Interview with Pamela Mingle
What is one of your favorite things about writing?
I love it when something unexpected sneaks its way into my story. It’s as though the characters are telling me something.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
It’s hard to say. Usually characters, I think.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Somewhere in between. I write the first few chapters, then I need to do an outline to see where, exactly I’m going. I’ve never sat down and plotted out an entire book before I started writing.
Can you write sex scenes at any time or do you have to be “in the mood?”
I write early in the day, so that’s when I write sex scenes as well. Because those particular scenes are so full of feeling and emotion, and extraordinary intimacy, I continually revise them.
What do you like best about writing?
The thrill of creating characters and seeing where life takes them.
What is the most difficult thing about writing?
Making the characters and their story true and honest. Making the protagonists real and relatable.
What is one of your favorite ways to learn about your characters?
Trying out different points-of-view. Romance is nearly always written in third person POV, but I like to write a few chapters in the beginning in first person, which allows me to get closer to the characters. In the end, it must switch back to third, of course, but usually I’ve learned a thing or two about the hero and heroine.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
Here’s a short blurb: Tagline: A false proposal, a fake engagement – true love?
London 1812
War hero Adam Grey returns home and plans to run for Parliament. But he needs the support of the local baronet, who controls the seat. He learns that his dissolute father has promised him to the baronet’s daughter in return for forgiveness of his debts. Adam wants nothing to do with marriage or his father’s problems, so he fakes an engagement to Cass Linford—his best friend’s sister.
Cass Linford’s former betrothed committed suicide, forcing Cass to withdraw from London society. She has given up on the idea of marriage, but when Adam suggests a temporary engagement, she agrees. She can cry off after the election, no harm done. But then she falls in love with her fake fiancé.
What are you working on now?
A follow-up novel to A False Proposal
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
This is from Chapter 14 and gets to the heart of the story:
“You’ve mentioned to Jack that you wanted to be involved in my election.”
She smiled. “Yes, I did. I do.”
“A special circumstance has arisen. As it turns out, you are the only person who can help me deal with it.”
Odd that she could be the “only person.” Now her curiosity was piqued, more than it had been initially. “Go on.”
Adam seemed to hesitate. He’d dropped his gaze to the rubble on the floor, and the silence stretched out.
Did he need her encouragement? “If it’s my advice you want, I shall be glad to give it.”
He looked up and directly at her. “Dearest Cass, it is not your advice I need, precisely.”
He was stalling. After years of dealing with a younger sibling, she was able to wait a long time if necessary, though little doubts began to assail her. What could be so difficult to ask of her?
Adam picked up a small fragment of rubble from the floor and rubbed his thumb across its uneven edges. Finally, he looked at her. “On my way here I visited my father. It was the first day of the house party, the day you and I came upon each other walking.”
“Oh?” She remembered how preoccupied he’d seemed.
“I had not seen him in several years. As you know, we are estranged. But I thought if I were to stand for election, I would need to sort things out with him, at least to some degree.” Adam moved toward her, stopping finally and putting his hands behind his back.
Cass wasn’t sure if she was meant to respond, but when he did not immediately continue, she said, “And how did you find him?”
“Worse than I expected, but you need only concern yourself with the fact that I told him I was betrothed. To you.” He watched her, gauging her reaction.
Cass felt something sink inside her. Was this some kind of monstrous joke? Perhaps she had misunderstood, or hadn’t heard him correctly. “I beg your pardon?”
“Let me be perfectly clear. My father is in debt up to his ears, and the person who holds his vowels and mortgages is Sir William Broxton. He as much as promised the man that I would offer for his daughter in exchange for his debts being forgiven. I told my father I was engaged to you so that he would not press me to wed Miss Broxton.”
“To me,” Cass repeated dumbly. “Why didn’t you simply refuse to do it instead of lying?”
“I tried to, I even suggested that the girl marry Hugh. Apparently Sir William wants me. I needed an absolutely unimpeachable reason to refuse. I wasn’t about to trade marriage for a seat in Commons, especially since I don’t plan to wed. Ever.”
What three words would the hero of your story use to describe his love interest?
strong, smart, courageous
What three words would the heroine of your story use to describe her love interest?
big-hearted, passionate, committed
Would you tell us about yourself?
I’m writerishly introverted! Like the readers of your blog, I’m a voracious reader and love many different genres. In a former life, I was a librarian and then a teacher. My husband and I like to do continuous walking trips in England, which are quite challenging for me, but a lot of fun too. I have daughter I adore!
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
I love mysteries and have read them all my life, starting with Nancy Drew, of course! I love writing women’s fiction and historical fiction, always with a romance.
