Pamela Samuels Young
Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign
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join us by supporting the authors below and buying books as gifts!
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Lawyer
and author Pamela Samuels Young continues to receive accolades for her
page turning legal thrillers that present the legal detail and mouthwatering
suspense of John Grisham, combined with the understanding of urban love,
explosive language and humor of Terry McMillan. Young's latest offering, the
gripping and suspenseful legal thriller, "Buying Time" has been
honored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) as the
winner of its 2010 Fiction Award. The BCALA Literary Awards recognize excellence
in adult fiction and nonfiction by African-Americans.
The Awards Committee described "Buying Time" as a "captivating,
suspenseful thriller." Young will receive the award at the American Library
Association's Conference in Washington, D.C. in June. "Buying Time" is
Pamela Samuels Young's fourth novel and is available everywhere books are sold.
BPM: Pamela tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What
drives you? What impact do you want your book to make on the readers?
I definitely have a passion for writing. Nothing else could explain my
willingness to sit in front of my computer for ten hours a day or my eagerness
to rise at four in the morning to write before going to work. I enjoy creating
characters and putting them in precarious situations. I want readers to get
wrapped up in the mysteries I create, to love, hate and root for my characters,
and to close each book and feel as if they got their money’s worth.
BPM: How did you feel when you saw your first book in bookstores?
I still have a very vivid memory of seeing Every Reasonable Doubt on the shelf
at the Barnes and Noble near my home in February 2006. I went to the store on
the book's scheduled release date, not really expecting to find it. My stepson
and I searched the shelves but couldn't find it. I was about to leave, but
decided to, ask for it at the reception desk. To my delight, the clerk found it
and led us to the book. I just stood there staring at it. So much blood, sweat
and tears led me to this point. My stepson took out his cell phone and snapped a
picture of me holding the book. And just as I started to started to tear up, he
promptly warned me not to embarrass him by crying in the store.
BPM: Take us inside your latest legal thriller, Buying Time.
My newest legal thriller is a scandalous tale of blackmail, murder and betrayal,
evoking John Grisham with a sister’s twist! Recently disbarred attorney
Waverly Sloan is unwittingly drawn into a financial scheme targeting people who
are terminally ill. When Waverly’s clients start dying sooner than they
should, federal prosecutor Angela Evans is determined to bring him down. Before
she can, it’s Angela’s life that begins to unravel. Enter Dre, an unassuming
guy with a dark, dangerous side who comes to Angela’s rescue.
The lives of
all three characters—Waverly, Angela and Dre—intersect, and soon, they’re
on the run . . . forced to rely on each other if they’re going to survive.
BPM: What inspired you to begin writing mysteries after careers in journalism
and law?
I've always loved reading mysteries, particularly those that involve fascinating
legal cases. It bothered me, however, that the legal thrillers I read never
depicted women and African-American attorneys. So . . . I decided to fill the
void.
I knew pretty early that I wanted to be a writer, having worked on school
newspapers in junior high, high school and college. When I decided to major in
journalism at the University of Southern California, I didn't give much thought
to creative writing. At the age of 18, I didn't have the guts to even consider a
career as a novelist. The writers I enjoyed reading – James Baldwin, Richard
Wright, Toni Morrison, Joan Didion – were incredibly talented literary
writers. I knew I didn't have that kind of poetic writing talent. So I pursued a
career in journalism and later, earned a law degree. Flash forward several years
and I somehow gathered the courage to give creative writing a try.
BPM:
What is your process for creating a novel? Do you plot out the story or do the
characters speak to you?
I will spend any where from a few weeks to as long as three months outlining a
book before I sit down to write. I also mull over my story a lot. I'm thinking
about it in the shower, while I'm standing in line at the grocery story, during
my 45-minute commute to work. I can almost see each chapter as if it were a
scene in a movie. Only after I have a completed outline do I start writing. And
when I write, I go from page one to the last page without doing much editing.
For me, it's psychologically motivating to complete that first draft, even if
it's so bad I'd never dare show it to anyone. Once I have a finished first
draft, then the real writing starts. I revise, and revise and revise some more.
That process can last six months or more.
BPM: What are your sources of creativity?
Imagining thousands of readers enjoying my books inspires me. I'm a morning
person. My creative juices really flow around five a.m.
BPM: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future
readers...
