About Me
- Pamela Clare
- I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The matter of the I-Team's Matt
I've always pictured Matt as a rumpled Paul Bettany.I've had a chance to read through much of the transcript from Saturday’s spoiler chat, searching for questions that I missed and might be able to answer here. Given how fast the text was flying by, there definitely were questions that I didn’t see, so expect answers soon.
One funny thing came up during the chat, brought to my attention by Rachel. I was talking about future I-Team books. Natalie’s story is next, I said. And then Joaquin’s. Someone asked if I planned a story for Holly — yes, but she’s last — and whether I intended to write one for Matt.
I answered that I might give Matt his own story in the background, rather than giving him his own book.
Rachel then very sweetly asked whether Matt was already married.
I, the authority on the I-Team series, said that he was not.
What a silly goat I am!
A couple days went by, and Rachel contacted me directly to let me know that on Page 89 of Extreme Exposure, Tom is described as having begrudged giving Matt time off for his wedding. Rachel told me she hadn’t pointed this out at the chat because she didn’t want to embarrass me.
Fortunately, I am very hard to embarrass. I found this revelation about Matt to be hilariously funny, given that I should know more about him than anyone.
Of course, Rachel pointed out that maybe Matt’s bride left him at the altar or maybe they’re not together. Anything could have happened, right?
My reluctance to give Matt a story is based on years of working with male journalists. Not to insult my male counterparts, but desk jobs just aren’t that sexy to write about when we’re talking about heroes. I prefer some action, some ruggedness. How could beta hero Matt, with his freckles and rumpled tie, stand up to Julian, Marc and Gabe, or even Reece?
Photographers are different. They’re the action-adventure members of the editorial staff. So Joaquin is no problem for me. It doesn’t hurt that I see him in my head as a young Antonia Banderas.
In other news, Gabe’s utter and complete lack of parentage and family was discussed at the chat. It was decided that 1) his parents died when he was younger and 2) he was an only child.
I do try to wind up all threads. And I try to remember each and every characteristic about my characters. But, obviously, I don’t. D’oh!
Thanks to Rachel for sharing news of Matt’s potential wife with me.
Now here’s a challenge for all of you:
One regular character in the I-Team series undergoes an unintentional shift in eye color early in the series. Be the first person to name that character, and you win a signed copy of your book of choice, either from the I-Team series or one of my historicals.
Happy hunting!
In completely unrelated news: I wrote a draft of the bill I hope to see passed to end the shackling of pregnant inmates in labor. I was supposed to meet the senator who’s carrying the bill, but she got tied up in committee and the meeting was postponed. I have to say that writing a draft of a proposed bill is easier than writing a novel.
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17 comments:
It is Tom...He goes from green to hazel eyes
ooh, I hate quizzes!
Was it Tessa??
Wow, Marie is fast! I guess it's Tom. lol.
I kinda felt there might be a storyline between Matt & Holly, there was a moment where Matt snapped at Holly for being silly & insensitive in NE but obviously, there's more to Holly than meets the eye. Maybe Matt needs to learn that up close & personal *wink* but if he's already married, forget about it.
I actually prefer Beta heroes but I do think Beta heroes are tougher to pull off in romantic suspense than any other sub-genre in romance.
And Marie wins the prize!
Congratulations, Marie! That was amazingly speedy.
Name your book, Marie, and send me your mailing address (email it to pamelaclare @ earthlink.net) and I'll get it in the mail.
I guess I don't even remember what I don't remember right because I thought at one point Tom's eyes were blue. I guess I really need to start taking ginseng or something. Or maybe getting sleep will help.
Hey, Jen — Sorry to give you a pop quiz. Marie got it right — Tom.
Scorpio, you're so right about it being tough to do a beta male in romantic suspense.
Part of the test in romantic suspense is pitting the hero and heroine against a worthy and truly dangerous adversary. It almost demands that the hero have some serious alpha going on somewhere. I'd never thought of that before, but I guess it makes sense.
I want to know more about Natalie's story and who the hero will be.
