Showing posts with label the muffin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the muffin. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Interview with memoirist Rita Pomade

Memoirist Rita Pomade joins me today to chat about Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.  This is just one stop in a virtual book tour she's doing with WOW - Women on Writing - The Muffin! Full list of tour stops is below.

Bio:
Rita Pomade, a native New Yorker, first settled in Mexico before immigrating to Quebec.  During her time in Mexico, she taught English at the Iberoamericana University and wrote for Mexico This Month, a tourist magazine located in Mexico City. In later years, she returned to Mexico and wrote articles and book reviews for Mexconnect, an ezine devoted to Mexican culture. She also had a Dear Rita monthly column on handwriting analysis in the Chapala Review, a monthly English language magazine. In Montreal she taught English as a Second Language at Concordia University and McGill University. She is a two-time Moondance International Film Festival award winner, once for a film script about a homeless lady in Montreal, and then for a short story deemed film worthy about a child’s joy in exploring his creativity. Her work is represented in the Monologues Bank, a storehouse of monologues for actors in need of material for auditions, in several anthologies, and in literary reviews. Her travel biography, Seeker: A Sea Odyssey, was shortlisted by Concordia University for the Quebec Writers’ Federation best First Book Award for 2019.

Welcome, Rita. Please tell us about your current release.
Seeker: A Sea Odyssey is the story of a six-year voyage aboard the Santa Rita, a small yacht my husband and I built in Taiwan. Along with my two young sons, we explored parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, dropping anchor in 22 countries. In those days we were one of very few Westerners who made the voyage through that part of the world. In the process, we barely survived a monsoon, encountered real-life pirates, and experienced cultures that profoundly changed us. Seeker: A Sea Odyssey was published by Guernica Editions under the Miroland in 2019.

What inspired you to write this book?
The seed for the memoir was planted thirty years after the journey. I was offered a chance to sail again. In deliberating about the proposition, I became aware of how extraordinary my journey had been, and how it molded and changed me. The passage of time gave a perspective that enriched the voyage I had taken so many years before.


Excerpt from Seeker: A Sea Odyssey:
The book’s prologue details the event that led up to the book’s realization.

P r o l o g u e

THE CALL

“Hey, Bernard, Roland phoned a short while ago. Something about
a friend of his with a yacht in Tunisia that he wants you to sell. He says to
 get in touch with him.”

We’re talking by Skype. Bernard, my ex-husband, lives in Mexico.
I’m in Montreal. We talk almost every day. Skype collapses distances
and there’s no sense that he’s away — just a feeling of expanded space
around me. It’s a good feeling. I show him the cats, go for a coffee, and
take a short phone call. He leaves the computer to grab a snack while
he waits for me to get off the phone. We have an easy relationship,
though it wasn’t always that way.

“Are you interested?” I continue when he’s back in his seat.

“I’m thinking about it,” he replies. “Roland’s already sent me an email.
The guy really wants to get rid of his yacht. She’s a 50-foot ketch and
well-equipped. He’s offering a big commission, but there’s no market
in Tunisia. Tahiti is the place. If the owner is willing, I’m in. Are you
 coming with me? We can do it again. Better this time. Rita?”

I feel the excitement in the way he says my name. Years ago we
sold the ketch he named Santa Rita, but he never lost his love of the
sea, and I am woven into the threads of that love. I’m intrigued by the
 idea, thrilled he wants to go on another voyage with me. In the
 eighties we sailed from Southeast Asia to Europe. Now I’d have a
 chance to explore the Pacific. The offer is tempting.

But I’m not sure. Back then we were dreamers, free-spirited and totally
self sufficient— or so we thought. The rawness of sea life brought out
our strengths, but it also heightened our weaknesses. In the end, I had to
go off on my own. He had to do the same. But those six years at sea
were the most extraordinary and influential years of my life, and I
could never have made the journey without Bernard. Together we
discovered a world we never knew existed.

