Book Recommendation - Beauty in Flight Trilogy
This series follows Harper Cloud. Through a series of mistakes, she found herself in jail. After release, she found employment prospects minimal. Living in Vegas, trying to keep one's nose clean and trying to get a respectable job with a prison history, she found herself struggling and had a constant feeling of being watched. When she's nearly attacked on her way home one night, she decides to take her boyfriend Derrick up on his offer to move her out east to be a caregiver for his grandfather. That brings some relief to her immediate situation, but brings a whole new set of problems. I absolutely adored Red (Derrick's grandfather) and felt great sympathy for Harper. Though she is beautiful, it has often been that beauty that has gotten her in trouble. Fans of the author's "Hidden Truth" series will be glad to know that Harper and Red do find their way to Nutfield, NH, and we run into some "old friends" from that series while there. (You don't need to read that series first to understand this one, but it's never a bad idea). Of course, Ms. Patchen's stories would not be complete without some romance and so there is a romance thread woven into the mix. Though that's typically my least favorite part of the romantic suspense genre, I felt like this one was done just right.
One of the benefits of being a member of an author's street team is access to the author for a Q&A. Here's how my interview went with Robin:
It’s great to be with you
and your readers today, Erin. I appreciate you having me on your blog.
1. How did you come up with
the story-line for this series?
I
honestly don’t know. Most of my stories seem to come from the air. I wanted to
write a story about a woman who’d been in prison and who was trying to put her
life back together. I started with the image of a woman arriving in Nutfield
with an old man who wasn’t related to her, and then I asked myself questions:
Why was she there? From whom was she running? Where had she come from? I kept
digging into those questions until I had a believable—if far too long—story.
2. Do you relate
particularly well with any of the characters (major or minor) or are any
characters based on someone you know personally?
I relate
with the heroine. No, I’ve never been in prison, but I’ve endured my share of
bad relationships with men, and I’ve made more than my share of stupid
mistakes. Harper’s desire for acceptance and love has gotten her into
relationships she should have avoided with men who didn't value her. I know how
easily that can happen, how easily we can believe smooth lies when we want to.
I loved writing about that aspect of her life.
The
character of Red is loosely based on my father-in-law. Actually, the name,
Harold (but known as Red) comes from Ray’s brother. The sense of humor, the
quick comebacks—those are all Ray. Oh, and Ray, like Red, is a veteran of the Korean
War.
3. Did anything happen to
you personally while you were writing that ended up changing the trajectory of
the story - or made its way into the story?
My son
was in a car accident while I was writing Beauty
in Hiding, and I was able to use some of the experiences we had with the
hospital in the book. It didn’t really change the trajectory of the story, but
it definitely affected it.
4. As you were writing, did
anything in the story end up surprising you?
I was
surprised by Vanessa. Some may remember her—she was the villain in Innocent
Lies. I knew she’d end up being a character in this book. Eventually, she’ll
get her own story. I was surprised by her competence in running the food bank
and by the vivaciousness of her daughter. I am really looking forward to
writing Vanessa’s story.
5. I enjoyed the faith
element to this one. Is there any message you want to be sure your readers
glean from this?
The world
will define you if you let it. Family, friends, enemies, and strangers will
define you if you let them. But you are truly and forever defined by the God
who created you. Harper identified as an ex-con, a loser, a person worthy of
the way she’d been treated. When she saw herself through the eyes of her
Creator, she recognized her own value, and that changed everything for her.
6. Any other fun facts
you'd like to share?
Every
time I write a Nutfield story, I am nostalgic for home. From the humid summers
to the snow-covered winters, from the muddy springs to the colorful autumns, I
miss New Hampshire.
7. I loved that we got to
see some of our Nutfield friends again. Will we see Jack, Harper and Red again
in future stories?
No doubt,
we’ll see them again.
8. What is coming out next?
Tell me a little bit about your next story and when we can expect to see
it.
The next
story will release in July, God willing. It’s titled Legacy Rejected, and it’s the story of Ginny Lamont, Jack’s real
estate agent, and a local land developer named Kade Powers. Ginny and Kade get
caught up in a drama foisted on her by her parents. I’d tell you more, but I’m
just figuring it out myself.
Thanks for hosting me
today, Erin. I so appreciate how thoughtful and encouraging you’ve been to me
and other Christian fiction authors in recent years.
I’d love to offer your
readers a free book. Just pop by my website and subscribe to my blog, and
you’ll be sent the first book in my Hidden Truth series, Convenient Lies.
Here’s the link: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/iqxukkfnw4
I’d love to keep in touch.
You can find me online here:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RobinPatchen/
More about the author:
Aside from her
family and her Savior, Robin Patchen has two loves—writing and traveling. If
she could combine them, she’d spend a lot of time sitting in front of her
laptop at sidewalk cafes and ski lodges and beachside burger joints. She’d visit
every place in the entire world—twice, if possible—and craft stories and tell
people about her Savior. Alas, time is too short and money is too scarce for
Robin to traipse all over the globe, even if her husband and kids wanted to go
with her. So she stays in Oklahoma, shares the Good News when she can, and
writes to illustrate the unending grace of God through the power and magic of
story.If you enjoy romantic suspense like I do, you should definitely check out this trilogy! Link to buy on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MWC4GVS/
My reviews of all 3 books are here:
Beauty in Flight: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2635763997?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Beauty in Hiding: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2719750876?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Beauty in Battle: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2726666031?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
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