Elizabeth In the Media

Women to Women Nevada with Bonners' Fairy book series author Elizabeth A. Patterson

Submitted by Jeff Munson on Fri, 10/18/2013

Children's book writer Elizabeth "Liz" Ann Patterson is this week's guest on Women to Women Nevada.

Patterson, a Carson City Support Services Specialist, has penned a series of six children's fantasy and adventure books "Bonners Fairy."  The series is about teenage twins, Haley and Henry Miles, who discover a secret world of dark and light forces hidden in a portal on their father's estate. Go here for the official website.

Carson Now has kept up with Patterson's and the book series, as seen here in a December 2012 interview.

Women to Women Nevada is hosted by Carol Paz and televised on Charter Media every Thursday at 7 pm on Channel 3 (Reno, Sparks, Fernley, Fallon, Lake Tahoe) and 15 (in Carson City, Gardnerville, Dayton) and appears every Friday on Carson Now. The locally produced and privately owned program features Northern Nevada women who are making a difference in their communities and in the region.

The interview style of Women to Women allows for an open discussion on the personal and professional challenges that each guest has been faced with and how she has worked through such struggles. The goal of the program is to offer women hope, support and encouragement as they face their own difficulties. 

Guests range in ages as well as circumstances and come from different cultures, religions, traditions, educational levels and professional achievements. The common thread is that they are willing to share their lives with others in the hope that what they have found and learned can be of benefit to others.

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Women to Women is produced by Nevada Multimedia Productions. Go here for a list of previous programs.

Carson City employee pens Bonners' Fairy children's book series

Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 12/26/2012 - 12:57am

Carson City Support Services Specialist and children's book author Elizabeth "Liz" Ann Patterson has been busy since the last time Carson Now spoke with her.

In early 2011 she had penned her first children's fantasy and adventure book "Bonners Fairy," an all-ages story about teenage twins who discover a secret world of dark and light forces hidden in a portal on their father's estate.

Since publishing that one book Patterson has written three more and is currently working on her fifth in the "Bonners Fairy" series. She's also found time to go on a number of book tours in support of her publishing efforts and has maintained a rigorous imagination that turns words into intriguing adventures designed for just about any reader who can be swept into a world of magic gem stones, fairies, giants, trolls, royalty and ongoing battles between the dark and light.

The "Bonners Fairy" stories takes teenage twins Haley and Henry Miles on mind-bending adventures in which their journey revolves around the 200 year-old estate they live on, the discoveries they find on the estate and the small-town legends created and gossiped about by locals. 

From her blog, Patterson writes:

From the wailing sound that echoes through the valleys during the autumn festival to the strange disappearances of the locals throughout the years, the teenage sleuths are sure there is hidden treasure after finding a map.

 

It is only with the appearance of a beautiful, real life fairy princess that they discover they haven't even scratched the surface.

 

The world the Patterson has created is whimsical and wondrous. Her writing style draws the reader into that world as if you are really there experiencing the magic and the thrill of adventure.

 

From the hidden portals leading to other realms to the giants, trolls, banshees and the fairies, the likes no one ever dreamed were possible, the magic of Bonners Fairy will leave you invigorated and craving for more.

 

Writing books is something that never crossed Patterson's mind as a young adult growing up in Wisconsin. As she explained she wrote a story in high school that she thought was funny but the writing urge ended there. Or so she thought.

An avid reader, she picked up the first series of Harry Potter books and with those books came up with an idea of an young adult fiction series of her own. After some stops and starts, she let her imagination run wild, letting the story fly out of her mind and onto pads of paper.

The new "Bonners Fairy" books allow Patterson to develop her characters, their personalities and to explore themes of moral courage, preservation and doing what is good and right in the face of dark and evil, she said.

"The way I ended my first book, it was a cliff hanger. It ended abruptly and I wanted to pick up on where it left off and so I started writing and developed the characters more and the story line, making in continuing, much like the Harry Potter books," she said. "You could look at it as one long, long story of five books put together."

In order the books are: Bonners Fairy (published in 2011), Bonners Fairy: A New Kind of Battle (published in May 2012) Bonners Fairy: Mischief and Mayhem (published in July 2012) and Bonners Fairy: Sailing toward Desting (which is being edited.) The fifth book will likely be titled Bonners Fairy: Secrets and Spies.

Here's some questions Carson Now recently asked Patterson. For the 2011 interview with her go here.

Carson Now: What are your books about?

Patterson: There's a lot going on in my books but I would refer back to my overview where my characters, who are twins, learn from locals in a small town about a mystery on the estate their father bought. The locals are suspicious, untrusting and wary.
The twins stumble upon a map and an unusual key that leads them through a portal to another time, and a world filled with mystical creatures. As a princess pleas with the teens to rescue an innocent family from a fate worse than death, they soon uncover not only secrets of the past, but also evil beings who are determined to win at all cost.
It is a strange world filled with magic, wonder and beauty. The twins abandon their childlike innocence and demonstrate to everyone all the ways humans can overcome impossible odds.