I think about my creature comforts. How my stomach no longer turn
when I see a squall line move across the sky. How I don’t jerk awake
 every two hours for my turn at the helm. How I don’t have to hustle
for work from port to port or wonder if Bernard could ever love me as
 much as the Santa Rita. I’m happy with my space. Sometimes I lay
 awake at night and think about my good fortune. Yet — to sail again
 — to relive that adventure from a more stable and aware place . . .
My heart wants to say yes, but —

“I don’t know,” I tell Bernard. “Let me think about it.”

I write my childhood friend Gladys about Bernard’s proposal. She’s
 been living in Belgium since her twenties, but we’ve kept in
touch. She writes back saying: “Maybe this will help.”

 In the packet she’s sent me are the letters I mailed her through the
 six years of our adventure. I open the letters, touch the postmarks,
finger the stamps— each gesture a touchstone to memory.


What exciting story are you working on next?
I survived my birth but my mother almost didn’t. Her body identified me as something alien that had to be expelled. This was not conscious on her part. She had toxemia, and I was born in toxic waste, feet first, with the cord around my neck twice. My mother went blind for several months. She was told I had weakened her too much for her to have another child. Why did her body want to reject me? What was her story? What of her story do I carry? Did environment influence my development or was it partially programmed before my birth?  Did passed on trauma have something to do with my being selectively mute? My search for answers led me to epigenetices, a study that deals with memory carried in the genes, especially if there was trauma in the family history.  At eleven years old I had an experience that reset the way I experience the world, and at that point my book ends. The working title of this childhood memoir is Genesis.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I was already on my way at six years old. Our first grade class was taken to the school library every few weeks to select a book and write a book report consisting of title, author, and why we liked or didn’t like the book. The books were uninteresting stories that I couldn’t relate to, so I didn’t read them after the first few. Instead I made up a title and an author and then wrote a sentence saying I liked or didn’t like the book. What’s odd is that the teacher never noticed, but I think that started my interest in writing.

Then in the fourth grade I couldn’t sleep through the night. I’d suddenly wake up and be restless, so I took pad and pencil to bed to do something when I woke up. The first night I woke up, I wrote a rhymed poem without any thought, and then fell fast asleep. I did that many times over until I had quite a packet of poems. Still, I didn’t think about being a writer.

In the sixth grade I wrote a poem for graduation. It was given to another child to recite as though it was hers. That’s when I made a conscious decision to be a writer. I wanted to expose that injustice, and others I had witnessed. I felt I didn’t have enough experience, and decided I would go into the world to seek experience so that I could write authentically. And I did.

Do you write full-time?
I don’t write every day, and yet I’m writing all the time. When I’m not seated at the computer, I’m often thinking about my writing. When I read other writers, I’m thinking about my writing. Even when I read the newspaper, my mind is picking up things I suddenly want to write about. And when people tell me things about their lives, I’m thinking what an interesting story that would make. On days I don’t I feel like writing, it’s usually that something is going on underneath, and I just trust that it will germinate and flower on a page.

I do have a ritual when I’m working on something I know I want to publish. It always starts with a warm up such as a bit of journal writing or a poem that comes to me. Then, before I leave the computer, I leave a thread of what I’ll be working on the next day so that I don’t start with a blank page.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I do have a quirk though it’s not very interesting. If I get stuck on how I want to phrase something or words don’t come, I play a few games of spider solitaire. I don’t think about what I’m doing. My mind is blank as I place the cards. I’m completely removed from the writing. I usually do this while having a cup of coffee. Then, for some reason, my mind unglues, and I continue with the writing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I loved two comic book characters when I was a child— Wonder Woman and Sheeba of the Jungle. I hoped to grow up and be a combination of the two women routing out injustice and saving the world. I day dreamed this life from my secret home deep in the jungle where I worked out and developed my skills. I assumed I’d get stronger and better at it as I grew older.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Although I had been divorced from my husband for almost thirty years, as a result of my writing Seeker: A Sea Odyssey, we once again live together. Writing the memoir shifted perception and healed wounds.

Links:
Rite is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | Goodreads

Thanks for visiting today.

