Friday, October 13, 2017

: Meet Award-winning Author Pamela S. Thibodeaux and Read About THE INHERITANCE

About Pam

Pam is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Contact Pam

Website  
Twitter @psthib

About THE INHERITANCE





After her husband’s death she discovers a future she never expected and a family she never imagined.

Widowed at age thirty-nine and suffering from empty nest syndrome, Rebecca Sinclair is overshadowed by grief and loneliness.  Her husband has been deceased for a year, her oldest child has moved to New York in pursuit of an acting career and her youngest child is attending college in France. Having spent over half of her life as a wife and mother, she has no idea what God has in store for her now.  Will an unexpected inheritance in the wine country of New York bring meaning and purpose to her life and give her the courage to love again? 

US Postal worker Raymond Jacobey has been in love with the little widow since he first set eyes on her.  A wanderer searching for the ever-illusive soul mate, Ray has never stayed in one place too long. Raised by self-centered, high-power executives, he’s longed for the idyllic life of residing in a cozy house in a small town with the love of his life. Will he gain the heart of the lovely widow or will he lose her to the wine country of New York?  

Excerpt  

A picture began to take shape in her mind…an old woman standing in the doorway of a big house…a young woman of heartbreaking beauty, thin, fragile, dark hair flying in the wind, sobs shaking her slender frame… “Look at her and tell me she’s not his!” She pointed to the little girl clinging to her skirt. Tugging the child from behind her, the young woman jerked around to face the old one once more. “She looks just like him!” she insisted, gripping the little girl’s hand.
Rebecca’s hand.

Purchase The Inheritance (2nd edition – newly edited, revised, and updated!)

An Interview with Pam

What inspired this novel? How did it come about?
The Inheritance is one novel that began with a simple thought: They say life begins at forty, but for Rebecca Sinclair that’s far from the truth. Of course, as a nosy writer I had to find out why Rebecca felt that way.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part of writing The Inheritance was making sure Rebecca’s feelings and emotions around her husband’s illegitimate child were authentic and stayed within her character – not what I would do or think.

How did you come up with the concept and the setting?
Characters came first then setting for The Inheritance. My step-children live in Washington and I’ve visited Hammondsport, NY so the places depicted in the novel are drawn from my memories and impressions of both.

What is the message you hope to get across in this story?
That, when it comes to love and forgiveness, we are called to be true imitators of Christ. I hope Rebecca’s handling of her deceased husband’s illegitimate child will encourage readers to open their hearts and minds and broaden their perspective on areas of pain, anger and unforgiveness in their own lives.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you?
            Q: To what or whom do you credit your success?
            A: Many people have a love/hate relationship with their muse. My muse is the Holy Spirit and I accredit every ounce of success to the grace of God because without HIM I seriously doubt I could write a single word, much less stories that bring hope and healing to so many.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
Unlike many writers, I'm not strictly disciplined. However, when I am actively writing, I write—very little editing, or working on other projects, limited time online, not much networking or blogging, sleep comes only in snatches, meals are scarce and light, and definitely no playing!

When do you feel like it all began to come together for you as a writer—was there a particular moment?
After years as a closet writer, penning stories in 5-subject notebooks, I'd have to say when I purchased my first, USED word processor and started typing in all those handwritten manuscripts I really began to feel like a writer.

Who has influenced you most as a writer and why?
There is really no one person to whom I can attribute this to, so many have helped me along the way. I’d have to say that my love of reading has influenced me the most. Reading opens doors to the imagination, takes you places you’d never be able to go otherwise and improves your visualization and vocabulary skills. Now, I’m able to implement all those things into my own writing.


What are some of the challenges you face as an author?
The biggest challenge I face is not having my work accepted by the “Christian” publishers. As one reviewer said, “though undeniably Christian, it is never dogmatic or insular; offering faith rather than religion.” (Review of Tempered Dreams by Elizabeth Burton for Blue Iris Journal) My books deal with issues in a way that is unacceptable in the traditional CBA market. Now that is not saying that my books are better than those published through traditional CBA publishers, only different. As I’ve said many times, everything that gives God glory deserves to be praised!


What are a few writing tips you could share with aspiring writers?
The bible exhorts us to “study and show yourself approved.” Keep studying, keep writing, keep learning, stay open to constructive critique and NEVER GIVE UP! Writing is both gift and talent given to you by God. Don’t hide your gift or bury your talent. Whatever you write, write well. Strive for excellence. Stay teachable, pliable, and flexible. Never believe that you know it all because knowledge is power and the more you know the more valuable you become. Above all share what you learn with others and make someone’s load lighter to bear.

Any marketing tips?
Marketing is an intricate part of the publishing business and publishers today expect authors to do their fair share. However, marketing/promotion can be overwhelming as the more you learn, the more there is to learn. For every thing you accomplish, there are hundreds more you can do. My motto is: Do something every day and your best then let God do the rest and remember it takes time to build a career.

What is your goal or mission as a writer?
A committed Christian, I firmly believe in God and His promises. God is very real to me. I believe that people today need and want to hear more of His truths wherever they can glean them and I do my best to encourage readers to develop a personal relationship with Him. The deepest desire of my heart is to glorify God and to get His message of faith, trust, and forgiveness to a hurting world. My hope is that all of my stories will touch the lives of everyone who reads them and - in some way - bring them a truer knowledge of God and urge them into a closer walk with Him.





13 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me today, Diana!
    Good luck and God's blessings to ALL!
    PamT

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  2. Pam,

    I enjoyed reading this excellent interview with you. Wishing you much success with The Inheritance.

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    1. Thanks so much Jacquie! Your continued support is humbling.
      Good luck and God's blessings to you too.
      PamT

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  3. What an inspiring story! Best of luck with this!

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    1. Thanks Alina! I really enjoyed this one...writing and reading and editing LOL!

      Good luck and God's blessings to you
      PamT

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  4. Great interview. Sounds like a lovely book.

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    1. Thanks Diane!
      This is one of my titles I truly enjoyed every aspect of.
      Good luck and God's blessings to you
      PamT

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  5. Good luck, Pam. Hope you have many sales.

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    1. Thank you, Connie ditto and double ditto to you.
      PamT

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  6. Replies
    1. Thanks Maureen!
      Good luck and God's blessings with your books.
      PamT

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  7. Ditto on the great interview, Pam. I love that the heroine has some history and is dealt a pretty sticky situation to handle. I'm going to check it out. As far as not being the boilerplate Christian format acceptable by Christian publishers (confession:I'm not sure what that is), you might be reaching people who otherwise wouldn't read the industry's norm. Good luck with the book!

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    1. That is definitely my hope and deepest desire, Leah. Thanks for your support. Good luck and God's blessings
      PamT

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