Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Pamela is an author and public speaker with rare courage and transparency who captivates audiences with her personal stories of overcoming extreme childhood neglect and trauma. She is the author of JoyRide: Life, Death and Forgiveness, her deeply moving memoir. Joyride is filled with the kind of action that keeps readers at the edge of their seats.
All of us in one way or another have experienced unfortunate, painful situations. As a child, Pamela suffered extreme neglect and abandonment by her alcohol addicted mother. Through remarkable circumstances, she fled a series of attacks against her life. Through resilience and faith, she recovered from deep emotional pain and escaped generational alcoholism. For the past decade, Pamela has traveled the nation, inspiring audiences with a powerful message of hope. Pamela’s story brings healing to hurting hearts and instills in all of us a fresh and freeing perspective on some of the toughest challenges facing society today.
Pamela is the mother of three grown children and lives in rural Oregon with her husband of more than 25 years where she’s a Christian speaker and the director of the local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) agency.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“JoyRide: Life, Death and Forgiveness” follows two little girls, Pamela and her sister Robin, who are on the ride of a lifetime with their alcohol-addicted, Auntie-Mame-wannabe mother. They survive near death experiences, encounter the father they never knew existed, and are given the sole care of their newborn brother during their mother’s abandonment.
“JoyRide” is my personal story. I’m a mama and a new grandma. It was that mother’s heart that inspired me to share my story in order to help others to have hope for their own situations and to have faith and hold onto love.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write with instrumental music softly playing in the room and often with a delicious hot beverage, such as a coffee alternative, since I don’t tolerate caffeine well.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jeannette Walls, “The Glass Castle” and Nicholas Sparks, “Three Weeks with My Brother.”
Nicholas and I grew up in Fair Oaks, California. I’m interested in what he writes and in his success because we grew up in the same suburb of Sacramento and went to the same junior high school. I seldom ever read fiction. However, because he is from Fair Oaks and because of our school affiliation, I’ve read a couple of his fiction books and enjoyed them.
I’ve also been inspired by Helen Fremont, :After a Long Silence.” Her story involves the revealing of a great family secret. I share in common with Helen the fact that my great grandmother was Jewish (not a practicing Jew, however), and for most of my life I’ve had an interest in Holocaust survivor stories.
What are you working on now?
“JoyRide” was released at the end of July. Currently, I’m preparing to write the sequel. Readers want to know what happened next and they want to know how my sister and I recovered from our crazy childhood. I hope to satisfy these questions in a sequel.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Public speaking and book signing events have provided the greatest sales of “JoyRide.” Facebook has been a successful social media platform for distributing the latest information concerning my author journey and has resulted in sales.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write your passion and focus on helping others. Even in fiction writing, when the author’s heart is to help readers in some way, that heart comes through in her writing. Excellent story is just one aspect of what sales books, touching readers’ hearts is another.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice on any topic? Forgive those who hurt you or else you can become sick.
The best advice as a writer – Write something everyday.
What are you reading now?
An immense book of newspaper articles concerning a female evangelist from the late 1800’s who traveled throughout the U.S.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My husband and I are involved in the adventure of helping readers discover “JoyRide.” We’re working on the plans for speaking events and book signings in Sacramento during April which is Child Abuse Awareness month and also my birth month.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Being deserted on an island with books sounds like a wonderful plan, how do I arrange this?
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