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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Showing posts with label RWA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RWA. Show all posts
Monday, August 05, 2013
Catching up...
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| A snapshot of the view screen taken by a friend when the finalists for Best Historical Romance were announced during the RITA ceremony |
Sorry it’s been so long since my last update. Let’s see if I can get caught up here.
The Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta (July 16-20) was an absolute whirlwind. Between business meetings with my agent and folks from Penguin, my publisher, I got to spend precious face time with my author friends — Norah Wilson, Bonnie Vanak, Jenn LeBlanc, Courtney Milan, Julie James, Joyce Lamb, Jill Shalvis (though we barely had time to say hello) and some of the authors from Rock*It Reads. Writing is a very isolating profession, so any time we get to spend together away from our computers is precious.
The highlight of the conference had to be meeting Kaleo Griffith face to face for the first time and meeting members of the I-Team Facebook group at the I-Team party. There were people there from as far away as Canada and California. Some had driven for six or more hours to be at the party. I signed books and Kaleo signed audiobooks. We gave away a complete set of the I-Team audiobooks and a copy of the audiobook of Surrender as prizes.
I’m already thinking about how I can improve the experience for people at next year’s conference in San Antonio.
It was wonderful to be a RITA finalist. I didn’t win, but I wasn’t as disappointed by that as I had perhaps imagined I would be. Sharing the finalist honors with writers like Monica McCarty and Jade Lee made me really happy just to be in that circle. Monica and I sat at the same table — Table 69! — during the awards ceremony, both of us cheering for the other. Kaleo was my guest for the ceremony, and having his support was wonderful.
I got home feeling extremely sleep deprived and spent a week getting caught up on all the different post-conference emails and phone calls, not to mention sleep and laundry.
While I was at RWA, Surrender (MacKinnon’s Rangers #1) was released in audiobook. Unfortunately, it was released with some significant editing mistakes. Tantor Audio went into motion to correct the problem and is offering replacement CDs to anyone who got the flawed version. Contact them through customer service. The new corrected version will be up soon. Audible pulled Surrender from its offerings and will post it again once the new corrected version is available. My apologies to any audiobook listener who got the original, flawed version!
Although that was a disappointment, the audiobook itself got an A/A+ from AudioGals. This link includes a terrific sound sample showcasing Kaleo’s skill as a narrator — all three brothers plus Lord William — and offers information about the errors on the CD and what is happening to make sure listeners get the correct version. Thanks so much to AudioGals for their continued support!
So what am I up to these days? I’ve been taking a nice long break from writing to get my mojo back and to focus on all of the important things that were neglected while I was working so hard on Striking Distance, including sleep, good food, exercise and time with both of my boys. I’ve decided that writing can’t mean my quality of life goes to hell.
But more on that in my next post.
Also, watch for news on First Strike, the erotic prequel to Striking Distance.
Upcoming releases:
Untamed — audiobook — Aug. 12
Defiant — audiobook — Aug. 26
First Strike — ebook special — mid-September — This is the erotic prequel to Striking Distance. It is not romantic suspense, but tells the story of how the hero and heroine from Striking Distance met.
Striking Distance (I-Team #6) — print, ebook, audiobook — Nov. 5.
Untamed, Defiant, and Striking Distance are all available for pre-order, while First Strike is not.
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
Come to the I-Team party and meet me and Kaleo Griffith!
I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last posted anything on this blog.
I did finally finish Striking Distance and turned it in. My editor got back to me last week and said she loved it, which took the weight of the world off my shoulders. I’m still waiting for a final cover, which, of course, I will share with you. This was one of the toughest books I’ve ever written, very complicated and requiring a lot of nuanced planning, but my editor said it was definitely worth the wait.
Striking Distance will be out on November 5! Watch for excerpts soon!
In the meantime, it somehow became July. Say what?!?! No, seriously. It’s July, and I’m chasing my tail trying to catch up. I’ve spent the better part of two weeks trying to clean and reorganize my office, focusing on the monstrosity that is my desk, and am finally making some progress.
But more than that, I’ve been getting ready for the Romance Writers of America conference being held in Atlanta, Ga., July 17-20. I wanted to invite you to a couple of events.
RWA “Readers for Life” Literacy Book Signing — Wednesday, July 17, 5:307:30 p.m. in the Atrium Ballroom A-C of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. I’ll be signing books together with more than 400 other authors in a special event that raises thousands of dollars each year that go to literacy signings in the conference’s host state. As a RITA finalist, I’ll get to have a pretty blue flag on my table. I may be doing some audiobook giveaways and coupons courtesy of Tantor Audio at the signing, so if you live in the Atlanta area, please come!
