Author interview "Patricia A. Saunders"

Self Published Author, Patricia A. Saunders was born and raised in Connecticut before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area nearly 23 years ago. She received her Master’s in Management from the University of Phoenix in 2011. After the passing of her mother who had Alzheimer’s, Patricia decided that all the words that she kept to herself were to be released.

Her work has been featured on a Coast to Coast Book Tour at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Toronto Word On The Street, Sacramento Black Book Fair, Tucson Book Festival, Miami International Festival of Books and AARP Life@50+ Spring Convention. Also on the Company of Poet, Women Owned Business Club Magazine, and Alysha Live! Radio Show and Coach Deb Bailey Secret of Success Talk Radio. She performs locally at spoken word events and Capital Jazz SuperCruise Open Mic with Grammy Award Winner Eric Roberson.

She is a monthly blogger of her own blog Blessed & Curvy who covers today’s hot topics.

She released her first self published book Through the Fire (March 2012) which covered emotions from situations, circumstances, and life lessons that have influenced her over her lifetime. On a mission to complete a book a year in case she inherits the ugly disease she released her second book Loving Me (2013) and third Let It Rain (2014) which is also self published and covers various topics from love, grief, self image, self esteem, bullying, and discovery of self love. Her fourth book (2016) This Too Shall Pass was released by AuthorHouse Publishing and readers have given it a five star rating. The last book was inspired from three note cards she received after the passing of her mother when she felt like giving up on life, on the brink of losing her home and being unemployed that encouraged her to live for those who loved her.

She works as a supervisor for a corporate financial organization. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys writing poetry, traveling, spending time with family and wine tasting.

1-Please share a little bit about your current release.

This Too Shall Pass is a book of poetry that spans the journey of life, death, grief, love, and weathering all storms. When life has thrown you curveballs, and you think that it’s over, no one is there for you, or no one can love you, it is in those moments when you have to hang on. There is hope, there is love, and there is a second chance. You just have to believe that this too shall pass!

2-What inspired you to write this book?

I wrote This Too Shall Pass after going through the storms of life—losing my mother unexpectedly to complications from Alzheimer’s, being in a deep depression about continuing after the loss of being her caregiver, being self-employed and no longer able to work, being on the brink of homelessness, and in an unhealthy relationship. The poetry poured out onto the pages. I came through trying times, and I hope my words can help someone else see that I made it through, and they can too.

While looking at three note cards of encouragement that I received from my sisters which featured the words loss, happiness, love and faith, I was inspired to write. My surroundings and current events also inspire me to write. I let my words flow on topics that are near and dear to me such as discrimination, inequalities for our young men and their treatment in current-day America, and even my own mortality.

3-Why did you settle on poetry as the vehicle to tell your story?

I have been writing poetry to express myself since I was a child, and poetry is as natural to me as the breaths I take. With poetry I can use free-form writing.

4-What insights or truths can poetry shed on a traumatic event that other forms of writing cannot?

When I was going through my depression and the journey of coming through my storms, I journaled daily. I can write poetry and continue my artistic vision of how I wanted the words to be expressed and not have to follow a typical prose of structure with paragraphs, line breaks and sentences. If there is a word that I wanted to focus on so that reader felt the emotion from the pages, I was free to do so with poetry.

5-As you write, do you have a vision of a certain audience for your poetry?

Yes, as I write each book there is a message that I want to convey in my compilation. Those following from book one, or those picking up my current book will laugh, cry, and be motivated. My books are for those who have been broken, hurt, or have lost someone along the way, those who are in love with the wrong person, and those who feel unjust.

6-What message can readers take away from This Too Shall Pass?

The message readers can take away from This Too Shall Pass is that there will be storms that will come and knock you down, but they will pass. You will be able to stand tall, scars intact so you remember what happened, but you will have the faith to know you can make it.

7-Do you have any advice for new and emerging writers or poets?

My advice to any writer is don’t stop writing. There is a story in all of us, and the right reader that your story will touch is out there. Not everyone is going to get the big book deal but write with passion. Share your stories on blogs, write short stories; whenever you can, just write. Listen to your readers when they give you feedback. Network with others in the industry to learn, and always remember when you hear a no, don’t let it stop you.

8-Any new projects in the works that you’d like to share?

I am preparing to release my fifth book of nonfiction and poetry called There Is Sunshine After The Rain.

Her books are available at your local book retailers, at www.patriciaasaunders.com, www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com

You can follow her on social media:

Facebook: @ blessedpoetpat

Twitter: @ blessedpoetpat

Instagram:@blessedpoetpat

Pinerest: @blessedpoetpat