Readers, to learn more about Rita, feel free to visit her other tour stops:

June 29th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Grab your coffee and join us in celebrating the launch of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey. You can read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

July 2nd @ Fiona Ingram's Blog
Visit Fiona's blog and you can read a guest post by the author about how she could have enriched her journey at sea.http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

July 5th @ CK Sorens' Blog
Visit Carrie's blog today and you can read her review of Rita Pomade's memoir Seeker.https://www.cksorens.com/blog

July 6th @ Create Write Now
Visit Mari L. McCarthy's blog where you can read author Rita Pomade's guest post about what she learned about herself through writing.https://www.createwritenow.com/

July 7th @ The Faerie Review
Make sure you visit Lily's blog and read a guest post by the author about cooking on a shoestring at sea.http://www.thefaeriereview.com/

July 8th @ Coffee with Lacey
Visit Lacey's blog today and read her review of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.https://coffeewithlacey.com/

July 10th @ 12 Books
Visit Louise's blog and read her review of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.https://12books.co.uk/

July 11th @ Bookworm Blog
Visit Anjanette's blog today and you can read her review of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.http://bookworm66.wordpress.com/
July 12th @ It's Alanna Jean
Visit Alanna's blog today and you can read a guest post by author Rita Pomade about the ten best traits you need for living aboard a yacht.http://itsalannajean.com/

July 13th @ The New England Book Critic
Join Vickie as she reviews Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.http://www.thenewenglandbookcritic.com/

July 14th @ Bev. A Baird's Blog
Visit Bev's blog today and read her review of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

July 15th @ Reviews and Interviews
Visit Lisa's blog today where she interviews author Rita Pomade about her book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

July 16th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog where he reviews Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

July 17th @ 12 Books
Visit Louise's blog and read author Rita Pomade's guest post discussing sailing myths.https://12books.co.uk/

July 18th @ Author Anthon Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog today and read his interview with author Rita Pomade.https://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

July 20th @ Bev. A Baird's Blog
Visit Bev's blog again and you can read author Rita Pomade's guest post featuring her advice on writing a memoir.https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

July 21st @ Jill Sheet's Blog
Visit Jill's blog where you can read a guest post by author Rita Pomade about how her handwriting analysis skills made her a better writer.https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

July 22nd @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra's blog today and you can checkout her spotlight of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.http://www.astorybookworld.com/

July 23rd @ Choices
Visit Madeline's blog today and you can read a guest post by author Rita Pomade about the benefits of spending time abroad.http://madelinesharples.com/

July 24th @ Books, Beans and Botany
Visit Ashley's blog today where she reviews Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey.https://booksbeansandbotany.com/

July 24th @ Tiggy's Books
Visit Tiggy's blog today and read her review of Rita Pomade's book Seeker: A Sea Odyssey. She'll also be chatting a bit with the author!https://tiggysbooks.com/

July 26th @ CK Sorens Blog
Visit Carrie's blog today and you can read a guest post by author Rita Pomade about how she jumpstart her writing process.https://www.cksorens.com/blog

July 27th @ Memoir Writer's Journey
Visit Kathleen's blog today and read her review of Rita Pomade's book Seeker.https://www.krpooler.com/

July 28th @ Lady Unemployed
Visit Nicole's blog today where you can read a guest post by author Rita Pomade talking about stepping outside of one's comfort zone.http://www.ladyunemployed.com

July 31st @ Wild Hearted
Visit Ashley's blog where you can read a guest post by author Rita Pomade about why she jumped at the chance to go to sea.https://wild-hearted.com/



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Sunday, June 28, 2020

Interview with novelist and screenwriter Sarah Stonich

Today’s special author guest is writer Sarah Stonich. She’s chatting with me about her new women’s fiction comedy, Fishing!

Bio:
Sarah Stonich is a novelist and screenwriter. Her first book, These Granite Islands was a Barnes and Noble Great New Writers pick and was translated into eleven languages. Her second, The Ice Chorus, was also widely translated and won several honors. Her memoir Shelter: Off The Grid In The Mostly Magnetic North won a Northeast Minnesota Book Award. Sarah is best known for her Northern Trilogy, beginning with Vacationland, recently chosen by USA Today as the definitive Minnesota book for their ‘50 States: 50 Books’ feature. Second in the trilogy, Laurentian Divide, won the 2019 Minnesota Book Award and the NEMBA winner as well as a National Reading Group Month selection by National Women’s Book Association. Wisconsin Public Radios longest running program, Chapter A Day chose Laurentian Divide to be read on air by Jim Fleming. Along with Vacationland, it has been chosen as a community read in three dozen midwestern and Canadian cities.