Pamela Clare’s I-Team Party — Join me and Kaleo Griffith, the sexy voice/actor behind the I-Team audiobooks, for a special get-together. Meet us face to face, have us sign your books and audiobooks, and enjoy a tasty buffet and drinks. Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as you can.
Here are the details:
Where: The Media
Room of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Ave., Atlanta, GA
When: Saturday,
July 20, 3-4:30 PM
Admission: $30
per person to cover the cost of the buffet and drinks
RSVP by July 11!
If you’re already attending RWA as a writer or live in the Atlanta area and are just planning on coming to the public events as a reader, please join us!
In the meantime, I wish you a Happy Fourth of July if you live here in the U.S. and hope you’re having a great summer!
Monday, June 10, 2013
June is National Audiobook Month — Fun events!
June is National Audiobook Month, and to celebrate AudioGals and Tantor Audio put together some fun events for romance listeners.
The first went live today. It’s an audio interview with me, Julie James, Anne Stuart and Jennifer Ashley talking about what it’s like to have our books published in audiobook format and what that process entails for us.
You can listen to that interview or download it by clicking here.
For those of you new audiobooks, Tantor has all of its titles in all of its formats priced at half off this month.
The next fun event will be an interview of me and actor/voice artist Kaleo Griffith, who very sexily narrates the I-Team series, talking about our collaboration on these books as well as the soon-to-be-released MacKinnon’s Rangers series, which Kaleo is currently recording. (He must have boundless energy because he’s also in the midst of filming a movie.)
Don’t forget about the big RWA “Readers For Life” Literacy signing in Atlanta on July 17. I’ll be there. And on July 20, I’ll be having some kind of reader/listener get-together in Atlanta. All fans of the I-Team and MacKinnon’s Rangers are welcome to come and meet me and Kaleo, who will be there also. Some of you emailed me to let me know you wanted to be kept abreast of our plans. I’ve got your emails and will be in touch.
In other news: I turned in a 467-page manuscript to New York this morning for Striking Distance, (I-Team #6). I still have the last chapter and the epilogue to write, but the bulk of the book is behind me — and closer to being in your hands. The released date is November 5. Mark your calendars!
I can’t believe I’m almost done with this book! I’m very excited to share it with you.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
DEFIANT is a RITA finalist!
Sorry I’ve been away for so long! A blog that is updated once a month is a BORING blog. I do understand that. But my effort has been channeled into writing Striking Distance, which is halfway completed now, and I’m willing to bet you’re okay with that.
One nice thing about being so focused on Laura and Javier’s story is that I’m oblivious to so much else that’s going on in the world. I had completely forgotten that RITA finalists would be announced soon. I was not up at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, March 26, waiting for “the call.” In fact, when “the call” came, I was sound asleep.
I crawled out of bed — I’d been in the middle of a dream about bugs crawling on my bedroom ceiling — and stumbled down the stairs cussing all the way to the phone. The caller identified herself and said she was calling on behalf of the RWA Board of Directors.
I was so asleep that my first thought — I kid you not — was, “Does this have to do with that penis post on Facebook?”
It didn’t.
She said, “I’m calling to let you know that your book...”
And it clicked. RWA. March. Phone call. My book...
DEFIANT WAS A RITA FINALIST!
At which point, I said, “Oh my God!” or something like that.
She finished the sentence “... Defiant is a RITA finalist in the historical romance category,” or something like that... and then I was so excited who knows what she said or I said.
And that was the end of my getting anything done that day.
I am so grateful to RWA and to the judges who read Defiant and found merit in the story. Being a finalist at the RWA convention is kind of like being a princess for five days. You get a pretty blue flag on your table at the big “Readers for Life” Literacy book signing. They have a reception. You wear a special ribbon on your name tag and get a pretty pin. (Click here to see a list of all the RITA finalists in all categories.)
Surrender was a RITA finalist in 2007, so I’ve been fortunate to experience this once already. Although Surrender didn’t win, the conference was still unforgettable.
I should say that it’s pretty cool that TWO of the three books that make up the MacKinnon’s Rangers series so far have been RITA finalists. I love that!
So, yes, I’ll be attending the RWA conference in Atlanta July 17-20. The literacy signing, which will involve hundreds of writers, takes place in the evening on Wednesday, July 17, and is open to the public. Click here for more information on the conference and the literacy signing. If you live in the Atlanta area, I would love to meet you!
