My questions are in bold, Patricia’s answers follow in plain text
About Patricia Bossano
My name is Patricia Bossano, middle child, seeker of supernatural wisdom, and Hispanic Aquarian.
I became a smashing hit shortly after I redefined ‘success’ for myself and took the proverbial leap into the void—to the lay person, I’m referring to the moment, 3 years ago, when I lost the stability of my corporate job and I understood that the time had come to live my dream.
I flipped tradition on its side and went rogue; I became an indie author with all my eggs in the fiction writer basket, for better or for worse.
What have you learned from your success?
One should never deny what is in her nature to do.
Through the ages, humanity has wondered what life is about; its meaning, its purpose. Sooner or later we all ask those questions and some of us become obsessed with finding the answer.
Behind every existential shift in my life there has been a key event: leaving my parents’ home and country, becoming a mom, going through a divorce, letting go of an important job, etc., and what those events have had in common is that they all tested my ability to handle what life throws at me.
All that testing must be for the purpose of getting to know myself, right? And if the purpose of life is ‘knowing myself’ then I must also accept that ‘defining’ myself is part of the process.
I believe that writing philosophical fictions not only broadens self-knowledge, but it continues to shape me, making a successful lifer out of me.
Is there a mistake you have made starting out that you wish you could change?
I tend to procrastinate, and that’s a mistake.
Procrastination is an ongoing thing for me, and it’s something I mean to conquer just as soon as I finish this interview!
If not for procrastination (the mother of all mistakes) I would stumble sooner, learn the corresponding lesson, and get on the right track that much quicker.
What is the best advice you have received?
I heed advice more fully if it comes in the guise of a maxim.
For example, “Piss or get off the pot,” totally hits home for me because it directly grates at the procrastinator in me. 9 out of 10 times my left brain crossly utters those words to my right brain…
Also, a ring I wear bears Lao Tzu’s mantra, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This is my daily prompt to hurry up and get on with it!
But here is the most magical maxim of all, I repeat this one to myself whenever I’m stressed over mundane things, so I don’t forget what truly matters:
“All you need is love,” my right brain whispers this, and immediately the faces of all the people who love me, and whom I love, parade before me, setting my heart at ease and reminding me that whatever is troubling me, it too shall pass.
This one totally resets my perspective!
What advice would you give someone starting out?
I would say, follow your heart and persevere unflinching on that path.
Professionally, what accomplishment are you most proud of?
I believe Faeries are the new Wizards, and I am dotingly proud of the matriarchal clan I have brought to life. These powerful ladies are rocking the minds of escapists the world over!
Celeste, Maité, and Nahia (pronounced Nah–yah) are the heroines of my Faerie Legacy series, respectively; Faery Sight,Cradle Giftand Nahia.
At the heart of this epic trilogy is the relationship between women in a hybrid, faery-human family, and the unbreakable bond between mothers, daughters, and sisters.
Looming in the horizon and soon to manifest: a film franchise, and the Spanish version of my faerie saga.
Is there something you learned from the industry that you found surprising?
I misjudged Social Media—on its surface merits, I saw Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as the vessels that would transport me to the glorious lands of fulfillment, not realizing that said vessels sail on algorithmic waters.
Now that I do realize it, I’m too far out to sea to return, so instead, I’m bent on successfully navigating those waters. For an indie, this means a great deal of learning and re-inventing of the wheel…
Are there any upcoming projects you are working on?
After the release of Seven Ghostly Spins, on All Souls Day 2018, and continuing on a supernatural vein, I began work on my next title: Daughters of the Bride, a philosophical fiction slated for publication on Mother’s Day 2020.
“To recover from the unexpected death of their father, the ‘weird sisters’ cling to one another and to their widowed mother; the ‘head witch.’
However, no traditional mourning rituals await them, instead, the three women flex their powers and embark on a distressing journey of reflection; to know themselves and the mother they thought they knew.
Amid the hilarity brought on by the head witch’s disconcerting return to a youthful attitude, difficult questions will be asked. Genetic memories must be acknowledged and banished. Painful feelings must be expressed, and life-altering decisions will be made because, at the end of their journey, the new reality must be embraced by all if the family bond is to be preserved.”
If you could recommend a book to help people be more successful, what would it be and why?
I’m a fiction reader and writer, through and through.
I have lots of favorite books, and I can say that each one has taught me something relevant to a different aspect of life. But rather than recommending a book I will tell you about the first grown-up book I ever read and how it affected me—maybe my experience will resonate with others?
My mother gave me a copy of Henri Charrière’s Papillon when I was about 12 or 13 and, totally skipping the introduction, I jumped right into the first chapter. It took only a few days to read, but when I finished, my mind had been forever changed by the man’s experiences and his ‘never give up’ attitude.