LOL, the pic of Matt you have up, I have seen that guy naked from the back (Knights Tale) and it was NOT impressive. I agree, the hero needs to be alpha and rugged. LOL
Congrats, Marie!
PC, perhaps we need to make a genealogy tree for the I-Team? LOL
More info on Natalie's story -- OH JANE! -- what a great idea!
I would also like to know more about Natalie's hero!
But on the topic of Matt, I personally wouldn't mind a beta hero. I know you wouldn't be doing a beta hero. But I wouldn't mind reading about it. I feel like their much more realistic, and I'm much more likely to find a beta hero in my own life than an alpha. I'd like to get started on the day dreaming... or maybe its just because I always think of the beta's as more my type of something. I don't know.
Hi, Jane — We're definitely going to talk more about Natalie and Zach, her hero, in the weeks to come.
I need to decide how I'm going to spell his name first. I can't make up my mind!!!
Hi, Debbie — I looooved Paul Bettany in A KNIGHT'S TALE. And while I'd personally be happy to hook up with him, Matt in my mind just doesn't have the alpha traits necessary for hero-hood. Who knows? Maybe he'll change.
LOL about the genealogy. I have a "cheat sheet" that is actually about 15 pages long, but it's not up to date. Gabe isn't even mentioned on it. D'oh!
Hi, Oklanannie — OK, so a second vote for more info on Natalie's story. :-)
And Christina — A third vote. OK, I'm getting the message...
Interesting about the beta hero. I think they've done studies proving that women prefer men with alpha traits when they're ovulation and men with beta traits when they're not.
Leave it to our ovaries to confuse us!
I'm re-reading Naked Edge right now (yeah, I know...I'm a bit hooked but I'm waiting for my other I-Team books to arrive) and yes, upon closer inspection Matt is definitely not hero material.
Funny about the ovaries but it makes alot of sense and I kind of recognize that in myself. On another blog, there was talk that "Alphas" in today's romances aren't truly Alphas anymore (because a true Alpha would be an oaf with caveman tendencies, lol) but more of a Alpha-Beta hybrid, making them Gamma.
I hope you will host another chat soon. Upon re-read, the story gets richer, nuances that I didn't take note of initially pop out and Gabe especially becomes more layered because I now know what has scarred him.
Oh, this is all just too good. And we got a name: Zach! woohoo!
Have a great day :-)
Hey Pamela, I have a quick question. See I've been trying to figure this out for a while, but it's too confusing for me. LOL! Anyway, as of the ending of NAKED EDGE, how old is everybody? Mostly the couples, and the other Iteam members, but if you want to add the kids too, it's fine.
Also, is Tom still dating/living together/married/separate with Kara's mom? I didn't get of the two in NAKED EDGE.
Thanks!
-ronnna ;D
Hi Pamela
I will be happy with any I-team book you write. When you run out of characters you can start on the next generation. Loved the chat and talking to everyone. No leftover questions - just want to say that while Julian is so hot but no fair him having the sexiest name. He wouldn't be everyone's fave if his name was Harold Smith (with apologies to Harold Smith's everywhere).
Hi, Scorpio — I hope NAKED EDGE is standing up to a second read. I actually started reading it last night. Yes, sometimes I'm brave enough to read my own writing.
I noticed a couple of typos. I also noticed that some of my italics — which I use for emphasis in some places in the characters' inner monologue — had vanished. That's frustrating.
On the positive side, I'm enjoying spending time with Kat and Gabe again.
Zach MacBride, to be specific. More on him soon. :-)
Hi, Ronna — It would take me hours to figure out how old everyone is now. I suppose I need to do it at some point, but I haven't updated things for a while.
As for Tom and Lily (Kara's mom), they are currently living in sin. ;-)
There will be more on them in Natalie's story.
Hi, Mary G — Julian does have a very sexy name — a composite put together from two of my friend's names. But I think Marc Hunter is a sexy name. And Gabe is a sexy name. Zach MacBride -- manly, at least. :-)