I plan to have a special event set up for members of the I-Team and Camp Followers Facebook groups so that we can meet in person and have some time to talk. And there may be other big surprises in store, as well. So please stay tuned!
And now back to writing...
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sexcerpt Monday
Happy Monday!
This week is going to be a busy one. In addition to having a wicked writing deadline for Striking Distance, the next I-Team novel, I’m flying to Anaheim for the Romance Writers of America conference being held there July 25-28. It was a last-minute decision based largely on the fact that it gives me a chance to meet face to face with both my editor and my agent — and a chance to meet several of my readers who live in that area. I’m very excited about it!
I registered too late to participate in the big literacy signing that runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Anaheim Marriott, but I will be there with Defiant trading cards that I can sign for readers. So if you’re planning on attending, please look for me there!
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| I’ll be signing these at RWA. |
I thought it might be fun to play a little game with excerpts just for fun. I can pick a sexy excerpt from anything I’ve written, and you can try to guess what it’s from. I won’t give any clues, and names will be deleted from the scene. I’ve been posting little sexcerpts on my Facebook page, and readers seem to be enjoying them.
So, without further ado, here’s this snippet, written long before anyone heard of Fifty Shades of anything...
She
smoothed her skirts and looked around the room one last time. He’d arrive any
minute. The candles on her bedside table cast a warm glow over the room. The covers
of her bed were already turned down. In the middle of the bed lay the only pair
of shackles she’d been able to find on the plantation. Though old and unused
for years, they still worked. The key hung on a silken cord between her
breasts.
The
creaking of footfalls on the stairs told her he had come. She smoothed her
skirts nervously, her heart pounding. Could she really do this? She felt
herself start to smile, but forced it away. A quiet knock came at the door. The
handle turned. He stepped in and turned to close the door. He looked so
handsome, dressed in a clean linen shirt and breeches. She had to fight the
urge to rush forward and fall into his arms.
He turned toward her, staring. “You look beauti—”
“You’re
on time, convict.” It took every ounce of determination she had not to smile or
giggle. “That’s good. It will go easier on you.”
She could see in his eyes the moment he understood her game. His look of confusion
was replaced by surprise and then amusement before his gaze grew cold and hard.
“I’m to be punished, then?”
“I
can no longer tolerate your insolence, convict. I mean to teach you a lesson.”
It was good she had rehearsed her lines. It would have been impossible to say
them else. Was she really going through with this?
He
leaned against her bedpost nonchalantly, crossing his arms. Defiant and
confident, he reminded her so much of the man he’d been when she’d first
purchased his indenture. “And what makes you think I’ll cooperate, Mistress,
when I could just as easily break your pretty neck?”
“You’ll
find what I have in mind far more pleasant than what you’ll receive if you
disobey.”
“I
see.” His gaze raked over her body in blatant sexual appraisal, and she
shivered in anticipation. “And just what do you have in mind?”
“Undress—slowly.”
He
raised an eyebrow, then untied his shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. It
fell, forgotten, at his feet. Candlelight cast the bronzed muscles of his arms,
chest, and abdomen in glorious high relief. He reached for the opening of his
breeches and began to untie them, his muscles shifting beneath sun-bronzed
skin.
She felt desire flow like warm brandy through her veins. “Slowly, convict.”
His
gaze locked with hers again as ever so slowly he pulled on the ties, undid his
breeches, and let them drop to the floor. He was rock hard, his sex thick and
heavy.
She
found she could scarcely breathe. “Your hair. Remove the thong.”
Not
breaking eye contact, he reached back with one hand, and his dark hair slid
free, falling just below his shoulders. He looked untamed, fiercely male, and,
with his lash scars, not a little dangerous. He stepped toward her.
She
stepped back and pointed to the bed. “Stop! The shackles. Lock one end around
your right wrist, then pass the chain behind the bedpost, lie down, and lock
the other end around your left wrist.”
He
looked at the bed and saw the shackles. She heard his quick intake of breath
and saw a shadow pass over his face. Then it was gone.
“Don’t
you trust me, fair mistress?” His voice was dark as sin and soft as velvet. His
eyes held the allure of every man who’d ever tried to beguile a woman into a
false sense of sexual safety.
“Never.”
She smiled and spoke in a rich, seductive voice she didn’t know she had. “But I
will have your complete cooperation.”
“I
see.” Naked, he walked to the bed, picked up the shackles, and closed one end
around his right wrist. It locked with a click. He sat and moved backward
across the bed, then reached behind his head and passed the chain behind one of
the bedposts. “What makes you think these chains will protect you?”
