Ask the Author: Chris Patchell
Answered Questions (10)
Chris Patchell
Are you a Holt Foundation fan? I've got a few storylines in mind. Nothing in the works at the moment. How would you feel about an Elizabeth Holt prequel? She's such a great character. I would love to writer her origin story. I've also thought about a book that comes after Dark Harvest that focuses more on Henry Cahill. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reaching out!
Chris Patchell
This summer I'm going to be on a steady diet of Psychological Thrillers. Silent Child, Twilight Wife, The Missing Ones, Big Little Lies, plus two Lisa Gardner books are all on my list. What are you reading?
Chris Patchell
Hi Lisa, I'm in the software development field. I started out as a software engineer, then moved into a quality engineering role. Program management (a.k.a. project management) after that. I love shipping software that makes people's jobs better. I've spent most of my career managing teams. It's provided awesome learning opportunities (part therapist, part tech worker). My husband is also a type 1 diabetic. Trust me, I know what it's like to live with a diabetic. Thanks for the question and best of luck!
Chris Patchell
Hi Mike! Thanks for reaching out.
I worked my way through college as a bartender--more pubs than nightclubs and believe me, I do have my fair share of creepy stalker-type stories from those days...
I fell in love with The Chapel the first time I stepped into the place. A friend of mine used to go there with some of her lawyer friends Friday night after work to unwind. It was such an awesome space with an intriguing background, it immediately sprang to mind when I visualized the first few chapters of In the Dark.
I worked my way through college as a bartender--more pubs than nightclubs and believe me, I do have my fair share of creepy stalker-type stories from those days...
I fell in love with The Chapel the first time I stepped into the place. A friend of mine used to go there with some of her lawyer friends Friday night after work to unwind. It was such an awesome space with an intriguing background, it immediately sprang to mind when I visualized the first few chapters of In the Dark.
Chris Patchell
It's easy to get stuck. I either skip over a scene and write what I do know, or I just barrel ahead and write the scene, no matter how half-baked and crappy it might be. Even if I end up throwing the scene away, it gets me moving in the right direction. One thought prompts another, and suddenly I'm making forward progress again.
Chris Patchell
I love sitting down at my laptop and letting my imagination take control. It's the best kind of therapy.
Chris Patchell
Keep writing. Don't let anything stop you. Not rejection, or self-doubt, or excuses. Just write. It's fun, and you'll get better.
Chris Patchell
I’m working on a suspense novel set in the Pacific Northwest about a college girl who vanishes after a night out with friends, and her mother’s quest to find her.
Chris Patchell
Often I see a situation, just something from everyday life and I start thinking 'what if…'. It’s those what if questions that form the basis of my story ideas.
Chris Patchell
The original story idea was about a woman who discovered an image on her husband’s computer – an image so disturbing, she couldn’t ignore it. So, a few days later she goes digging around on his computer and realizes he has a whole secret life. And now that she knows about it, she can’t look away. But that felt a little cliché, so I turned the story idea on its head. What if the wife has a secret life? What if her husband finds out about it? And what if her husband is a cop? That’s how Jill Shannon was born, and DEADLY LIES is her story.
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