I have got such a treat for y’all today! Jessica Patch is here to talk about her new book, Concealed Identity, and a case of a (hilariously) mistaken identity of her own!
Jessica R. Patch lives in the mid-south where she pens inspirational contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. When she’s not hunched over her laptop or going on adventurous trips in the name of research with willing friends, you can find her watching way too much Netflix with her family and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter at www.jessicarpatch.com. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.
You can connect with Jessica at her website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Jessica’s newest release, Concealed Identity, released January 1st from Love Inspired Suspense. (watch for my review later today!)
DEEP-COVER ASSIGNMENT
After Holt McKnight’s criminal informant disappears, the DEA agent must go undercover to get close to the missing man’s sister, who may know more than she’s letting on.
But when Blair Sullivan’s attacked, it’s up to him to protect her—without blowing his cover.
Blair isn’t sure she can trust her new neighbor, Holt. After all, the last charming and handsome man she fell for was her late husband, and he turned out to be the brother of a ruthless drug lord.
Yet when it’s clear the target on her back is somehow linked to her past, she has no choice but to accept Holt’s protection.
Even if getting close is the last thing her scarred heart can handle.
Yay!!! Hi Jessica! Welcome to the blog 🙂 Thank you so much for chatting with me today!
Jessica: Thank you, Carrie! I am so happy to be here with you. I love to chat!
I start all of my guests out with a fast four…
Jessica: Apples. Because you can’t quite pull off oranges smothered in caramel sauce like you can an apple. 😉
Carrie: This is so true. Chocolate? Perhaps. But not caramel.
Jessica: Summer. I have never been a fan of the cold. I’d rather live in the heat. And we have a pool and I enjoy napping on my raft.
Carrie: But summer is so hot (can you hear the whine in my voice?) lol.
Jessica: Neither. *ducks* I want to be an animal person, but I’m just not. We did have a dog for almost 17 years so I guess I’ll go with dog if I have to pick one.
Carrie: Zuzu says this answer is permissible because at least you had a dog and would choose “dog” over “cat” in a pinch. I, however, nearly had to end the Q&A because I misread *ducks* as if you were choosing those as your pet of preference rather than avoiding any rotten produce I might throw at you. And … just no. Birds are evil. 😉
Jessica: This is tough for me. I love coffee but I also love hot tea and I live in the South so I also love sweet tea. Generally, I’m coffee in the morning (unless I feel puny) and tea in the afternoon.
Carrie: That almost sounds like it should be a country song – “coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoo-oooon” haha! Ahem. Anyway…
Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?
Jessica: If I could pick any superpower, I’m going with invisibility. I can creep on people and eavesdrop—you know for book fodder. If I had to pick a superpower based on something I do…my superpower is tuning out voices. I have an amazing ability to switch off my hearing when I’m focused on something whether writing, reading, Netflix binges, etc…I literally will not hear you!
Carrie: I have the same hearing switch …. as well as the ability to tune IN to voices in an unintentional eavesdropping thing that I think annoys my husband just a wee bit. Especially when we’re out at dinner and he’s talking to me and I’m totally (unintentionally) not paying attention because I’m tuned in to the conversation two tables over. Sigh. lol.
Who is your favorite book character from childhood?
Jessica: Here’s where everyone gets to see how shallow I am! I’d love to say someone like Anne of Green Gables or Nancy Drew (though I did love those books) but my favorite character was Jessica Wakefield from Sweet Valley High. I know, Elizabeth was the sweet one, the compassionate one, and the giving one but Jessica loved adventure, boys, and mischief and so did I! LOL She wasn’t dull or boring that’s for sure. I couldn’t help but love the messes she made and her lip gloss was always perfect. She never got hair stuck on her lips like I did. #goals hahahaha
Carrie:LOL!! I love this! It probably also didn’t hurt that you shared the same first name 🙂
Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?
