Local author to sign books Saturday

Liz Patterson said she spent nine months writing a book, and then eight years thinking about publishing it. Finally, Patterson can hold in her hands what she'd dreamt about since being a little girl, a story about fairies.

"Bonners Fairy," Patterson's self-published first foray into writing, tells the story of 15-year-old twins Henry and Haley who move with their father to a large estate in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

"They are thrilled to begin a new adventure in the mountains. Little do they know that their lives are about to change forever," the jacket reads. "In a strange world filled with magic, wonder and beauty, Henry and Haley must abandon their childlike innocence and demonstrate to everyone all the ways humans can overcome seemingly impossible odds."

Patterson, a records division employee at the Carson City Sheriff's Office, will be signing her book Saturday at the Borders on Topsy Lane from noon to 2 p.m.

"I'll be one of the last to have a book signing there," she said.

It was after reading the first two books in the Harry Potter trilogy, that Patterson decided to try her hand at creating her own world. She'd never written a story before, she said, but as a child she'd daydreamed about fairies.

"I grew up in the country and always imagined them being around me when I was growing up," she said. "I thought I could write a story and it just came out of me. I don't know where the characters came from, the plots or anything."

"Bonners Fairy" is the first in a three-part trilogy. Patterson said she's already working on the second book.

She said it took so long for her to do anything with it because the whole process was new. Then, after hearing of the difficulties of being picked up by a major publisher, she instead decided to self-publish through iuniverse. The book is available in both paperback at $15.95 a copy, and hardback at $25.95. An E-book edition is even available at $9.99.

Patterson said one need only visit Borders, Amazon.com or to Google the title for the numerous places to purchase it.

The mention of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, even got the folks in the real Bonners Ferry interested. Patterson was featured in a story there in the Bonners Ferry Herald.

And though she'd only driven through the town once, her story was shaped from seeing the town's name on a map.

"I was traveling through Idaho and I had just begun writing the book and I saw that name on the map and the name and me just connected," she said.

She said her story is suitable for all ages, except perhaps the "very young" because there are a "couple little scary parts."

Patterson hopes people will embrace the characters she's grown to love.

"I'm excited," she said.