Rebecca Patrick-Howard grew up in the mountains of Eastern
Kentucky. After working as a travel writer for years, she managed to find
herself a husband while in Wales and considers him her best souvenir. They now
live on a ridge in Kentucky with their two children, a couple of dogs, and a
bunch of deer. She’s the author of 5 books, including the newly released
paranormal mystery WINDWOOD FARM, about a woman who sees the past when she
looks through her camera.
Please
share some of the best memories of your childhood
I grew up on the campus of an abandoned boarding school. My
front yard consisted of empty buildings, including a gymnasium, auditorium,
dormitories, and empty classrooms. I had all sorts of adventures.
About your
education
I have a few different degrees. My first degree was in Music
Business from Belmont University in Nashville. I went there to become a country
music singer, but the whole music scene terrified me. I then returned to
Kentucky and got a degree in Anthropology and another one in Appalachian
Studies. My MA is in Religious Experience. I got it from the University of
Wales in the UK. Some of my friends thought I was going to become an exorcist
while others were sure I was going to be a preacher. It was very confusing. I
mostly studied near death experiences.
What career
did you plan during your education days
For the first 18 years of my life I didn’t want to be
anything but a country music singer. When I started putting that in action,
though, it overwhelmed me. At the time, the singers were all doing pop stuff
and had these huge voices and I just can’t sing like that. I’d always written
stories and during my college years I decided to become a writer. The
Anthropology and Religious Experience degrees were to help me get inspiration
for my future books. I didn’t plan on doing anything BUT writing.
What is
your biggest source of inspiration in life
In writing it’s music and old houses. I look at old houses
and imagine what went on in them, who lived in them, and what kind of pasts
they have. Songs are like little short stories to me, almost like flash
fiction. I always assign my characters theme songs when I write and I make
soundtracks to my books. In life in general it’s my kids. They inspire
everything because they’re awesome and I love them.
What hurts
you most in this world
To see someone hurt a child or to see my child upset. Even
when I was little, I wanted to visit an orphanage and take all the kids home.
When I was 5, my mom told me we could adopt a child when I was 8. She thought
I’d forget about it. I didn’t. On my 8th birthday I was like, “Okay,
let’s go to the orphanage!”
What is the
biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?
In 2010 we lost our youngest son, Toby, to Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS). He passed away in his sleep. There is no real trick to
overcoming the death of your child. You just have to keep on keeping on.
If you had
to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would
it be and why?
I’d love to be Elvis at Christmas. He loved Christmas so
much and was so giving. That must have been a magical time for him. I’m an
Elvis freak.
When did
you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?
I started writing when I was around 5 years old. My first
“book” that I remember writing was in the 3rd grade. It was a rip
off of THE LITTLE MERMAID but my teacher loved it and made me read it aloud to
the class. I wrote my first ghost story then, too. And as for purpose? No real
purpose to my writing! I have a story in my head, I write it down, and then I
hope it makes sense to everyone else!
Which of
your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your
work?
I’ve had a few different books out so far. My two most
popular books are HAUNTED ESTILL COUNTY and MORE TALES FROM HAUNTED ESTILL
COUNTY. These are urban legends, ghost stories, and unsolved mysteries from the
county I live in. I just released the first book in my new paranormal mystery
series, too. It’s called WINDWOOD FARM.
What are
your forthcoming writings?
My next book will be a sequel to WINDWOOD FARM. It’s called
GRIFFITH TAVERN. I’m excited about it because it’s more murder, more mystery,
and more ghosts but it’s a little bit different than the last book in that
there’s an emotional twist you might not see coming. There are two more books
planned in the Taryn’s Camera series and then a historical fiction book I’m working
on called FURNACE MOUNTAIN.
What are
your future plans?
I’d love to be able to buy a big old house and renovate it.
And have horses, even though the rare brain condition I have (Chiari) says I’m
not supposed to ride them anymore.
How much
real life goes into a fiction writing?
A lot! And sometimes I’m not even aware of it.
Your dream
destination on Earth?
I can’t even pick just one. I’d love to do the Orient
Express or the TransSiberian Rail all the way. I also want to visit Macchu
Picchu. Right now, my dream vacation is to take my family to a dude ranch out
in Montana and spend a week riding horses and eating steak.
State your
signature line/ tagline/ best quote
“I’ve always been crazy but it’s kept me from going insane.”
It’s from a song by Waylon Jennings.
The last
line of your autobiography would be…
That might not have been the way it happened, but it’s the
way I like to remember it.
Links:
Twitter
handle: @RphWrites
Facebook
page: https://www.facebook.com/HauntedEstillCounty
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7125700.Rebecca_Patrick_Howard
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