FISHING! is the first book in her Fishing With RayAnne trilogy, to be followed in March of 2021 by Reeling. She is currently adapting these novels to a television series. Sarah has been awarded fellowships at a dozen residency programs here and abroad, including the Tyrone Guthrie Center in Ireland; Gibraltor Center, Toronto; Hawthornden, Scotland; Art Omi, New York, and Chicago’s Ragdale Foundation, Sarah lives on the Mississippi River in a renovated flour mill with her musician husband recently acquired rescue cat, Dr. Fauci. Of her literary talents Colum McCann says, “One of the joys of reading is coming across books in which language is perfectly wedded to story.” Richard Russo calls Laurentian Divide: ‘Hilarious, smart, moving and kind, ‘Laurentian Divide’ is good for the soul – at least is was good for mine.’

Welcome, Sarah. Please tell us about your current release.
Having fled the testosterone-soaked world of pro-sport fishing, thirty-something RayAnne Dahl takes a consulting job with the first all-women fishing-talk show on public television (one viewer calls it ‘Oprah in a boat’) After the original host bails, RayAnne lands at the helm until a ‘real’ host can be found. Camera shy and out of her depth - RayAnne has her doubts, and enough on her plate with her demanding family just off-stage. Just when things look manageable and she understands the shows potential for good - that it might uplift women, her own life nearly capsizes.

What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write a book that was entertaining but ultimately meaningful. I was inspired by the influences of older generations of women and the ongoing battle for equality, unbelievably still a battle in 2020. I wanted to write an entertaining story that would speak to young professional women while including fantastic older role models.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Reeling. It’s the second in the trilogy, in which the show is renewed for a second season and goes on the road to New Zealand, providing adventures for RayAnne and Cassi that open their eyes in the way only travel and immersion in another culture can.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
It was one thing to hold my first book, These Granite Islands in my hand, and see it on a store shelf and a library shelf. That all felt a bit unreal. But when I got a heartfelt letter from a reader telling me how she’d related to a character and that the book actually helped her make sense of something she was going through, I was floored. And so grateful to be reminded why books matter. Tip to readers: writers LOVE to hear from you - it reminds us why we do this.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
Nearly full time. It’s my primary job so I treat it like one by setting expectations, hours, page counts. I try to make deadlines; visit book clubs (which I love); do speaking engagements, etc. I used to have a few paying gigs (pre-covid) and my husband has good insurance, so for now I can still write (fingers crossed).

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
That I’m dyslexic - so naturally chose to become a writer! My methods and process are pretty messy and disjointed. I write all over the place, from the middle to the end to the beginning and back and in circles. It’s a bit like making hot dogs - not pretty!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An artist. Many of my characters are creative and good with their hands, and a few are even the sort of talented painters I imagined I’d one day be , so safe to say I’m living vicariously through them. My characters include painters, a milliner, a seamstress, a filmmaker.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I guess to remind them that online reviews and word-of-mouth is the most effective way to spread the word about books we love - readers have more power than they know - more than the publisher or booksellers. If you love a book, shout if from the rooftops (and anywhere online where you review and rate books!).

Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Buy link

To learn more about Sarah and her writing, visit her other tour stops:


June 8th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Visit WOW's blog The Muffin today and celebrate the launch of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing! by reading an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.

June 10th @ Madeline Sharples' Blog
Visit Madeline's blog today and you can read a guest post by Sarah Stonich about inviting authors to your book group.

June 12th @ Tongue Tied Magazine
Come by Tongue Tied Magazine today and you can read Sean's review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.

June 13th @ Boots, Shoes & Fashion
Visit Linda's blog today and you can read her fascinating interview with author Sarah Stonich, author of the book Fishing!

