This past week I had the chance to interview Cindy Patterson, author of Broken Butterfly. She writes inspirational romance and is currently working on her second book. Her stories are uplifting, entertaining, and captivating. I couldn’t put Broken Butterfly down once I started reading it.
I’m excited to share this interview with you and invite you to leave a comment to be entered in a contest to receive a free copy of Broken Butterfly through Lifeway eReader.
Cindy Patterson lives in North Caroline with her wonderful husband and three amazing children. Her passions include Jesus, homeschooling, writing, and drama ministry. You'll find her at any given time with her family on a baseball field watching her youngest son play, as her oldest son and husband coach from the sideline. You can also find her watching her daughter dance, tucked away reading, or cooking when she's not writing. She's a member of ACFW.
We discussed her motivation for writing Broken Butterfly. I asked Cindy the following questions:
What inspired you to use an Amish setting for Broken Butterfly?
I fell in love with the Amish people and culture over 16 years ago. My first experience with the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania, I had the chance to visit an Amish family at their farm and even met their cows. I also enjoyed a live show and incorporated that little piece of the visit into my story, even though it didn't happen for me the same way. I was with our church choir on this trip ;). I visited again very briefly a few years ago with my family on the way to Cooperstown Dream Park, for my youngest son to play ball. We didn't stay long enough, but I look forward to returning soon.
How is this story special to you?
The characters of Broken Butterfly came to me in a very weird dream. I have a lot of those, but this one in particular would not leave me alone until I started their story. It's hard to pinpoint how this story is special to me without giving too much away, but I will say this, I could not do any of this without God's help. And in this book in particular, He gave me the twist that brought Broken Butterfly full circle and I remember that moment as if it happened yesterday.
The book cover is beautiful. Does it hold any significance to you?
I'm glad you asked. The cover of this book had been in my head for years. I knew I wouldn't find a premade cover that would fit exactly what I was looking. I needed a young lady, fitting Mallory's description, who also had a butterfly and dragonfly tattoo visible on her ankle/leg. So, I chose my oldest son's fiancé to model for me and her uncle, Mike Parrish, of Tar River Photography, took the pictures. The tattoo holds great significance in the story. You'll have to read to find out why ;)
You touched on domestic violence in your story. As you know, I am a domestic violence awareness advocate and am currently writing a novel with the theme of domestic violence. What made you choose to include domestic violence in your story?
Domestic abuse is a living breathing reality for many and I wanted to bring that to light in my story, hoping someone feeling trapped would find the courage to escape, and to ultimately find hope in Jesus.
Is the book available in both paperback and eBook?
Yes, here are the links:
Click here for Amazon.
Click here for Barnes & Noble.
How can we contact you?
Click here for my website.
Like my Facebook page here.
You can find me on Goodreads and Twitter.
My blog address is [email protected]
Can you tell me about Broken Butterfly?
Mallory Scott trusts no one. At twenty-two she's in a battle for her life. Living in a women's shelter after finally escaping an abusive relationship, the only thing Mallory is focused on is staying safe. But when he finds her again, she must flee in the middle of the night and trust the kindness of a stranger to help her create a new life in Paradise, Pennsylvania. Far away from everything she knows.
Eric Matthews has what every man wants: a successful job and a beautiful girlfriend. Unfortunately, it seems he's living for everyone else but himself. But when chance leads a mysterious woman into his life, his world is suddenly thrown off its axis. Mallory wants nothing to do with him and he's determined to find out why.
Attracted to the one man she thinks she can never have, Mallory battles with her heart's deepest desires. Her barriers slowly break down until jealousy flares--revealing her haunted past. As destiny remains just within reach, only time will tell if a shocking scheme will separate Eric and Mallory forever.
In this compelling contemporary romance, the past intertwines with the present as a woman searches for the truth that will finally set her free.
Thank you so much, Cindy! I strongly recommend Broken Butterfly!
Please leave a comment for Cindy in order to be entered in the eBook giveaway and remember, if we can help just one person, we’ve done our job!
Katelin Maloney