Today’s guest is Award-Winning Author Paty Jager, joining us during her blog tour. Check the end of the post for details…

Thanks for stopping by Paty!

Enjoy & Comment!

What is the worst thing you’ve written, how did you learn or know it was bad, and what did you learn from it?

The first romance book I wrote, while the love scene finaled in a contest, it was the worst thing I’ve written. The only time the hero became three dimensional was in the love scene. 😉 The rest of the time in the story he was just a character on the page for the heroine to interact with. After joining RWA (Romance Writers of America) I learned that both the hero and the heroine need to have GMC (goals, motivation and conflict). and the next book I worked much harder to make both characters multifaceted and still strive for that when writing a book.
Why did you start writing and when did you decide to go professional?

I’ve always dabble din writing. As a child I wrote plays for the stuffed animals and used them like puppets. When my kids were small I wrote stories for them, then I took some writing classes and started writing human interest stories for the local newspapers and when I need to vent about a person I wrote a mystery and killed them in the story. When I finished that first novel length book I started thinking I could get published. But it took me nearly fifteen years and about that many books before I became published.  
Do you write in more than one genre? Which ones and which do you like the best?

Yes, I write historical westerns, contemporary westerns, paranormal historical westerns and action adventure contemporary romance. I like writing them all for different reasons but I think the one that has been the most fun has been the action adventure. It’s set in another country and is action packed even more than some of my westerns.

What is the most difficult part of the entire writing process for you? Queries, pitches, editing..etc.


The most difficult part of the writing process for me is the promoting. It takes a lot of time and effort and you never know if the time you spent away from writing the next book will pay off.

Author’s Bio: Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently farm 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.
Paty Jager is a member of RWA, EPIC, and COWG. Wild Rose Press has published eight of her books with Spirit of the Lake to release in May 2011.  Perfectly Good Nanny, won the 2008 EPPIE for Best Contemporary Romance.  She edited for an e-publisher for four and a half years and teaches workshops at conferences, writers meetings, and online.
You can learn more about her at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com her website; http://www.patyjager.net or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paty.jager and Twitter: @patyjag. 

Spirit of the Lake 
Available May 18, 2011

Two generations after his brother became mortal, Wewukiye, the lake spirit, prevents a Nimiipuu maiden from drowning and becomes caught up in her sorrow and her heart. Her tribe ignores Dove’s shameful accusations—a White man took her body, leaving her pregnant, and he plans to take their land.Wewukiye vows to care for her until she gives birth, to help her prove the White man is deceitful and restore her place in her tribe.

As they travel on their quest for justice, Dove reveals spiritual abilities yet unknown in her people, ensnaring Wewukiye’s respect and awe. But can love between a mortal and a spirit grow without consequences?




NOTE FROM PATY: This post is part of my blog tour. Leave a comment on as many of my guest blogs at you can and the person who travels with me the most will receive an autographed copy of Spirit of the Lake, a sweatshirt, and cowboy chocolate. To find all the places I’m visiting go to my blog: www.patyjager.blogspot.com  The contest runs from May 18th – May 27th covering thirteen blogs.

19 thoughts on “Q&A Thursday – Interview with Paty Jager”

  4. Pat, Thanks for stopping in. Yes, I have learned my heroes can’t be cardboard cut outs. And I think my books are much better because of it. 😉

  5. Paty, I had to smile at your description of your first hero. It reminds of the heroes in the early Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. Those heroes were cardboard cutouts. Nice to look at, filled a role in the story, but totally one dimensional. Glad both you and Disney grew out of that. Our heroines deserve real men in their lives.
    All the best on your Blog Tour.

    librarypat AT comcast DOT net

  9. One way or another, I’m going to read this book. I loved Spirit of the Mountain so much. It was an unbelievably beautiful story and a wonderful read.

    Joan K. Maze

  10. Sarah G., Yes, I have ADD when it comes to writing and staying in the same genre. And idea hits and away I go. Thanks for stopping in!

    Hi Marybelle! Thanks!

  13. Hi Susan, I hope your cold goes away soon. Thanks for stopping in and commenting.

    Thanks Rachel. Yeah, I can’t seem to stick to one genre. Thanks I love the cover too!

    LOL, Sarah, yes a 15 year overnight success. Love it!

  14. Thanks for stopping by everyone! Good luck in Paty’s contest. And if any of you have a book to promote let me know! I have space open!

  15. Interesting interview questions, Jenn. 🙂 Wnjoyed your answers, Paty. so you were a fifteen-year overnight success, eh??

    Love the excerpt from Spirit of the Lake!

  17. Paty sure happy to visit today and hope this finds you okay. I am fighting a cold but we are having damp weather and that’s a good reason for being sick. ha Being sick means more time to read but that’s the only up side to all of it. ha ha susan Leech garysue@dejazzd.com

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