03 Apr 2023 Author of the Month: Darcy Pattison

By Susan L. Peterson

The “Author of the Month” feature debuted in 501 LIFE in 2017. One of the writer’s first interviews was with Darcy Pattison, who had published about 30 books. In the past six years, that number has doubled. Let’s catch up with her here:

This month we are revisiting author Darcy Pattison. She is a local children’s book author who was one of the first to be featured in this column, which debuted in the spring of 2017.

Pattison is the real deal. By 2017, she had published about 30 books. Today, that number has more than doubled. She is also a publisher, a blogger, a lecturer and a leader of a writer’s revision retreat. Her books have been published in 10 languages.

Science and nature have always interested her. She grew up in the mountains of New Mexico, where she observed various critters and investigated their habitats. Exploration, research and continual learning are what she still enjoys most. She says if she hadn’t been a writer, she would have been an astronaut.

In her Moments in Science series, she discusses such topics as pollen, erosion and fever. Her Extraordinary Animal series showcases pumas, frogs and albatrosses. And then she has a series to help students become better writers and thinkers. “The Nantucket Sea Monster,” for example, touches on fake news and freedom of the press.

Her books are not only entertaining, but informative. Critics praise her writing style and the way she can take an abstract concept and turn it into an understandable narrative. She is committed to writing books that are relevant and to helping others who are interested in writing and publishing.

During the COVID shut down, Pattison took advantage of having time to explore several new interests. She enrolled in an online poetry course taught by Renee LaTulippe. The result is a new book published in lyrical text that will be released this month titled “I Am the Thirsty Desert.”

Another skill she honed is designing pop-up books. No doubt her talent as a former award-winning quilter contributed to her success in making patterns and precise designs. And although she publishes her own books, she had to turn to a specialty publisher to produce this new upcoming series.