Patricia Anne Elford

Greetings! I'm Patricia Anne Elford.

This entry was first written for a creativity workshop I was presenting at Write! Canada! At that time, I was on contract as Chapel Life Co-ordinator at St. George’s interdenominational chapel, Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, ON., facilitating all aspects of worship and congregational life, timetabling padres’ and my own preaching and worship leadership. I've been requested to write an article about that unusual civilian woman's experience for an upcoming issue of The Presbyterian Record, have contributed two other pieces since then, and am still trying to think of a suitable perspective from which to write that article.

I'm a clergy person, educator, facilitator, editor and freelance writer who has been published in various genres: short stories, articles, poetry, hymn texts, youth materials, worship services, sermons, book reviews, monologues, devotionals, published in a variety of newspapers and periodicals, have won international, national and area awards for my work, and have enjoyed giving readings in the Ottawa National Library, in Toronto and at Arts Festivals and workshops in other locations.

I edit articles, short stories, devotionals, newsletters, fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults, and, some webpage texts. The books reviewed are usually educational or theological in nature. I'm a professional member of The Word Guild. I have two cats, five children, one husband, all loved, but occasionally short-changed, because of the overlapping commitments.

Most Recently Published Work at time of this entry: a devotional in The Fellowship Link and two creative non-fiction pieces in the anthology, The Wisdom of Old Souls, just out from Hidden Brook Press.

I'm in the middle of changing over almost all of my office equipment and will have to make some fast adjustments to meet the requirements for the book to be written for one client and the poetry that is due to be prepared for submission to various publications. A carpal tunnel operation this week will add to the challenge! To help me deal with that, there's an ergonomic keyboard (closing the barn door after the horse has bolted) and an oral dictation device in place (if I can just figure out how to use it correctly!).

My main purpose in starting a blog was that of establishing a presence on the Web, although Googling "Patricia Anne Elford" or "Patricia Elford" will turn up several references to my work . (I am not a brain gymn instructor! That honour is held by a different Patricia Elford.)

So far, the only way you'll see actual work samples is by checking out the following:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Patricia+Elford-a1677 Short Christmas Story

www.presbyterianrecord.ca/index.php?dir=200506&id=feature-09 - 17k, /article

www.presbyterianrecord.ca/index.php?dir=200506&id=feature-01 - 15k Article

www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14488441_ITM - 26k - Article and book review.

http://fictionmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Patricia%20Elford Guest Blog

If you read the samples, you'll notice that there's much more life in them than I'm showing here.

I'll become more like myself as time goes on. Thank you for coming by!