It is our pleasure to extend a warm welcome to Patricia Gitt, a highly skilled public relations professional who has collaborated with successful women across a range of industries.

Drawing on her extensive expertise, Pat has crafted a trilogy of novels featuring strong female protagonists, most notably, Sally Compton Scott, whose journey of self-discovery in What She Didn't Know explores the nuances of decision-making and the limitations of human perception.

We are eager to gain insight into Pat's personal perspective and learn more about how she deftly weaves themes of achievement, ambition, and work-life balance throughout her writing.

Thank you for joining us today, Pat!

Pat: Norm, it is my pleasure to be with you.

Norm: As someone who has worked closely with successful women in different fields, could you tell us how these experiences have influenced your choice to write novels that feature strong female characters?

Pat:  My career began at a time when there were few women in leadership positions in business.

Public relations was one profession where account executives, predominantly women, worked directly with their clients and were responsible the success or failure of their campaigns.

This attracted independently minded thinkers, creative and hard working women who made important decisions and took responsibility for their efforts.

My characters are created in this mold.

Norm: How do your personal background and encounters shape the way you develop and portray your protagonists?

Pat: The heart of each of the women I create is a reflection of my view of women. They exhibit the characteristics I observed during my childhood with parents who bravely looked to the possibilities, not limitations in life.

That was followed by my professional responsibilities and experiences. When I begin to develop one of my protagonists, I can envision her life and the circumstances she will face.

Her reactions in many cases are those I would have had in a similar situation. 

Norm: In your recent trilogy, What She Didn't Know, you delve into the theme of blind spots and informed decision-making in the life of Sally Compton Scott.

Pat: We all have blind spots. In developing my trilogy of Sally's journey from blushing bride, to grieving widow, she becomes enmeshed in a murder investigation which forces her self-imposed isolation of grieving widow, out into the cruel world of criminals and murder.

Blind spot in this the first book in the series, is that as a bride she doesn't pay close attention to her husband's financial problems believing her role was that of wife and partner at home and trusted that he would take care of everything else.

On his death, her eyes are opened to the signs of trouble that she had missed.

In the second book, she's blinded by grief and that causes her to isolate herself from family. That isolation prevented her from moving forward with her life.

In the third book, one-by-one these blind spots are recognized and she becomes the woman she was meant to be.

Norm: What inspired you to explore this specific theme, and how does it resonate with readers? Do you believe there are valuable lessons readers can learn from Sally's journey?

Pat: I created Sally's journey to explore what I have observed with friends and family. That at times we deal with issues automatically, and are unaware that those decisions are made with only part of the information.

Readers have told me that in the case of widowhood, they had behaved in the same manner isolating themselves from family and friends.

Others have said that when we are younger, we make most of our decisions emotionally, and it is only as we gain  experiences, do we solve problems more objectively.

Norm; Your earlier novels, such as CEO and ASAP, explore different aspects of success and ambition. Could you share what draws you to these themes and how they connect with your experiences and observations?

Pat: In CEO, and ASAP, I place an accomplished woman in a business setting where she becomes threatened both personally and professionally.

In CEO my protagonist had devoted her entire life to her career, ignoring the need for personal interests and relationships.

In ASAP the highly successful business woman is a wife, mother of a pre-teen son and daughter and if you asked her what her wish was she'd say to be the perfect wife and mother.

To accomplish her goals, she places herself last on her list of priorities. But when she is threatened both professionally and personally, she has to place herself on top of that list in order to resolve the crises that are out to destroy her.

Norm: Are there particular messages or insights you hope readers take away from these stories?

Pat: I use the device of crisis to force my characters to self-examine their situations.

A life lesson would be that each of us think of ourselves first, correct attitudes and behaviors that hinder our decisions, and then we will be capable of facing challenges both personally and of others.

Norm; Balancing careers with private lives is a challenge many women face.

How do you approach depicting this delicate balance in your novels, and what insights do you hope readers will gain from your portrayals of these complex and relatable characters?

Pat: I draw the characters and crises they face from real life of people I know or have read about.

Readers tell me that many of these situations are have paralleled something in their own lives, and are comforted to know that they are not alone.

Feedback from readers also helps me develop future characters who may face some of their issues.

Norm: The title of one of your books, FYI: An Unintended Consequence, piques our curiosity. Please provide some insight into the unintended consequence mentioned in the book and how it impacts the narrative.

Pat: In today's world where people are glued to their cellphones they have lost the ability of face-to-face relationships.

This reminded me of something I learned at home, that it was important to treat people on a one-to-one basis even if only in passing.

So I wondered what a good and honorable person might have done to engender hate in another person. And that became the theme of the story.

Norm: How does this particular consequence contribute to the overall theme of the story?

Pat: : My story is of two parallel lives both of successful women. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. 

But why would one hate another so much that they would plant fake news articles that would not only destroy her reputation along with her business. That unintended consequence is the evil seed to the plot.

