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Patricia Hickman is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, whose work has been praised by critics and readers alike.
She has been hailed as the "new and lyrical voice of the South," with her writing described in such glowing terms as "a triumph", "quirky," "beautiful," "humorous," "intimate and deep," and "a virtual feast for the senses." She recently earned a Masters Degree in Writing from Queens University.
Equally as funny and intimate on the platform, Patty speaks to groups around the country on issues such as triumphing through life's struggles, perseverance, writing, grief and loss.
She loves experiencing life to its fullest, and can sometimes be found exploring the salt marshes of North Carolina's Outer Banks or tubing down Deep Creek with her handsome boys. Because her stories spring from the fertile soil of her real life experiences, her readers have come to call her writing "stories that live on forever." |
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A Little History...
Patricia Hickman began writing many years ago after an invitation to join a writer's critique group. It was headed up by best-selling author Dr. Gilbert Morris, a pioneer in Christian fiction who has written many best selling titles. The group eventually came to be called the "Nubbing Chits". All four members of the original "Chits" have gone on to become award-winning and best selling novelists (good fruit, Gil!).
Patty signed her first multi-book contract with Bethany House Publishers. After Patty wrote several novels "for the market", she assessed her writer's life and decided she would follow the leanings of her heart. She says, "It had to be God leading me into the next work which wound up being my first break-out book, Katrina's Wings. I had never read a southern mainstream novel, yet I knew that one lived in my head, begging to be brought out and developed." She wanted to create deeper stories that broke away from convention and formula. From her own journey in life, she created a world based upon her hometown in the 70's.
Katrina's Wings was indeed the break-out novel that launched a whole new pattern of thought in Christian literary circles - the character-driven story. Stories of everyday people with extraordinary tales. It brought great reviews and the attention of other publishers who sought what has become her signature writing style. She now enjoys the freedom found in writing her works of passion and only wishes she could write them a little faster.
Her novels have won critical acclaim from both the Christian and secular world - Moody Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Affair de Coeur, Romantic Times, Shine Magazine for Women, and Library Journal. Her works have also won two Silver Angel Awards. Patty was selected along with several other top authors in the nation to pioneer a fiction book club for the nationally popular Women of Faith conferences, and was part of a book tour that traveled with the Women of Faith team. She has also been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country.
Patty and her husband, Randy, have planted two churches in North Carolina. Her husband pastors Family Christian Center, located in Huntersville. The Hickmans have three children, two on earth and one in heaven. Their daughter, Jessi, was involved in a fatal automobile accident in 2001. Through her writing and speaking, Patty seeks to offer help, hope and encouragement to those who walk the daily road of loss and grief. |
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