The May Issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine arrived in my mailbox yesterday. That means it should now be available in bookstores and newstands that carry AHMM. My newest short story Tweens shares space with other stories dubbed Diabolical Digressions. 

Here's how editor Linda Landrigan describes my story: "When a jobless and nearly homeless grandmother is offered a chance at some easy money, the path leads to a toxic mess in Catherine Dilts's Tweens."

AHMM is also available online and in an e-zine version.
https://www.themysteryplace.com/ahmm/

The author of over a dozen books, from Christian romances to devotionals to a writing/ promotional how-to, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is best defined as an entrepreneur. The goal of The Wordsmith Journal Magazine, once owned by Pamela and now TWJMagazine , is to help connect “readers with authors and publishers of Christian, Inspirational, clean, wholesome books.” Pamela, thank you for stopping by my blog for a chat.

Thank you so much, Catherine, for that lovely introduction and for hosting me today!

Your website uses the phrase “inspirational with an edge.” Can you explain what that means?

“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ is my tagline and was sanctioned after the release of my first novel, Tempered Hearts. When speaking with a program director at a Books A Million store to set up a signing, he noted some reviews which said the book was “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” We chatted about that and the content then he said, “then I guess your writing is inspirational with an edge ”… Hence the tagline, which has remained consistent even in my nonfiction writing because I like to use that venue to challenge people to think outside the box when it comes to God and their relationship with Him and/or spirituality.

For my readers who might not be familiar with the terminology, can you define the difference between Christian, inspirational and secular fiction?

Sure. ‘Christian’ usually refers to books written with the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) in mind. These normally adhere to a very conservative set of guidelines. Barbour, Bethany House, & Steeple Hill are examples of CBA publishers. “Inspirational” on the other hand, are books similar to mine that although they adhere to biblical principles, are less conservative. Topics which are frowned upon in traditional Christian publishing are explored (ie; women preachers, water & spirit baptism, abortion, divorce, abuse, etc). Pelican Book Group is a great publishing company which considers edgier Christian fiction. Secular fiction is that which falls under the ABA (American Booksellers Association) guidelines and refer to authors such as Nora Roberts, John Grisham, etc.

Would you classify your romances as sweet or steamy? What makes them different from a “secular” romance story? 

My books have been reviewed as “steamier and grittier” because they don’t just touch on or hint at subjects like domestic violence and child abuse but delve deeply into them. The characters have been portrayed by reviewers as “the most realistic” they’ve seen. What makes my books different from a secular story is the faith of the characters and the reality of their struggles with honoring that faith. When I first started submitting I was told I had too much sensuality and grit for the Christian market and too much God for the secular.

I think when readers hear the term “Christian fiction,” they suspect they’ll get a saccharine sweet story with characters who haven’t experienced real-life trials and tribulations. Yet I see that your books include themes of unwanted pregnancy, child abuse, a battered wife, and other tough issues. How does Christian fiction treat these issues differently than secular fiction?

Christian fiction handles this by teaching the reader (through the characters) that God is the only true answer to these issues and that peace and wholeness comes through a relationship with Christ. For instance, my novel Tempered Dreams deals openly and candidly with domestic violence. I don’t just hint at it or refer to her being abused, I show the horror of what she endured. IMHO, the more realistic the situation, the more authentic her doubts, fears and responses to the hero. This book also deals with the issue of forgiveness when she is called to forgive her step father after her mother dies from a beating. The story is very intense but has been highly reviewed.

(Details about Tempered Dreams and a link to an excerpt at the end of the interview.)

Can you tell me a little about Temperance Publishing? Why did you start your own publishing imprint? 

I created Temperance Publishing as a way to independently publish the reprints of my books and those which do not fit within traditional guidelines. For instance, my devotional, Love is a Rose, does not fit the normal idea of a devotional. It parallels the love of God and the Christian life to the words of a song. Purchasing a lyrical license was a necessity to printing this book and those are only good for 3 years. I tried the traditional route several years ago to no avail so having my own imprint proved to be a valuable and viable tool in getting it out. Also, all of the rights to my 4 part Tempered series were returned and the subsidiary rights (ebook, softcover) to my novel The Visionary were mine to sell or publish. These are all published through my imprint as is the “how to” book, Simple Promotional Tools for Authors I co-wrote with friend/colleague Penny Carlton. All of these titles can be purchased at Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Noble for Nook and Smashwords for all other E-readers. Soft cover editions will be available in 2014.

