Welcome to the blog Pamela, can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am a native Southern Californian and a third-generation Chinese American, who grew up in a family of teachers. For a time, I considered a career in academia as well. I studied English literature and history, specializing in the Romantic and Victorian periods, and eventually earned a doctorate. I worked for several years in reference and academic publishing, before turning to fiction writing full time.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Pretty much. I was an avid reader from the time I was a small child, which led inevitably to making up my own stories and entertaining myself with them during the boring classes, on long car trips, and on the walk to and from school. I think I was in third or fourth grade when I sensed I’d begun something that was going to be a permanent part of my life!
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I don’t think of myself as being particularly quirky as a writer, although I’ve been known to stay up really late or get up really early when inspiration happens to strike. The most recent example of that was a couple of months ago, when I suddenly woke up knowing how a song my characters were writing together just had to go. It was still dark outside, everyone else in the house was still asleep, but I got up, grabbed pen and paper, and wrote it all down within five minutes. Fired it off by email to my writing partner, as this was a collaborative effort, and then–being too wired to sleep–fixed myself an early breakfast, and went about in a satisfied haze for the next few hours!
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
A Song at Twilight is a second chance at love story, set in late Victorian England. The heroine, Sophie Tresilian, is a musical sensation, a rising star of the opera and concert stage. The hero, Robin Pendarvis, is the man she fell in love when she was only seventeen, and whom she’s never been able to forget. Four years before the story begins, they seemed headed for a happy ending, only to have their hopes for the future dashed by the revelation of a huge secret from his past. Sophie has tried to put that disappointment behind her and focus on her career. And then one night, Robin walks back into her life . . .
How did you come with the idea for this story?
Robin and Sophie were supporting characters in my first novel, Waltz with a Stranger. Their relationship was depicted in its earliest stages, and at the end of the book, they were kind of at a crossroads. Initially, I assumed that, in due time, they’d overcome whatever obstacles were and fall into each other’s arms. Then I asked myself, what if it wasn’t that simple? What if something happened to derail that, and sent them both off in different directions? And Sophie’s different direction ended up being a musical career, which was a fascinating path to explore. Professional singers like Jennie Lind and Nellie Melba were making their mark in the 19th century, redefining what it was to be an entertainer, and making the profession as a whole more respectable.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m working on several projects right now, and waiting to hear which will get the “green light” first. One is a novella about Thomas Sheridan and Amy Newbold, supporting characters in both of my novels, who are now getting a story of their own. He’s an artist–sophisticated, suave, and a bit of a reformed rake. She’s a forthright, pragmatic American heiress who’s not afraid to go after what she wants. Engaged when the story begins, they become embroiled in a dangerous adventure when they travel to Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer season. Then there’s the story of Sophie’s brother, Harry, who falls hard for a woman of mystery, and another novel featuring all-new characters: a dysfunctional ducal family in Yorkshire who come together–contentiously–for Christmas.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
I had the chance to meet several authors I admire at the most recent RWA conference in Atlanta, chief among them Mary Jo Putney, whose work I’ve enjoyed since I was in graduate school. She graciously provided a lovely blurb for A Song at Twilight. Other authors I’d enjoy meeting include Lois McMaster Bujold, who rides rocking good space opera with a one-of-a-kind hero in Miles Vorkosigan, and Elizabeth Peters, whose Amelia Peabody mysteries effortlessly blend intrigue, romance, and an irresistible period “voice.”
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Find what you love to write about. Do it regularly. Give yourself the time to develop, grow, and mature as a writer. Never give up.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
I would love to visit Italy, especially Venice! The idea of a city with canals instead of sidewalks fascinates me no end. There’s actually a set of canals at Venice Beach in Southern California. I’ve walked along them, stood on bridges above them, dreamed about what it might be like to live in a house beside them. I can only imagine how powerful a spell the original Venetian canals must evoke on travelers.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I’m eagerly anticipating Laura Lee Guhrke’s When the Marquess Met His Match, and Sherry Thomas’s The Luckiest Lady in London. Both authors write in the late Victorian/Edwardian period, as I do, and it’s such a fascinating time! I’m also looking forward to Elizabeth Chadwick’s trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine. And on the contemporary end of things, I’m impatiently waiting for Deborah Grabien’s Comfortably Numb, the latest in her rock ‘n’ roll mysteries featuring guitarist JP Kinkaid.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just the following quote attributed to Emily Dickinson: “There is no frigate like a book to take you far away.” I hope readers will like where A Song at Twilight takes them. And thank you for hosting me today on Books-N-Kisses!
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. If you could please make sure to include links to your Website, Facebook page, Twitter account or Goodread’s page I will make sure to include them in the post. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Aspiring singer Sophie Tresilian had the world at her feet—fame, fortune, and true love—until the man of her dreams broke her heart. Four years later, Sophie is the toast of Europe, desired and pursued by countless men. And then Robin Pendarvis walks back into her life . . .
A Man with a Past
Four years ago, Robin hoped to make Sophie his bride, but secrets from his past forced him to let her go. Seeing her again revives all the old pain—and all the old passion. Unable to deny the love that still burns between them, they risk everything to be together once more. But will the things that tore them apart in the past endanger their future as well?
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