Pam
Champagne
Well, the Rambler's Inn has a mystery on its
hands.
Andy (Randy's brother) has gone missing, with nary a clue left
behind to tell us where he has gone. Could he be in the
cellar? No. Could he be in the conservatory? No.
Could he be lurking in the study with Romantic Suspense writer,
Pam Champagne? Well...
If you have an alias or pen name, what is it?
I write under the name Pam Champagne.
Tell us about yourself...
I've done a lot of exciting things in
my life. My ex-husband used to call me "the girl from
Maine." That phrase best describes me. I love the simple
life. I could be content living without electricity, but of
course I'd need a generator to charge up the laptop every now
and then. As long as I can be in the woods, I'm a happy camper.
There's more of my life story on my website at www.pamchampagne.net.
Anything special the readers should know about you?
Hmmm…I think it's important that
readers know I bring a special part of me to each story I write.
I draw on life's experiences to create a setting, plot and the
characters.
How long have you been writing?
I made a brief attempt back in the 70's
on an electric typewriter. <grin>. Talk about frustration…computer
problems are a piece of cake. I submitted my manuscript to the
Harlequin Presents line and promptly received a form rejection
letter. Thirty years later, I can understand why! At the time
the only plus I had going for me was the desire to write. I
never made another serious attempt until 2004-not to say the
ideas didn't bounce around in my head all those years in
between.
Where do you typically find your inspiration?
I watch, I listen and I absorb
everything around me. I'm like a sponge. I also am a "what
if" person. I drive people crazy asking "what
if?" The place inspired Ribbon of Rain. I worked at an
isolated lodge for several months. My ex-husband and I once
owned a stable of racehorses, so Dead Heat sprang from there.
Missing in Action, my newest release, allowed me to release pent
up emotions about the Vietnam War.
What genre do you write in?
My stories tend to be romantic suspense
with a bit of the paranormal tossed in. If I start something as
a contemporary romance, I find myself searching for the
suspense.
Who has influenced you in your writing?
In high school I latched onto Frank
Yerby novels. Loved every one of them. Then came the French
husband and wife team, Sergeanne Golon, who wrote the epic sized
romance series about Angelique. Man, what a heroine!! I have
read this series numerous times. It's odd that I cut my teeth on
historical romance, but have no desire to write it. Nowadays, I
read Elizabeth Lowell, Suzanne Brockmann, Nora Roberts. I loved
reading Shirlee Busbee, but she doesn't seem to write as much
any more. To be honest, I do less reading, now that I'm writing.
Hard to find the time.
What books do you have out?
I have three books available from
Triskelion Publishing:
- Ribbon of
Rain, a suspense set in the Maine wilderness;
- Dead Heat,
a suspense involving thoroughbred horse racing; and
- Missing
In Action, a suspense about a woman who discovers her
biological father was a U.S. pilot shot down in Vietnam and
his remains have never been recovered.
In June, an anthology from Triskelion
entitled Up Close and Personal will be available. I wrote Dance
For Me for that anthology. It's a story about a woman detective
who goes undercover as an exotic dancer to find a serial
murderer. She gets involved with a man twelve years younger.
Throughout she struggles to find the killer and to come to terms
with her feelings for the hero. They can all be purchased at www.triskelionpublishing.net.
Are you doing any signing or appearances soon?
Ribbon of Rain will be available at
Borders in September, 2006. Hooray! I will have a signing at
that time. Either in Bangor or Portland, ME
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Find a critique group and join as soon
as possible. There's no way you can judge your own writing and
unfortunately, though they mean well, friends and family will
not be honest with you. A small group of other aspiring writers
can help each other along down the road. These women will become
your life line.
Do you have a website or a blog?
Yes, I do. I have both. Come visit me
at www.pamchampagne.net
Do you prefer fan mail/email?
E-mail is great. I love to hear from
readers whether they like my stories or not.
Other than being a writer, did you ever picture yourself doing
anything else?
If I could go backwards (don't we all
wish for that? J) I'd choose an outdoor profession. Either a
game warden or wildlife biologist. Perhaps a surveyor or a
forester. I love being outdoors. Of course, I'd still write.
If you had time off to do whatever you like, what would you do?
I'd write until I was exhausted, then
I'd walk in the woods or grab my Alphasmart 3000 and go camping
and canoeing.
Is there a favorite author you haven't met that you'd like
to?
I haven't met any famous romance author
so it would be a pleasure to meet any of them. I think if I
could choose, I'd like to meet Shirlee Busbee. I've always liked
her writing.
With
many thanks for Kim Robinson for joining us at the
Ramblers' Inn
You can visit Kim on the web at:
www.kim-robinson.com
