~Parting Ways~ A Novel by Patrick Sipperly

    I am so excited and honored to bring our featured book to you this week. And an interview with author, Patrick Sipperly.
                   

     Peter Bishop's faith was  shaken by his Church, but his desire to live his life in the Grace of God never wavered. His Church was in his heart and not in the ways of Great Assemblies. Parting Ways is for everyone, but especially for those who have struggled with their faith or the workings of their church.
     I was very touched by this fight to do the right thing and knowing in your soul what the right thing is for you as an individual.

     Enjoy some time with Patrick Sipperly to see what makes him tick and watch the trailer at here.

Who is Pat Sipperly?

Just an average guy who loves his God, his family and his country. I've spent a good part of my life in ministry and video production. My greatest desire is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others and point souls to heaven. I'd like to invest my life into accomplishing that using all the creative talents and gifts God has given to me.

What inspired you to write? And what was the inspiration for writing this particular book "Parting Ways"?

For many years, I've had a desire to make great movies with a wholesome, godly message. But “making movies” is too broad of a term when you consider all the necessary ingredients that go into making movies. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the story was most important to me, so I pursued writing screenplays. While I was writing my first screenplay, Snowed Inn, I connected with a friend from high school who had a burning desire to write a novel. We started talking more about writing and later collaborated on a book of short stories called Time Out On A Roller Coaster. After we published that book, I started thinking more seriously about writing a novel rather than a screenplay. If a screenplay doesn't turn in to a movie, it just lays there collecting dust. With a novel, at least you have something to show for your work. Then if it's good enough, it can turn in to a movie. Parting Ways touches on some of the most important elements of life to me like faith, church, and the scriptures. I hope to make it the first book in a trilogy.

As writers, we are always told to write what we know. Does this book mirror your life in any way?

Parting Ways reflects many personal experiences both good and bad. I've incorporated snippets of my time in the military, both sides of the pulpit in ministry, working in a coffee house, and traveling in Arizona.

Many authors have a certain time of day when their creativity peaks. When do you feel most creative?  And is there a special place you like to write?

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a moody person. Time of day is less influential than being in the right frame of mind and creative mood. I get some of my best ideas in the shower or on one of my long walks. I'm still working on the discipline of writing whether I feel like it or not. As far as a special place to write, I don't have a special desk at all. I prefer to sit comfortably on the couch near window with my computer on my lap and coffee nearby.

Do have a favorite method of writing, for instance, do you use an outline or do you like to just go were the story takes you?

Learning to write screenplays first has really helped me to stay on track. I can go off on a crazy unimportant tangent quite easily and the story can get bogged down. With a screenplay, timing and page count are very important because of production budgets. It's not the same with books. Working from an outline, and regularly asking myself, “Why is this section important? How does this move the story forward?” helps me to keep focused.  

What other projects are you working on?

I have the outline for the next book in my mind that will continue the Parting Ways story. I'm also still producing videos and still plan to make movies. The media landscape is constantly changing and I'm prayerfully navigating which direction to go for the future.

Where can we find you? (websites, blogs, etc.)

I have three primary outlets online.

For writing: www.PatrickSipperly.com

For words of encouragement and churches meeting in homes: www.ChristianHomeChurch.com

For Video Production, Voice Talent or Graphic Design: www.ArizonaVideoCompany.com

by Cindy Schuerr ~The Ethereal chick~