Norm: As a writer of mystery and crime novels, you must find these genres compelling. How do you incorporate elements of mystery to keep readers engaged and eager to uncover the truth within your narratives?

Pat: My method of writing is to first find a woman threatened by some malevolent character. Then find some personal experience and setting that will enable me to give her an almost perfect life. 

A life then thrown into crisis.

Women think and act differently than men. They are more layered in thought and deed.

This give me the opportunity of introducing the reader to that woman's life, friends and associates, while little by little she is facing a looming crisis.

In my mysteries, that crisis is a hindrance to her life, not her life.

Maybe if women didn't fascinate me so much, I'd write a mystery featuring a man. Who knows, Norm? Maybe that's in my future.

Norm: You hold an impressive educational background, including a B.S. from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Fordham University.

How have these academic pursuits influenced your writing and storytelling approach? Do you draw from your education to infuse realism and authenticity into your books?

Pat: My university days were filled with women friends who were as independent and strong minded as I was. And we have stayed in touch. 

While I promised not to include their stories in my books, over the years they have shared their lives as mothers and wives. 

While I haven't had some of their experiences, they are reflected in the women in my novels. One example is that since I am not a mother, I can't write about children from personal experience.

Instead, they are most generous in correcting any assumptions that don't resemble the parenting of children today.

As for my MBA, I attended class at night and the variety of students in my classes provided me with business based stories of conflict, advancement, and working for bosses with a variety of temperaments.

A side story… in one management class the instructor was discussing business models, one excellent and the other deeply flawed.

When she had finished extolling the reasons for the better of the two models, I raised my hand and asked what if we worked for the deeply flawed company?

She at first didn't think that possible then asked the class how many worked for the badly run firm. More than half the class raised their hands.

In both instances, earning a B.S and MBA taught me to look beyond myself. It also taught me to study… as in researching details for a book, persistence… as in not quitting because it was a bad day at the computer… and that the imagination is a gift that enhances real life.

Norm: In your trilogy, Sally Compton Scott embarks on a complex and emotional journey of confronting widowhood and regaining control of her life.

How do you approach character development in such challenging situations, and what do you hope readers take away from Sally's experiences?

Pat: : I knew a couple of young women who married their boss. The men were married, and the divorces messy, made worse because they had to leave children behind.

I also remember my early days trying to figure out where my career was going. So in both cases the first book came naturally.

The twist where the loving bride finds her husband had kept secrets, is a well-known tale told many times in many offices around the country. So that was also easy to write.

As for widowhood, a very dear friend who had a long and loving marriage.

When he died, I witnessed the slow emergence of someone who had never lived on her own, but even though she had a career, was a wife and mother, she slowly learn to live and enjoy being on her own.

Another friend taught me that love never dies, but you can move forward while keeping your memories close.

Norm: Your novels cover various industries, from finance to healthcare and fashion. How do you conduct research to ensure accuracy and authenticity in portraying these professional settings?

What role does research play in shaping the narratives of your stories?

Pat: Like many writers with previous professional lives, my career has introduced me to leaders in a number of businesses and industries.

When you are charged with telling their stories to the media you have to learn the details of each business's past, present and future. I also find that my insider's view is not widely shared by readers.

So when I include a business in a story, it adds a reality to the world I'm creating.

I am the kind of person who learns from those passionately involved in their dreams. And, I remember those people and what led them to realize their discovery, development, or product.

So far research is more a fact finding of specific dates and details. Along with my curiosity, is a lifetime learning with those gifted people.

Norm: Where can our readers learn more about you and your novels and what is next for Patricia E. Gitt?

Pat: I have a WEBSITE,  where your readers can get an overview of all seven novels, and can contact me with any questions or to be placed on my mailing list.

That list is for a blog, Pat's Pithy Posts, where I offer short insights into an aspect related to my work. Pithy, because I am pretty candid with my stated views. One Post was entitled women and men are different. Imagin how radical that sounds today.

Norm: As we conclude our interview, as an accomplished writer, what advice would you give to aspiring authors, particularly those interested in writing mysteries and novels featuring strong female protagonists?

Are there any essential tips you wish you had known when starting your writing journey?

Pat: The best advice I like to give to anyone who has thought of writing a book, is to put it on paper. If you don't see it, you don't know what you have or, if you want to continue.

And you don't have to show it to anyone, until you are ready. 

My first book was written while travelling for work, and going to grad school at night. Because I spent a lot of time in airports, airplanes and hotels, I took a spiral bound notebook on all trips.

No one knew I was trying to write a book. I just had a story to tell and ideas to express. When I got stuck I would enroll in a local university or writing group and use my manuscript as my homework.

That book, CEO, took 25 years to publish. But in truth, I didn't set out to publish, I wanted to debunk the thinking of that time… that a woman was not capable of running an international  corporation.

You might say I was writing it for me.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors