#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Patrick Greenwood, the Cycle Writer
/
I’d like to welcome Patrick Greenwood, the Cycle Writer, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.
Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing about being a writer is overcoming impostor syndrome and questioning your abilities. We all have self-doubt, however everyday you step ahead and overcome, you become a happier and stronger person.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Reading your own stuff! I love reading my own novels! I even tear up after finishing them!
Things you need for your writing sessions: Coffee, espresso, green tea, Japanese flute music, and a view of the sunlight outside.
Things that hamper your writing: Stress. I stress over writing blogs for a technology clients. I write for several clients globally and writing ghostwriting is a exciting, yet very challenging.
Favorite foods: Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, and Japanese food!
Things that make you want to gag: Spinach! My kryptonite!
Last best thing you ate: Southwest style breakfast in Scottsdale, Arizona complete with green chili sauce!
Last thing you regret eating: A hotdog at a movie theater!
Things you never put in your books: I will never place a story or plot with violence against children.
Things to say to an author: Love what you do everyday. Being a writer is more than just a financial means. Being an author is more about having the power to create something that came directly from you. How could that not be special?
Favorite books (or genre): Military, Romance, and spy thrillers. The Hunt for the Red October, Message from Nam, and Jason Bourne stories.
Books you wouldn’t buy: Books about religion.
Best thing you’ve ever done: Become a father.
Biggest mistake: Choosing to travel for work instead of being at home.
The funniest thing to happen to you: I began to sing U2 songs aloud while on a plane ride from Charlotte, North California to Orange County, California.
The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I didn’t know I was singing U2 songs while wearing headphones on the plane 😊 OH MY.
The coolest person you’ve ever met: Josh Brolin (Actor). Absolutely, the nicest person in real life.
The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Simon LeBon – Lead singer for Duran Duran – OMG He stood next to meet for a hour. No clue it was him until he left to catch his plane.
Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My trips to Vietnam in “Forever Our Sunrise in Saigon.” A great portion of the book was true stories of my trips to Vietnam in 2012 including cycling around Saigon (HCMC), investing in a water company to help create clean water for children, and finding the nuns who helped saved many orphans at the end of the Vietnam War.
Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Oh boy, yes. In the novel, Forever Our Sunrise in Saigon, the love story between Jack and Linh was 100% fiction. However, many people that have read the novel have asked, “come on, is the whole thing between them true?”
About Patrick:
After military service, embarked on a 25-year career in the information technology field, working in various roles in sales, engineering, support, and design. His inspiration for writing came from his business travels to places like Vietnam, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Portugal. A true believer in listening to one’s passion, Patrick began writing in early 2020 based on several trips he made while cycling in various countries.
In his debut award-winning novel, Forever Our Sunrise in Saigon (2022 Amazon.com), Patrick draws upon several non-fictional events in Vietnam, including the war with the US, the last days of Saigon falling, and the chaos at the US embassy. Patrick’s follow-up novel, The Shores of Okinawa (Quill Hawk Publishing), due out in May 2024, continues the Jack Kendall series with even more intrigue and suspense!
When Patrick isn’t writing his next novel, ghostwriting for cybersecurity companies, or writing blogs, he hosts the award-winning podcast, “Writers on Writers over a triple espresso.” The podcast broadcasts live on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 am PST.
Let’s Be Social:
Website: www.cyclewriterllc.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-greenwood-4876a01b8/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CyclewriterPG/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrick_greenwood_author/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChUQwPH4YvZMRJsDuZSw8Ag
