Patton’s Quill

Since Patton’s Quill started with our books, my first posts are also starting with them. The first book was “A Journey Into Imagination” with stories written by Katrina and me. Katrina’s primary story is “Catarina’s Quest”. It is a story about the magical journey of the two main characters, Catarina and Oliver. The book also includes two stories by me that were later published as separate books. I will leave their descriptions for later posts. Also included are short stories written by both of us: “travels in Time” by Katrina, and “Rickey the Squirrel” written by Rick (that would be me). The last of these was the true roots of the book. I wrote “Rickey the Squirrel” a very long time ago, in fact even before Katrina was born. It eventually became the foundation for this first book.

I want to share the acknowledgement from my book. Warlock Crystal. It reflects the true spirit of our site and its purpose:

Many of my closest friends have wondered why I continue to write and publish stories with so little likelihood of ever having a commercially successful book. Even though they know I have a passion to write, it is still hard for them to understand. In spite of a very successful career in accounting, and all of the difficulties of self-publishing a book, I continue to write. The most rewarding benefit of writing stories is in the gift it gives to the reader. My greatest pleasure comes from knowing that my readers can lose themselves in the worlds I create. Yet, the real payoff is when they learn something about themselves from the story without realizing it. It is when the story touches the heart of the reader that the art of writing is at its best. I can only hope my stories come close to accomplishing that elusive goal.

My desire to write was born many years before it was published during one of many storytelling experiences with my oldest daughter, Katrina. Those wonderful times fostered the story of Joey Panda. More important to me, it also taught my daughter to love storytelling. One of my greatest pleasures in life was publishing my first book with my daughter. Her creativity at her young age continues to amaze me. I look forward to reading her second book as a true fan.

It is with great pleasure that I thank Janet, not only for her support, but for her eternal patience as I spend endless hours pounding the keyboard. Her help has been invaluable. Thanks to Katrina for inspiring me with her own wonderful stories of fantasy. My respect goes well beyond her being a daughter. I have learned as much from her as she has learned from me. I hope that she will go on to share many more stories with her readers. Finally, I must thank Kirstin. She is a mirror image of the character named after her that opens this story. My little Ukrainian angel has sparked my writing passion and has filled my heart with the joy of having her in my life.

As always, I close with a thank you to my readers. It is for you that I write. Please find your favorite quiet place, chase everyone away, and join me on an adventure that I hope will help you find the hero inside of you.