I was so stimulated by it that I couldn’t think of anything better to do than to start right up again—I just loooooove re-reading books!
The 2nd time around, I did not skip Jean-Pierre Castelnau’s introduction and that’s when the dream of being a writer came to me. Henri had sent a letter to Jean-Pierre saying, “Here are my adventures: have a professional write them up.”
Recognizing the raw talent JP said in his introduction to Papillon; “he writes the way you tell a story. You see him, you feel him, you live his life.”
After having read the book, I completely agreed!
I remember grinning and telling myself “I will be a writer too!” and Papillon’s voice and style would be the model for me.
Other favorites over the years have been, Alexandre Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo, Isabel Allende’s El Zorro, The Shining, Misery, Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, The Thorn Birds, García Márquez’ Cien Años de Soledad,Dracula, the Harry Potter series, Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s La Sombra del Viento, Anne Rice’s Vampire chronicles, The Witching Hour, Holes, Dan Brown’s stuff, Girl with the Dragon Tattooseries, Me Before You, older John Grisham stuff.
Do you have any apps, books or tips that you use to be more productive?
Tough question for a procrastinator, and I will say this, us writers are a superstitious, quirky bunch who will do just about anything to summon our shape-shifting muses—those elusive little tricksters who taunt us like a sneeze.
As an explorer of the supernatural, anxious to summon my muse, I won’t bypass the performance of curious rituals before I hit the keyboard. Yes, I will light up that salt lamp; pet my magic blue quartz; wink at the faery reading a book under the monitor; and turn on those tunes!
I beseech you not to judge, instead, discover and embrace your own quirks because, rest assured, their effect on productivity is priceless.
Has fitness factored into your success?
I cannot let myself sit at a desk 8+ hours per day, so in partnership with Google home, I get up every 90 minutes and do 20 x push-ups, squats, and sit-ups. Plus, at the end of my workday I do my debriefing while walking briskly, 3-4 miles.
This level of physicality keeps my brain oxygenated and eases my dread of inadvertently becoming one with my chair.
Has Social Media factored into your success?
Even before I took the proverbial leap, I knew this: it is a truth universally acknowledged that, in order to succeed, a self-published author must brand and promote herself. For us indies, that is a war waged strictly online.
Social media presence is a good first step to building a respectable following. From there, you commit to generating meaningful content and campaigns that grow your following and your mailing list, which greatly contributes to getting some traction along the indie route.
Any mistakes you see people routinely make with social media?
I was told once, by a PR agent, that to build my following I should ‘follow’ people and days later ‘unfollow’ them.
I think that sucks, and I consider it a mistake that many people make. The rule that I stick to, for myself, is to follow other authors, indies and pros. If someone follows me, I follow them back only if they’re related to the literary arts somehow (or they’re family/friend). I also follow celebrities or political figures whose views I identify with.
Another common mistake I glare at is the use of social media platforms, including LinkedIn, as dating apps. I’m wary of wide net profiles that say stuff like ‘loyal, kind, fun, animal lover, boat owner…’
Where can people connect with you online?
Ooooh! Subscribe, follow, like, all of it makes me so faery happy!
| https://twitter.com/merryfaery | |
| https://www.instagram.com/merryfaery/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/patriciabossanoauthor/ | |
| Amazon Author Page | https://www.amazon.com/author/patriciabossano |
| GoodReads | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7249581.Patricia_Bossano |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-bossano-28382057/ | |
| PatriciaBossano.Com | https://patriciabossano.com/ |
Do you have anything you would like to promote or tell us about?
Certainly!
I will be running away with the circus again this year… It will be a 3-day escapade, September 5, 6 and 7.
How cool would it be if we met there?! https://fanxsaltlake.com/
Between now and then, I hope you will take advantage of this special promotion!
Email your eBook proof of purchase of:
Faery Sight, Cradle Gift, Nahia, Seven Ghostly Spins to author@patriciabossano.com and get a FREE paperback of the same title signed, sealed, and delivered* to you or to your escapist best buddy!
*Offer Valid Only in the U.S.
| Faerie Legacy | https://www.amazon.com/Faerie-Legacy-3-Book/dp/B07943RNSL/ |
What is the one thing you wish everyone knew?
I’d like to encourage the millions of readers out there to express themselves, especially all fans of the supernatural—you’re my people!
If you enjoyed something I wrote, and you find it in your heart to give me a 4 or 5-star rating, please share your review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads, etc.
Even a one phrase genuine review is the type of generosity that can raise the spirit of any author!
I, for one, would be eternally grateful!