Welcome to Pamela Boles Eglinski
Please tell us a little about yourself I was born in San Francisco and raised on the Peninsula. When I was in first grade, my father purchased an acre of land in the foothills overlooking the bay, and built our home. It was a beautiful location and provided us with a “playground” of pastures and hills.
My mother was a huge influence on my writing. She wrote books for children but unfortunately none were published. I wish I had those manuscripts now. They would be such a wonderful keepsake.
I earned my academic degrees in education, history, and art history. I hold three masters degrees and use every bit of them each day. In particular, I’ve made use of my research skills and knowledge of Asia. My novels reflect my passion for the Orient.
I’ve been writing fiction for twelve years. Before that, I was a non-profit manager, fundraiser, and university teacher. I worked for Save the Children-US, for a number of years and that fueled my passion for global issues with a focus on women and girls.
I live in Lawrence, Kansas, home of the University of Kansas, about thirty-five miles from Kansas City, Missouri.
Please tell us a little about your writing. I’ve written two novels and two short anthologies. Each novel is in a different genre: romantic suspense, suspense, and time-travel/historical. Big publishing houses would not allow me that freedom. They prefer an author remain in the same genre and not mix the genres within a single book. Given my genre rich style, I believe e-publishing is ideal for me. It allows me to genre-switch and genre-blend.
All of my novels feature my female Indiana Jones, Catalina Syrah, and her partner Nicholas Bonhomme, agent with the French Directorate. The antagonist is Gul Mazeer, collaborator with the renewed ancient Assassin Cult. I’ve purposefully created a woman of strength, with a bit of the fantastic – just like Indy.
My first novel (in a series of at least three books), is Return of the French Blue. This book qualifies as romantic suspense and establishes my characters and their relationship. As a ninety-year old friend of mine recently said, after reading the novel, “Pam, I never imagined you were familiar with those body parts! The swimming pool sex … wow!”
A little background on the novel: Louis XIV initially purchased the French Blue diamond. It was ultimately sold to the Hope family. But (and here comes the fiction) there were “baby-blues” that were strung into a necklace of astonishing beauty. The necklace is the focus of the novel. Not wanting to spoil the story, I will stop here.
Novel number two, She Rides with Genghis Khan, features Catalina and Bonhomme in a quest to secure the ancient Buddha Jewel. Mazeer relentlessly pursues them across the ancient Silk Road. Oh, and yes, she does ride with Genghis Khan. The novel is filled with adventure and suspense, including a fantastic ending—a blend of genres not unlike Raiders of the Lost Ark.
To prepare for novel number three, When the Eunuchs Ruled, I traveled to China in March. This novel will again blend two genres: time-travel and historical fiction. I like shaking up the genres from novel to novel. It challenges my writing skills and keeps my characters fresh.
Where can readers find your book. My books are readily available at http://www.amazon.com They may be purchased in paperback or digital format. See: Pamela Boles Eglinski, on Amazon, and you’ll find all four of my books. If you don’t own a Kindle, and want to read a digital copy, just download the Kindle app to your computer, and read the book off your laptop, cell phone, iPad, or whatever.
Why did you choose the genres in which you write? Curiously, I think my characters chose the genres. Return of the French Blue takes place on the French Riviera – what better place for romance? She Rides with Genghis Khan covers a lot of territory … from Afghanistan to Mongolia. Suspense haunts the modern-day caravan across the ancient Silk Road. Mazeer stalks Catalina and Bonhomme throughout the novel, right up to the fantastic ending. And, my third novel When the Eunuchs Ruled, (which is yet to be published), gives me the opportunity to write historical fiction and time travel. Actually, you could say that all of my novels take not-so-well-known-fact and mold it into a gripping story that is purely fiction.
Can you name a positive experience from your writing and a negative one? Writing is an absolute joy and pleasure. I never suffer from writer’s block. There is always an exciting story churning in my head. Writing provides me with a world of my own making, where I direct the characters in life-threatening adventures.