One of the first things I was taught as an aspiring author was to steer clear of religion and politics because I might turn away a good portion of potential readers. You make no apologies about being a Christian author. Do you feel this has restricted your readership? 

Yes, in some degree I do believe it has. Many readers of romance and women’s fiction do not like “Christian” books because they feel the characters/situations are not ‘real’ or that the book is preachy. On the other hand, many readers of Christian fiction do not like anything outside the traditional/conservative CBA guidelines. Most of my readers enjoy the unique combination of sensual and spiritual my books portray.

Is there a market for inspirational fiction?

Of course, readers are diverse and eclectic! I do believe as more and more authors venture outside of the norm and explore (with good writing of course!) the depths they are capable of, Inspirational (in lieu of ‘Christian’) fiction will become more popular and in demand.

What is your “route to market”? How do readers find you, and vice versa?

Readers can find me by visiting my website, blog, FaceBook page, Good Reads, & Amazon Author Page. They can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter @psthib. I also have a monthly column in TWJMagazine called Pamela’s Ponderings and several boards on Pinterest. These are only a few places you can find me. Just google my name, I’m all over the place LOL!

Do you have any advice for writers who want to publish inspirational or Christian fiction? 

Write the book of your heart then search for an agent/publisher. Don’t be afraid to submit to a small press in lieu of the big publishers. We all have to start somewhere and many times these small publishers are easier to deal with than the bigger ones and most don’t require you to have an agent. Last but certainly not least, don’t give up! Writing is a gift and talent given to you by God. Don’t hide your gift or bury your talent. 

In this era when people make a lot of money writing religion-bashing stories, and outright smut, why have you chosen this path? 

Except for erotic/erotica, I love romance in every shape and form whether traditional/secular or Christian/Inspirational. Nora Roberts, Julie Lessman & Francine Rivers are my favorite authors! I didn’t initially choose this path but when I recommitted my life to Christ and committed my writing to Him, the path chose me. I firmly believe in God and His promises. God is very real to me and I feel that people today need and want to hear more of His truths wherever they can glean them. People are hungry for practical (and real) Christian values, not some ‘holier-than-thou’ beliefs that are impossible to believe and impossible to live up to. I do my best to encourage readers to develop a personal relationship with God. The deepest desire of my heart is to glorify God and to get His message of faith, trust and forgiveness to a hurting world.

Here is just one of the reviews for Tempered Dreams….. “Pamela Thibodeaux is known for her ability to balance the sensual elements that make up modern romance novels with the deeply felt beliefs that are an integral part of the inspirational sub-genre. Tempered Dreams is a fine example of that talent. While its unapologetic Christian elements may be heavy going for those unfamiliar with this particular category, her story of one woman’s battle for the courage to leave behind a life of pain and a man’s determination to reveal the true nature of love to her is a fine tale. Nor is the theology all that hard to digest. Although undeniably Christian, it is never dogmatic or insular — she offers faith rather than religion. Fans of inspirational romance are certain to enjoy Tempered Dreams, and even those whose tastes don’t run in that direction would do well to sample Ms. Thibodeaux’s work.” ~ Elizabeth Burton — Blue Iris Journal (2002)

Blurb for Tempered Dreams: Book 2 in Tempered series

Dr. Scott Hensley (introduced in Tempered Hearts) has built a wall around his heart since the death of his wife and parents.  

Katrina Simmons is recovering from scars inflicted on her as a battered wife. Can dreams be renewed and faith strengthened?  Can they find joy and peace in God’s love and in love for one another?  

 Read an Excerpt of Tempered Dreams Here!    

Tempered Dreams is available now on Kindle, Nook & @Smashwords!

Author bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” 

Here is a unique review of Stone Cold Dead - A Rock Shop Mystery at I'm A Voracious Reader. Very cute! And the blog host posted a photo of my novel on the "New Mystery" shelf at her local library. I would have done the same, but my book was checked out when I dropped by yesterday.

http://imavoraciousreader.blogspot.com/2014/02/guest-review-stone-cold-dead.html

"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish." - Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

I read Hemingway in college. That was a few years ago. My husband has a degree in engineering. He sorta knew there was a writer by that name. Since we were headed to Key West, Ernest Hemingway’s old stomping grounds, I insisted we load The Old Man and the Sea onto our e-reader. I read during the long drive from Orlando to Key West.   

