Nerves of Steele

One of the things I love about social media is that it allows me to meet and make friends with very interesting people. Today’s interviewee is the person who prompted my blog-post “Parlez-vous?” Patricia Steele. As our conversation was on living abroad and speaking in tongues, I assumed she was another ex-pat writer but no!

So – Patricia (I know you hate being called “Pat”) welcome to the Bingergread Cottage. Help yourself to cake while I pour some tea or coffee and tell us a bit about yourself. What really drives YOU?

P.S. I have two passions: Writing and Genealogy.

I have never got into ancestry but I would love to – tell me more!

P.S. My passion for Spanish genealogy during the years 1911-1913 (when five immigrant ships left Gibraltar sailing to Hawaiian sugar plantations amid the promises from the plantation owners)  began when I wanted to find out why my grandmother and her parents left Spain in 1911.

Oh so you have Spanish blood? How fascinating!

P.S. Yes, they went to Hawaii and later re-immigrated to California.  When I began, I thought it would be great fun to learn the story and write if from her 9-year old point of view.  Five years later after a trip to the villages in Spain, The “Girl Immigrant” was born.  It is my “heart” book and it brought a few hundred descendants together and opened up a whole new Spanish community in the SanFrancisco area for me, interviews in the radio, a bit in a Spanish documentary and an admin spot on the Hawaiian Spaniards FB page.    It also led me to translate and transcribe the actual ship manifest images and meeting two good friends, one who is a Spaniard in Barcelona.  We are all three working on a project to eventually finish all five ship manifests.  See?  I told you I had a passion (smile).

You certainly do. Now THAT, is what I call success. Never mind book sales figures, what you did was magnificent. Lily and I are standing on our hind legs applauding you here.

P.S. Secondly, I began to write in earnest as escapism after the death of my 9-year old daughter from Cystic Fibrosis.  Since that time, my escaping from reality has spurred me to write and I like writing fiction best. And travel.  And food.  And wine.  And I suppose you could call me a  gypsy who enjoys eating and sipping with a laptop in my hands.

So sorry to hear about your daughter, I can’t imagine losing a child and all my best gypsy friends are gourmands!

P.S. Truly, I am unsure if any of this content will interest your audience but it sounds like fun and I am up for the adventure.  Did I mention I am also adventurous?

Patricia, I know my readers and I can tell you that they just LOVE mad adventurous women who have overcome adversity and are still smiling – that’s why they are MY friends. Now come and give me a big hug and then we’ll put your details for where we can get your books. It’s been fabulous having you here, yes do have some more cake. Come again whenever you have something to share.

P.S. A little about me just before I published The Girl Immigrant:

http://onspanishsoil.blogspot.com/2012/08/countdown-to-spanish-dream.html

During and after I went to Spain:

http://patriciasteele.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=44

 

My Spanish Pearls blog:

http://www.patriciabbsteele.com/spanish-shoes-from-sweden

 

Book trailers:

httP.S.://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGXBuLxir14&feature (Tangled like Music)

httP.S.://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2ra9Dpu_7g (The Girl Immigrant)

I love to write fiction, about Spanish genealogy, cozy mysteries with a touch of romance.

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00439B23S

My author FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/patriciabbsteele.com

 

Twitter: @RuizSteele

Linked in:

httP.S.://www.linkedin.com Patricia Ruiz Steele

Pinterest:

httP.S.://www.pinterest.com/steelesvineyard/

httP.S.://www.pinterest.com/steelesvineyard/my-books/