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Keep up to date with the latest releases in Christian fiction by signing up for the Christian Fiction Updates newsletter,
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About Eloise Schroder, Webmaster of The Christian Fiction Site:
Ellie has loved Christian fiction for many years, after being introduced to it back in 1990. She developed "The Christian
Fiction Site" back in 1998 under the former title "Ellie's World of Christian Fiction" after seeing the need for an online
resource site for readers to become more familiar with Christian fiction titles on the market. Since then, she has maintained
the site in her own spare time, as well as juggling a full-time job with GPH Wholesale, a distributor of Christian literature, and being
part of the worship team in her local church. Ellie lives in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with Dion, her husband of
more than 10 years.
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. . .Patricia Hickman. . .
Author Profile Interview
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Patricia Hickman
is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, whose work has been praised by critics and readers alike. She has been hailed as the "new and lyrical voice of the South," with her writing described in such glowing terms as "a triumph", "quirky," "beautiful," "humorous," "intimate and deep," and "a virtual feast for the senses."
Patty and her husband, Randy, have planted two churches in North Carolina. Her husband pastors Family Christian Center, located in Huntersville. The Hickmans have three children, two on earth and one in heaven. Their daughter, Jessi, was involved in a fatal automobile accident in 2001. Through her writing and speaking, Patty seeks to offer help, hope and encouragement to those who walk the daily road of loss and grief.
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Author Profile Interview
February 2006
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I've been a full time novelist for around thirteen years. I write women's fiction for women who prefer stories set in small towns, the quirky and conflicted central character, some humor mixed with poignancy, and who still want the spiritual take-away in their stories. In the beginning, I could not have condensed what I do into that small of a sentence. I started out trying to write for everyone. But I was one of those early comers to the CBA and we were still trying to figure out who we all were back then.
2. How did you become a novelist, and did you always want to write?
Yes. I had a mother who read to me. This surprises people who know my background. Although she suffered mental illness she still had hopes for her children. Because of this good thing my mother did for me, I was reading before I started school. I started reading chapter books early because those Dick and Jane books were killing me. I read a story about a lame prince. I started limping and after a week of that my mother saw what I was reading and said, "You're not hurt. You're empathizing with the character in this book." I was so shocked that a character could affect me in a physical way. That is when I decided that I was going to write novels. I only hoped they would affect others in such a profound way. Of course, I don't want my stories to leave you limping. I hope in some small way, they give you wings.
I became a novelist by dissecting novels and shaking out their secrets.
3. What do you think is significant about Christian fiction?
Good question. I think this book niche makes a statement about our culture. Just as Christian writers were working to find our own voice, there were some cultural changes in the book market. A big enough percentage of readers wanted to connect with a different type of literature, and all had different reasons. Some wanted stories that made them think about the spiritual part of their lives. Others wanted to avoid gratuitous descriptions. There are many other different reasons. The fiction offered did not always include a part of the world that seeks Christian faith, and in some books, the Christian character was not portrayed as a strong person, or a person capable of loving others. For those who consider faith in Christ central to their growth, eliminating every trace of that God-relationship in modern literature is not realistic. While there are many types in the world, the religious "types" in modern fiction were not fully formed. This segment of readers wanted characters who freely spoke of faith, struggled with faith, etc. In short, characters relevant to their Christian worldview.
What I hope for, though, in this little experiment of ours is that we also make certain that we as readers include in our selections a taste for the newer Christian titles that are not afraid to explore our own flaws. I think it's important that we gain back the respect of readers who tried us a decade and a half ago and found our stories, well, let's say, not meaty enough. The Bible is rated R if held under the microscope of those who rate morality in literature from within the Christian culture. It tells us the truth about ourselves. Not R rated in the sense of gratuitous descriptions, mind you. But it is a book of truth, sometimes the raw truth, and doesn't whitewash how humans-even those who have consecrated their life to God--act and respond. We Christian writers have to learn to balance truth in our own fiction while remembering why these readers came to us in the first place. We don't need to promote an inauthentic or idealistic mystique about who we are, and then even worse, believe it. New believers need to know the faith walk is not a walk in the park and that we all stumble. If we don't guard who we really are and then preserve that in literature then the Christian literary voice will falter. That is a big responsibility and one that most Christian writers I know hold in sober commitment. If we started out idealizing our fiction, though, it stands to reason that with the passing of time we have grown as writers. I highly recommend that all readers give this section of the bookstore a serious look. You will find many authors who address the realities of life while allowing faith to inform their stories. That is a natural aesthetic for the Christian artist.
