BLURB
In the middle of a forest, in an unknown location, is a game. A psychological game designed to play with the mind until it breaks.
The man responsible wants fresh meat. Someone who hasn’t experienced the horrors of the real world. He wants to see how long it would take to make them fall apart, to make them wish for death.
Combing the city of Surrey, he spots his next target … a young librarian named Jenna McCay.
Jenna McCay didn’t realize that when she turned nineteen, the easy life she knew would end, and the horrors of life would set in, in unimaginable ways.
Will she find the strength to survive the game, or will she break before the final curtain falls?
*Trigger warning: contains scenes that some readers may find disturbing*
MY REVIEW
Patricia Elliott’s ‘Her Prison, His Game …’
I’m no stranger to Patricia’s work, nor is she to being featured on my humble lil’ blog. You can read more about her writing here: https://virginiawallace.com/2020/12/09/shadows-and-secrets-the-haunted-world-of-her-lovers-face-by-patricia-elliott/
But back to her newest release. Wow …
Just fuckin’ WOW, y’all! This is a tale of pure evil. And honestly? It’s also a tale of violence, particularly sexual violence.
But that’s not the point.
The point is to explore the depths of leading lady’s fear, to follow her along her savage journey as she slowly comes to realize how strong she is in the face of torture and terror. A part of me is eerily reminded of the disturbing film ‘I Spit on Your Grave,’ but not really. ‘I Spit on Your Grave’ is a tasteless piece of violent pornography, which invites sadistic viewers to enjoy watching Camille Keaton being repeatedly violated by vicious rednecks. Then the film spends about ten minutes showing her taking revenge, in a vain attempt to justify its ridiculous subtitle: ‘The Day of the Woman.’
While ‘Her Prison, His Game,’ shares a similar theme to ‘I Spit on Your Grave,’ the two stories are worlds apart in the way they’re told. Patricia’s tale doesn’t dwell so much on the abuse inflicted upon Jenna so much as it does her finding the strength to endure and ultimately move past it. Sadly, such horrors do happen in real life. While the down n’ dirty details might strike some as revolting, there’s a certain catharsis in exploring the psychology of terror. As I’m fond of saying, turning fear and pain into art makes them both digestable, and thus rob fear and pain of much of their power.
This story isn’t for everyone. I’d rather say that right up front than have the wrong reader find it, and then publicly trash it. Patricia doesn’t deserve that. Her story is edgy, disturbing, and BRILLIANTLY written!
Five stars. Period. End of discussion!
AN INTERVIEW WITH PATRICIA!
When did you start writing? What made you first decide to try your hand at it?
I was around 10-11 years old roughly. I used to always write fan-fiction of either the Transformers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and as I got a little older, romance stories featuring our very own Vancouver Canucks…whoever I had a crush on at the time. *lol*
Since I got bullied a lot, I used to hide out in the library and just bury my sorrows in a good book. I soon learned that I could do the same with writing because like you do when you read, you become those characters in that moment. You could become anyone or anything and just escape out of reality if for a little while.
I didn’t officially write a full novel until I was about 26 years old when I read a Harlequin Romance for the first time and thought, hey, I can do that. And I did.
What was your first published Work? What do you think of it now?
Her Lover’s Face was my first published work, which was published in 2018 by Black Velvet Seductions. Still to this day, it is my favorite. I think that’s because it was the first story I finished, and the journey from start to finish has a bit more history than any other I’ve written. I also learned what it takes to complete a story and that I could do anything I set my mind to.
How do you balance writing with your personal life?
That’s actually a good question. I don’t know if you ever really do. Something somewhere is always getting put on the back burner. I work full time as a Command Center Operator, have three adult kids which still live at home, and a significant other that I desperately love spending time with, so I’ll be honest and say it’s my writing that does suffer. But I’m starting to get back on track and working on creating a new balance as I haven’t done much writing over the last few years when life went crazy.
I’m slowly building a plan, and my partner is super supportive of which I am grateful. He encourages me to stay on task.
Do people you actually know make appearances in your stories?
Not directly, but maybe indirectly, especially if someone makes an impression on me, some of their traits or even some experiences may find their way into my stories. What those experiences are, well, that’s for me to know. Hehe
Do family members or friends help with your writing? Your marketing?
My significant other will encourage me to spend time writing and marketing, and our friends at BVS are great at helping each other market. But I’m still working at getting better at the marketing side of things, as time is limited. I have made a great new friend, Megan Ashley, my amazing new PA, is helping me with the marketing side.
Do you have stories you want to write that you haven’t yet?
The story ideas are honestly never ending. Ideas love to hit me when I’m in the middle of another story, so I just write them down and keep track of them for a future time.
Is there a story you’re afraid to write for some reason? Why?
I haven’t tried to write any stories with people of color as the primary characters, but that’s because I don’t want to misrepresent them or their culture, so when the time comes to write one, then I’ll be chatting with people and researching to make sure that I represent them in the best possible light.
Do you ever target differing age groups or demographics with your writing?
