Phaedra Patrick

Phaedra Patrick's new novel is Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone. From the author's Q& A with Deborah Kalb:

Q: How did you come up with the idea for your character Benedict, and why did you choose gemstones as a focus for your new novel?

A: I was always aware, as a child, that each month of the year has a gemstone connected to it. My birth month is August, so my stone is a Peridot and I used to be a little jealous that other months had (what I thought were) more glamorous gems, such as Garnet, Amethyst and Emerald.

When I got engaged I chose a silver ring with a Peridot and decided to find out more about the gem. Peridots are supposedly good for easing tension, stress and anxiety in relationships – quite a good thing before getting married! I wanted to find out more about other gemstones so I started to read about those too.

I thought that Benedict would make a good character to take on a journey of discovery. He’s a large man, a jeweller, and stuck in...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue