Guest Author & A Giveaway: Pamela Clare

Hi friends! Can you believe that it’s December? I can’t. This year has flown by. I had such high hopes for 2012. It was… well, a year. So I’ll transfer my high hopes to 2013. But in the meantime, don’t you worry, because at least in the ALBTALBS world I’ve got some semblance of control. (Although maybe that should make you fret…) My point is though that we’ve got a lot of fun and good things ahead. AHOY!

Erm, and now that I’ve scared Pamela Clare and all her readers away… you know. That’s okay. She was super awesome and a good sport because I’m losing my mind with “sick brain” and did this all rather last minute. (And she was so kind about it! It’s sad I’m so pleasantly surprised to see a nice author response…) But anyway, Pamela Clare is awesome. She also wrote one of my favorite romances ever. Extreme Exposure. (Read it – you’ll see. And if you don’t, your loss. More Reece for me!)

Without further ado… (since I got to it so quickly and all…) Ms. Clare’s non-traditional, traditional ALBTALBS interview! \o/

1. What’s the best admonishment your mom ever gave you, or that you’ve ever given a kid? e.g. if you make that face it’ll freeze like that. or… if you walk from the kitchen to the table w/ a fork in your mouth you’ll stab yourself through the throat and die.
I’ve got two boys. When they were little, they fought a lot. I remember being on a car trip and being at my wit’s end. I ended up shouting, “If the two of you don’t stop fighting and be quiet right now, I’m going to take your Play Station and throw it out the window when we get home!” That shut them right up.

2. Immediate response: what is the most interesting thing that has ever happened to you? [I know you were a journalist so I can imagine you’ve got a number of them…]
Immediate response? OK. My immediate response is so many that I can’t even single one out. Being an exchange student and living abroad. Staying overnight in jail as a bogus felony arrest to better understand women in prison. Traveling to the Navajo reservation to cover forced relocations there. Those three stand out.

3. What’s your favorite drink? (alcoholic, and non-alcoholic)
WATER! I don’t always drink alcoholic beverages, but when I do, I prefer pinot — grigio or noir.

4. What is your favorite TV show? now your favorite guilty pleasure secret shame show. i’m talking real housewives, the Kardashians, Bridalplasty, Jersey Shore, etc. *shudders*
I don’t have television. I got rid of it years ago. I’ve never seen Seinfeld, Real Housewives, Survivor, Jersey Shore, none of it. I can’t fathom why anyone thinks the Kardashians are interesting. I love Star Trek, Firefly, Castle, Game of Thrones, True Blood and Hawaii Five-0, which I watch on DVD.

5. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Mutton stew prepared for me by a very kind family on Black Mesa. In the stew, I found one of the slaughtered sheep’s teeth. At least I hope it was one of the sheep’s teeth.

6. Which would you most like to go to? Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, China, Mesopotamia, Africa, or South America? (or another ancient place?) Why?
ROME! I studied Latin for 10 years and my undergraduate and graduate work were in archaeology, focusing on Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Minoan and Cycladic cultures (Crete, etc.) I’d choose Rome over Greece because women were treated terribly in ancient Greece.

7. Which fairy tale would you most like to be in? Least?
Sleeping Beauty. I get lots of rest and wake up to find a prince kissing me. That works. Snow White. Too scary!

8. When did you get your first aol screen name? Do you remember what it was?
Never had one. 🙂 I’m a bit old fashioned. No smart phone either. No cable television.

9. What author promo has been most effective for you? (As far as you can tell.)
I think word of mouth has been the most helpful for me. Social media after that. Thanks to the Internet, it’s so easy to connect with people who share our interests.

10. Have you ever owned any crazy pets? What kind(s)? If you’ve never had a pet, which exotic one would you consider?
I had a zoo in my bedroom as a teenager: a mouse, several guinea pigs, a cat and a bird. Nothing too crazy. I have been to wildlife refuges where I was able to pet, among other things, a mountain lion. They’re the biggest of the cats that purr, and it purred up a storm. It sounded like a little motor. It’s fur was very rough, not soft at all. I also got to bottle feed a 400-pound male Bengal tiger. He was seven feet tall when he reared up on his hind legs. He drank the bottle very quickly and almost knocked me onto my butt just by brushing me with his shoulder when he passed by me. I had tiger slobber on my shirt, and I thought that was pretty damned cool! … I’m so jealous I think I might need to stop the interview right here.

(I needed a moment)

11. What items have to be close by when writing & not just the sensible stuff like research notes, but the other perhaps slightly goofy stuff (bowl of m&ms, stuffed animal, stress ball, pot of coffee).
Vanilla latte, chocolate (sometimes M&Ms — I like the almond variety), lip balm, lots of pens (not sure why), and my earbuds. I listen to a LOT of music.

12. How do you feel about the dentist?
I love my dentist. She’s wonderful. I haven’t had a cavity since I was 18. Maybe that’s why I love her. I just go in for cleanings and come home. 🙂

13. What is the super power you would most like to have? And least like to have?
I would love to be able to teleport myself wherever I wanted to be in the world. That would cut down on travel time, and I’d be able to hang with my friends and readers in Europe and be home in time to have dinner with my kids. As for the super-power I’d like LEAST to have… Body odor that kills?

14. What was your worst traveling mishap ever? Or most constant one? (Did your luggage get stolen by a monkey? Is the flight canceled every time as soon as your ride drives away from the airport?)
Oh, God! I lost my driver’s license in the Philly airport in the middle of a two-stop flight. The people in the airport were exceptionally unhelpful. I’ve never met airport staff who were more rude. But the TSA folks were great. I really slowed down my trip. Can you imagine having to say to TSA, “I am me. Yes, really, I am. Would I lie to you?” I was able to use my social security card and my Colorado press card, together with answering a bunch of questions, to get on my flight. I am now VERY careful with my driver’s license. I don’t want to do that again!!!

Annnnd somehow, a question slipped by. And based on her other answers – I don’t think Ms. Clare meant to miss it. I’ll ask it in the comments. 😉 Maybe. I’m curious though – what do YOU want to ask her? As you see, anything goes. Incidentally, all the book covers you see here are linked to the books, so feel free to check them out, and ask Pamela any questions you have.

OH! And how could I forget? The main draw for some of you… 😉 up for grabs? One lucky commenter gets her (or his!) choice of either an audiobook version of *Hard Evidence or a signed copy of Defiant.

*N.B. neither of which are pictured. I just like keeping you guys on your toes 😉

42 thoughts on “Guest Author & A Giveaway: Pamela Clare

  1. Kim in Hawaii

    Aloha, Pamela! I’m also jealous over your close encounters with big cats! Limecello may call EXTREME EXPOSURE as one of her favorite romances … mine is BREAKING POINT. And romantic suspense is not my favorite genre!

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Aloha, Kim! It was a pretty intense experience. The facility was a refuge for big cats that would otherwise have been part of canned hunts — men with big guns shooting fenced in cats for trophies. There were African lions there, too. One charged the fence and roared, and let me tell you, I could feel my cave woman genes screaming, “RUN!” I definitely felt like part of the food chain. Sheer adrenaline. Feeding the tiger was amazing. He wasn’t tame and reared up on one of his keepers while I was watching. So some adrenaline there, too. SO glad you enjoyed BREAKING POINT! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Cathy P

    Hi Pamela! It sounds as though you have led a very interesting life. I am especially jealous of the fact that you were able to pet and bottle feed at the petting zoo.

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Thank you, Cathy. I’ve been very fortunate in the range of experiences I’ve had, though not all were good. I’m one of few romantic suspense authors who has had a gun held on her or been stalked in real life or seen a dead body with its head blown off… The cats were amazing! But it was a refuge, not a petting zoo. Most people couldn’t get back there. One of the tigers had ripped off a volunteer’s arm several months before I visited. (I kept my arms to myself.)

      Reply
  3. Timitra

    My question for Pamela is how do you survive without having a television or a smart phone? I wish I could get to the level where I can live without them, you are amazing I am seriously in awe right now…really enjoyed reading the interview!