Not as of yet, although I do have some children and youth stories that I eventually plan to write. I’ll probably use a pen name though.
Have you ever written non-fiction? If so, what?
I am writing a memoir and a motivational non-fiction book that delves into my experience with PTSD and OCD that I experienced after my car accident. I’m not sure when I will get around to getting it published, but it is on my list of books to finish writing.
Are you a “normal” person who likes to write, or do you consider yourself more of the tormented/driven “artist” type?
Is there such a thing as a normal writer? I think we’re all tortured in some way by the thoughts inside our heads, so much so, that we “MUST” write. WE must release the pent-up energy in the form of a story.
Do you drink? Why or why not?
I do love the odd drink. I don’t like getting drunk because winding upwith my head in the toilet isn’t fun, but I do love the occasional drink.
Are you married? How does being a writer affect that? Has your marriage affected the way you write love stories?
I lost my husband last year and what we went through before that made it difficult to write love stories…but that experience is something to share for another time. My current relationship is amazing, and it definitely has rekindled my desire to write romance again.
If you could see one of your stories made into a movie, which one would you pick and why?
Definitely Her Lover’s Face because I have been told it would make an amazing movie due to the depth of the story and the characters involved.
How does your life experience influence your writing?
With what I’ve been through, I’m able to delve into the emotions of a character a little deeper and make relatable characters.
Do you try to keep your stories within their pre-determined genres, or do you just tell the story your way regardless of the genre expectations?
I tell the story whichever way it presents itself in my mind, but I must admit that romance does always, always play a factor in my stories in some way, shape, or form. However, I only write with the story in mind and not specifically a genre.
Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kinds? Does music influence your stories?
Yes, however, I listen more to instrumentals while I write and classical while I edit. In general, I won’t listen to any music with anyone singing while I write because it tends to distract me and pulls me out of my writing headspace.
Have you ever written a story based on a personal experience you had? If so, what was it about?
I tend not to share what is personal and not personal in my stories. However, Her Lover’s Face was written by coming up with a story idea based on having dated someone who was a twin in high school. A guy I had remained friends with since then.
Do you let real-life events influence your work, or is there a “disconnect” between your stories and world/national/local events?
Real life events I think play a pivotal role in the way our minds create a story. I think almost every story idea is loosely based on something you’ve witnessed, experienced or heard about.
Is your writing time planned out or structured? Do you go on writing “benders”?
I’m working on creating a structured schedule because I seem to be a person that needs structure or I never get anything done because of how much there is to do in life. The recent Nanowrimo showed me exactly how much structure I really need if I wish to complete more stories because I’ve honestly been horrible with carving out writing time. I did learn exactly how much I can accomplish in just one hour if I sit down and focus.
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer?
Seeing your book out there in the world being enjoyed by others. Life is often so serious but books allow us to sit back and enjoy a few moments in time.
Who is your favorite author, and why?
My favorite author by far is Nora Roberts. She creates stories that you can’t put down right up my romantic-suspense alley.
If you could pick anyone to narrate one of your books, who would it be?
Jonathan Frakes. He’s got the perfect speaking voice.
Which character of yours is your favorite? Why? Whom would you pick to play him/her/it in a movie?
Joanne, Alex’s housekeeper in Her Lover’s Face. She is the lovable, take-no-guff, lovable grandmother type. I honestly don’t know, haven’t really thought of it. Betty White would have done an amazing job though.
Do you write when you take a vacation, or do you prefer to relax?
I didn’t write on my last vacation because a vacation should be just that, a vacation. Although I would love to take a writing vacation and just write. *lol* There is such a thing, right?
Do you prefer to read fiction that’s similar to what you write, or do you pick different types of stories?
I primarily read romance, but I have been expanding my horizons and reading books that our outside of my usual scope. I just bought Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, so we’ll see what I think of the newest book hype.
What’s one quirky thing about you that your readers might not know?
I love tarantulas, even though I have always been scared silly of them. There’s something alien like about them. I think that’s what makes them so fascinating.
What’s your favorite movie? Why?
Splash. It will always be splash. I love mermaids and swimming in mermaid tails, and that movie was the first real-life action mermaid movie I’d ever seen.
Do you set up events to meet your readers, or is your interaction with them strictly online?
As I’m a shy person, I haven’t set up any in-person events as of yet; but I do plan to get a table at the Women’s Trade Show in British Columbia in 2024 if all goes well. I’m hoping to get out there more and do book signings and other events.
Have you ever had to exhaustively research something (say, history) for any of your books?
My current WIP will require me to reach out to some microbiologists to ensure that I’m staying on track with the science side of my post-apocalyptic series.
What’s a question I haven’t asked that you’d like to answer? When’s your next book coming out?
I have a psychological thriller releasing on December 9th, called “Her Prison, His Game,” and book two of the duology, a romantic suspense novel, will be released officially on January 9th, called “Beneath His Hands.”
THANK YOU, Patricia, for gracing my page today! And yep, y’all can go ‘head and order ‘Her Prison, His Game’ HERE! https://books2read.com/u/bpYQLg
