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Blog Tour Stop: Author Marshalee Patterson

I am always thrilled to have an author stop at this blog for a blog tour, and Marshalee is no exception. I've had the chance to read at least two of her wonderful books, and I've fallen in love with the characters every time.

Here's her latest project called A Shattered Life Restored!

Title: A Shattered Life Restored

Author: Marshalee Patterson

Genre: Christian Inspirational Romance

Release Date: September 20th, 2018

Synopsis

Sitting at the Saint-Roch Train Station with tears in her eyes, Meg contemplated where her life had gone wrong. She was at a point in her life where she felt abandoned by God after the last remaining person who truly loved her, died.

Now with a baby on the way, she had begun to lose hope that the future, she knew the Lord had promised her was never meant for her.

With a gentle tap on her shoulder, her gaze turned to meet that of Derek’s, the kind stranger whose smile brought warmness into her heart. “Was he sent to fulfill God’s promise in my life?” she thought. With assured faith, she followed him as he led her away, trusting that God had not forsaken her. Now she felt content to allow God to have his way in her life and totally surrender all to him.

Amazing! I love how much her books wrestle with difficult concepts but have a redemptive aspect. OK, let's ask Marshalee some questions!

Tell us a little bit more about your book.

This book is about healing, hope, and redemption. Helping readers who have lost someone close and struggles to believe that happiness still exists for them and also those who have lost their way, to find grace. To give them hope that God has a plan for all of us even when they feel like they are cursed.

Absolutely. Sometimes it's so easy to forget that God has a plan. What was the hardest part of the writing process for you?

I don’t think any part of my writing process was difficult. I think it may be because none of these stories were my own originally. The Holy Spirit puts them in my spirit and after I acknowledge that he’s the author, I sit in front of the computer and pray. The story flows as it should after that even while the Lord adds parts of my own life in the stories. It always amazes me how he does it.

That's wonderful! Such cool insight into that process! What scene were you most excited to write?

I don’t think I was more excited about one particular scene, I loved writing the romantic scenes – seeing how Meg and Derek expressed their feelings – it made me feel like I was falling in love as well. But I think I enjoyed the first scene of the book that dealt with Meg’s grieving process the most. Somehow it was kind of like me dealing with the loss of my own husband and learning to move on. I cried while writing those first few chapters, adding Olivier in this story helped me a lot and I know lots of readers will come to appreciate his purpose in the book as well.

Thank you so much for sharing. I imagine that first scene was difficult to write, but you've also been able to use tough experiences to empathize with the characters and the readers. Who is your favorite character in this book and why?

Olivier is my favorite character and that is because he is the voice of reason that we all need to hear when we are too deep in hurt and pain to think straight. Also because with all his positive words of advice, he too needed someone to remind him of following his own advice, which shows that he was also vulnerable.

I loved Olivier! I think Derek may still be one of my favorites, but Olivier is a wonderful character as well. What is your advice for any readers who would love to write a book?

Pray first and know if it’s the will of God, that way your story will flow as it should and you won’t be easily discouraged when you are criticized by others who might not agree with what you have to share.

Is there anything else you'd like to add about your book that you think readers should know before picking it up?

You will cry in some parts, laugh in some but most of all you will be blessed and enjoy this book. It was a joy for me to even be blessed to write it.

I 100% agree! Thank you so much for joining us today! Here's a little bit more about Marshalee: what she's up to and where she's heading next.

Marshalee Patterson was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She has loved reading since she could walk. Growing up without a television sparked in her a love for reading and the world of imagination. Some of her favorite novels were written by Charles Dickens, Jane Eyre and Victor Hugo, as she found she liked the true to life stories that we all can relate to. She wrote her first novella-Predestined Love after travelling to Italy and wanted to write a romance novel about it, only she didn’t know that God had plans for her and that story when he changed the direction of what she originally had in mind. It was then that she knew she was called to write stories to uplift and inspire readers, showing them how to find God in their struggles and the faith to trust Him through it. Marshalee is a lover of nature and the tranquility of it. She finds the outdoors refreshing and peaceful. She also loves Spanish ballads and dances salsa very well.