An Interview with Cynthia A. Patterson: Author, Entrepreneur & Mentor

Sylvia: Welcome Cynthia. Please give our readers an introduction of yourself and a little about your book.

Cynthia Patterson Author

Photo Credit: Cynthia A. Patterson

Cynthia:  Hello Sylvia, thank you so much and as always such a pleasure to speak to you about my first book “It Had to Happen”.

Well, I am a native of Houston, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Virtue & Excellence Empowerment Ministries, Inc. (DOVE Ministries Inc.). A nonprofit organization that offers mentoring, counseling, and personal development education to women of all walks of life. I am a single parent with one son Michael Aaron who I call my Man of Valor.  He currently attends the University of Houston.  Wow, does time fly!!!

 

Sylvia: Congratulations for single handedly raising a fine young man. You must be proud. And yes, time flies!  I have two adult children; two nearly adults and a ten year old. What inspired you to write your first book?

Cynthia: The inspiration for writing my first book came from the women I mentor as well as a personal desire to offer practical insight into God’s healing power.

 

Sylvia:  Oh wow, I love that. Such a blessing! How did you choose your genre?

Cynthia: It is such an inspiration for me to redirect women onto a path of wholeness and fulfillment. I have a genuine love and passion for women to understand God and His divine purpose for their lives. So choosing a genre to help women through their issues was an obvious choice for me.

 

Sylvia: We truly have a lot in common. You work with them to be successful spiritually and I help them becomes successful business women. Thank you for your commitment to empowering women.  Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Cynthia: Yes, it is a message of Faith and Hope. “It Had to Happen” is a self-help book that will inspire the reader of God’s providence in the midst of trials that only serve as the launching pad to triumph.  I have masterfully used a woman in the Bible to take us beyond the surface of the biblical story we’ve heard and read so many times by interjecting us into the passage in a personal way.  Our own struggles are interwoven in suggested parallelisms that bring this woman’s plight into the light of a modern day context.  And the discovery questions at the end of each chapter cause will cause you to reflect deeply as revelation and transformation provide soothing solutions that can only come from our loving Heavenly Father who is an ever present help and a Source of unending hope.

 

Sylvia: I feel so inspired by your energy!  Do you have any advice for other writers?

Cynthia: The advice I would give at this time would be to do your homework.  Develop an effective marketing strategy before launching your book and understand what is required. Many women start marketing without a foundation and are easily disappointed with the results.  Set your expectations properly in the beginning.  You should understand that this takes time.  Expect this process to take six months, not six weeks.  Also, it should be an ongoing effort and not a short one.

The bottom line: If you’re expecting copies of your published book to magically fly off the printing press and land on the NYT or Amazon bestseller list, then perhaps you should rethink strategy. But if you’re willing to hustle — to do the hard work you need to do before AND after you get your book in print — then you have a shot at finding an audience.

 

Sylvia: Exactly!  You are so right. People don’t realize all the work it takes to market their products or services. What marketing techniques have you used to sell your books and which ones have been most successful?

Cynthia: As I stated earlier, planning is key to effective marketing of your book.  Develop a platform earlier while you are in the writing stages of your book.  You have to know your niche.  Who is the audience of your book?  This is so important and will help you develop your marketing strategy.  What has been successful for me, networking with women at speaking engagements, retreats, and conferences? I make sure I get contact information from everyone I meet. I’ve created two blogs on Blogger (It had to happen and preparing women for purpose). I also follow other bloggers with similar subject matters and comment with tagline of my contact information.

 

Sylvia: Why should we buy your book?

It Had to Happen by Cynthia Patterson

Image Credit: Cynthia Patterson

Cynthia:  This is a good question Sylvia.  You should buy my book because I truly believe it will help you unmask the hurt and pain you have been dealing with for years.  It Had to Happen will expose you to the reality that everything that happened you is not for you, but a living testament to share with someone else your scars that will inspire them to know they are victorious and not a victim to life circumstances.

 

Sylvia: Is there a special place that you prefer when you write?

Cynthia: Yes, I prefer to write while outside on my balcony in the mornings.  I get great inspiration during my meditation and worship time.

 

Sylvia: Love it!  What projects are you currently working on?

Cynthia:   I am super-duper excited because I’ve finished with “It Had to Happen” Devotional Companion book. The book is being translated into Spanish version and scheduled to be available in E-book format January 2013.  Lastly, fall 2013 an inspirational book entitled “It Happened, Now What?”

 

Sylvia: Congratulations, each of your books will be an inspirational to many women.  What is your POWER WORD? Why this word?

Cynthia:  I would say my power word is Perseverance. Through the course of my life, I have always had a strong resilience to bounce back from hardship, trials and pain because I realized that each setback was an opportunity for a comeback.  Years ago, I had an “Awe Ha” moment that compelled me to run on and persevere knowing it’s all a part of God’s plan. So each time I would say to myself, “It Had to Happen”. Not realizing back then, it would be the title of my debut book.

 

Sylvia: Thank you Cynthia. This has been an inspiring interview. I feel like old friends.   Please share your social media and book contact information.

Cynthia:  Thank you so much Sylvia. It was a pleasure to share.  For booking at your next women’s conferences, retreats or workshops email my office at info@dove-ministries.org. To stay connected via social media, please connect through the following:

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