Today we welcome back author Patricia Furstenberg to Whispering Stories Blog to catch up on what she has been doing since our interview with her back in November 2017 on ‘The Writing Life of: Patricia Furstenberg‘. This post contains affiliate links.

Patricia Furstenberg is a multi-genre author and mother. With a medical degree behind her, Patricia is passionate about the human mind, history and coffee.

“Silent Heroes” is her 13th book and her first work of adult fiction. Like in many of her previous writings Patricia found herself gravitating towards dogs and war themes. How far human sacrifice goes? Whose truly are the spoils-of-war?

Besides her books, Patricia blogs extensively and writes for various online journals. When she’s not writing she enjoys reading on various topics and traveling with her family. Patricia lives happily with her husband, children and dogs in sunny South Africa.

Welcome back to Whispering Stories Blog, lovely to be featuring you again. We last met you back in November 2017 when we spoke to you about your writing life and your latest book at the time ‘The Cheetah and the Dog’. Since that date I believe you have written and published another six books.

Thank you for inviting me again, Stacey. It is wonderful to visit you again.

Hard to believe two years have passed – although if I do look in the mirror, I can see them. I think I am more determined now, I work harder, and it is easier to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to write. What hasn’t changed, touch wood, is my passion for writing.

Yes it did. I moved from writing for children to contemporary fiction that flirts with symbolism and history, my two old flames.

Not so far. My characters from children’s books are still huggable and kind, no villains there. We’ll see how my fiction writing progresses.

I still find writing, as a process, an enjoyable challenge. Diabolic at times. It is still a race with myself. Not a speed race, rather a marathon. I know I can finish it. I also know I will doubt myself along the way, yet I want to reach that finish line. I want to end what I started. That part of the writing process hasn’t changed. Falling into a writing routine, yes, that part got easier to the point where daily writing is a necessity and I find myself at my writing desk. Sometime along the way writing became a priority.

Oh, nothing beats the butterflies of publishing a book. The excitement and anticipation that swell your chest as publication day comes in sight. The mix of apprehension and sleeplessness that makes everything so much brighter, louder, to the point where you want to hide, yet at the same time you resent its completion. It is like a drug.

I’ll have to choose my latest book, Silent Heroes. I love historical places and dogs and I’d like to meet Emma Dil and give her a hug.

Concerning your latest book:

How far would you go to save strangers in need? A group of Marines and their Military Working Dogs, are about to find out.

The lives of two Afghan orphans become intertwined with those of the US Marines and their military dogs serving at a military base, in a place cursed by sun. The Taliban is infiltrated everywhere and friends or foes are hard to differentiate. Faced with questions about the necessity of the war, with the trauma of losing their platoon-mates and the emotional scars of battle, the Marines race against time to eradicate the Taliban before another ancient fortress is destroyed and more innocent civilians lose their lives.

The War in Afghanistan is a contemporary, vitally important conflict whose meaning needs to be understood by the public worldwide. ‘Silent Heroes’ is a narrative about the value of life and the necessity of combat; the terror of dying; the ordeal of seeing your loved ones and your platoon-mates killed in front of your eyes; the trauma of taking a human life.

I am always thorough in my research and with ‘Silent Heroes’ the entire process took me almost two years.

People’s lives can become intertwined, whether we want it or not. What triggers it can be out of our control, and if we have to deal with being responsible for someone else’s life – we need to step up and succeed. Life, the way we know it here, is a precious gift.

For others, in war situations, life can end in an instant. We take our living conditions for granted. We take books and access to education for granted. Others die for the simple right to read. Soldiers still die today to protect innocent civilians in combat zones. Their lives should not be forgotten and their stories must be told.

I started with a detailed, well thought out plan. So, thanks to this, I didn’t have to edit anything out.

Yes, I am. I self-publish my books so the steps to follow are the same for each one.

Oh yes. When I first saw my book’s page on Amazon it suddenly looked real. And still the world didn’t stop! When I held a print copy for the first time I thought, gosh, this is a big book and it smells of mulberries. I thought it strange as mulberries are one of the symbols I use in my story.

I have a WIP I am very excited about it. Part of the research is done, the layout is almost finished. I feel elated each time I sit at my writing desk – and it’s not only the caffeine talking.

In my car. I am what you call here, in South Africa, a Taxi-Mama due to the big distances we are faced with daily. I am the happy, designated driver for our teen children.

I love how creative it is and that feeling of achievement it give you. I love that it feels like you win a battle you help with yourself – whenever a scene you struggled with is done.

It has to be ‘An Autobiography’ by Agatha Christie. It is fascinating to see the real person behind the façade we’ve been used to. We built up an image of those around us and when we get to learn more about them, that image becomes 3D.

Share your thoughts on our interview with Patricia Furstenberg in the comment section below!