Carson Now: What is the age-appropriate for your readers?

Patterson: It is juvenile fiction, for children 8 on up.

Carson Now: There is a quest for gem stones in this world you've created. Is this a metaphor for something?

Patterson: Yes, there are two things: Those characters who are happy and appreciative of what they have in their world and those who are merciless, mean and greedy. It's where the light is trying to see its way in a world where the dark exists. The twins want to help those who are good overcome those who are mean, merciless and who have or want to take the good away from them. The twins also intervene if they see those who are "good" going to the dark side.

Carson Now: What do you want your readers to take from the stories?

Patterson: There is good and good is worth protecting. There are good gem stones people can wear around their necks and not so good ones. Those who seek the not so good ones are those who suppress their emotions and then get angry and explode and try to hurt others around them. I also want my young readers to take note that it is far better to reach for the good gem stones in this life instead of aligning themselves with those things dark. In the books the dark stones are black volcanic rocks.

Carson Now: Again with the dark and light metaphor, why do some of your characters align themselves with the dark stones?

Patterson: I'd say out of fear. Instead of being warm to someone's want for happiness those who live in darkness and fear lash out and intentionally hurt those who are happy, seek happiness or trying to maintain the happiness they have. Whether it is fantasy world or the real world, I want the kids who read this to know that good is worth protecting at all costs. We should all strive to wear gems that will make us happy and at the same time protect each other from those who try to bring us down.

Carson Now: Are the light gem stones easy to get to?

Patterson: Yes, as long as the dark forces aren't standing in the way. And that's why the twins are there. To help those who want good gem stones.

JULIE GOLDER Staff writer Bonners Ferry Herald

Posted: Thursday, June 23, 2011 12:37 pm | Updated: 10:22 am, Thu Aug 4, 2011. 

 Author creates her own fairy tale with a nod to Bonners Ferry By JULIE GOLDER Staff writer Bonners Ferry Herald

She used day dream of fairies and imagined them all around her as a child. Now she has written about them living in the realm of Bonners Ferry. Elizabeth A. Patterson just had her first book published, “Bonners Fairy,” on June 6. Although not from Bonners Ferry, Patterson traveled through north Idaho and could not imagine a more mystical, magical, beautiful setting other than north Idaho for her book. It just happened to be a strange coincidence that the town she chose for the setting of her story was named Bonners Ferry, which inspired the name of her book. It took eight years for Patterson to get her work of fiction published. “The reason it took so long was because it was hard to get it edited and find a publisher and I actually put it away for two years.” Patterson said. “I finally brought it back out and got it published. It feels good to have accomplished this in life and I am now working on a second book.” Patterson is originally from Wisconsin, but lives near Carson City, Nev. After she read the first of the series of Harry Potter books, she knew with her imagination she could also write a book. Her imagination ran wild and she said the story flew out of her. The story takes the reader into a dream world of adventure. It is set in the latter 1800s when 15-year-old twins Henry and Haley move on to property their dad purchased along the Kootenai River in Bonners Ferry. The property has a mysterious legend and people who lived the property before them never seem to stay long. It was said the property was haunted by the man who originally owned the property over 100 years before. Shortly after he homesteaded the estate his wife and daughters disappeared near the river and it was thought that they drown. This was not the case. It is not long before the twins stumble upon a map and an unusual key that leads them through a portal to another time, and a world filled fairies and mystical creatures. Henry and Haley begin an adventure in this world of magic, wonder, beauty and danger as they try to answer a princess’s pleas to save a family from a fate worse than death. “The book isn’t real scary and a parent who let their child read any of the Harry Potter books could feel safe that their children can handle this one,” Patterson said.



Carson City employee pens first book

mitted by Jeff Munson on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 7:03am

Carson City Support Services Specialist Elizabeth "Liz" Ann Patterson can now add author to her resume. Patterson's first book "Bonners Fairy" an all-ages story about about the discovering a hidden portal where true meaning is found, is now available in paperback and hardcover. A book signing is scheduled for July 30, noon to 2 p.m. at Borders Books, 911 Topsy Lane in Carson City. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, iUniverse.com, and if you just go on the internet and type in Bonners Fairy by Elizabeth A. Patterson, it will give you a list of all the different places you can get it.

The book is about a young couple in the 1800's who go West to seek adventure. The wife and two daughters disappear in the Kootenai River and the father disappears. Every year after, a wailing sound occurs during the fall festival, suggesting to the locals that the Father's ghost has returned. His homestead is rumored to be haunted and totally avoided by the towns folk. Nearly two hundred years later, Twins Henry and Haley Miles and their family move onto the old homestead and the twins discover a hidden portal into another time and world. The princess and guardian of this world appeals to them to help fight the evil one in their realm and save the life of someone very dear to them. The twins embark on a journey that changes their outlook from childish to what's important in life. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Patterson works as a Public Services Specialist for Carson City. She lives outside Carson City with her husband and three children. "Bonners Fairy" is the first book in a series and she has already begun the second book which is a continuation of the first, and quite possibly a third book after that. Patterson answered the following questions for Carson Now.