“Do
it, convict.”
He
lay down, then reached back to cuff his left wrist. Click. He lay diagonally across the bed, completely vulnerable. His
arms were stretched over his head. His chest rose and fell with each breath.
His rigid sex stood defiantly against his abdomen. His legs, spread slightly,
stretched the length of the bed, his feet hanging just over the edge. A tremor
passed from her belly to her sex.
His
gaze, cold and menacing, bored through her. “Do you like what you see?”
“Aye,
convict. And it’s good for you that I do.” Almost trembling with excitement,
she loosened her bodice until her breasts were visible. Then she moved to the
bed and began to caress him, first his feet, then his ankles and calves. Where
her hands touched, her lips and tongue soon followed. She heard his breath
quicken, felt his muscles tense, and reveled in his response. She worked her
way up his muscular legs and over his powerful thighs, but, although she
touched the sac that carried his seed, she did not touch his shaft. “You’ve a
remarkable cock, convict.”
He
groaned in frustration. The chains caught on the bedpost, clinking as he
strained against them. “Is this to be my punishment then? To be tortured with
kisses, soft hands and words?”
Some
part of her she’d never known awoke within her, and she felt herself grow more
daring. Like a cat toying with its prey, she stretched across the bed beside
him. She ran her fingers teasingly on his abdomen, outlining his erection.
“Your
punishment is that you shall see, but you shall not touch. You shall want, but
you shall not receive—not until it pleases me.”
He
groaned again, and she kissed his chest. Her tongue found his flat, brown nipples,
and she licked and teased them. Her fingers savored the soft skin and hair of
his chest, felt the firm planes and ridges of his muscles. Everything about him
was intoxicating—the feel of him, his manly smell, the way his muscles tensed
beneath her touch. To have him in her power like this was the most intoxicating
thing of all, a heady elixir that heightened her senses and her hunger.
She
kissed a path along the valley that ran down the center of his belly, then took
his shaft in her hand. She’d learned a few things about pleasuring him since
the first time she’d tasted him, and she was going to put them all to good use.
Holding him firmly with one hand, she began to tease the head with her tongue,
tracing swirling shapes over, around, and under. Then she took him into her
mouth and began to move her mouth and hand together up and down his length,
laving him with her tongue all the while.
“Sweet
Jesus!” His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed. His hands gripped the chains
that held him fast. His hips matched her rhythm, and she could tell his
climax was near.
She
stopped, fondled his sac, and let his passion cool.
“Christ!”
His voice was ragged with arousal.
She found herself battling to control her own flaming desire. She’d never been in
control before, and the thrill of it was like a powerful wine coursing through
her blood. She wanted him inside her, but she could not, would not let herself
have him—not yet. She ravished him with her mouth and tongue again and again,
taking him to the brink, then stopping. His entire body was taut with unspent
passion, and the sounds that came from his throat told her he was as desperate
as she. Unable to bear it longer, she lifted her gown and straddled him. She
saw his pupils dilate when he felt his skin touch her bare thighs and bottom.
His
gaze devoured her. “I want to touch your breasts.”
She opened her bodice more, lifted her breasts so that he could see them, and
circled her nipples with her thumbs. “No.”
His
eyes held hot fury and lust. He jerked on his bonds, the muscles of his arms
and chest straining, but the chains held fast. “You are cruel.”
“But
not heartless. I want your cock inside me now. That ought to please you.” She rested her hands on his chest to balance her weight, then lifted her
hips and carefully guided him inside her.
They
moaned almost in unison as their bodies joined. She rode him, grinding against
him to pleasure herself. Though she knew it would not be enough to bring him to
climax, it was everything she needed. With him thick and hard deep inside her,
she quickly felt her peak near and let it wash gloriously over her as her
sheath contracted around him.
Her
cries of pleasure mixed with his tortured groans, and she knew his anguish was
real. She would have to end this game, or at least give him his reward for
playing along so nobly.
“Have
you learned your lesson, convict?” She reached between her breasts for the key
and dangled it before him.
Then
a hand clamped over her mouth, and, in a whirl of motion, she found herself
facedown on the bed, one arm bent behind her back.
“I
tried to warn you, mistress.” His voice was harsh. “You should never ask a
felon to lock himself up. He might not be trustworthy. Scream, and it will be
the last sound you make. Do you understand?”
MacKinnon’s Rangers trivia
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An urban farming update
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