4. How do you hope your readers react to the stories you write?
I hope that long after they have closed up my books that the story is still lingering in the mind. I work hard to put those kinds of layers in my stories. I don't expect the reader to recognize all of that, but I do hope that all of the work that goes into them succeeds as good literature. Good literature will grip the reader, entangle them in the character's conflict, make them think about things that they had not thought about before. But good fiction is also entertaining. I seek to entertain as much as leave the reader thinking about things a little more deeply. When a reader says that the book made them laugh or cry, that's as satisfying to me as hearing that the character's story seems true.
5. What responses to your novels have affected you the most and why?
Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say I like it when the reader is gushing. I've had a few readers say that the book made them cheer. But then there are those responses where I know that the Holy Spirit was faithful to complete the work in the reader that he first began in me. When the story first comes to me, it may be years before it is finally realized. Then another year to finish it and get it into the readers' hands. When I receive a letter or email that tells me what God said to that reader through my book, I'm so impressed with God and his long-range plans for each of us.
6. How has being a novelist impacted your relationship with Christ?
Probably the same impact that being in the ministry has had on my husband who is a pastor. When you prepare a work that you intend will communicate something to others, you feel the weight of that responsibility. It has caused me to spend knee-time asking God what he wants, but also a lot of time studying the Bible and other books that help me reach for a deeper understanding of the great mystery of God and of man's response to Him. I sense him beside me continually now and I attribute that to a deeper understanding of knowing the person of Jesus Christ. When I walk through a dark season, I'm grateful for his vigil over my life, but also my awareness of it. Being a student of life and one who watches humans responding up close has made me aware of God's gracious love feast that he continues to pour over all humanity.
7. Other than writing great novels, what other goals do you have for your life?
I'm doing some graduate work, but that should be drawing to a close soon. I want to travel more, teach more. I feel a responsibility to communicate from the platform so I'm speaking more. When I communicate face-to-face, I'm able to say directly what I say indirectly in fiction. I plan to do more women's retreats. My sons are growing up and becoming men so they need me less. This gives me more time to study for these things. When our children are small, it's so hard to study the Bible as much as we'd like. So I will continue to spend more time in Bible study and prayer. And then getting out more and meeting women in need of encouragement. Oh, I started blogging. www.wisefood.blogspot.com and I've joined some friends in offering writerly advice at www.charisconnection.blogspot.com.
8. What do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time?
I exercise and I garden. I like going to lunch with my husband when he can break free. When we can all get corralled, I like cooking with my sons. There are a lot of waterfalls here in North Carolina. Randy and I like hiking up to those places. I guess that means I collect waterfalls. But then I get engaged in the next wip and the garden goes to pot, dinner turns to pizza delivery--again, and the waterfalls become a dream.
9. What can you tell us about your latest novels?
I finished Earthly Vows this fall. (Warner Faith) Ta-da! This story is set in the 30's in America, the South, and, of course, a small town full of eclectic characters. It is the final book in the Millwood Hollow series. I've posted the cover in the News section of my website, and will post it soon on the home page. Cool cover art! This four-book series has been a study in weaving elements of humor against an otherwise serious backdrop. I started developing what I hoped would be humorous threads in Katrina's Wings and then Sandpebbles. If my radar is right, the readers like it. I've tried to achieve a series that is entertaining, but also, each book has its own story to tell. Keep those emails coming. Writers do listen.
10. What stories can your fans expect from you in the days ahead?
I'm currently contracted to write three more books. (Random House/ WaterBrook.) My wip is a novel that is a labor of love. After years of trying to piece together the details of what caused my family to unravel, I discovered some shocking family secrets. The Bible tells us that what is done in secret will be shouted from the mountaintop. I saw a story in it right away. That story is set in North Carolina and is about a circle of women who are all related. There will be road trips and even a plane crash. After that one, I will write a story about a woman who is about to leave her marriage but then finds out her husband has Alzheimer's. It will be set in the Outer Banks. After that, I plan to write a novel based upon sudden loss. At least, I'm contracted to write that one. It is the story that my readers ask for when I speak. It will be a difficult story to tell, because losing a child is very close to home for me. Will I continue to write humor in my stories? I think so. When God takes you through dark places, he also shows you life's ironies and the funny way that humans respond when under fire.
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