I know you're super busy and can't stay long...so I'll keep it short! What I'm about to tell you is not my story. It is one a dear friend of mine told me. But, I just have to share.
Years ago on Black Friday, my boyfriend and I were all set to buy a new game console. We'd gotten up super early. Traipsed out in the snow, foregoing breakfast, and huddle against the edge of the store waiting for the doors to open. Hours passed. We were starving, but thrilled to have our spot in the line. First Place!! A few minutes before the opening time, four little old ladies hobbled up. With their sweet eyes and shivering limbs, we felt sorry for them and let them go ahead of us. The doors opened, and I helped the littlest, oldest lady near me into the warm light, feeling so good about my big heart and giving soul. As soon as she was inside, she ripped her arm away, grabbed the nearest shopping cart, nodded to her three other friends...and they were off like a crazed pack of wolves. Their white hair swishing, their glass chains clinking. They beat us to the electronic section, barricaded the aisle and loaded two consoles each into their carts. By the time we got there, anything we wanted was gone and so were they. Only their Wind Song perfumed scent lingered. So while you're out there searching for the best deals to be found...beware of four little old ladies.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce my friend and fellow writer, Pamela Crane. Pamela's book, The Halo Effect, was recently released, April 2012. Reviewers have given it high praise: ...it is truly original, full of suspense and drama, ...it's got all of the components I'm looking for in a captivating thriller.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Pamela: I’m a wife, stay-at-home mom, and cowgirl. I love extreme living—skydiving, white water rafting, rock climbing, and horseback riding my wild Arabian horse—but motherhood has tamed me quite a bit. Now I resort to hiking and swimming to get my thrills in. I’m an avid reader and have ventured into writing, which consumes any free time I have left.
How did you choose the genre you write in? Pamela: I love reading thrillers, but for my first book, The Halo Effect, I actually lived this event out, which is why I decided to start my writing career with a thriller. So, I suppose you can say that the genre actually found me.
Do you work with an outline, or just write? Pamela: I like structure, so I usually start off by writing a general synopsis of the story I want to tell, then I do a character outline for each major character. After I have my characters and general story, I create a basic outline that I follow. Once I have my outline, the writing just seems to flow from there.
Can you tell us about your upcoming book? Pamela: The Halo Effect is a psychological romantic thriller where one person’s fantasy is another person’s nightmare. Small-town girl Haley Montgomery meets two men who will change her life forever — the handsome Marc Vincetti whom she falls head-over-heels for, and the big-time Hollywood producer Allen Michaels who has the power to turn her screenplay into a movie and a ticket to a better future. It seems as though life couldn't get any better — until things take a decidedly dark turn when Haley spots Marc with his former high school sweetheart and Allen develops a consuming obsession with her. As Haley is faced with a choice between love and fame, Marc becomes the target of a stalker and Haley's life is thrown into a tailspin. Suddenly everything she thought she knew about Marc and Allen is completely wrong — and Haley's life will never be the same again… Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or is it purely all imagination? Pamela: The Halo Effect is a fictionalized but based-on-truth story about my own experience with a stalker who had a mental illness called erotomania. So, unfortunately it’s more truth than fiction, but I suppose that proves the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction!
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why? Pamela: I really enjoyed writing the chapters dealing with the crazy Hollywood producer, Allen Michaels. I did a lot of research to understand various mental illnesses, and he’s such a quirky character that to live through him was an interesting personal journey. Plus, who doesn’t revel in getting inside the head of another person who we don’t normally relate to—particularly when dealing with such an unusual mental illness like that of a sociopath? But he’s not the only creepy person in the book I liked living vicariously through, so I’ll leave it at that to avoid giving away too much!
What project are you working on now? Pamela: I’m finishing up a novella that chronicles Allen Michaels’ shady past and what happened to his missing ex-wife. I plan on giving that away as a freebie accompaniment book, so stay tuned for that!
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers? Pamela: Don’t give up on your writing, and keep doing it. Make time for it. If you find that impossible due to a house full of kids, pets, and spouse, find a way to get a weekend getaway just to focus on writing. Time was always an issue for me, and life doesn’t slow down, but where there’s a passion to write, there’s a way to get it done.
Now for the clever-silly question, if you were a t-shirt, what would you say? Pamela: Nothing—t-shirts don’t talk. Ha ha Maybe I should invent one. That’s sure to be the next million-dollar invention, so no one steal that idea since I had it first! Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans? Pamela: First of all, thank you for your support and fandom! I appreciate all the great feedback I’ve had on the book, the personal e-mail introductions, and the financial support your book purchases have given my family (momma needs a new pair of shoes! ).
Also, I’m hosting a contest, and the prize is a $20 gift card for Amazon.com. All you have to do is answer the following question:
In Chapter 15 of The Halo Effect, what does Allen Michaels give Haley? E-mail your answer to pamela(at)pamelacrane(dot)com or fill out the online form at www.pamelacrane.com and all correct entries will be entered in a drawing for the gift card. Drawing will take place on June 1, 2012. Good luck!
And thank you so much for spending your precious time reading this interview!
I know you're super busy and can't stay long...so I'll keep it short! What I'm about to tell you is not my story. It is one a dear friend of mine told me. But, I just have to share.