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      I’ve never had a smart phone so living without one seems natural. I just do everything the way I did before they came out. I wish I didn’t have a cell phone, but I consider it essential. I actually do have a TV, but it doesn’t get any kind of stations because of the mountains. You have to have cable in Colorado even to get the local channels. We buy DVDs for the programs we really want to see, or I’ll go on to Hulu or Netflix once in a while. I spend maybe a few hours a month watching anything on TV. I decided at one point that I could either watch fake people having pretend lives, or I could put all my energy into living my real life. So that’s what I did. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Carol Wilson

      Pamela, I love your Ranger series and am looking forward to the series completion. Your detail of the time is exceptional!! My favorite of the ITeam is your short story “Skin Deep”

      Reply
      1. Pamela Clare

        Thanks so much, Carol! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the Rangers. I’m working on a Christmas novella I hope to have up shortly. SKIN DEEP is your favorite? That’s cool! It was my special project from this past spring, a way to say thanks to all the I-Team fans. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
  4. remykat6

    Great interview! Always enjoy reading and learning more about the authors and seeing that their lives are just as full of fun and thrills as the stories they write. Pamela how far do you think you will take the I-team series? DO you have each book in your head who it will be and when your done you already know who the last book will be with?

    Reply
  5. Pamela Clare

    Thanks! Well, I want to end it with Holly’s story. Right now I have three, or four at most, stories left to go: Javier Corbray (new to the series, STRIKING DISTANCE), Joaquin Ramirez, Holly Bradshaw and possibly Alex Carmichael, a new character that will be introduced in STRIKING DISTANCE. I don’t want to continue the series so long that it gets boring. 🙂

    I’m working on STRIKING DISTANCE now.

    Reply
  6. Julieanne Reeves

    Awesome interview! HE is my second favorite I-Team, closely following BREAKING POINT. At least until STRIKING DISTANCE comes out. *grin*

    Question: If you had to be stranded on an island… nah, never mind, I won’t do that to you. lol

    So glad that the I-team is in Audio format. 🙂

    Reply
      1. Pamela Clare

        Joseph and one other person will get their own stories — though I have considered bringing some MacKinnon cousins into the series. I would like to give Captain Cooke his own story, too. He really grew in DEFIANT, and I love his three-book arc.

        Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Too funny, Julieanne! If I were stranded on a desert island — at the very least I would rest a lot. 🙂

      I hope you’ll be reading STRIKING DISTANCE sooner rather than later.

      Reply
  7. Marti

    Hi Pamela! Several years ago on a ski trip to Keystone, I picked up a copy of Naked Edge at the local Borders book store. I had recently had knee surgery so I was looking for a book to keep me entertained while the kids and hubby hit the slopes. I devoured that book and went back the book store the next day praying they had the rest of the books also. They did! I had a great week in the mountains with some great books. I returned home to Tx and wrote you an email. I have never written any author. My family and I are again headed to Keystone for our annual ski trip. My question is: do you and your family ski? If so, what’s your favorite place to ski?

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Marti, I think I remember your email! I hope I wrote back. I’ve got a backlog and some of the messages are quite old. I feel bad when I can’t get back to everyone. I’m so glad you enjoyed the stories, and I hope this time you get to ski on your refurbished knee. Yes, I ski. I grew up here, and I love to ski. I was badly injured in a mountain climbing accident in 1994, however, and I have skied only once since then. My neck was broken and began to deteriorate to the point where I was in severe pain from the hips down and lost feeling in my lower legs and feet. I had surgery in 2010 and two of my vertebrae were replaced by implants. I’m doing better but have very poor balance and no feeling in my lower legs, which will make it hard to ski. I’ve thought of hiring a ski instructor who works with disabled people to get me back up on the slopes again. The only thing that holds me back is the knowledge that if I hurt my neck, the damage could be extreme and result in my being quadriplegic. My neck is very fragile now.

      My favorite ski area? TELLURIDE! I love that place. It’s beautiful and the runs are long so that you spend a lot more time skiing than you do in life lines or going up the lift.

