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 Patti Dickinson was born in Wilburton, 75 miles southwest of Tahlequah Oklahoma, capital of the Cherokee Nation. "Three out of four of my grandparents were part Cherokee. My maternal grandfather, half Cherokee, was known as Wild Bill Dickson. My mother always joked that his other half was a mixture of coyote and bloodhound. Known for his fearlessness and fast draw, Granddad was a part-time sheriff and rancher in the early 1900s in south central Oklahoma. I grew up listening to stories of his heroic deeds and I thought of him as a hero. Thats probably why when I heard Jerry Van Meters story in that Lakeside Montana bar, I knew immediately I wanted to write it. To me, Jerrys journey is the story of a hero and I believe we need heroes in our lives."
Van Meters 1500 mile adventure became Hollywood the Hard Way, A Cowboys Journey, published in September 1999 by University of Nebraska Press. The book is in its fourth printing. After receiving favorable reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and dozens of newspapers and magazines. Creative Artists Agency signed the author; Hollywood was optioned for a feature film by Passport Productions, an independent production company in May 2000. Passport renewed the option a year later but failed to obtain financing. The author is sole owner of entertainment rights and still hopes to find a production company to turn the story into a feature film. Patti: Its pure adventure, a coming of age story about courage and integrity and not giving up. And its set in one of the most exciting periods of our nations historyall the ingredients for a dynamite film.
Hollywood the Hard Way is the authors first published book. Since launching her writing career in 1994, Dickinson has completed two novels which have yet to be published: The Fifth Season, a contemporary mainstream story set in Los Angeles and Montana, and The Indians Daughter, a political thriller. "I hope to see both these books in print soon; I believe readers will enjoy them." Dickinson is currently working on another non-fiction, a heros story. Blood Brothers, the Boys of Sequoyah is the story of a Cherokee man from Tahlequah who, like Jerry Van Meter, does something extraordinary with his life. Im excited about this story; it is wonderful to find real heroes."
Patti graduated from California State University Fresno in 1982 with a B.A. degree in History. She and her husband David, a CPA, have lived in Coeur d Alene Idaho for ten years. We live on forested land with deer, pheasants, raccoons, coyotes, grouse, wild turkeys, elk, and an occasional cougar and black bear. "Its a zoo of sorts; we post our propertyno hunting. The only shooting of animals on our property is with a camera." Dickinson was honored by the Idaho Writers League as 2000-2001 Writer of the Year, a title is bestowed on a writer whose published works, efforts, and experience best represent the ideals and goals of Idaho writers.
On her writing career: "Ive worked all my life so I got a late start in this writing business. It is a tough profession the rejections and endless waiting but when readers let you know that your writing touched their lives, made them laugh, cry, relive a treasured memory or lifted their spirit with a heros exploits, the tough times slip away. I love what I do. I look out my office window at the Bitterroot Mountain Range and realize how fortunate I am that my desire to writelate as it camecoincided with having the time, place, and the opportunity."
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