Patti Dickinson

Being a native of Oklahoma and part Cherokee, Native American history has always intrigued me. Actually I love "history" of any kind so it is not surprising that my B.A. is in History; I graduated cum laude in 1982 from California State University, Fresno. I’ve been writing (as time and life allowed) for fifteen years.

My first book, Hollywood the Hard Way, a Cowboy’s Journey, was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 1999. I first heard this incredible story on my way to a writers conference when I happened to stop for lunch in a cowboy bar in Montana. It had to be Providence that gave me the gumption to enter that bar(by myself) because it's the only cowboy bar I've been in. Too bad, I probably missed more good stories.

My second book came about from a phone call from the granddaughter of Tommy Thompson, a full-blood Cherokee. She happened to hear my NPR radio interview from Tulsa, Oklahoma (promoting Hollywood the Hard Way)the gist of which was that I need heroes in my life--real people who do something extraordinary or who make a positive difference. As his story unfolded, I quickly found out Tommy was indeed a real hero.

Coach Tommy Thompson & the Boys of Sequoyah is the story of her grandfather and the orphaned Indian boys whose lives he forever changed. Published by the University of Oklahoma Press in 2009, the Foreword of this book was written by Chadwick Smith, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. His eloquent addition enchances the book and is a dream come true for this history-loving part-Cherokee writer.

Coach Tommy's book earned a "Finalist" award in the nonfiction division of the 2010 Oklahoma Book Awards. Because both my books feature heroes from the "Sooner" state, I was invited to be a part of the Oklahoma History Program, sponsored by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Created to preserve the state's history, this program assures that all the stories and poetry included will be available "in perpetuity," a great honor.

My first novel, The Indian’s Daughter, is based on a series of actual events, which I first came across in The Seattle Post Intelligencer on February 23, 1996: BIA LOSES 2.4 BILLION, which to me shouted INSTANT MYSTERY! The article chronicled the efforts of a distinguished woman, a member of the Blackfoot Tribe in Montana who couregeously fought to bring the theft to light--and eventually became the lead plaintiff in the biggest class-action lawsuit ever filed against the Federal Government!

The corruption and intrigue involved is the nucleus of The Indian's Daughter. If you like stories about politics, murder, with nail-biting action....I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

My husband and I live in the Central Coast of California, in a beautiful wine-growing valley with 160 wineries--a vinophile's heaven.