Meet Pamela Poole
I interviews Pamela as part of the Celebrate Lit Promo for her new book Jaguar. We learn a little more about her in this interview.
When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
The day I signed the publisher’s contract for my debut novel, Painter Place. Honestly, I only knew I had resolved to publish that book–I didn’t “dream” of being an author. For me, becoming an author has been a calling, not a personal pursuit.
When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?
I laughed out loud at this question, envisioning the faces of readers who are like me, unable to count the jumble on our hat stand! I will limit mine to the most important: my role as a homemaker, wife, mom to two grown children, and GiGi to a 3 ½ year-old grandson on earth and his twin sister in heaven. Professionally, I’m an artist, an author, and a contributing writer on my church’s Communications Team. But on rare days when I can choose my hat, I will always choose to paint!
What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?
I read widely and don’t have a favorite genre, but I do have a list of my 15 favorite books on my website blog. I lean toward classic literature, where authors tended not to blur moral lines or compromise on their message.
What is your favorite holiday? And why?
EASTER! Resurrection Sunday focuses on Jesus and our salvation, not on gifts, materialism, and unrealistic expectations. I love the bright Spring colors of all the Sunday clothes in worship services and the warm first promises of Summer.
What historical figure do you admire and why?
I am a history buff and admire so many historical figures! I even have an ancestor who took a wagon trip with Daniel Boone’s son. To select just one, I’ll go with an American, George Washington. To study this remarkable man’s life is to know he was chosen by God “for such a time as this” in America’s founding. He overcame many misfortunes early in life and they shaped his character to form the astounding man God worked through to establish this country.
Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
Jaguar was born as I wrote Painter Place, though I didn’t know the title of the novel yet. I wanted to pursue what happened to the man who left my main character behind to go to the mission field. After it was published, a reader asked me to follow up with what happened to him. I saw this as an affirmation that I could write a novel bringing together the many stunning stories of spiritual warfare and miracles that I’d heard from the mission field in churches over the years. I like spy stories and wove those elements together in Jaguar.
I also wanted to explore several complicated situations believers deal with. One is that sometimes, we need closure about people in our past.
What research did you do for this book?
I did tons of research, from walking the streets of Charleston with my hubby, mapping out settings and situations, to studying about the Amazon jungle and the country of Columbia. I researched the drug cartels in their heyday in 1995 and read books written by former SEALS and CIA officers about methods of survival. I studied the animals that populate the Amazon jungle and watched tourism videos to get my descriptions correct. I noted supernatural accounts from missionaries and read books by one of my favorite authors, Jeanette Windle, a missionary kid who grew up in the jungle of Columbia in what is now drug cartel country (her novels Crossfire and DMZ were especially helpful for writing Jaguar); and I referred back to “For Women Only” by Shauti Feldhahn after reading it while writing my novel Hugo. Readers will see it recommended in the end matter of Jaguar in the “Beneath the Surface” discussion material for book clubs.
What is your current WIP? What can you tell us about it?
This week in two author interviews, I’m publicly mentioning my next WIP for the first time. Each of my novels costs me something personally, and I have been hesitant to commit to more. Those who understand spiritual attack and roadblocks will relate to this.
I have more ideas in mind for books in the Painter Place Saga, but I’m feeling led to divert first to another series called “Strange Sands.” I have a trilogy planned so far, with settings in Hilton Head Island, SC; Savannah, GA; and Charleston, SC. I will map out the plots of all 3 before writing and releasing the first. This will be a suspense/spiritual warfare themed series, and the main character is a historian that specializes in researching old buildings and places for clients. She is the descendant of Van Helsing and discovers she can’t run from her ancestry or her destiny as a Christian with gifts of discernment (some will call it intuition). I’m researching this series carefully so as remain true to Biblical spiritual warfare.
Because I am a K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?
Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans, a painter, illustrator, and writer. I loved little Madeline’s adventures with Miss Clavel, Pepito, and the heroic dog Genevieve! When I had a daughter, I shared the stories with her in a collected volume of 6 of those stories, which still sits on my bookcase.
Every year I organize a Young Authors Day for the kids at our school. What advice would you give to a child who wants to be a writer?
I would encourage a child who wants to become a writer to write for themselves, not to please an audience. Performance and acceptance should not be their goal. Writing for pure pleasure will build the skills they will need someday for an assignment or a broader audience, but the best stories are the ones you are free to write for yourself.
Thank you Pamela for joining us today – It was a joy to get to know you.
Connect with Pamela
Pamela Poole, Artist and Author: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
Author blog on Southern Sky Publishing
Jaguar book trailer
Jaguar: Inspiring Southern Ambiance for Christian Readers (Painter Place Saga Book 3)
