Thanks for your lovely invitation, Tricia! I must admit, when I received it a worrisome swoosh of apprehension surged through me. Did I want the whole world to see that the desk where I polished and edited my best-selling novel Leaving Lancaster and its sequel, the newly released Pennsylvania Patchwork, is both stark and cluttered? My first impulse was to straighten the desk and make it into a beautiful photo op. But I told myself: Tricia is looking for honesty, the real me. So here it is, warts and all. I have a cute wooden desk, but it stands in our master bedroom—not a good location for work because I attempt to switch my brain into low gear at night. Consequently, I took over our son’s desk after he graduated from college and left to live on his own. Some of his items remain on the austere structure, but I must plead guilty and claim the hodgepodge of Post-it notes and scraps of paper: ideas, words, telephone numbers, and reminders.
In the second picture, you can see my favorite place to write. Now, doesn’t that look like a more inviting space to get creative? I’m an early riser, thanks in part to my husband, who jets to the gym at 5 AM, and also my father, who used to say, “You’re wasting the best hours of the day,” to my sister and me when we slept in.
First thing in the morning, I scoop my laptop off the messy desk and trundled downstairs to make coffee, then meander into the living room to nestle on the soft couch. Since it’s in the living room, I don’t allow myself to accumulate papers. Well, sometimes my reference books and the chapters my critique group has just reviewed end up on the coffee table. Plus a few scraps of paper.
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Author Kate Lloyd is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, PA, the inspiration for her novels. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. Kate and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest. Kate studied painting and sculpture in college. She’s worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur. Find out more about Kate at her website or on Facebook and Twitter.
Here’s more about Kate’s new book, Pennsylvania Patchwork:
Seattle native Holly Fisher is smitten by Lancaster County, its simplicity and her long lost relatives. In the sequel to bestselling Leaving Lancaster, Holly embraces the Amish culture, learning to slow down to see what – and who – really matters.
Meeting the family that her mother had kept hidden from her, Holly comes face to face with her real life and blood legacy. She also falls for the charming Zach, a handsome Mennonite veterinarian who is everything she’s ever wanted in a husband: confident, kind, successful, and authentic. And Zach proposes marriage. Is this too soon? Is this the right choice? Mother and Amish grandmother think she’s rushing into too much of a lifestyle change. Holly is in love with Zach and that precludes everything. Until she meets an attractive Amish man. And an old suitor shows up.
Pennyslvania Patchwork is the moving, richly told story of one woman’s heart, her faith and trust, and the choices she makes. Never easy, but one choice can change your destiny.
