Today I am excited to have Kathleen Irene Paterka the author of Royal Secrets.Kathleen Irene Paterka is the author of numerous novels with universal themes of family and home, including ROYAL SECRETS, FATTY PATTY, HOME FIRES, LOTTO LUCY, and FOR I HAVE SINNED. Kathleen began writing at a young age and went on to distinguish herself as the resident staff writer for Castle Farms, a world renowned castle listed in the National Historic Register. Kathleen is co-author of the non-fiction book, FOR THE LOST OF A CASTLE, published in August 2012. Having lived and studied abroad, Kathleen's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. She and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, where she is busy at work on her next book.
Thank you for hosting me today on Clue Review, Julie! I'm excited to be here and chat about my writing, my life, my books, and my novel, ROYAL SECRETS.
Why do you think we are all so fascinated with Royalty?
Who doesn't want to be a princess for the day? I think we are fascinated with royalty because most of us are ordinary people leading ordinary lives. Our lives are routine: we wake up, work a day job, clean house, cook dinner, go to bed... only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again. But the Royals? What a wonderful charming lives they must lead, with servants to do their bidding, splendid palaces to live in, and beautiful gowns and shimmering jewels for those elegant evening affairs. Royals have no worries about how to pay the mortgage, how to fit in time away from the day job to make their child's soccer game. They seem to live magical enchanted lives removed from the world that mere mortals inhabit, which speaks to the Happily Ever After we all crave.Who is your favorite royal couple?
Prince William and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth. They make a rather odd couple, don't they? But from what I understand, grandmother ( the reigning royal) and grandson (heir apparent, following his father Charles) are very close. Elizabeth has served her subjects well since she assumed the throne in 1952 following the death of her father King George, and she has taken a special interest in her grandson. The two of them took tea together every Sunday while William was growing up. I've followed William's story since Diana's pregnancy was announced, and the day she gave birth to 'Wills the Basher'. He grew up in the royal spotlight, and given his parents' ugly divorce and Diana's tragic death, it was a difficult childhood. Yet he's grown into a fine young man, and handles himself with dignity and decorum. I especially admire the way he is so protective of his mother's memory (presenting Kate with Diana's engagement ring, bringing Diana's name in to the public conversations, etc.) I think he will someday make a wonderful king, and make his grandmother Queen Elizabeth proud.
Mother/daughter relationships were at the heart of "ROYAL SECRETS". Do you think daughters are harder on their mothers than their fathers?
Yes, I believe that daughters are harder on their mothers than fathers. It's an interesting concept. Perhaps part of it relates to mothers and daughters 1) both being female and 2) the natural tendency to compete for a man's attention. In an ideal family situation, husband and wife are an equal team who love and care for each other and their children. But when it comes to "Daddy's little girl", a man perceives his daughter differently. That's something I tried to portray in "ROYAL SECRETS". Lily was denied a relationship with her father because of Mimi's interference. And while Lily resented the interference, she herself struggled with the concept that her daughter Tori craved a close relationship with her own father.
Lily wasn't sold on Happy Ever After. Do you believe in HEA?
Yes, I do. That is not to say that I believe our lives are smooth paths strewn with fragrant roses down which we trod on satin covered slippers. I've had more than a few huge boulders blocking our own happiness. Some people see"I'm to live a charmed existence, but you never know what another person carries in their heart unless you walk in their shoes. It is the way you overcome personal tragedies, the faith and inner beliefs you carry will see your through. And to me, that is the happily ever after.
Where can readers contact you?
Website: http://www.kathleenirenepaterka.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka?ref=hl
ScribBLING Diva's Blog: http://www.scribblingdivas.com/
What are you reading now?
To embrace the season of Halloween, I've turned to Stephen King's new novel, "DOCTOR SLEEP". It's a sequel of sorts to King's classic THE SHINING, the scariest book I've ever read. King is a living literary icon, and I love reading his works. His novel 11/22/63 is one of my favorite books ever.
What are you working on now?
I'm working on a new piece of women's fiction called ELEANOR ( for want of a better title). All stories start with 'what if....?' A few years ago, my husband Steve was hospitalized for a heart condition. Early one morning I was sitting by his hospital bed and woke up with a start to the oddest noise. Little did I know that it was the infamous 'death rattle'. Steve had just taken his last breath. Thank God he was in a cardiac unit. A skilled team of doctors and nurses rushed to his side with a crash cart and zapped him back to life. But, that experience got me to thinking. What if Steve hadn't been in the hospital? What if he'd been home and asleep in bed? He would have died. One thought led to another, resulting in my new plot. ELEANOR is the story of a woman who wakes from a sound sleep by a curious sound coming from her husband of 38 years next to her in bed. Eventually she falls back asleep... only to awaken the next morning to find him dead beside her. A shocking secret he's been keeping is exposed upon his death, destroying the life they'd built together, leaving a stunning Eleanor alone to figure out how in the world to begin putting her life back together... and how to cope with Claire, the other woman that's now a permanent part of her life.
Coffee or Tea? Dogs or Cats?
Coffee. Strong black coffee. And don't put anything fancy in it. As for dogs and cats? While I grew up around dogs and fully appreciate their fawning personalities and unconditional love, I'm definitely a cat person. The few cats I've had the 'pleasure' to know were finicky and particular, fussy and quite difficult.... but I loved them anyway. We had to have our 18 yr. old Persian put down in June due to kidney failure. It was a difficult time for me, since I was 'her person'. As anyone with cats will tell you: you don't adopt cats... they adopt you.
Tori used social media as a tool to promote the wedding chapel. Do you enjoy social media and what about it do you like or dislike?
I find social media a challenge. Twitter has me totally confused. How do people find things? The feed moves so fast. I do enjoy Facebook, and have an author page where I chat about my work-in-progress. I also love posting photos ( Prince George at his christening at Chapel Royal, St. James' Place!) But I must confess that, while I love writing, I do not love marketing or promoting my books through social media. I think there comes a time when people grow weary of authors constantly pushing post that say "Buy my book!" In this age of instant communication, we are bombarded with messages. Social media has it's place, but I also believe in simple face-to-face communication. That is probably the most powerful social media too of all.
Is there a favorite quote you would like to share with us?
"Never Never Never Quit", Winston Churchill. Whether you're writing a book, trying to reach a weight goal, learning a new skill, teaching a child to read, struggling through a difficult situation, or whatever the situation, I believe perseverance is the key. Once you quit, it's very difficult to pick up the thread of continuity again.
Thank you so much Kathleen for taking the time to visit with us today. Royal Secrets can be found at Amazon.com.
