claire beyond that. I had to ask myself why is she single? What kind of problem might she be hiding? What makes this girl tick?
When I had those questions answered, I created her male lead Montgomery. I had explored a lot of Newport, Oregon’s main attractions in the first novel, so I needed to find another coastal occupation that would fit the series.
I knew about NOAA (National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration) moving to Newport from Seattle in 2009 and decided to explore the ramifications of such a move on families. Monty was born.
From there I created all the problems these two characters would have to face. Giving Claire a problem, Monty a problem, and the kids their own set of problems and making it all come together in a happily-ever-after proved quite a challenge. But some of my reviewers have said this was the best book yet. Thank you to my readers!
B: That’s wonderful! I’m glad your characters cooperated for you!
What book(s) are you reading right now?
P: Just completed Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof and read Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett. One Woman Falling by Melanie Campbell just released and I’ve read about half of that. TBR Half Finished
B: Ooooo! Nice picks! I hadn’t heard of these two by Lauraine Snelling, thanks for sharing!
What is your next release and/or what are you working on now?
P: The fourth book in the Mended Hearts series is set to release in December of 2020. I am also seeking a publisher for another book not related to the series that I hope find a home for. Stay tuned!
B: Ah, the series has grown to four! Good for you and your readers!
about the books
Title: An Anchor on Her Heart
Series: Mended Hearts #1
Author: Patricia Lee
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Can they keep their friendship pure when their hearts long for more?
McKenna Nichols, a young wife abandoned by her husband in favor of his work, is left alone to raise their autistic child. She promised to love him until death parted them. But when circumstances drive a wedge into their marriage and Dane chooses to escape what life has dealt them, how long can she be strong? Can she remain faithful to her marriage vows when tempted by the friendship of an unlikely stranger?
Rudy Taylor, who senses McKenna’s loneliness and understands the difficulty of raising her daughter, struggles to keep his concern for the young woman biblical. Will McKenna’s faith in God and Rudy’s commitment to his Lord be enough to keep their relationship simple until McKenna’s husband one day returns?
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Title: Love Calls Her Home
Series: Mended Hearts #2
Author: Patricia Lee
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: March 1, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Can a hurting boy help two broken people find their way back to love ?
Lissa Frye returns home from the Navy hoping to find a different future—one which includes a husband, marriage, and a family, until news from her sister impacts Lissa’s personal life and derails her plans.
Kurt McKintrick, having lost his best friend to an IED in Afghanistan, has returned to help the man’s mother run a horse rescue ranch. Images of war plague him, and thoughts of anyone else he might love falling victim to an untimely end, distance him from the person most likely to help.
Eleven-year-old Jayden Clarke seeks to fill the ache in his heart from his father’s death two years before. But his life is turned upside down when the rancher who befriended him is found dead, the horses neglected, and the dog missing. When authorities arrive to investigate, Lissa and Kurt, estranged after a former relationship, are forced to meet again. Lissa must confront images from her past and Kurt struggles to live with his present truth.
Will Jayden be the catalyst that draws Lissa and Kurt back together for a happily ever after?
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Title: A Kite on the Wind
Series: Mended Hearts #3
Author: Patricia Lee
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: October 1, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Is Love Strong Enough to Overcome the Walls They Hide Behind?
Left waiting at the altar, Claire Simpson has buried her past and moved on, carving out a life for herself as a teacher on the Oregon coast. When her former fiancé appears, he threatens to unravel the peaceful independence she has worked so hard to achieve after their relationship failed.
Montgomery Chandler has moved to NOAA headquarters in Newport, Oregon to make new, happier memories for his children after his wife died of a lingering illness. Their home in Seattle held nothing but the whispers of their earlier lives. Starting over will help all of them heal, but Monty is resolved not to risk love again.
When the handsome widower enrolls his hurting children at the school where Claire teaches, her determination to remain uninvolved vanishes at the whim of a snowstorm. This family needs her expertise. Can she help them without losing her heart?
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tour giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight August 19, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on August 24, 2019. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Say hi to Patricia in the comments and share your thoughts on our chat and her Mended Hearts series!
Faithfully Bookish 
Nice heart warming series.
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It sounds like a sweet read!
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Your books sound great. I think I will have to add them to the wish list of books I would like to get.
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Happy reading, Patricia!
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Lovely cover
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I agree, they’re pretty!
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Sounds like a great book!
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