This week, we feature Dorrance author Patrice Fentiman, author of Jamie’s Secret.

Name: Patrice Fentiman

Hometown: Spartanburg, SC

Book Title: Jamie’s Secret

Genre: Children’s/Spiritual

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less:

Patrice Fentiman (PF): Jamie’s Secret is about a young girl’s discovery of magic.

DP: What made you want to write the book?:

PF: I wanted to offer support and recognition of children who experience the magic of seeing, hearing and knowing what others may not.  I was one such child.

DP: How long did it take you to write the book:

PF: Though the book was always a part of me, it took two years to complete my text and confirm my vision of the look of the book.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

PF: There are three things that relieve my writer’s block: 1) walking in nature; 2) meditating; 3) dancing.  Any one or all of these things wipe my cluttered or cloudy brain right away.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

PF: My favorite part of the story is when Jamie admits to having so many questions for the fairies and can barely contain her curiosity.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

-One friend or family member:

PF: I would have my fiancé, Ron, with me.  He is an avid reader, has a huge imagination, is the original renaissance man and is honest in his criticism.

-One fictional character:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar because it was all about transformation and change for the good of all.

-One famous person (living or dead):

Maya Angelou because her life spanned decades of civil, social, political and environmental change and she could speak about ways that we can work together to create a more cooperative world.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

PF: Besides writing, I love to read, mentor children & young adults, play piano, sing and cook.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

PF: I do keep a journal but don’t write in it daily.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

PF: We had a family barbecue.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

PF: As my book is the first of a series of books, this first book only includes three characters that spoke

Jamie –  Skye Dakota Turner

Jamie’s Mother –  Wunmi Mosaku

Jamie’s Grandmother – Aunjanue Ellis

Shaylee (Fairy) –   Hailey Kilgore

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

PF: The most important aspect of the Dorrance Publishing relationship for me was in keeping editorial control of all aspects of my book.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

PF: 1)   The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

2)   The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

3)   The Very Hungry Caterpillar  by Eric Carle

4)   I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

5)   The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

PF: Though it may take a little while, allow yourself to fully see, hear, feel and know the story you are writing and why you are writing it.

Thank you, Patrice!

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