THE WRITING JOURNEY

 by Patricia Bradley

This week, my fourteenth book hit the bookshelves! 

(That sentence deserves a paragraph of its own!)

With all the work that went before the release of Deception, Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Book 4, the actual day-of is almost anticlimatic. Which is good. I think. At least I can finally breathe again.

As I think about the writing of Deception, I have to clear my mind of the two stories I've written since then. One of the things I've learned on my writing journey is publishing is very slow and it always lags behind what I'm presently writing. 

I emailed Deception to my editor on July 9, 2021. That was over a year ago and a month past the deadline. A year that was one of the hardest of my life. It is dedicated to the memory of my daughter, Elisa. Crosshairs, the third book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series is dedicated to the memory of my nephew, Brad.

When I was a kid I buried myself in reading books when times were difficult. I do the same thing now, except I write the books. Writing has saved my sanity on more than one occasion. 

But you know, I'm not the only one who's had a hard year...or two...or three. My hope is that my stories take readers' minds off their troubles, and that for a few hours, they can slip into the world of my story. 

Come along with me to Natchez and the Natchez Trace. Meet Madison Thorn who had no intention of ever investigating another violent crime after her "boyfriend" tried to kill her. She certainly had no intention of falling in love again. 

And meet Clayton Bradshaw--in Standoff, he was one of the suspects. I really wanted to redeem him in readers' eyes. So I have him dealing with a gambling addiction in Deception. (You do know that writers are mean to the heroes and heroines, right?)

And Natchez--if you ever get a chance to visit that quaint little town, be sure to eat at Fat Mama's Tamales...and Jugheads has the best fried catfish this side of heaven. Or if you want to dress up a little, visit the Guest House Mansion Inn. It has a lovely courtyard where you can relax from a day of visiting all the antebellum homes in Natchez.

Getting to visit Natchez was a big bonus in writing this series. I'd never been there when my editor suggest setting the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series in Natchez, and I jumped at the chance to explore the town. I think I'd move there in a heartbeat!

Now, for the readers of the Suspense Sisters. Nancy stole my idea of what plots you'd like, so...Where would you like to see a book set?

Leave an answer and I'll enter you in a drawing for a copy of Deception...or a $10 gift card if you already have a copy. 

After being forced to kill an FBI agent gone rogue in self-defense while working in the violent crimes unit for the Investigative Services Branch, ranger Madison Thorn is comfortable with her move to the fraud and cyber division. At least numbers don't lie. So she's less than thrilled when a white-collar crime investigation in Natchez, Mississippi, turns violent. She could also do without being forced to work with former-childhood-enemy-turned-infuriatingly-handsome park ranger Clayton Bradshaw.

When a woman who looks just like Madison is attacked on the same night Madison's grandfather is shot, it becomes clear that there is something much bigger going on here and that Madison herself is in danger. Madison and Clayton will have to work together--and suppress their growing feelings for one another--if they are to discover the truth before it's too late.

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Patricia Bradley closes out her popular Natchez Trace Park Rangers series with this complex story of family secrets, mixed motives, and learning to trust.

You can find buy links here.