June 15th @ Michelle Cornish's Blog
You can visit Michelle's blog and read a guest post by Sarah Stonich about how reader reviews support authors - and help authors write better books.

June 16th @ Bookapotamus
Visit Kate's blog and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.

June 17th @ The New England Book Critic
Visit Victoria's blog today and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!

June 20th @ Coffee with Lacey
Visit Lacey's blog today and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.

June 22nd @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Visit Beverley's blog today and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.

June 24th @ Literary Quicksand
Visit Jolissa's blog today and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!

June 25th @ The Frugalista Mom
Stop by Rozelyn's blog today and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing! You can also enter to win a copy of the book too!

June 26th @ Lady Unemployed
Visit Nicole's blog today and read author Sarah Stonich's guest post about feminists we adore.

(Today) June 28th @ Reviews and Interviews
Join Lisa as she interviews author Sarah Stonich about her book Fishing!.

June 29th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Stop by Beverley's blog again today and you can read Sarah Stonich's guest post about what fictional heroines can teach us.

July 1st @ It's Alanna Jean
Visit Alanna Jean's blog today and you can read a guest post by author Sarah Stonich featuring 10 books every girl and woman should read.

July 3rd @ The World of My Imagination
Author Romalyn Tilghman will be reviewing Sarah Stonich's book Fishing! as a guest reviewer at Nicole's blog.

July 5th @ Jill Sheet's Blog
Visit Jill's blog today and you can read her Sarah Stonich's inspiring guest post about change starts on the page.

July 7th @ Michelle Cornish's Blog
Visit Michelle's blog and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!

July 8th @ Chapters Through Life
Visit Danielle's blog today and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!

July 9th @ Journalling Joy on Sahar's Blog
Visit Sahar's blog and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.



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Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Interview with women's fiction author Pamela Taylor

Today’s special guest author is Pamela Taylor to chat with me about her new historical fiction, Pestilence.

Bio:
An avid reader of historical fact and fiction throughout her life, Pamela finds the past offers rich sources for character, ambiance, and plot that allow readers to escape into a world totally unlike their daily lives. A history major in college, with minors in French and Spanish, she is also a classically trained musician and believes this has given her a special feel for the rhythm, dynamics, and phrasing of the written word.

In addition to creating her own stories, Pamela is active in multiple writing communities. She is a member of the DFW Writers Workshop and is in her fourth year on the Judges Panel for the Ink & Insights Writing Contest. In 2018, she joined the team at DIY MFA where she writes the Historical Fiction column, “Past Perfect.” She is also a freelance editor and a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association.

She shares her home with two Pembroke Welsh Corgis who frequently remind her that a dog walk is the best inspiration for that next chapter.

Welcome, Pamela. Please tell us about your current release.
Pestilence is Volume 3 of the Second Son Chronicles. The series is set in the early days of the Renaissance, when new ideas were beginning to emerge. The protagonist, Alfred, is the second son of the second son of the king; so he’s not particularly close to the succession and believes his life will be spent in routine service to the monarch. His grandfather, however, foresees for him a special, if somewhat mysterious, destiny. The series follows Alfred’s journey to discover that destiny. Each book in the series can stand alone and readers can begin at any point.

In Pestilence, the unthinkable has happened: Alfred’s brother, John, has become king. And it isn’t long before everyone’s worst fears are realized. Traditional allegiances are shattered under a style of rule unknown in the kingdom for over two hundred years. These will be the most dangerous years of Alfred’s life, forcing him to re-examine his duty to personal honor and to the kingdom, while the threats posed by his brother constantly remind him of his father’s final words of advice. Find out in this book what choices Alfred will have to make to try to protect the things he holds most dear.

What inspired you to write this book?
It all started when the first paragraph of Volume 1 came to me in the middle of one of those nights where you’ve waked up and can’t get back to sleep. I didn’t really know if it would go anywhere, but I decided to find out. Once Alfred got into my head and started telling his story, it soon became clear there was more than one book. So the series was born, and Alfred is still telling his story. There are currently six volumes planned.