Jessica: I have these often I’m afraid. I’m not sure about the last time, but the biggest was one Sunday during church. I’d had my eyes closed during worship and we were asked to pray for our spouses, so I simply eased up on my knees in my chair, wrapped my arms around my man’s neck and whispered prayers against his neck when suddenly I thought, “This doesn’t smell like my husband…this…isn’t my husband!” He’d invited a new guy who came to church that day to sit with us. He’d just gotten out of prison (if I’m lying I’m dying) and I was all up on him! During church for everyone to see because my husband had quietly gone to the altar to pray. So what did I do? The only thing I knew to do! I finished my prayer (yes, I did) and sat back in my seat. I explained it after church to him, but my husband has yet to let me live it down! lol
Carrie: Oh. My. GOODNESS!!! I am literally laughing out loud over this story!!! I would say “that poor man” but he got some smooches and sweet nothings out of the deal so he’s not doing so badly in this situation. LOL!! Oh mercy. I am now praying fervently that this never happens to me. 😀
Jill Kemerer has called your latest book “Storage Wars with intrigue”. Pardon my pun but I’m SOLD 🙂 How does the “Storage Wars with intrigue” concept tie in with the title, Concealed Identity?
Jessica: During one of the episodes, I asked myself, “What if someone bid on a unit and got it home only to discover something inside that could get them killed?” Concealed Identity was born!
Carrie: oooo ok I’m even more intrigued now. So the title refers to what’s in the unit as well as the undercover identity!! I love!
In Concealed Identity, a DEA agent goes undercover to get close to a missing informant’s sister. What do you think would be the most difficult part of living undercover?
Jessica: As a Christian, I think it would be doing something that could compromise my beliefs. In the book, there isn’t a big test (other than lying about who you are) but in the real world, agents have to create false relationships even if they’re married. I’d be scared of crossing lines or even teetering on them. I’m not sure how they do it. I couldn’t.
Carrie: That’s a great point! Lots of emotions and temptations to consider…
What do you most want readers to take away from Concealed Identity?
Jessica: I want readers to know life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan it. It can feel like our dreams have died, like God wasn’t there to make it all picture-perfect like we expected, but that doesn’t mean He wasn’t there. And that doesn’t mean He can’t give you a ‘come forth’ moment like Lazarus. He’s still in business of resurrecting dead dreams, hopes, and faith. And He can breathe to life new dreams. New hopes.
Carrie: yes… amen! He’s still the “Lamb of God who rolled away the stone in front of every grave” – I love that lyric from Alive by Natalie Grant.
Again thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.
Jessica: Thank you again for having me! It’s been so much fun. 2017 is a big year for me. I have a romantic comedy, Unleashing Love, coming out in a collection full of fantastic authors. I’m not an animal person but this is about a dog-walker! The next book for Love Inspired Suspense, Final Verdict, releases in April. I also have a devotional releasing from Guideposts that same month. It’s called Everyday with Jesus (I’m a contributing author.) And my first book, Deep Waters, in a miniseries (The Security Specialists) with Love Inspired Suspense hits shelves in July!
Carrie: Yay! I’m excited to read all of these!
Jessica R. Patch is giving away a copy of Concealed Identity to one of my readers! (Due to shipping costs and international giveaway regulations, this is open to US mailing addresses only.) Giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies.
What about you? What’s your own humorous/embarrassing/pleasekeepthisbetweenus story of mistaken identity? You’re among friends 🙂
I certainly cannot match the hilarity of the guest’s recent worship experience, but I do get mistaken for the music director at our church quite often. I have stopped correcting people, just hoping they won’t ask me a question about music, because Heather has her PhD. On the plus side, she is probably at least 15 years younger than I am.
haha! Just go with it 😉
Thanks again for having me! It’s such a blast hanging out over here! 🙂
we will have to do it again sometime 😀
Rumor got out that I was operating a cat house because I had decorated a cardboard box to look like a house for the stray cat that showed up at my worksite in the army. I had to get rid of the house when word got out. LOL
hahaha!! Oh no!
Being mistaken for a gym instructor which was rather amusing, several years ago.
haha!
My mistake was seeing my reflection in a mirror at the store and I started talking to it thinking my identical twin sister had come around the corner.
LOL LOL!!!! that’s awesome.
Oh my gosh Donna! Years ago, I did the same thing! The only thing is I don’t have an identical twin or any twin for that matter! I just turned the corner and saw my reflection and said, “Oh excuse me!” Then I thought “she” kinda looked like me before realizing it was me :-/
Hahahahaha!!