I want to help destroy the publishing industry’s belief that only African
American readers will read stories with African American characters. People who
love mysteries want a compelling story. My primary goal is to write entertaining
thrillers with diverse characters and a storyline that keeps readers turning the
page.
BPM: Do you have any difficulty balancing your writing career with your day
job and your personal life?
Yes! I'm fortunate to be working part-time as an in-house attorney. But it's
still a struggle balancing my legal career, promoting my current books, and
writing my next novel, on top of being a wife and step-mother. I'm just thankful
that I have a supportive job and family. Staying afloat requires organization
and a lot of physical stamina.
BPM: Your
life is extremely busy! What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring
writers that are also juggling full-time careers ?
Learn to say "no" and don't feel guilty about it. Right now, I'm
practicing law, promoting my books nearly every weekend, working on my next
novel, and teaching a business law course at the University of Redlands School
of Business. I'm also on the Board of Directors of the Southern California
Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and I write a column for Global Woman
magazine. I love teaching, but I recently decided that I just don't have the
time or energy to teach another course this year. I also turned down a request
to join the board of directors of a local non-profit group. I wish I could do it
all, but there simply aren't enough hours in the day. For now, my primary focus
is on finishing my next book and making sure I spend some quality time with my
husband, who rarely sees me because I'm gone so much promoting my books.
BPM: How do you spend your free time?
Free time? What's that? Writing is how I spend my free time and I love every
minute of it. I still work part-time as a lawyer and when I'm not at work, I'm
usually someplace writing – be it at home, the library or the nearest
Starbucks. Sometimes I write early in the morning before work, other times I'm
up until one or two in the morning typing away on my laptop. My most productive
writing time is when I can get away from home and lock myself in my timeshare in
Palm Desert for a weekend. When I'm in that environment, the writing is
non-stop. When I'm writing, I'm happy.
BPM: What is your most valuable lesson about the publishing industry?
You need to have faith in your talent to survive in this business. Even the
mega-successful writers—e.g., J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and John Grisham,
just to name a few—were rejected by multiple publishers. The writers who
survive are those who ignore the rejection and just keep writing.
I learned that it's a very tough business. As a result, you have to have faith
in your talent and keep going despite the rejection. I've worked in both
television news and law and I never faced any where near the rejection and
difficulties in those careers that I faced trying to become a novelist. In fact,
both law school and the California Bar exam were way easier. I also learned that
you have to think like a businessperson, not a writer. My books are products. I
have to be inventive and unrelenting about getting my product to readers.
In addition to
bookstore signings, I've done email blasts, online advertising, giveaways,
speaking engagements, and of course book club meetings. I believe that one of
the primary reasons both In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt have made
the Essence Best-Seller's list is my heavy focus on book clubs. During a recent
trip to the D.C. area, I did three book clubs in one day, along with a reception
at a friend's home and a panel discussion at a bookstore. It was a long day, but
I reached a lot of people.
Book clubs are
social networks and they are great sources for word-of-mouth promotion. If the
book club members enjoyed reading one of my books, it's likely that they're
going to mention it to their friends, family and co-workers, and go back to the
store to pick up my next book.
BPM: Have you gotten any sound advice from fellow authors?
Christian fiction author Victoria Christopher Murray told me that the writers
who survive in this business are the persistent ones. She said that producing a
book a year has been one of the keys to her success. Her fan base has followed
her with each book and continues to grow. It's definitely my plan to produce a
new book every year.
BPM: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Find the writing process that works best for you. When I wrote my first book, I
struggled a lot with the writing. I didn't prepare an outline or even have the
storyline worked out in my head. I had an idea for the characters and the
setting and I just sat down and started writing. I would spend weeks on a single
chapter, rewriting what I had written during the previous session. Later, I
ended up tossing out several chapters that I spent weeks working on.
Now, I have a completed outline before I begin writing a single word. It can
take me a couple of months to complete an outline. Then, I sit down and write my
story from beginning to end without doing any major revising. My goal at the
start of a new novel is to produce a decent first draft with a solid, engaging
plot. Once I'm satisfied with the plot, then I go back and spend as much time as
it takes to polish the writing—anywhere from three to six months. This process
helped me cut my writing time tremendously. It took me three years to write In
Firm Pursuit (written, first but sold second) and only one year to finish Every
Reasonable Doubt.
BPM: What is your favorite self-marketing idea?
