Meet Paty Jager: Award Winning Author

Meet Paty: Paty has been a friend of Rogue's Angels for a long time. I have watched her grow as an author. She is an award winning author and I highly recommend her books. They are page turners from the get-go.

Why did you choose to write historicals/westerns? What was it about paranormals that inspired you to try your hand at this genre?
I write historical westerns because I feel a kinship to the era, and I love the justice, honor, and respect cowboys are noted for. Writing about men in that time period it's easy to give them attributes that make them heroic. It was the way they lived every day of their life. Unless of course they were outlaws or lazy. But for the most part men in the1800's still treated women with respect and were coming to see that women could hold their own in a man's world. As for the paranormal... I've always been fascinated by the Native American people and their culture. When NY was asking for historical paranormals, I turned to the the culture and times I feel I'm interested in. So my first paranormal will be released in August and it's set among the Nez Perce in the 1700's.

Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
My challenges are the same as most. Not enough time in the day to do everything and write.Trying to keep up with what the publishers and editors are doing, and marketing. Not allowing Marketing to take away from the writing and researching time.

Are you a Pantser or Plotter?
A Planster-- I usually do a character chart and know where the story will start and end with a couple turning points in the middle, then I start writing.

Are you plot-driven or character-driven?
My stories are pretty much character driven, though the plot usually comes out of the research I do .

Go with the flow or follow a schedule?
I set goals to finish projects but I don't keep a schedule.

Research in advance or as you write?
I usually do my research before I write, only because I may come across something that will help my plot. But I always end up having to so some research whole writing because of directions the storymay take that I didn't know about when I started.;)

Noise or Quiet?
When I'm writing my first draft I have music specific to that story that I listen to. Using specific music for each project draws me into that story quicker when I sit down to write. When I'm doing edits and revisions, I listen to anything.

Our characters claim much of our time as we spend hours in front of our computers capturing their stories. However, each of us has a cast of real life characters who inspire, encourage, and support us. Who are some of the many members of Team Paty?
The people who support and encourage me are my family. My husband generously lets me spend hours in front of the computer puttering away, and he doesn't complain when I go out of town to conferences and book signings. My daughters read my books and brag about them to anyone who'll listen. My sister-in-laws are all rooting for me, too. Then I have my RWA chapter, and the local writing groups who all rally around me. And my critique partners, Lori, Danita, and Nicole. And my best friend Karen who has been my biggest fan since I first showed her an essay I wrote about making a ham sandwich.

What are you working on now?
Right now I'm working on the second paranormal historical of my Spirit trilogy, It's titled Spirit of the Lake, the hero is the brother to the spirit in the first book Spirit of the Mountain, being released in August. The hero has spent hundreds of years as the spirit of the lake watching over the Lake Nimiipuu. He spends his days in Elk form while in the lake and while covering the Nimiipuu country. The book starts with him pulling a young Nimiipuu woman out of the lake and discovering she intended to end her life. He vows to help her back into grace with her people and finds himself falling in love with the mortal.

Five Things Paty Has Around Her When She Writes?
My research books and papers, computer, chocolate, green tea, and music.

Is there anything about you, you would like to add?If you would like to learn more about me or my books or enter my website contest please visit me at http://www.patyjager.net/ or http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com/

Allana Angel