Interview with Patti Williams

Author of Becoming Bearheart

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Ventura, California. I currently live in Central California.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

Both of my parents and their parents were born and raised in Central California near the Sierra Mountains. I’ve been coming here to visit since birth. Most of my relatives are buried here. My husband and his daughter were also born and raised here. This is we where we met. It has just always felt like home to me. We moved here when both my maternal grandfather, and my husband’s daughter, got sick so that we could help care for them. My husband’s daughter recovered; My grandfather lived to be 96.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I started keeping a journal as a teen. It helped me cope with the roller coaster of emotions that come with adolescence. I continued it into adulthood. The more people heard my story, the more I was encouraged to turn my journal into a manuscript. It was extremely difficult and painful to relive my past but it was cathartic as well. It took me thirty years to publish because it was so personal and I had to wait until I was emotionally ready. When many different people convinced me that it could potentially help someone, I finally took the plunge.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My book is a memoir. It is the true story of my life and how I learned to live with past trauma.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Women who lost their mothers, people who have experienced trauma and/or PTSD, people interested in spirituality and/or Native American culture, and those interested in true crime. Really, there is a little bit of everything.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I think I was most surprised by how much I learned about myself. There was lot of personal therapy happening during the process. I was emotionally raw and unhealed wounds were constantly bubbling to the surface. Just when I thought I was done with one issue, it would rear its ugly head again. After thirty years of therapy, it was the writing that healed me.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Feel the fear and do it anyway. To not be afraid of the pain and to work through it sooner to that I would have fewer issues in adulthood.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Millions. I would love to see it on the best seller’s list.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

That I haven’t been able to increase sales through social media or book signings.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

a) writing: getting the story out of me and on to paper, b)publishing: making creative decisions, c) marketing: the meet and greets/book signings i.e., the social aspect of meeting people and hearing their stories.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

a) editing, b) can’t think of one, c)not keeping up with weekly social media posts and not having the collateral to do more advertising.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I would like to always be writing, but I need to go back to work. Ideally, I’d like to be able to do both.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I self published with a known successful publishing house whose previous books I personally enjoyed.