      Reply
  8. AmandaS

    Waiting until spring for Striking Distance to come out is so difficult! I’m really looking forward to this next book. 🙂 I’ve become a huge fan of your writing since I first discovered Unlawful Contact. My question is do you have a favourite romance author right now that you have to read the moment a new book comes out?

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Hi, Amanda — Sorry to break the news but STRIKING DISTANCE has been bumped back to November because someone — the author — was unable to finish it by deadline. I’m actually starting over. I want it to be the best book it can be. I’m so glad you enjoyed UNLAWFUL CONTACT.

      I rarely get time to read these days, and I rarely know when anyone’s books are coming out. But back when I did, I loved Kathleen Givens, who is sadly no longer with us, and Tara Janzen, who is alive and well and needs to get together with me for some gunpowder therapy. I did get caught up in the Black Dagger Brotherhood for a time, as well.

      Reply
      1. AmandaS

        Okay, I will wait patiently (or possibly not very patiently) for Striking Distance. I’ll reread some of your older books and try to put it out of my head. All of your books are completely worth any wait involved!
        I’ve never read Kathleen Givens, I’ll have to take a look =)

        Reply
  9. Pat Egan Fordyce

    Hi Limecello and Pamela. Just for the record, I think I might have mentioned that Kaleo is an amazing voice for your I-team stories. I’m not a writer, but you certainly have my favorite things when YOU are writing; Vanilla Latte, chocolate, and music. Great interview, and I am so in awe of your work…thank you!

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      You’re so welcome, Pat. And thank you for your sweet words. I’m glad we see eye to eye on lattes, chocolate and music. They are my favorite things. Isn’t Kaleo Griffith amazing? He’s done such great work on the I-Team series. I can’t wait to have the rest of the books in my hands.

      Reply
    2. Pamela Clare

      Thanks so much, Pat! I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed Kaleo’s work on the series. And I’m glad we see eye to eye on the important stuff — lattes, chocolate and music. I’m so grateful that you took time to read my stories. 😉

      Reply
  10. Dolores Fuentes

    Hi Pamela! A friend recommended your McKinnon series to me and also stressed how I HAD to read your I-Team series and I am sooo glad I followed her advice! I so love your books! I can’t wait for the next I-Team book!

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Hi, Dolores — Please thank your friend for me! I’m so glad you took her advice as well, and I am delighted to know you’ve enjoyed the stories. Hopefully, STRIKING DISTANCE will start moving forward again soon!

      Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Hi, Angel — I have a soft spot for poor tortured Julian, so I’m glad you enjoyed him, too. Thanks for giving the story a try! I really appreciate it. I’m glad it held your attention.

      Reply
  11. rubyswan

    HELL:O MS.CLARE!
    OOH WAT A FUN & AMAZING INTERVIEW ,I FOUND THE QUESTIONS INTERESTING:)..WOW(Ms.Clare) UR QUIET THE ADVENTURER(Shana of the wild:)!! NOOO WAY ON GO:D’S GREEN EARTH COUL:D I’VE FED THAT SIZE CAT((giggle)) NOPE..I REMEMBER A TRIP MY CHILDREN & I TOOK 2 DISNEY WORLD 2 ANIMAL KINGDOM .WE VISITED THE (I Think..hmmm..they were..) ASIAN TIGERS! THEY R SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATURES WITH AN IMPOSING WAY ABOUT THEM.. GEZZZZ WHIZZZZ!! I FELT Truly INTIMIDATED, LIKE A TOTALLY WEENIE.(I more than likely breathe,shake, dripped &sweated Nothing but RAW running FEAR, I sure those tigers probably smell my fear wen I was yards away coming towards them:) They probably thought 4 sure lunch was gonna B Chicken & weenies..!Never aaagain..;)
    WILL THEIR B ANY PLANS N THE FUTURE 4 A PARANORMAL/SHIFTER STORY? This is the closest I wanna B 2 Tigers or any other such Lion tigers or Bears..oooh my!
    I ALSO HAVE A FEW OF UR BKS. ON MY READING PILE. I LUV & ADORE READING ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS! I REALLY WOULD LUV 2 READ MORE STORIES ABOUT THESE WONDERFUL STRONG PEOPLE..!! IT’S SEEMS SO ((much))Wisdom Honor 2 LEARN ABOUT SUCH GIFTED FOLK..My Mind is OPEN..ready 2 receive & embrace..Heyyy,certainly THE MORE THE BETTER ;)!!
    [email protected]