Book clubs, book clubs, book clubs! I've met with close to 50. Book club members
are avid readers. If a book club member loves you, she will recommend your book
to others. I've gained speaking events, other book club meetings, great friends
and, of course, lots of fans from my book club appearances.
BPM: What are the biggest surprises you've encountered as a writer?
That readers view authors as celebrities. Also, publishers do very little to
help promote your book.
BPM: What is your proudest moment as a professional writer?
Getting unsolicited praise for my novels. More than a few friends have met
others who raved to them about my books, not knowing that they knew me. For
example, a friend was talking to someone she'd just met at a bar and the subject
of good books came up. My friend was about to tell the woman about my book, but
the woman beat her to it.
BPM: What's the best advice you were given about writing?
During my pre-published days, a writing instructor told me to outline a novel
like mine and study the story structure. That significantly improved my writing.
I outlined John Grisham's novel, The Firm. I immediately understood how the
story came together and could see the work that my novel needed in terms of
story structure.
BPM: What business challenges have you faced as a writer?
I spent way too much money on printed promotional materials for my first book.
All you really need are a great website, some nice bookmarks and, if you can
afford it, some posters for bookstores. I would love to do more travel to meet
with more book clubs and readers. But unfortunately, I only have so many
frequent flyer miles.
To contact Pamela or to read an excerpt of her books, visit www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.
BPM: What are some of your favorite authors (past, present, or future)?
The book that had the greatest impact on me as a kid was Claude Brown's Manchild
in the Promised Land. I can still remember stumbling across a copy of the book
at my aunt's house when I was about twelve. It was the first book I remember
reading that had African-American characters and I was thrilled to be reading
about people who looked like me. It was also a very gritty and graphic coming of
age story. I promptly "borrowed" the book without asking for
permission for fear that my aunt would think I was too young to be reading such
a sexually graphic book. After that, I developed an insatiable appetite for
African-American fiction.
These days, I read more mysteries than anything else. Some of my favorite
authors include Walter Mosley, Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag, Joseph Finder, James
Patterson, Valerie Wilson Wesley, John Grisham and Greg Iles. I love a good plot
and I think all of these writers write very entertaining novels. I also enjoy
contemporary fiction and I'll buy anything Terry McMillan decides to write. I
spend a lot of time studying the story structure of novels that I've enjoyed
reading, which has helped me tremendously with pacing.
BPM: What do you want the world to know most about you?
That I grew up in Compton, California, which I'm very proud of. When I mention
my hometown, people automatically assume that I dodged bullets on the way to
school every day. But it was nothing like that. I had two strong, hard-working
parents, who still live in Compton today. The foundation they laid – faith in
God, hard work and education – is responsible for who I am and everything I
have achieved.
Buying Time by Pamela
Samuels Young
Angela Evans should be
on top of the world. She’s a smart, attractive prosecutor who’s about to
marry a successful judge. But the closer Angela gets to saying “I do,” the
more she wants out. Then she meets Dre, a street-smart brother who’s
nothing like her stuffy fiancé Cornell. Angela eventually calls off the
wedding, but Cornell can’t accept the rejection. He turns violent in a way
Angela never could have imagined. Dre comes to her rescue, but Angela soon
learns that he’s hiding a shady past, and her world falls apart all over
again.
On Sale Now! Buying Time
by Pamela Samuels Young
ISBN-10: 098156271X | ISBN-13: 978-0981562711
Bookclubs, select one of Pamela’s novels for your book club meeting and she
will join you in person, via webcam or via speaker phone. Read
more book excerpts here.
When
a straight-laced L.A. lawyer finds herself trapped in a web of domestic
violence, a bad boy disguised as a good guy comes to her rescue . . . with
shocking consequences. Pamela Samuels Young's newest legal thriller is a
scandalous tale of blackmail, murder and betrayal, evoking John Grisham with a
sister’s twist!
Disbarred
attorney Waverly Sloan is unwittingly drawn into a financial scheme targeting
the terminally ill. When Waverly’s clients start dying sooner than they
should, federal prosecutor Angela Evans is determined to bring him down. Before
she can, it’s Angela’s life that begins to unravel. Enter Dre, an unassuming
guy with a dark, dangerous side who comes to Angela’s rescue. The lives of all
three characters—Waverly, Angela and Dre—intersect, and soon, they’re on
the run . . . forced to rely on each other if they’re going to survive.
