What’s your name? — Risa Patterson, Writer That’s the question my Dad would ask my siblings and I anytime we had moments of doubt or uncertainty.  “What’s your name?” It helped remind us who we were, and the strength and resilience we p...

Latest blog post — still glowing from last night ❤️🔥✨

risapatterson.com/blog/whats-y...

Risa Patterson, Writer FIREBUG, Risa Patterson's latest dark supernatural thriller, is now available for preorder, releasing Nov 30. Available in paperback and eBook!

Today is my birthday and also I'm releasing my supernatural thriller novel 🔥 FIREBUG 🔥 — if you'd like to buy one, you can purchase one on www.risapatterson.com or Amazon (FREE on Kindle Unlimited!).

Thanks in advance for any orders y'all send my way (and please tell your friends!) ❤

Also thank you to @katrowbeeshow.bsky.social for the use of her song "Criminal" (one of my favs)!

Not gonna lie, I teared up a bit when Jack sent me this early review for #firebug. I felt seen and understood. Here’s the full review: “Firebug follows Olivia, Azrael, and his younger brother Elijah, ... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Early #review for #firebug — thank you so much to Jack of @derazzledpod.bsky.social for this incredible review that made me cry. Full review in the link. 🔥

Two weeks left until FIREBUG releases!

#firebug isn’t for everyone, but if you’re into reading stories about these things, it might be for you 🔥 #hell #cults #novel #booktok Preorder now at www.risapatterson.com 🔥 TikTok video by Risa Patterson

#firebug isn’t for everyone, but if you’re into reading stories about these things, it might be for you 🔥 #hell #cults #novel #writing

Preorder now at www.risapatterson.com 🔥

Take that, impostor syndrome — Risa Patterson, Writer My impostor syndrome has sustained some serious blows over the last few weeks.  A fella with an almost unbearably lovely energy wrote a sweet little guitar song for me, thanking me for being a c...

Latest blog post — possibly the last one before my book launches at the end of the month! 🔥 Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support, I can't begin to describe how much it means to me!

www.risaepatterson.com/blog/take-th...

If you live in PA, remember to vote today! Let’s retain those judges! #vote #pennsylvania TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Hey PA friends, remember to vote today! Retain those judges! 💙

I’ve never had a video game character named after me before, so I felt compelled to go as Risa (the Monster Researcher from Andy’s adorable fitness game Monster Walk) for Halloween this year. Happy Halloween! #halloween #costume #monsterwalk

www.talofagames.com

🔥 Firebug is now available for preorder at risapatterson.com — releasing Nov 30! 🔥 When I sent my slapdash mockup to Firebug’s cover artist, along with a rambling pile of adjectives, I never dreamed h... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

🔥 Firebug cover reveal! 🔥

Y'all I am so excited :D

Preorder now at risapatterson.com, the book releases Nov 30!

#author #novel #writing #firebug #horror #publishing

Firebug update!! 🔥 The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, including finalizing the cover art and making final tweaks to the content, as well as a bunch of back-end stuff like ISBNs, LCCNs, barcodes... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Firebug updates!

✅ Cover art approved
✅ Content revisions underway
✅ Paperback proof ordered

More to come soon, including cover reveal and release date! :D

www.tiktok.com/@risawrites/...

How to go from 340,269 words to 95,619 words in just one decade — Risa Patterson, Writer An exciting thing happened this month. I finally got Firebug to a point where it was close enough to done that I could plan out the weeks between now and when I’m having my book launch party. I...

Latest blog post — we're in the home stretch of getting Firebug out there! :D

www.risaepatterson.com/blog/how-to-...

A different kind of burn — Risa Patterson, Writer August has been a big month. At a time when I would normally be prepping for and traveling to Burning Man (this is my first non-pandemic year that I’ve skipped since 2016), I instead stayed home an...

New blog post with writing updates!

www.risaepatterson.com/blog/a-diffe...

I'm almost done reading Louise Erdrich's "The Sentence" and it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. A pure, gutting delight.

Healing Through Horror: Writing, Ancestral Pain & Creative Courage with Risa Patterson Podcast Episode · Healthy Mind, Healthy Life · 08/04/2025 · 25m

Y’all I was interviewed on a PODCAST. Big thanks to Avik for having me on the Healthy Mind Healthy Life podcast! I had a great time and am so stoked to share this with y’all. #podcast #writing #books #author #novel

Link to listen to the full interview:
bit.ly/3UKG6uD

After much deliberation, I have decided on an editor to edit Firebug. I sent the payment her way so it’s official! Paloma is keeping me company while I address the first few chapter’s worth of notes. ... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Finally decided on and hired and editor — pretty stoked about moving forward on this!

www.tiktok.com/@risawrites/...

