BIO:
Pat Nichols is an award-winning author who is proving it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Having retired from a corporate career, she draws on her experiences working with women from all walks of life to write emotion-filled, faith-driven contemporary women’s fiction. Book one in her new multiple-book series, Blizzard at Blue Ridge Inn, introduces three women who meet for the first time at a historic inn where secrets unravel, destinies collide, and nothing is as it seems. Pat and her high-school sweetheart husband of sixty years live in the Atlanta area. They have two children and four grandchildren. One precious granddaughter lives with the angels. Pat enjoys riding in her hubby’s corvette, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite indulgences? A glass of red wine and dark chocolate.
Pat’s awards include a Selah and two NGCWC Peach Awards. She has been featured on WATC Television Atlanta Alive, in Southern Writer’s Magazine, and in Voyager Magazine.
Q’s and A’s
What inspired you to become an author? In 2005 I retired from a twenty-seven-year corporate career with Avon Products, Inc. For the next eight years my husband, Tim, and I finished decorating our home and checked off every item on our travel bucket list. Over the years we’ve been fortunate to visit twenty-seven countries and twenty-five US states. Our favorite foreign county? Italy. Our favorite foreign city? Venice.
Then in 2014 a young woman who had drifted in and out of our family’s lives for more than twenty years tragically passed away. As a cathartic exercise I began writing a story loosely based on her life, but with a happy ending. By the time I finished, I knew God had placed my feet on a new path. So, I came out of retirement, studied writing, attended conferences, and wrote another book. In the meantime, an idea for a series took root and blossomed. In 2017, I officially became a published author with the release of my debut novel The Secret of Willow Inn. I’m loving my second career and plan to continue writing as long as I’m able to think and type.
What is your writing routine and process? My husband and I are early risers, so I write in the morning. My goal is to write 1000 words a day or 5000 words a week. Early afternoon I focus on marketing and connecting with readers. As far as my process goes, I’m both a plotter and a panster. Which means before I begin a new manuscript, I create a basic chapter outline on an excel spreadsheet to identify key plot points. Then I let the characters take me where they want to go.
Are you traditionally or independently published? I was blessed to have a traditional contract with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolina’s for the first three books in the Willow Falls series. After Lighthouse was sold to a different publisher, I stepped out in faith and became an independently published author. Armchair press is the name of my publishing company. Why that name? Because I write in a recliner with my laptop balanced on a lap desk. One huge plus about being independent, I can publish as fast as I can write. All my books are professionally edited, and the covers are professionally designed.
How long does it take you to write a book? My first and second manuscripts each took a little more than a year to finish. The first because I was a novice and the second because I was deep into a huge learning curve. Now I can finish a 60,000-word book in three months, with a fourth month dedicated to editing. My goal is to publish three books a year. My current work, the Blue Ridge series, will be a multi-book series.
What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t writing? First, I love spending time with our family and friends. Tim and I are members of a corvette club, and I belong to a local women’s organization. We’re also active members of Gwinnett Church and serve on the guest services team. After I finish writing a book, I tackle a jigsaw puzzle. To relax we watch movies and football, although Tim watches more games than I do. Every year I go all out to decorate the inside of our home for Christmas.
Pat Nichols 