“Young's latest release,
Buying Time, lived up to her stellar reputation. I literally could not put this
book down.” --Idrissa Uqdah, African American Literature Book Club
`Buying Time' by Pamela
Samuels Young is definitely one you can picture being played out on the big
screen. Shoot-outs, murder for hire and accusations keep this story moving
forward with everyone pointing the finger trying to lay blame. Great read! --OOSA Online Book Club, Book of the Month
Excerpt: Buying Time by
Pamela Samuels Young
Chapter 1
Lawyers get a bad rap. Strip away the arrogance, the greed and the half-truths,
and you’ll find a decent human being underneath. That’s exactly how Waverly
Sloan saw himself. A decent guy who’d screwed up.
Waverly pulled his battered BMW into the parking stall outside his Culver City
town house and turned off the engine. He dreaded going inside. All the way home,
he imagined his wife’s face contorting in horror in reaction to the news he
was about to deliver.
He closed his eyes and rehearsed the spiel in his head. In forty-eight hours,
I’m going to be disbarred, he would tell her. So, you’ll have to stop
teaching Pilates three days a week and get a real job.
Waverly exited the car and climbed the short flight of stairs to their unit. He
was a large, solidly built man with skin the color of honey. Borderline
handsome, his lopsided smile was the primary source of his appeal. It compelled
people to like him.
“You’re home early,” Deidra called out the second he opened the front
door.
Waverly found her in the kitchen, poised over a cutting board chopping carrots
and bell peppers. He dumped his keys on the counter, walked up behind her and
swallowed her up in a bear hug. “I’m home early because I couldn’t stand
being away from you for another second.”
Deidra reared back to peck him on the lips, then returned to her chopping.
Resting against the center island, Waverly folded his arms and stared at his
wife. At thirty-seven—five years his junior—Deidra had the tight, voluptuous
body of a highly compensated stripper. She had creamy brown skin and long,
auburn hair that fell past her shoulders. After two years of marriage, Waverly
still had no idea what her real hair looked like underneath the five-hundred
dollar weave.
“Is everything okay?” Deidra glanced back at him over her shoulder.
His wife had good instincts, at least about him. Waverly eyed the knife in her
hand. He had a mental image of Deidra accidentally chopping off a finger when
she heard what he had to say.
“I love you,” Waverly said, not in an effort to sidestep her question, but
because it was what he truly felt.
“Ditto.” She smiled, then waited.
Waverly had wanted Deidra from the moment he spotted her walking out of a store
on Rodeo Drive loaded with shopping bags. Instinct told him there was little
chance that a woman like her would give a guy like him a second glance. He was
only in Beverly Hills for a meeting with an opposing counsel. Risk-taker that he
was, Waverly turned on his charm and it worked. Too bad that same skill
couldn’t get him out of his current fix.
He took a bottle of Chardonnay from the refrigerator and poured a glass for each
of them. “What if I decided not to practice law anymore?” he began.
The pace of Deidra’s chopping slowed. “I thought you liked practicing
law.” She placed the knife on the counter and turned to face him. “What
would you do instead?”
He shrugged and cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking about insurance
investments.”
Deidra put a hand on her hip. “Insurance? Can you make any real money from
that?”
Waverly shrugged again. “I hope to find out.”
According to a guy he’d met at a legal conference, he could make a bundle in
the viatical
business. Waverly had no idea what a viatical
was, only that it had something to do with insurance. He had an appointment to
talk with the guy after his appearance before the State Bar.
He could tell that his wife wasn’t happy about his possible change of
professions. The men in Deidra’s life before him had given her whatever she
wanted, whenever she wanted it. Now, Waverly worked hard to do the same, often
placating her with promises of better things to come. Deidra enjoyed the
prestige of being a lawyer’s wife and was banking on Waverly eventually
landing a case that propelled them to the big leagues.
“This doesn’t mean we’ll have to put off moving, does it?” Deidra asked.
Waverly had promised that she could start house shopping as soon as his next
case settled. But even if he saved every dime he made for the next forty years,
he still wouldn’t be able to afford the gated communities where Deidra wanted
to relocate.
“Maybe,” he said.
She was about to complain, but apparently noticed the angst on his face and
retreated.