My funniest mistaken identity has to do with a car. When I was in high school I had a friend who lived in an old historical house on the property of a college. They were having an Eagles concert one weekend at the college so a bunch of us went home with my friend from church and were going to walk to the concert that had an admission (good Christian kids that we were, LOL) There was a security guard riding around to pick up and evict anyone sneaking into the concert. He spotted us and picked us up and decided to just drive us to the stage. My boyfriend was making small talk with the guy to get in his good graces and said, “They sure don’t give you a very good security car to drive around in”, the guard replied, “Hey, this is my car!” We all died laughing, even the guard.
hahahaha! Oops!
I love Jessica’s writing. I read her four indies as quick as they came out and thought the we’re terrific! The first, Hope Under Mistletoe, is witty, edgy and probably my favorite of all 6 of her books to date. I can’t wait to read Concealed Identity, sounds great!
I just this minute finished it and it is fantastic!
Not sure I’ve had a case of mistaken identity. Maybe someday.
it’s not really something you want to wish for 😉
You’d imagine I know all about Jessica Patch and Concealed Identity?! No.. this interview is HILARIOUS!! Love it!! =)
LOL, isn’t it?!? I laughed nearly the whole time I was putting it together
Awesome interview, Carrie and Jessica! I can’t think of any mistaken identity instances right now, but Jessica’s is hilarious. Jessica, your book sound so intriguing! It must go on my TBR list.
I just thought of one. My sister and I were only a year apart in school. During high school, I sounded a lot like her. He boyfriend called and thought I was my sister, so I just talked to him for a few minutes. Finally, he asked me a question I didn’t know the answer to, so I said, “Just a minute and I’ll get Terri. You’ll probably want to ask her.”
LOL!! that’s awesome
After I graduated college (where I also worked part time) I heard that someone, well several someones, mistook a new student for me. Apparently she looks just like me from behind!
funny!
Being mistaken for my husband’s daughter. He had a lot of grey hair in his 30’s which made him look older than he was.
Ha! I’m sure your husband loves that lol
I always love your interviews!!! Thank you both for sharing your time with us!
Yay! Thanks, friend 🙂
Great interview! Apparently someone looks just like me in our city. I get asked from random people where they know me from a lot. You’d think one day I’d run into this person or they’d show me a picture! Not yet!
haha! funny!!
Oh goodness, I have never had something like the church episode for Jessica here, but have had many times I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear! I’d start concealing my identity with my looks first – you know the dying of hair, change color of eyes with contact lenses, etc.
it’s amazing how even those simple things can change how people see us (or don’t see us)!
LOL. I totally thought she liked “ducks” too. 🙂 Sounds like a great story.
oh good – i’m not the only one! LOL
Someone mistook me for a doctor once since they misread something on a form.
lol! That would be nice 😀
I tend to see people I know but it turns out to be just a similar looking person. I do have a look alike that I saw in a internal publication when I was working for a company. Never met her though.
i bet that was a weird feeling!
Over the last few years, I’ve been losing my hearing. So I sometimes “hear” things that someone didn’t say. It can be embarrassing but also humorous. My family would look at me like I was crazy when I commented on something I thought they had said 😉
awww lol
I went to a small private college in an even smaller town way back in the dark ages (1976-1980). There was a Dairy Queen and some type of fast food chicken place. Apparently, there was a girl who grew up in town that I looked EXACTLY like. I mean I couldn’t go ANYWHERE in that small town without random people coming up to me, calling me her name and proceeding to have a conversation with me all while I was trying politely to tell them they were MISTAKEN! I really wasn’t one of those people that looked like a lot of other people. I was 5′ 9.5″ & weighed 128 lbs. with dark brunette hair and eyes the color of coal. One thing those SHARP people should have considered was the fact that she went out of town to college thus she would be gone during the school year! This went on my entire 4 years of college!! I think it finally got better in 1981 when I was in Grad School. At least by then, everyone at the Dairy Queen knew me – the real me – because I was a Frequent Flyer. I had a $1 Banana Split every day of Summer School & never gained an ounce! Oh for that metabolism again!!
haha!!! that’s so weird!
That church story is hilarious!!
I always seem to be wearing a red shirt with khakis whenever I shop at Target, therefore everyone thinks I’m an employee. I’ve been asked where stuff is so many times…. I just tell them and pretend I do work there. HA!!
LOL too funny!
I was mistaken for a High school teacher. Thank goodness she apparently was well thought of! 🙂
LOL!
Nothing I can think of