We stopped at a convenience store when we reached Key West to put gas in the rental car. A scary looking biker dude lounged outside. I tiptoed past him to use the facilities. On my trip out, my dread of an encounter with the biker evaporated with my sighting of a rooster. I ran down the steps and started snapping pictures. I may have squealed with delight. I felt obligated to explain.

“I had a pet rooster when I was a kid.”

The biker smiled, totally blowing his mean, scary biker facade. “I like roosters, too.”

My husband walked down the steps and interrupted our chicken admiration fest. “I like them fried.”

The biker’s whiskers bristled in alarm. His eyes may have teared up. “You can’t eat those chickens. They’re protected on Key West.”

No, really.  Explore Key West History – chickens: http://bit.ly/MRysLn

And that was our introduction to quirky Key West.

I finished The Old Man and the Sea as we drove into Key West.

My husband asked, “That’s it?”

I assured him the story was finished, and asked what he thought.

“Hmm. There’s no ending.”

“It’s literary fiction,” I told him. 

His face had the same blank expression I’m sure mine must have when he explains some exotic engineering concept to me.

Thanks to our GPS, we found the Hemingway Home and Museum with no problems. Parking was another matter. We didn’t mind the walk down the narrow streets. There was something interesting to see at every turn, including a roadside coconut stand, more chickens and antique cars.

"After that he began to dream of the long yellow beach and he saw the first of the lions come down onto it in the early dark and then the other lions came and he rested his chin on the wood of the bows where the ship lay anchored with the evening off-shore breeze and he waited to see if there would be more lions and he was happy." - Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

You can’t miss Hemingway Home. At a little booth in front of the steps, a woman collected a modest entry fee. I opted for the tour.

“Your sister would like it here,” was my husband’s first comment.

My younger sister does have a fondness for cats. While we waited for the tour to begin, I snapped photos of the famous poly-dactyl felines to show her. Please note the signs on the furniture. Tourists and writers making the pilgrimage to the famous author’s former home may not sit on the antiques. Cats, on the other hand, have the run of the place.

Our tour guide gathered us together and led us through the house, room by room. He did an admirable job, starting with the history of the house and its original owner, who made his fortune salvaging goods from shipwrecks. Then we learned about Hemingway’s life - his four wives, his adventures and travels, his career as a war correspondent and author. His reputation for being a hard-drinking womanizer.

The moment I had been waiting for finally arrived. Our guide encouraged us to go one or two at a time up some questionable metal steps to peek into the second floor writing loft. Hemingway had converted the top of an old carriage house next to the main house for his writing "office." A tiny plexiglass alcove allowed us to see inside the room. I lingered as long as I could. 

I told my husband I could become a rich and famous writer if I had a loft to write in like Hemingway’s. He mumbled something about his allergies and too many cats, and hunted down a bench in the luxurious tropical garden. One not occupied by a cat.

Yes, everywhere, the cats.

Our guide explained that Hemingway received the original cat as a gift from a sea captain. Six-toed cats supposedly brought good luck, and Hemingway was superstitious. He encouraged poly-dactyl cats to populate his home. They never left, even after he moved on to Cuba and a new wife.

My husband observed that Hemingway wrote stories based on his life experiences. He didn’t make anything up. Yes, I countered, but it was the way he wrote about those experiences that ensured his place in American literature.

What is it about Ernest Hemingway that draws so many people to his home? As I watched the next tour group going the rounds, I wondered how many had actually read Hemingway. Or even seen the movies based on his stories. Do they come out of admiration for a literary figure? Because it’s one of the obligatory Key West tour stops? To see the cats?   

Visiting the Hemingway Home and Museum was most likely a once in a lifetime experience. I wandered around the grounds for a few more minutes, trying to store up enough of the tropical atmosphere to get me through the rest of the Colorado winter. I mused about the writing life.

The tour guide told us that Hemingway was a dedicated writer, “going to work” every morning at seven and working until noon or later. As writers, it’s not his lifestyle we should imitate, or his tragic, self-inflicted death we should remember. Whatever his human failings, he was serious about his craft. That’s the impression I took away from visiting Hemingway Home. Dedication, hard work, and love for the art and craft of writing. Those are worthy attributes to emulate.

And the cats are adorable, too.

 http://www.hemingwayhome.com/

(To read our top ten best Florida moments, see my January 28 post.)