Waverly took a sip of wine and debated delaying his planned conversation with
Deidra until he was absolutely certain about his situation. There was a slim
chance that he might be hit with a suspension rather than disbarment. He’d
hired Kitty Mancuso, a sixty-plus powerhouse mouthpiece whose client base
consisted exclusively of rich, white-collar criminals and lawyers who’d
screwed up. If anybody could save the day, it was Kitty.
“I’m going to put on my sweats,” Waverly said, wimping out. “How long
before dinner’s ready?”
“Not sweats,” Deidra replied. “Find some nice slacks. They’ll be here at
six.”
“They who?”
Deidra looked away, sheepishly. “Mom, Dad and Rachel. Didn’t I tell you?”
No, she had not. If she had, he would have faked a migraine. “Uh, I just
remembered a motion I forgot to file.”
Deidra narrowed her eyes and playfully pointed the knife inches from his nose.
“Don’t even think about it.”
* * *
By the time their dinner guests arrived, Waverly was seated in the den,
insufficiently buzzed and ready for the show. Watching his wife’s
dysfunctional family was better than reality TV.
Leon Barrett, Deidra’s pint-size father, strutted in and gave her a kiss on
the cheek. He waited about three beats, then started boasting about his new
sixty-inch flat screen. Rachel, Deidra’s older sister, showed off a diamond
bracelet a new boyfriend supposedly gave her. Waverly suspected she’d bought
it herself.
Leon spotted Waverly sitting in the den and made a beeline in his direction.
“How’s the law business these days, counselor?” Leon’s thumbs hung from
his belt loops like a cowboy and he rocked back and forth from heel to toe.
Waverly didn’t bother to stand. “I’m making it.”
Leon walked over to the sliding glass door and surveyed their small patio.
Waverly wondered what he would criticize first.
“So, when are you two going to give up this place for a real home?” Leon
joked.
Instead of answering, Waverly reached for his wineglass and took another sip.
The thought of Leon Barrett finding out that he’d been disbarred made him want
to puke.
“They’re building some new homes in The Estates,” Leon continued. He
always referred to Palos Verdes Estates as The Estates. Waverly figured he’d
moved there just so people would think he lived on an estate.
“If you’d bought over there when I told you to, you’d have nothing but
money in the bank.” Leon owned a small construction firm that had done well,
in part, because he was a major tightwad.
The wine was doing nothing to reduce Waverly’s irritation level. Too bad his
own father was dead and gone. Henry Sloan wouldn’t have just thought about
telling Leon Barrett to kiss his ass, he would have done it.
The evening plodded painfully along as it always did. Deidra’s father and
sister talked about themselves nonstop while Deidra’s mother, Myrtle, smiled
and nodded like a big bobble head.
“I have to go to Paris at the end of the week to interview a bunch of
obnoxious designers,” Rachel said, feigning annoyance. She was a fashion
editor for Vogue. Like her sister, Rachel was a good-looking woman, but didn’t
possess Deidra’s talent for capitalizing on her beauty.
“I hate you,” Deidra exclaimed. “I’ve been dying to go back to Paris.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” Rachel prodded. “I’ll be there three
weeks. It’ll be fun.”
Deidra gave Waverly a hopeful look.
Having Deidra out of town for a few weeks would give him time to get a game plan
in place. But the funds for a ticket to Paris didn’t exist. His face must’ve
conveyed that.
“If you can’t afford it,” Leon said, facetiously. “I’d be glad to pick
up the tab.”
Waverly smiled across the table at his father-in-law. “That’s a very
generous offer.” He paused to take a sip of wine. “And we’d love to take
you up on it.”
A razor-sharp silence whipped around the table. No one was more dazed than his
blowhard father-in-law. Leon Barrett frequently offered to share his money, but
never actually parted with any. Waverly thought the man might swallow his
toothpick. Deidra shot him a look hot enough to scorch his eyeballs, but he
pretended not to notice.
Pleased with what he had just pulled off, Waverly got up and retrieved another
bottle of wine from the wine rack.
* * *
The minute her family walked out of the door, Deidra went off.
“What in the hell was that about?” she shouted. “How dare you let Daddy
pay for my trip?”
Waverly headed back to the den with Deidra on his heels. “He offered.”
“He’s offered to pay for a lot of things, and you’ve always refused. Are
we having money problems? Because if we are, I need to know.”