Rabbit rabbit — Risa Patterson, Writer As often as I can remember to do so, I say “rabbit rabbit” first thing in the morning on the first day of a new month. I’ve heard other variations on this — “white rabbit,” or saying it three times, b...

www.risaepatterson.com/blog/rabbit-rabbit

29 reactions · 9 comments | A week or so ago I had a dream I made a “Top 10 Public Naps” social media post. I got it down to 5 because 10 seemed like overkill. Enjoy! #naps #naplife #sleepygirl | Risa... A week or so ago I had a dream I made a “Top 10 Public Naps” social media post. I got it down to 5 because 10 seemed like overkill. Enjoy! #naps #naplife #sleepygirl.

My top 5 public naps, since everyone was wondering:

www.facebook.com/reel/1207417...

I dreamed last night I made a social media post about my "top 10 public naps" so I will be making that post soon (will probably cap the list at 5 tho)

My bestie Chase scanned me with a fancy camera at his art night in Austin and now I am an action figure! I almost left the supports on because it looked like I was summoning something from the earth. ... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

I'm an action figure:

www.tiktok.com/@risawrites/...

This is not an ad, because I don’t have anywhere near the amount of followers for that to make sense, but I wanted to give props to @away for making a suitcase that can literally get run over by a tru... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

My suitcase got run over by a pickup truck while I was in Cali heading to do the #balloonchain art at #coachella

www.tiktok.com/@risawrites/...

Really dig this line from the Bhagavad Gita.

"Your proper concern is alone the action of duty, not the fruits of the action. Cast then away all desire and fear for the fruits, and perform your duty."

Thinking on this as I focus on doing the next right thing.

#bhagavadgita #writing #querying

Oops, all Towers! — Risa Patterson, Writer Back in February, I agreed to help a friend (Ed) create an “All Towers” tarot deck. For folks not into tarot, the Tower card is widely considered to be the one of the most disruptive cards, signifying...

Hell of a thing... #enm #tarot #writing #author

I took a week off of #writing to work with the incredible #balloonchain crew at #coachella — it was hard work but so much fun. Very grateful I was able to join the illustrious balloonatics! #coachella... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Finally back home in Pittsburgh after a month of travel 😵‍💫

This was the wildest part of it but damn that was a hell of a month

www.tiktok.com/@risawrites/...

Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln? — Risa Patterson, Writer Hoo boy. We sure are living in interesting times, huh? I don’t even know where to start regarding our country’s descent into fascism, so right now I am doing my best to help where I can, and to stay f...

www.risaepatterson.com/blog/other-than-that-how-was-the-play-mrs-lincoln

A word of advice so writers can get their work copyrighted under the correct title the first time! #copyright #writing #writersoftiktok #authorsoftiktok #booktok TikTok video by Risa Patterson

A word of advice so writers can get their work copyrighted under the correct title the first time! #copyright #writing #author #books

I went on a deep dive today after seeing that an indie publisher I had my eye on, Quill & Crow, was not accepting queries until May 1st. I left them off this list because they *will* be available for ... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Here's a list of indie publishers currently seeking unsolicited submissions (no literary agent needed) — are there any more I should add to the list? www.tiktok.com/@risawrites/...

Doing some light beach reading while I visit my Mom for her birthday #amreading #currentlyreading #booktok #theroad TikTok video by Risa Patterson

First April stop — surprising my Mom by driving 10 hours to show up at her house for her birthday! Enjoying a nice leisurely stay at the beach for a few days. #currentlyreading #amreading

Final blog post of March — April's going to be a banger, stay tuned! www.risaepatterson.com/blog/manic-p...

If I wanted to compare my book to American Gods, but wanted to avoid associating myself with the author, what's another book in that same vein (dark magical realism tale featuring gods and demons and the like)? #writing #novels #books

Somebody asked me recently how important historical accuracy was to me while writing Loop, Nevada, and I said, “Very.” I don’t want any readers to be taken out of a scene because Hank Zipper* didn’t i... TikTok video by Risa Patterson

Somebody asked me recently how important historical accuracy was to me while writing Loop, Nevada, and I said, “Very.” I don’t want any readers to be taken out of a scene because Hank Zipper* didn’t invent the zipper until 1892. #writing #author #books #novel

*Not the actual inventor of the zipper