Excerpt from Pestilence:
My beloved son,
If you are reading this, then you know that I have taken no steps to alter the succession. Whether that will be my conscious decision or whether fate will intervene to take that decision from my hands is unknown as I write this. Perhaps that is for the best, for it frees me to say the words that are in my heart and in my mind, unencumbered by any foreknowledge of what may transpire.

As I look at the familiar handwriting, tears well in my eyes, causing the words on the page to blur. No less a blur are the events of the past week. It’s hard even to remember that a mere nine days ago I was enjoying a pleasant holiday with family and friends at my parents’ country manor. It’s still difficult to take in the fact that, despite all our efforts, Ralf has taken his vengeance by taking my father’s life.

For one thing I’m grateful – that I was there at the end and that he knew I was holding his hand as he passed into the next world. After he took his last breath, the silence in the room seemed to last an eternity. No one moved for a very long time. Finally, the bishop had no choice. He stepped to the side of the chair where I sat next to my father’s bedside. Placing his hand on my shoulder and looking across the bed at my uncle Rupert, he said very quietly, “I have no special instructions.”

In our tradition, the king’s will is lodged with the bishop for safekeeping in the vaults of the church. A king may specify the succession for two generations in his will. If he does so, he provides the bishop with a separate document of special instructions to be read and acted upon before the next king is declared. If he doesn’t, the rules of primogeniture apply.

The bishop stepped back to the head of the bed and turned to address the room. Quietly, but with great authority, he intoned those dreadful words of transition. “The King is dead.” Then, looking directly at my elder brother, John, “Long live the King.” Rupert and I each made our way to the new king and delivered the ancient pledge of loyalty.

A state of affairs that so many had tried and so much had been done to forestall was now upon us. My brother is ill-suited by temperament, intellect, and attitude to be king – a fact of which we were all reminded as we watched his response to the bishop’s words and our pledges. He held his head high, looking down his nose to accept our pledges rather than deigning to bend his neck. His chest puffed out like a peacock seeking a mate . . . so much that one could easily imagine the tail feathers fanned out in grandiose display behind him.

He then gave the bishop what seemed to me a rather menacing look. Undaunted, the bishop moved slowly to the door that exits into the private reception room where the lords of the kingdom were gathered. Opening the door, he once again intoned those fateful words, and John walked into the outer room, followed by the rest of us. At almost the same instant, the opposite door opened and Gwen, my wife, rushed to my side, followed by Richard, one of my four great friends since childhood, all sons of hereditary lords of the realm. Richard and Laurence are heirs to the Devereux and Montfort domains, respectively. Phillip has already become Lord Thorssen, his father having perished alongside King Harold when their party was mistaken for the advance guard of a rebel force during an unfortunate expedition in the Kingdom Across the Southern Sea. Alone among my mates, Samuel Ernle will never be a lord, being the third son in his father’s large family; but he’s distinguished himself in the knighthood, most recently as Captain of the King’s Own Guard.

The lords made their pledges, which John accepted with the same haughty demeanor he’d shown to me and our uncle. “Devereux,” he addressed the first lord of the realm in a commanding tone. “We’ll have the funeral two days hence and the coronation the day after.”

Lord Devereux couldn’t suppress his look of complete astonishment. “With all due respect, Your Grace,” he began.

And then my mother completely lost her composure – something I don’t believe I’ve ever seen in my entire life. “Nooooooooo,” she wailed, running to John and beating on his chest with her palms. “No, no, no, no, no. You can’t do that. He was your father. He was our king. He deserves your respect.”