Spelling is my nemesis. Microsoft Word corrects some of my spelling errors, but not all. I get into a lot of trouble with my editor and proofreader. They can’t believe a writer can be so spelling and grammatically lame. It’s a heavy burden. 😉
With the rise of e-books, do you still publish in print as well? Is this medium important and why? We live in time of enormous change in the publishing world. Many say it is comparable to the age of Guttenberg and the advent of movable type. I believe them. In 2014, it’s forecast that digital books will outnumber those sold in print. The movement to digital books has occurred at warp-speed … in fact, so fast that it astounds us all. Many traditional publishing houses and big bookstores have not been able to keep pace, hence the merging of publishers (we are down to five big publishing houses in the US) and the demise of Borders and perhaps Barnes & Noble. Amazon was way ahead of the curve – powering up with the Kindle, Createspace (for print-on-demand books), and the resources for global distribution. They recently rounded out the ideal virtual bookstore by purchasing Goodreads – a forum of fifteen million readers and writers who are interested in like-minded people, book reviews, discussion groups, and easy and immediate purchasing.
I publish in both paperback and digital format. There will always be a desire, and a need, for hard-copy books. I hope we never lose our passion to hold a good book in our laps and thumb through the pages. There is something enduring about that scene. It’s a pleasure that I don’t want to lose.
Do you listen to music or watch TV whilst you write?
I’m distracted by music and TV, however I need some background noise so I leave the TV on during the day with the sound adjusted to a low rumble. That’s good for my psyche too, as writing is a solitary business, and I need to feel connected to the world even though it may be through a low roar. That said, I played Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, and the sound track from the movie French Kiss, the entire time I wrote Return of the French Blue. Again, the volume was so low I couldn’t detect the words … just the quite tunes in the background.
What experiences can a book provide that a movie cannot? Books and movies are two very different forms of entertainment. When I read, my imagination goes wild. I conjure up the scenes. I cast the characters. I hear their voices. If I read a book first and then see the movie (based on the book), I am sure to be disappointed. However, if you turn that around … it’s not so bad. For example, I saw the Life of Pi, on a recent flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco. It was magic! When I got home, I read the book. The movie helped me envision the scenes better than I could have done on my own, and that is due to supreme cinematography and the incredible imagination of the director.
What advice would you give new writers? Practice your craft and engage in writers’ critique groups. This is how you learn to write well. If you love to write … keep at it!
Most authors also like to read, what books do you enjoy? I love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I always “clear the decks” when one of her 1000 page tomes is released. I love her characters, the historical wrap, the tension she creates between characters, and suspense. I also enjoy the suspense-packed novels of James Rollins. I loved Dan Brown’s novels until his last two. Oh, and let’s not forget Michael Crichton’s Timeline, Congo, and Jurassic Park. I recently read Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls, and have become a real fan of her writing. There are so many more, but I’ll stop there.
Can you give us a silly fact about yourself I learned my ABC’s before my older brother, and have never let him forget it.
New book release I will publish a second anthology in October. Watch for Father’s Fried Egg Sandwiches. It is a companion to Mother’s Red Fingernail Polish, which is currently available on Amazon.
Both books feature six delightful stories. Each one showcases humor and adventure in the world around us. You’ll discover lives well lived, challenges taken, a person remembered, and laughter earned. The reviews of Mother’s Red Fingernail Polish are glowing, and I believe Father’s Fried Egg Sandwiches will be reviewed just as well.
Please enjoy these delightful little books at the wonderful price of ninety-nine cents.
Looking for Pam? Look no further.
Website: http://www.pamelaboleseglinski.com
Facebook: pamela.b.eglinski.fans Please “friend” or “like” the page. This is the best way to stay in touch with me, and on top of my writing and publishing.
Twitter: @pameglinski Send a direct message, or you’ll get buried in all of the tweets!
Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Boles-Eglinski/e/B007GORNJ4
Goodreads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6478441-pam-eglinski
Goodreads books: http://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Pamela+Boles+Eglinski
Linkedin: Pamela Boles Eglinski [I don’t look at it often. It’s a site that keeps me connected with my professional friends, who are still working an 8-5 job.]
Listen to me live on KLWN, 1320 AM radio, broadcasting from Lawrence, KS, USA. Jeremy Taylor, a Brit, hosts the Saturday morning show “About the House.” My topic is books and authors. Please note: we are in the process of archiving past programs.
http://www.klwn.com/pages/14152225.php
Library of Erana 
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