The Illustrated Romance

PAMELA!!!!!!! I dunno. What do I say about this woman. She has quickly become one of my dearest friends. Or Sushi dates to Sushi Kaiten are the best, EVER, and our writing dates are fabulous. Then when I bring her into my world? Oh goodness. It get nuts.

We both started out in the same business, journalism. So far from what we’re doing now. And we actually DIDN’T meet at an industry awards ceremony, whereiin she won a lifetime achievement award and I won a first place award for my images on the BP Gulf Oil Spill. We met s week later at Denver Lady Jane’s though, and it has been the wildest ride ever since.

If you haven’t yet read her books, do. She writes Romantic Suspense, but also the most incredible sweeping, beautiful and passionate historicals. So whatever you like, check her out. You won’t look back. 

I don’t usually do design work, but since Pam is a bestie, I did the scarring on the torso for her. ALSO… this JUST in. RIDE THE FIRE is out TODAY as a re-release. This is the book of her heart. It is simply amazing. Pam and I recently decided to rebrand ALL of the Kenleigh Blakewell books to match the new cover of RTF, and they were completed JUST in TIME for the release tomorrow… 

*smooches* 

-Jenn 

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Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book.
Pamela:

1. It’s the first I-Team After Hours novella, dedicated to telling the stories of secondary characters in the I-Team series and to showing us what Reece, Julian, Marc, Gabe, Zach, Nate and others do in their downtime.
2. It includes an I-Team short, “Marc and Julian Make a Beer Run,” that was inspired (or written as a response to) a comment made by a reader in my I-Team Facebook group. She quipped that she would read anything about the I-Team heroes, even if it was just Marc and Julian making a beer run. So I just had to write that.
3. A lot of the gun lingo and law enforcement chatter in the main story and the short story come from conversations between my sons and their military/law enforcement buddies. These conversations can last till 1 or 2 in the morning — 9mm vs. 45 ACP, +P ammo vs. standard pressure ammo, how much Glock’s suck, and so on.
4. Zach’s line at a critical moment in the short story — “This shit just got real” — comes from a statement one of these young men made when facing a mega-burger concoction he’d put together in my kitchen after grilling on my deck. I thought it was so funny I had to use it. Man vs. hamburger. In the story, it’s a much more serious situation.
5. The military pants on the model belong to Jenn’s veteran husband. So it’s nice that he has donated his britches for the cause.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Pamela: Yes, I did, although I don’t think I realized how BIG Studio Smexy was until I got involved with Jenn LeBlanc in making the trailer for my July 2012 release, Defiant. Then I got a good look at the studio, the props, and I got to watch Jenn in action shooting stills. (My son did the live-action shooting.) I was impressed.

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Pamela: The cover shows the normal side of Nathaniel West’s body, the red wash and shadows hinting at the scars on the right side of his body. The BDUs and dog tags make it instantly clear to readers that he is a military hero. It’s stark and sexy at the same time, with a hint of something dark. That makes it a fantastic suspense cover.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Pamela: Well, I’m very partial to man chest. I know it catches my eye, and I’m sure it catches my readers’ eyes, too.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Pamela: Gripping.

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Pamela: Caffeinated.

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Pamela: On Feb. 5, Ride the Fire, a historical romance set at the end of the French and Indian War, is being reissued by Berkley. It has some changes, as well as the never-before-published epilogue. I’m very excited about that! In the meantime, I’m working on Striking Distance, Book 6 in the I-Team series. It tells the story of Laura Nilsson, a reporter who is new to the I-Team, and Javier Corbray, the active-duty Navy SEAL who rescued her when she was being held captive by an Al Qaeda splinter group. They reconnect in Denver, and find that they need each other more than they could have imagined. It will be out in November 2013.

Also, Skin Deep is out in print. (and it is GORGEOUS, yes I’m partial, WHAT?!?!) So readers who prefer print copies are able to hold Nate West in their hands. Yes, it has the same sexy cover, and the print version also contains the “Beer Run” short story.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Pamela: YES! Jenn just finished shooting covers for my first two historical romances — Sweet Release and Carnal Gift. We wanted to make them align visually with Ride the Fire, the third book in that series.

AND HERE THEY ARE!!! SWOONAGE!!! MAJOR SWOONAGE!!!! (Design by the loverly Carrie at Seductive Designs) 

And here they are all side-by-side, the RTF is the mass market, of course 🙂 

Colorado author Pamela Clare began her writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor-in-chief of two different newspapers. Along the way, she and her team won numerous state and national honors, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, Clare was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award. A single mother with two sons, she writes historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense at the foot of the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

Find Pamela: Author Site | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

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