Carson Now: When did you know you were a writer?
Liz Patterson: I never really knew that I was a writer. I wrote a story when I was a sophomore in high school about a talking cat that I thought was really funny, but never wrote anything after that. I never went to college and I didn't graduate high school. I was what you would call a wild child and quit school, but later realized what a mistake I had made when applying for jobs. I went back to school, took night courses, and got my GED.

 
CN: What inspired you to write the story? What inspired you to give it the title: Bonners Fairy?
LP: After I read the first two Harry Potter books, I realized that I had a story that could be just as great an adventure. It started out as just something to do during a slow time at work, and graduated into something much more. After I began the book, I traveled through Northern Idaho and fell in love with the beauty of the countryside. After looking at the map of Idaho some weeks later I saw the name Bonners Ferry on the map and felt an immediate connection. That is when I decided to name it Bonners Fairy. (Here's a link to a review done in the Bonners Ferry Herald.)

CN: What's the hardest part about writing that most people don't know? What's the easiest?
LP: The hardest part about writing is actually finding the time to sit down and just do it. The easiest for me was putting it down on paper.

 
CN: What was and is your writing routine?
LP: I find the best time for me to write is when it is dark and rainy. When it thunders. When all hell is breaking loose outside. Especially in the autumn when it has started to get chilly outside and the leaves are turning. I write everything down on paper before it goes on the computer.

 
CN: What age range is your story suited for?
LP: The best way to tell you the age group is this. I think that the baby boomers will love it. I bring to life things that they did as they grew up. The simplicity of life during their young years. As far as how young, if parents have no problem letting their children read Harry Potter and watch the movies, they will have no trouble letting them read my book. It is not as nearly as dark as some of Rowling's books. At least not yet. There are only a couple of scary parts and I worded them as such so not to scare young children.

 
CN: Why is it important for kids to maintain an active imagination through fiction?
LP: It is important for kids to maintain an active imagination through fiction because it causes children to dream. To day dream. To create a wonderful world possibly full of danger and adventure but also a world of hope. To realize it doesn't necessarily mean they have to live in a dream world, but to know that through persistence and courage, and a little imagination they can put a smile on someone's face. That through the struggles of everyday life, a little fun and adventure can lift a persons spirit and make them realize that there is always hope for the future.

 
CN: What was it like, after nearly 9 years, seeing your first copy of the book?
LP: I waited anxiously for a long time to finally see my book in print. I was told by my publisher what day it would arrive. I went home from work during my lunch, hoping that UPS had delivered it although I seriously doubted it would be there. I have three small dogs at home whom I did not want to know I was there, causing barking and anxiety at my not coming in, so I pulled up slowly in front of my house, looking at the porch for any kind of delivery. I saw a package there and my heart pounded. I was so excited. I got out of my vehicle without shutting the door and ran up to the porch, grabbed the box and snuck back to my vehicle. I did not open it right away, but drove back toward work, savoring the moment when I would actually open the box. At a stop light I finally could not control my excitement and tore the box open. I read the first couple of sentences and just giggled with delight.

 
CN: Any final thoughts?
LP: If you purchase my book, I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I had about five people read the manuscript before I ever began the editing process. Every one of them said that I had to get it published. When they read it, they all felt that they were there, experiencing the journey.

JULIE GOLDER Staff writer Bonners Ferry Herald

Author signs book set in Bonners Ferry, ID Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2011 12:12 pm | Updated: 12:16 pm, Thu Sep 29, 2011. 

Author signs book set in Bonners By JULIE GOLDER Staff writer Bonners Ferry Herald

Elizabeth A. Patterson held her book signing at Under the Sun in Bonners Ferry for her first book “Bonners Fairy” that was published in June.

Patterson, from Carson City, Nev., traveled through north Idaho and could not imagine a more mystical, magical, beautiful setting other than north Idaho for her book series.

It just happened to be a strange coincidence that the town she chose for the setting of her story was named Bonners Ferry, which inspired the name of her book.

Bonners Fairy is the first of what could be a series of five books. Her next book will feature photographs historical landmarks and places in Boundary County where some of her magical fairies may be hanging out.

“I am half finished with the next book which will be twice as thick as my first,” said Patterson. “It will be a little different type of battle in Bonners Ferry than this first book had, and there will be some love, jealousy and other exciting elements to the new book.”

Her book “Bonners Fairy” is an adventure story about 15-year-old twins who relocate to a strange world of magic and wonder. This is the first of a planned trilogy for ages 8 years and up.