Martha Emms Cognitive Dreamer: WELCOME AUTHOR RHONDA PATTON

Welcome Author

Rhonda Patton

Author bio: I am Rhonda Patton a stay at home mom with two kids and a great husband. I am the author of Ted and Raymond stories along with others. My husband is my illustrator for the children’s books that we have. I have collected frogs since I was 17 years old. I love writing for kids, I love teaching kids in every way to make it fun.

Brief synopsis of your book: Ted and Raymond are frogs who love the outdoors and takes trips. In this book they take a trip to Africa. They learn names of trees, animals, and some little information on the animals.

Book title:

African Safari

with Ted and Raymond

Current book or project you’re working on:

Dylan and the Croak Orleans Gang.

What moment or event sparked the inspiration for your novel? This short story is about a frog and other animals going to fulfil a dream, their love of music.

Please share three interesting facts about the characters in your book.

1) The characters are my nephews and niece along with my two kids

2) Each character has a characteristic of my nephews and niece. My nephew plays the bassoon, so his character is Logan the raccoon that plays the bassoon.

3) The armadillo, Travis just came back from boot camp the army and so does Travis my nephew.

Who is the most complex character from your current novel? I believe all of them are similar to the original characters.

Are there any characters in your book that remind you of yourself? Ted and Raymond are my stories; they are things that happen in my life. We had a kitchen fire and we have a story Ted meets the Fire Department.

If you could pick any well-known or famous author to review your book who would you pick and why? So many great authors out there it is hard to choose. I have met some great people, I cannot pick just one.

Genre/Author/Reader:

What genre and age group does your book fall into? Children’s, 6-12 years old.

What is the first book you remember reading, that affected how you thought or felt about something? The Poky Little Puppy it was always exploring.

Which three authors have inspired you the most, and why?

1) William Joyce, he lives in our hometown and his line is “Never give up”.

2) Michael Bacigalupi, “Running with Faith” he was a school friend of mine who has inspired me to start my writing as well.

3) Paul Rega, “How to Find a Job when there are no Jobs”, a friend who has inspired me in my journey and a great mentor.

Have you ever read a book you couldn’t finish reading? Yes

Do you read a book, while you are writing a book? No, it takes away my train of thought.

The process:

How many books have you written? 14 and still writing.

Which book is your favourite and why? Can I say all, the reason I love them all is because they all have great meaning, great learning skills for the young and old.

Is there anything that helps get you in the mood to write? Not really, my life is full of hectic. A three year old and twelve year old needing my attention, so when I have a thought of a story I write what I can down. I have to start with a title.

What were three challenges you faced when writing your book?

1) Doing the research.

2) Not knowing much about Africa.

3) Making it just right for the kids to learn was challenging.

What lessons have you learned as an aspiring writer? Help others when you can, be generous, and take any advice given in a positive way.

Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so what helps you to ‘overcome’? Yes, I take a break from the writing; I work with the social media as much as I can to help others.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned, either in the self-publishing or traditional publisher, route? MOST important I have learned is the editing, you have to find a good editor or better eyes than yourself.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? The finished product, I say this because my joy comes from the smile of a child. Knowing it may touch their heart like I intended it to.

What part of the process becomes the most critical for you? The editing, I am not a great English teacher, but I love to write. It is hard from someone who didn’t learn all the basics at an early age. I had bad hearing and didn’t quite understand what teachers were telling me.

How long does it usually take for you to complete a book? It takes a little while because my husband is the illustrator, when he gets home our 3-year-old wants his attention. Just really depends when we set the time.

Do you have any ideas for your book and Hollywood? Actors, directors, music. Being that they are children’s books no I have not thought of movies, but would love Ted and Raymond to become an animated show one day.

Which book to movie conversion is your favourite? Any of the Ted and Raymond series would be great. There are many stories that come with them; also they have great messages for kids.

Do you watch a lot of science fiction or fantasy movies? No I don’t.

Do you study science, the planets, history, or anything special to help you with your writing? Yes in our newest book coming out “Spirits of ChesterVille General Store” I had to research dates, times, the history of events that took place in the era. I just want it to be realistic in the time frame we were writing about.

What, who, and when first inspired you to write? When I was in high school I had a teacher named Mrs Williamson and she was always getting excited about the English and writing of Edgar Allen Poe. I started writing poetry, and then in early 2000 I wrote “The Croak 500”.

Personal info:

Drink – water

Food – Mexican

Vacation – Hawaii

TV show – Biggest Loser

Movie – Romantic (You’ve Got Mail)

Animal – I have 2 birds and 2 dogs

Sport – Badminton

Book – Little Women

Comedy – Used to watch back in the day Jeff Foxworthy

Struggle – Depression, Anxiety, and Panic Attacks (I have a book about my 5 day journey)

How can people connect with you?