Giveaway & Interview with Debut MIRA Author Pamela Callow

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Mira

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Released Date: June 2010

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How far are you willing to go to forget your past?

Haunted by the death of her sister, and wounded by her ex-fiance's accusations, Kate Lange throws herself into her new career at a high-powered law firm.

When the grandmother of a lonely private school student seeks her counsel, Kate thinks it's just another custody case. Until the teen is brutally murdered. And it isn't only Kate who wonders if her legal advice led to the girl's death.

How far are you willing to go to redeem yourself?

Put on notice by Randall Barrett, the firm's charismatic managing partner, Kate must fight for her career, for her reputation -- and for redemption.

Unwilling to live with the damage she has caused, Kate pursues the case on her own and unearths some chilling facts.

Facts that lead straight to the heart of a legal conspiracy.

Facts that lead Kate directly into the surgically-skilled hands of the Body Butcher.

Read Excerpt.

Get to know the Author of the Day.

OVER THE EDGE BOOK REVIEWS

QUESTIONSWITH

THRILLER AUTHOR

PAMELA CALLOW

1. It fascinates me, the different paths writers take to publication. Will you tell us about your journey as a writer? When you started were there any big milestones? What was your first book?

My journey began when I learned to read. Books always fascinated me. In elementary school, I remember being frustrated that I couldn’t write things the way I wanted to. It was in junior high that I was introduced to creative writing. However, I pursued a different professional path in university and didn’t return to fiction writing until after my second child was born. It was then that I decided to embark on a career as an author. However, I was pretty busy raising my young family, so it wasn’t until my children were in elementary school that I was able to treat my writing as a job – an unpaid one for four years!


The first milestone was to learn how to write good prose. I came from a professional background with a lot of business writing – I had to learn the craft of fiction writing. I kept reminding myself it took four years to train to be a lawyer, and that’s about how long it took me to learn enough to get published. I just kept writing, revising, attending workshops, and submitting to contests.


My first book was a time travel historical that won several contests, garnered me an agent and came very close to selling at a major house. It is still unpublished as I haven’t had the time to revisit it since I sold my thriller series to MIRA Books.

2. What is a typical work day for you?

I start working as soon as my kids head to school. The first hour is spent responding to emails, requests, etc. Then I get to work. I have three books in various stages of the publishing process: DAMAGED is in the promotion stages; INDEFENSIBLE is in production; and I just completed the research and outlining for TATTOOED and am in the writing stage. So my day is basically broken up between these three books. To write or edit, I usually unplug and disappear into my bedroom.


After school, I do my mom thing from about 3:30 – 9:00, and then I work for a couple more hours.

3. For some writers research is a pain they’re forced to endure, and for others it’s their favorite part. What about you?

I will happily confess to being a research geek. I love learning about new things. For TATTOOED, I found a cool book on taphonomy. Research for me is the opportunity to develop plots, sub-plots and expand my world and that of my characters.

4. Are you a creature of habit, needing a routine to write? Or are adaptable to write when and wherever the mood strikes?

I’m pretty routine-oriented but I’ve discovered I can write in most situations when the clock is ticking!

5. Do you have any advice for new writers—maybe things that you’ve learned through trial and error?

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is to spend time getting to know your characters. In my experience, writer’s block isn’t caused by not knowing what’s going to happen next, it’s caused by not knowing your character well enough to know what they would be doing next. Any time I get stuck, I head into backstory. And I’ve never remained stuck.

6. Other than writing, what do you love to do?

I love walking, hiking, camping, reading, watching So You Think You Can Dance, gorging on HBO, and going to movies.

7. Please tell us more about your June 2010 thriller release by MIRA, “DAMAGED”.

DAMAGED debuts thirty-something lawyer Kate Lange. A runner, owner of an abandoned husky and a fixer-upper Victorian home, Kate is struggling with her career and hasn’t had the best luck with love. Embarking on a new career in a high-powered law firm, Kate thinks she is finally making it, only to uncover a legal conspiracy that rocks the foundations of biomedical research – and puts her in the path of a dementing serial killer.

8. What was your inspiration for “DAMAGED”?

The plot was inspired by a US criminal case, which I used as a springboard for the events that occur in DAMAGED. The characters were drawn from my own experiences working in a blue-chip corporate environment.

9. In your new series did you find you had had a favorite character? Did you notice that there was one character over the other that was more intriguing to write than the others?

That’s a tough question. The leads in the series are very rewarding to write, because you can really explore their internal journeys. But some of the secondary characters let you go in a different direction. For example, in DAMAGED, I enjoyed writing the criminal court judge’s character. In INDEFENSIBLE, I got a kick out of criminal defense lawyer Eddie Bent.

10. What’s up next for you and when can we look forward to seeing it out in our bookstores?

During the fall, I will be writing TATTOOED, gearing up for the launch of INDEFENSIBLE, and doing promotional appearances for DAMAGED. INDEFENSIBLE hits the stores on January 1, 2011, and then TATTOOED next summer. A fourth book is underway for June, 2012.

Thank you, Pamela, it was a delight to have you drop by and chat with me and my readers here at Over the Edge. :)

You may contact Pamela at the following sites:
http://www.pamelacallow.com/
FB: http://bit.ly/bVQaPa
Twitter: @PamCallow

Pamela loves hearing from her fans so drop her an email at her contact link @ http://www.pamelacallow.com/

*Giveaway*

Two randomly selected commenters will win a copy of "DAMAGED" by author Pamela Callow by Mira. To enter here are a few simple rules.

* +2 Leave a comment for Pamela Callow including email.
* +2 Spread the Word! ( this means go out into cyber world and post it on any network sites that your are a member of, or on your blog or website. +2 Then come back and leave a link so I can verify the post.)
*Follow me on Twitter. (+5)
* Friend me on Facebook. (+5)
* Become a follower of Over The Edge! (+3 Already a follower--You ROCK! +2 Become a follower.)

The giveaway is open to all and will be running until August 15, 2010. I'll be picking and contacting the winner directly on August 16, 2010. Please make sure to include your email with your comment. Happy Reading!