By Cindy Patterson @cpattersonbks

I have a vivid recurring déjà vu moment of being in an elementary classroom on a cold rainy day holding a first grade reader, with big bold letters and bright, colorful pictures. This vibrant memory was the beautiful beginning of my journey with reading. There is also a strong connection within this same musing of the close bond I felt to my mama.

As a young adult, she was my biggest inspiration for reading since she was always reading something and would share her books with me. She first introduced me to Historical Fiction through her collection of Janette Oakes Love Comes Softly and multiple series written by Lori Wick.

When the Left Behind series by Tim Lahaye & Jerry B Jenkins came out, we would take turns buying the next release and gobble them up quickly. Since she was the faster reader, I’d allow her to read first. I, on the other hand, have always enjoyed taking my time and savoring each word, and I still do.

Twenty-four years ago, my mama and I took a trip together with our choir group to Lancaster County in Amish country, and that brought a whole new world of fiction into both of our lives. It is also the thing that sparked my interest in writing. We read countless books together, some she suggested and even others that I somehow talked her into reading.

Today, I start off every morning with a daily devotion from Oswald Chambers, My Upmost for His Highest, I then listen to the Bible on my Bible app. In my spare time, in which I wish I had more of, I read many types of books from Writing craft, Biblical fiction, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction/Bible studies, and I have a deep love for Historical fiction. I’m currently reading Pray Big, by Alistair Begg, and A Lineage of Grace, by Francine Rivers.

Today on My Reading Life, Cindy Patterson lets us know what she's reading. #ReadingCommunity #Reading #BRRC Click To Tweet

Unexpectedly, I lost my mama to a severe case of Pneumonia earlier this year. The grief I have endured is something I’ve been blessed to have never experienced, until now. I miss her terribly and sometimes feel it will never get easier. This blog post is something I would have sent to her to proofread. And she would have been honored.

As I was going through her things recently, something I’ve done very slowly over the last eight months, I found I could not depart with any of her books. Especially the ones we shared.

But as I sorted through her things, I found countless notes and reflections from her own Bible reading and studying of God’s word. It has been one of the most precious gifts I have found since Heaven received her.

I am so thankful for my mama, for her Godly influence, and for her love of reading that has poured out and into my life and has made me the reader and writer I am today.

Meet Cindy

Cindy Patterson believes in captivating romance and happily-ever-afters that start with Jesus. In her stories, she loves to give glimpses of how God can use brokenness and make them whole. She believes in life-changing fiction and strives to bring her characters to life for her readers. Two of her books have won the Readers Favorite Awards and her latest book, Shattered Treasure, placed as a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards and as a semi-finalist in the Book of the Year, Serious Writer Awards. Cindy is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International and when she’s not writing she helps her husband run their industrial construction company. She has three children, with only one left in the nest, where they all reside in North Carolina.

She reads a lot, drinks too much coffee, and wishes she had more time to write.

Connect with Cindy at Cindy Patterson Books

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