Where can we visit you online?
Website: http://www.pammingle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamelamingleauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pammingle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5300466.Pamela_Mingle
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Mingle/e/B006MZGRWM
How long have you been writing?
A little over fifteen years.
To you what makes a great romance hero?
Smart, strong, attractive, but I’m not particularly attached to alpha males. Betas are good too!
To you what makes a great romance heroine?
Strong, but with a certain vulnerability. Someone with an interest in the world beyond her immediate surroundings.
Do you have any particular writing habits? (Listening to music, best time of day to write, etc.)
Morning, with soft music playing and candles burning.
Name three fictional characters (not your own) that you find hot. They can be from books, movies, or TV.
Colin Firth, as Mr. Darcy, Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, and Matthew Rhys in The Americans.
What book are you currently reading?
The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah.
What is the last movie you watched?
Love and Friendship, based on Jane Austen’s early novel in letters, Lady Susan. It’s very funny.
What is your favorite comfort food?
Gelato!
Do you have any pets?
We’re between pets right now. We had two rescue dogs who both died after three years. That was very hard emotionally, so we’re taking a break.
About the Book
Title: A False Proposal
Author: Pamela Mingle
Genre: Regency Romance
London 1812
War hero Adam Grey returns home with a burning ambition to run for Parliament. But he needs the support of the local baronet, who controls the seat. Adam’s plans are thwarted by his dissolute father, who has promised him to the baronet’s daughter in return for forgiveness of his debts. Adam wants nothing to do with marriage or his father’s problems, so he fakes an engagement to Cass Linford—his best friend’s sister.
Cass has been through hell since she last saw Adam. Her betrothed committed suicide, forcing her to withdraw from London society. Heartbroken, she’s given up on marriage. So when Adam suggests a temporary engagement, she agrees. He needs help with his campaign, and Cass can’t resist his charm or the chance to be involved in politics. It all seems so easy, until she finds herself falling in love with her fake fiancé.
Author Bio
Pamela Mingle has spent much of her professional life in libraries and classrooms. With a lot of persistance and a little luck, she’s found a new career as a writer. Pam is the author of The Pursuit of Mary Bennet, A Pride and Prejudice Novel, and Kissing Shakespeare, a young adult time travel romance. A self-proclaimed Janeite, Pam is Regional Coordinator for the Denver/Boulder region of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA).
Pam lives and works in Lakewood, Colorado. On trips to England, she and her husband enjoy walking from one town to the next. While those long treks have often been challenging, they’ve proved to be a wonderful way to discover new settings for her books.
Links
Website: http://www.pammingle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamelamingleauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pammingle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5300466.Pamela_Mingle
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Mingle/e/B006MZGRWM
Giveaway
Win a $15 Amazon gift card during the tour.
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MWNiNTU0OTUyMGNlZDFiOGJmOTc5ZmExZmRmZDJmOjgxNg==/?
Book Excerpt
After Willis departed, Cass heard the front door burst open, accompanied by voices. She identified one as belonging to her brother, Jack. But there was a second voice, one she didn’t immediately recognize. Botheration! She was tired and not in the mood for company.
Philippa was still in motion when Jack stepped over the threshold, another gentleman in his wake. Taking no notice of where her whirling carried her, and still singing, she spun right into her older brother, who leaned down and hoisted her up into the air.
“Mind where you’re going, scamp!” he said fondly, kissing her cheek before setting her down. She swayed, and the other man grabbed hold of her in time to prevent her from falling. At that moment, Cass had a clear view of him. With a sharp intake of breath, she recognized Adam Grey, a longtime friend of her brother. Of her. An older and more mature looking Adam, to be sure, but it was unmistakably he. Suddenly, everything seemed out of balance.
She had not seen Adam in four years. Not since the evening of the Sheffield ball, during her first season. She would never forget it. Cass could, without any difficulty at all, conjure up a memory of how he’d looked that night, so handsome in black and white evening clothes. His slow, appreciative grin when he’d seen her in her finery, as if she’d made his heart beat a little faster. It was the first time he had looked at her in quite that way. She had idolized him since their childhood, when they’d spent summers together on their neighboring estates. But in the middle of the ball, she had wandered down a darkened hallway by mistake and came upon him in the act of seducing a young lady. Fondling her breasts, to be precise. Mortified, Cass had been rooted to the spot. Adam had harshly ordered her to go back from wherever she’d come and never speak of this to anyone. Sadly, she had concluded that he must be a rake. Not a man to admire. Her girlish dreams had died that night.
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