Ask the Author: Patricia Hopper
Answered Questions (11)
Patricia Hopper
Jack the Ripper stalked and killed women. He was never caught
Patricia Hopper
I like fairytales. So I would like to travel to the world of the wee people. Since the wee people are known for magic, I would ask them to create a spell where I could interact with all my ancestors and have a conversation with them about what their worlds were like.
Patricia Hopper
Small Great Things
Fly Away
Fly Away
Patricia Hopper
If you look hard enough you'll always find a mystery in your own life. Many Americans want to know who their ancestors were. Who were these people that came from another country to make their home on this vast continent. Growing up in Ireland I never questioned my ancestry. I knew they came from somewhere in the British Isles. However, my mother was a foster child. She was never formally adopted, so who her parents actually were is questionable. They are Irish without a doubt, but what happened to them and why they gave my mother up to foster parents has always been a question that has never been answered.
Patricia Hopper
I'm doing a three-book Family Saga that travels between the US and Ireland. However, most of the second novel takes place in Ireland. The first book in the series is Kilpara and it was published by Bygone Era Books. The second one that I finished early this year will be published by Cactus Rain Publishing and is due to launch on March 1. I am currently finishing the draft of the third novel. My goal is to get that done by the end of the year. And then the editing begins...
Patricia Hopper
My novel is a historical novel. Several things happened that brought the story to life for me. One important fact is that I'm an Irish Immigrant. Many emigrants came from Europe to America in earlier centuries to seek a better life, for adventure or from persecution. When people learned I was Irish, they would tell me about their ancestors. So I began to wonder what it was like for, let's say, a nineteenth century immigrant who was forced to leave their native country and came to America, knowing they would probably never see their family or friends again.
Also, the history of the Irish fighting in the American Civil War never really made it into the Irish history books, and they played a big part in that war.
And I made a trip to Lough Corrib in the west of Ireland where I heard many interesting stories and stayed at a castle that ultimately became Kilpara in my story.
Also, the history of the Irish fighting in the American Civil War never really made it into the Irish history books, and they played a big part in that war.
And I made a trip to Lough Corrib in the west of Ireland where I heard many interesting stories and stayed at a castle that ultimately became Kilpara in my story.
Patricia Hopper
When a story feels like it needs to be told.
Patricia Hopper
I loved the character Lilah in my novel Kilpara. She is hardly mentioned in the story, but I decided to write her journey to Stonebridge House in Maryland where the story starts. She is an escaped slave and I wanted to trace what happened to her. I only meant to write a short story, but it turned into a longer piece--over 13000 words. I have a much better sense of her character now.
Patricia Hopper
Write because you love writing. Persevere and you will succeed.
Patricia Hopper
The feeling of accomplishment when a story is completely finished and the acknowledgement of a job well done when a publisher accepts it for publication. Although, I have some stories that I labored over, and love, that have been rejected many times, and have yet to be published.
Patricia Hopper
Like most writers I get stuck sometimes, or write myself into a corner. Getting away from writing for awhile usually helps me work out the problem. Things like going for a long walk, gardening and cooking often help. If I'm really stuck I start writing about something that's been going round in my mind. That gets the juices going and can pull me through. If all else fails I meet with other writer friends either to hear what they've been working on, or to just throw my problem out there and hear what they have to say.
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