BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Sparkle King

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Patrick A. Roland to talk about The Sparkle King (26 March 2019, Wallace Publishing, 188 pages), a Memoir.

"Happiness is an inside job. If I want to stay in the joy and grace of the miracle of life in sobriety, I have to manifest it for myself."

"Suddenly on that day, he said proudly: 'You're the P in CP.' ... and then, I fully exhaled. It was the only time since finding Pack's dead body that I knew for certain everything was going to be OKAY. I wasn't ever going to be alone again. I was part of something, someone had included me in their very being."

~ The Sparkle King

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Other Works by The Author || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Patrick A. Roland; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To begin, here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in The Sparkle King, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"Every chapter title is a song actually so, here they are..."

What compelled you to write The Sparkle King?

"I experienced a particularly rough time that I got through sober that helped me move to the next, more spiritual level, of my sobriety.

Essentially, God created a flood and wiped just about everything in my life away. I did not know this when it happened but I was actually being prepared for an even better, more beautiful harvest.

I wanted others to know that every ending is really a better, new beginning. This is becoming a theme in my life as I continue to make light out of my darkest times."

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing this book?

"How strong I am.
How capable I am.
How resilient I am. I don’t break; I break through.

This still shocks me because I did 40 years of life being a complete mess. Now I have an amazing message."

Why should we read The Sparkle King and what sets you apart from the rest?

"It’s honest. Many people have done me wrong, but I am not a victim. I am a survivor. I have a part in all of it too.

I want people to know that what you go through is what you grow through. You are not alone in anything either. There is a beautiful Divine order to everything and it all makes sense when you look back at it."

What has been your greatest challenge in writing this book? What was the hardest part to write?

"Honestly, this book flowed out of me. It is my heart. My truth. My love. My faith. It is the beautiful part of me that I stopped being afraid of once I stepped into the power derived from a lifetime of pain."

Can you share with us a favourite passage / section from the The Sparkle King?

"This book is about aha moments and the experiences that led to them, but my favorite passage from the book is this:

“I’ll never again long for the ones I didn’t get because God gave me the ones I was supposed to have.”
I spent all my life chasing after people -particularly men - that led me to chaos, despair and misery. What I’ve found is that when you let go of what you think you want, God will provide what you need. That friend you have that you can’t let go of because you are afraid of what life looks like without them - that’s your whisper, your gut telling you it’s time to let go. The miracle is on the other side of fear. Something/someone better is coming!"

Who would you recommend The Sparkle King to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"The Sparkle King is for the people! Anyone who has ever been hurt or broken by someone or something needs to know that everything happens and it’s going to be OK if you look closer and find the beauty in your brokenness.

We’ve all been dumped by someone, lied to, fired, lost people, faced fear etc. This is about getting to the other side of that; because I know that it may look dark, but if you can’t see the light, what that really means is it’s not over yet! Keep going!"

Which do you think you have the most of: talent, intelligence, education, or persistence?

"I’m persistent. People have been hating on me because I was different from them for my entire life. Not only am I thankful for all of it, I have found the purpose in it. You looked at me and thought I was weak because of all the things I am that scare you - gay, bipolar, fat, drug addict, widow, abuse survivor - but it’s all those things that make me sparkle the way I do. And I am grateful for all of it because I am beautiful because I am a Child of God."

Patrick with Pack & their little dog.

What has been the worst advice you received as a writer, editor or journalist?

"People have always been threatened by me because I’m different so I am sure I was told to be less me. But I’m not here to shrink myself back to make anyone more comfortable, I’m here to be me."

Do you feel differently about yourself now from how you felt when you were younger?

"I hated myself for 40 years and almost jumped out a 26-story window in Vegas over it.

Still, I wouldn’t change anything.

Everything happened exactly the way it was supposed to happen. When I was in the dark muted by all that pain, God was preparing me.

A diamond is a lump of coal that made it out of the pressure of the dark. My painful past is why I sparkle so bright baby!"

You are known for your campaigning to raise awareness for mental health, alcoholism, and drug addiction, but also advocating for equal rights, civil liberties, and LGBT rights, also taking part in workshops, conventions, and giving presentations on these very important topics.

For those who also would like to get into public speaking, what advice could you pass on from your experience?

"Take every experience as a learning opportunity. Be willing to take suggestions. Find mentors. Ask for help. Keep going.

Help other people - learn what inspires other people so that you can become what inspires them.

Be you. All of you: The crazy. The weird. The funny. The sad. The broken. The put together. The mess. The message.

Be honest. Show them the truth. Show them who you are! And don’t be afraid of your darkness, that’s actually where your power comes from. The darker the experience, the brighter the light on the other side."

Which would you say you enjoy the most: to write, research, or to read when you can?

"Ask me this question when I’m done with grad school next year!"

Can you tell us about your writing process, and does this change depending on the focus of your current piece of work and who you are working with?

"For both of my non-fiction books, I started with an outline of what I wanted to talk about and went from there.

I don’t write chronologically, I write about what I feel passionate about in the moment.

I also realised both times that I wasn’t really done when I thought I was because two or three more chapters came out several months later that ended up being my favorites in both books."

If you could have three wishes, what would they be?

Patrick & his mum.

"My goal or dream in all of this is to make it to Oprah with my books. I feel like the world needs someone with all my flaws to show them it’s OK to be who you are. So many people are bullied and abused and afraid and I’m here to tell you, it all becomes worth it when you embrace all of it. Not only can you love yourself you can make your haters love you too. Or at least respect you.

If I had another wish it would be that I am able to be a good son to my parents who both have significant health issues and need me to make decisions for them.

I would also like to be able to thank my deceased partner for everything I have now because if he hadn’t died, I wouldn’t have any of this. Every ending is a new beginning. Remember that!"

What’s the one thing you’ve always wanted but still don’t have?

"A healthy, sober, equal relationship with another man."

What’s in store next for you as a person and writer?

"I’ve written all three of my books on the fly so I’m not sure where inspiration will take me next. But I know I have a year of grad school left and then I will be a counselor and I have to be there for my parents because I learned that you can’t take care of anyone until you can take care of yourself and now that I can do that, I want to make sure I honor the end of their lives. After all, they made a King!"

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"With my dogs Mileycyrus and Chloe."

Hello, Mileycyrus and Chloe! You are very beautiful! Lots of head scratches and belly rubs to both of you :-)

Patrick, thank you so much for sharing Mileycyrus and Chloe with us. We hope you have a great tour!

This inspiring and emotive true story shows how anyone can overcome the hurdles life presents them with, if they just have faith and focus on their inner strengths.