I ‘met’ Pam (aka Pimp My Mixer Pam) on the Will Write for Wine forums. Its a fun community of writers and readers led by Samantha Graves and Lani Diane Rich. While many of the writers there are (as yet) unpublished (myself included), we’re working hard on changing that. With a little nudging from Sam’s ‘Help! I’m Published and I Can’t Get Up‘ podcast workshop and the example of a few other blogging Wiffers like Caryn, The Book Lady (see the links to the right), we’ve both gotten our blogs up and running.

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Pam of the new Pam Writes Romance blog has taken a few moments to answer my ten questions. Before we got down to the questions about writing, I had to start by clarifying a few quirky tidbits she’s let drop. See her bio for more.

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1) Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?
I was born in the middle of a 3-day blizzard. Some might say this was a portent of things to come. They might be right… I grew up in lovely small towns that really were ideal. I have fond memories of my childhood because of those towns, but sadly, they’ve grown to a point they’re no longer what they were. Currently I live in Arizona–it just shows what happens when you say never. (The gods laugh.)
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2) What made you decide to ‘decorate’ your mixer?
I hate to say this, but that’s actually not my mixer. The gentleman who pimps mixers lives in Arizona and I’m waiting for a road trip to visit him and see if I can get something custom. I do have a white KitchenAid and I would like the blue flames, so I guess it’s a picture representing my mixer in my mind.
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3) How exactly did a motor manage to fall on the back of your head?
Dad was cleaning out the rafters in the garage and I was standing at the base of the ladder. (I was 8 and we were going to be moving soon.) I don’t remember it happening, it didn’t hurt–all of a sudden Dad was rushing down the ladder saying he was sorry and asking if I was okay. I’ve got a scar on the back of my head that looks like an itty-bitty bald spot.
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4) Do you remember the moment when you decided to write novels?
Yup–I tried to write poetry (it really, really, really sucked, and my husband, an English major and poet himself, gently suggested I start by writing something I know. (I did not know poetry!) I knew romance. Started in August 1996 and never looked back.

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5) What kind of paranormal do you like to write about?
Light and funny. Different.
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6) What time period(s) have you set your historical novels in?
Book #1 is 1883, Book #2 is 1217, Book #3 is 1780, and Book #5 is 1883. I don’t know why I’m gravitating towards Victorian. I love the other periods just as much.
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7) If you couldn’t write romance, would you pick another genre? Which? Why?
Yes, though I’d still write romance. (I don’t think anybody could tell me I couldn’t in a way that I’d believe them.) Plus, the genres now are mixing so much where does one start and another begin? I wouldn’t/couldn’t write mysteries–too much to plan out and have it be believable. SF/Fantasy maybe, same with Westerns. I could do women’s fiction and a kids book. Are all authors this ambitious?
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8. Pantser or plotter? And have you tried it the other way? How did it work?
65% panster, 35% plotter. I tried plotting and the book had other ideas–it ignored my plans and created new characters. Now, I have ideas and turning points and make the in-between parts up as I go.
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9) Given unlimited funds and two weeks, where would you go on vacation?
British Isles. Amen, end of sentence, no question about it.
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10) How did you find ‘Will Write for Wine’?
I’m a cherry and Lani advertised it on the Cherry loops. If you go back and look at one of the very first posts, I suggested a tagline of “Like your writing and your wine–bottoms up!” They went with “If you can’t write for money, write for wine.” Don’t know who came out ahead on that one.
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