What exciting story are you working on next?
Well, the remaining volumes of the series, of course. But beyond that, I’m starting to explore some other ideas: the events surrounding the deposing of Edward II of England, an unfinished early draft set in the Channel Islands during the German Occupation, and something involving the Seigneurs of Sark. Time will tell which, if any, turn out to be viable.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve been writing things for so long during my corporate career that I couldn’t even begin to tell you when that happened – it just sort of crept in. But I know precisely when I began considering myself a novelist – it was the day I got the contract offer from my publisher for the first book.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I wear quite a few hats these days: novelist, freelance editor, reader, purveyor of pet treats and toys, and pet parent. Before Covid-19, I was also taking lessons to learn to play the pipe organ and am looking forward to the time when I can get back to that. The variety keeps my mind stimulated and my ideas fresh. Since I’m no longer in a corporate career, I’m in charge of my own schedule, which makes it much easier to be sure each hat gets its fair share of time.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I edit as I go – I’m a real stickler for getting things as close to “right” as possible the first time through. That doesn’t mean I don’t go back and make revisions – that seems always to be necessary. But I nitpick my own writing every step of the way.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I didn’t actually know. Even when I went to college, I didn’t quite know what kind of career I might want, and where I finally ended up – in the software industry – wasn’t even a “thing” at the time. So I suppose I was fortunate to be in the right place with a suitable education when opportunity presented itself.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I hope you enjoy Alfred’s story as much as I’m enjoying bringing it to life. If you do, then perhaps you might be willing to leave a rating or a review on Goodreads or Amazon or wherever you do such things. I truly value support from readers.

Links:
Author website | Book website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Thanks for being here today!

-- Readers, to learn more about Pamela and her writing, check out her other Blog Tour stops

June 22nd @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us as we celebrate the launch of Pamela Taylor's blog tour for her book Pestilence. You can read an interview with the author and enter to win the first three books in her series "The Second Son Chronicles."

(TODAY) June 23rd @ Lisa Haselton's Review and Interviews
Stop by Lisa's blog today where she interviews author Pamela Taylor about her book Pestilence.

June 24th @ Rebecca Whitman's Blog
Visit Rebecca's blog today and you can read Pamela Taylor's guest post discussing the allegory (themes) embedded in the narrative of Pestilence specifically and the Chronicles generally.

June 25th @ A.J. Sefton's Blog
Visit A.J. Sefton's blog and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

June 26th @ Jill Sheet's Blog
Visit Jill's blog today and read Pamela Taylor's guest post about getting historical details accurate.

June 27th @ Storeybook Reviews
Join Leslie today as she shares Pamela Taylor's guest post about her life with corgis.

June 28th @ Reading is My Remedy
Visit Chelsie's blog today and you can read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

June 29th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog today and you can read Pamela Taylor's guest post about the authors and books that inspired the creation of the Chronicles.

June 30th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
Visit Veronica's blog today and you can read a guest post by Pamela Taylor about the trap of linguistic anachronism – getting the language and word usage right for historical narratives.

July 1st @ Rebecca Whitman's Blog
Visit Rebecca's blog again and you can read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 2nd @ 12 Books
Visit Louise's blog today and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 3rd @ What is that Book About?
Visit Michelle's blog today and you can check out a spotlight of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 5th @ The New England Book Critic
Visit Vickie's blog today and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 6th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog today and read his review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 7th @ Fiona Ingram's Blog
Join Fiona Ingram today when she shares Pamela Taylor's guest post about data encryption in ancient times.

July 8th @ Bev A. Baird
Visit Bev's blog today and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 9th @ To Write or Not to Write
Visit Sreevarsha's blog and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 10th @ Thoughts in Progress
Visit Mason Canyon's blog today and you can read a guest post by Pamela Taylor about deriving details for your setting from historical maps.

July 11th @ Books & Plants
Visit Ashley's blog and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 11th @ A Darn Good Read
Join Yvonne as she reviews Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 14th @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy's blog and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 15th @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog and read Pamela Taylor's guest post about period-appropriate names for characters.

July 17th @ Books & Plants
Visit Ashley's blog and read Pamela Taylor's guest post about ways to do historical research.

July 18th @ Bookworm Blog
Stop by Anjanette's blog today where you can read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence. Plus you can read an interview with the author!

July 20th @ Coffee with Lacey
Visit Lacey's blog where you can read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 24th @ Medievalists
Stop by Medievalists where you can check out a spotlight of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.

July 25th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Stop by Linda's blog today and read her extensive interview with author Pamela Taylor about her book Pestilence.

July 25th @ Reading in the Wildwood
Join Megan today and read her review of Pamela Taylor's book Pestilence.
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