Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Bestselling author James Patterson inspires me

I'm a Canadian author and long time fan of James Patterson's work. I've been reading his novels since I was a teen. I'd like to say that was only a few years ago...but I can't.

As an avid reader, I've always enjoyed the thrill of suspense--from following the clues, to uncovering the 'red herrings' and the yearning to know just who did it and why. I've been drawn into criminal minds, wondering what motivates people to do things, and I've loved some of the characters that authors have given birth to--the ones that I can't forget--like Max and Lindsay Boxer.

As an author, I've admired James Patterson--his vision, story plots, writing techniques and his success. His stories are usually character driven, and he is well-known by authors for his short chapters--something I experimented with in my novel The River.

I've been extremely impressed by James' willingness to partner with other authors, usually ones who are up-and-coming success stories in their own right--authors like Andrew Gross, whom I've chatted with via email. I can only imagine what Andrew learned from James Patterson, and I hope one day to be one of the lucky authors selected to pair up with him. His willingness to share what he's learned over the years and to inspire other authors makes me determined to be 'just like him, when I grow up'. :)

I think most of all, he's taught me that there is longevity in the writing world if you can find the right 'groove' or genre. He's taught me by example to persevere, never give up and keep writing.

Thank you, James!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, suspense author

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