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      There is something about being around big wild animals like that that raises the adrenaline. When those lions roared, the chills that went down my spine were unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I hope you enjoy my stories! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Mary Preston

    Hi Pamela,

    I just know that if I were in with any big cats they would view me as nothing but lunch. I have that kind of luck, so I tend not to push it.

    How’s your luck running?

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      I have been very, VERY lucky. Of that there is no doubt. My climbing accident was deemed “beyond critical,” meaning that the person who fell will almost certainly die. I’m still rather alive. Then there were stalkers, death threats, two guys who held guns on me, the two men with switchblades who broke into my apartment in the middle of the night when I was alone with my infant son (adapted for EXTREME EXPOSURE)…

      Yes. Very, VERY lucky.

      Reply
  13. Steph99

    Hi Pamela and Limecello! This was a great interview, thanks! Wanted to share my favorite admonishment, which comes from my grandmother. When my siblings and I were young, she would say “Don’t sing at the table, or you’ll marry a drunk”. LOL I still wonder where that one came from. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Steph, that’s hilarious! Grandmothers say some of the funniest things. Mine used to say, “Wish in one hand, and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up first.” And this one: “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to turn out alright anyway.” OK, Grandma.

      Reply
  14. Diane Sallans

    Hi! I love Pamela’s books. They have such action & adventure in them. I can tell from Pamela’s answers that she is an adventureous person, but how does she deal with the physical demands her characters go thru? Do you have experience with martial arts, guns, or other physical feats that your characters use?

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Hi, Diane — I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the stories. 🙂

      And that’s a great question!

      Until my mountain climbing accident, I was a very athletic person. So skiing, climbing, hiking, rafting — these were things I did. That covers Gabe. I’m also a gun owner and a member of a shooting club where I can go for coaching and where I can rent out different handguns to try. I’ve shot with the SIG Sauer P226 Navy SEAL issue weapon that Javier uses in STRIKING DISTANCE. I’ve fired Glocks, a Beretta, a Colt M1911, shotguns, various historical battle rifles, an M16, an AK-47 and others.

      As for martial arts… Not so much. I took tai chi for a time from a teacher who took it back to its martial arts roots.

      And then I’ve done my share of TSTL things, most of which can’t be posted hear because they entailed some degree of, shall we say, illegality that I deemed necessary to get the story. This once resulted in driving a Nissan Sentra cross country in the middle of the desert on an Indian reservation. Fun times!

      Reply
  15. Sue V

    Hi!
    Pamela, I’m a “longtime” fan — I picked up “Surrender,” “Sweet Release” and “Ride the Fire” when they originally published, all those years ago. 😉 I sort of lost track of you and when I found the re-issue of “Surrender” at the PX in Iraq I was reminded of how great your writing was.

    I got turned on to your I-Team series via Amazon’s recommendations and I am so glad I did. Then I realized you were the same author as the MacKinnon Brothers and the Blakewell-Kenleigh Family series! Hallelujah!

    I will admit to a case of “I wish” when it comes to your journalism career. I had hoped to follow a similar track, but got detoured by joining the Army, having a family etc.

    Looking forward to “Strinking Distance” next November — just in time for my birthday!

    Reply
    1. Pamela Clare

      Hi, Sue V — I can’t believe you found a copy of SURRENDER in Iraq! That makes my day. How amazing! Thanks for picking it up and giving it a try. I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed the I-Team, too. Yep, same person. 🙂

      I never intended to go into journalism. It kind of found me rather than the other way around. But you’ve served in the Army, so we all owe you a debt. Thanks very much for your service and courage!

      My younger son is a November baby, too. 🙂

      Reply

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