Rice explained that life told her that now wasn't the time, that she had too many other things to do and that she just wasn't good enough. She listened to life for a while and didn't go where she wanted to go or do what she wanted to do with her writing. In the meantime her self-confidence waned and her dreams drifted further and further away she said. "Because of some things that had happened before, I thought to myself, well that dream of being a writer isn't going to happen," said Rice. So her desire of being a published writer was put up on a shelf to collect the dust of dreams deferred. Rice eventually took a job as an assistant editor writing articles for a newsletter. It was after she settled into this position that she once again entertained the thought of becoming a professional writer. The process wasn't an overnight thing. She insisted it took a steady stream of faith, and encouragement from the people around her. But over time her confidence grew as she continued to receive validation from the positive influences in her life.

Now determined to pursue her passion to become a novelist, Rice began to familiarize herself with the writing styles of professionals. "I read a lot, about three books a week. As I read and thought about what other people said, I started saying to myself, "well maybe I can do this" and I taught myself. I started reading for sentence structure and things like that".

It was her early experiences of feeling burdened with constant feelings of inadequacy as a woman that gave Rice her purpose and focus as a writer. Describing her writing as 'self-help fiction,' Rice decided to use her life experiences along with those of other women she encountered to direct her novels. "Because of my own experiences of feeling not good enough, feeling a lack of confidence that kept me from pursuing goals that I wanted for myself, I focus on women who feel that way about themselves in my novels."

Rice created fictional characters to give hope to other women whose lives have been burdened with the negative forces of abuse, low self-esteem and unrealized dreams. With the publication of her first novel "Somethin' Extra," she told the story of a woman who overcame being sexually abused as a child. Rice not only uses her novels to tell the stories of women who encounter and live with some of life's most destructive relationships, but she goes that priceless extra mile to offer solutions and victories in the lives of her characters. "I want women to understand that we are viable people. We tend to define ourselves by whether we have a man or whether we have children. We just need to know that we are good enough just standing alone," she said.

Rice's new novel "Reinventing the Woman" tells the story of a shy and timid female living in an abusive relationship until she decides that her life is worth so much more and she begins a journey to self-love and a greater appreciation for who she is as a woman.

Rice believes that we all have a purpose under God and she has found hers. What confirms this for Rice? "All of the letters that I get from women who say this person was me, I read this. I couldn't believe it; it's really changed my life. I'm changing my lifestyle."

Rice is no longer a self-depreciating female who only dreams without the benefit of fulfillment. She is a newly reinvented confident woman who is already working on her third novel, and eagerly pursuing other business endeavors which include assisting other aspiring novelist to realize their dreams.

Don't miss an opportunity to meet Patty Rice, local author of "Reinventing the Woman" on Wednesday, Jan. 24 during her reading and book signing at Reprint Books (455 L'Enfant Plaza SW) at 12:30 p.m. ##