“Cases have been a little slow coming in, that’s all.”
“So slow that you can’t come up with four or five grand for a trip to
Paris?”
Four or five grand? He wanted to laugh. “Look, I’m working everything out.
Just give me some time.”
“Well, you better figure something out fast because this is not what I signed
up for. We were only supposed to be living here for a few months and it’s been
two years. I’ve never lived in a place this small before, but I did it for
you.”
Small? Their town house was more than two thousand square feet.
“And now you’re telling me that we’re basically bankrupt.”
“We’re not bankrupt.” Not yet.
“If we can’t blow a few grand on a vacation, that’s bankruptcy as far as
I’m concerned,” Deidra barked. “And please don’t embarrass me in front
of my family like that ever again. If we’re having money problems, I should
know about it before they do.” Deidra stalked out of the kitchen.
Waverly opened the cabinet over the bar, grabbed a fifth of brandy and took a
swig straight from the bottle. His wife’s little tantrum was really uncalled
for. But what the hell? He had never expected to keep a woman like Deidra happy
forever.
Too bad he hadn’t listened to his father. After divorcing his third wife,
Henry Sloan swore off pretty women. Way too much work, he’d told his son. Find
yourself a basic broad and she’ll ride with you until the wheels fall off.
Waverly chuckled to himself. Right now, he could use a woman who could hang,
because the ride was about to get rocky.
Buying Time by Pamela
Samuels Young
Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he's about to hit rock
bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his
problems.
In Waverly's new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need
of cash. But there's a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to
sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a
dime. Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of
dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for a
significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.
The stakes get higher when Waverly brokers the policy of the cancer-stricken
wife of Lawrence Erickson, a high-powered lawyer who's bucking to become the
next U.S. Attorney General. When Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they
should, both Waverly and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to
hide—are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.
Buying Time by Pamela
Samuels Young
ISBN-10: 098156271X
ISBN-13: 978-0981562711
http://www.amazon.com/Buying-Time-Pamela-Samuels-Young/dp/098156271X
Book Review By Nardsbaby
"Connoisseur of the written word™"
Waverly Sloan is robbing Peter in order to ply his wife, Deidra, with the
lifestyle that she's accustomed to. What Waverly doesn't realize is his life is
quickly spiraling out of control. On the brink of disbarment and bankruptcy,
Vincent, a guy he met at a conference, introduces him to Live Now, a company
that invests in dying people. While it sounds too good to be true, it's the best
offer that Waverly has and losing Deidra is not an option.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Evans is engaged to be married, evident only by
the 3-carat rock on her finger. Struggling to get a hold of her weight, Angela
is counting points and working out. What she wishes she could finally get away
from is soon-to-be husband Superior Court Judge Cornell Waters III. Instead, she
throws herself into work. A case concerning a company that may be killing its
insured has crossed her desk.
Lawrence Erickson is on the short list for being named as the U.S. Attorney
General. All ready to claim his coveted prize, Erickson has issues at home that
may detour his road to the White House. Claire, his wife, is dying from cancer.
Not that he cares; in fact, her dying quickly would be greatly appreciated on
his part.
Unbeknownst to Waverly, Angela and Lawrence, they are about to cross paths with
one another. With so many lies, death, greed, and betrayal, fog is the furthest
thing any of them will need to concern themselves with as destruction is set to
enter all of their lives like a ticking time bomb. Who will survive?
About
the Author
Author Pamela Samuels-Young is a working attorney who squeezes in time to
write whenever and wherever she can find it. Her desire to see engaging
African-American characters in today's mainstream legal fiction prompted her to
pen her first novel, Every Reasonable Doubt. The former television news writer
earned her law degree from UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law. She has a
master's degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University and a bachelor's
degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. Pamela served
as legal consultant to the Showtime television series, Soul Food, and speaks
frequently on writing and 'Pursuing Your Passion'.
Book Pamela for your book club via speakerphone, Skype or in person! Visit her
website: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Make The Dream Happen
by Pamela Samuels Young
Do you ever fantasize about leaving your current career behind and pursuing something totally different?
Perhaps you've thought seriously about it for a day or a week, but then the fear of leaving the virtual security of your current job floods your head with dozens of sound reasons why you should stay put. Whether your dream is to write a novel, start your own business or go back to school, you can make it happen. Here are five tips that will help you begin your journey.
1. Find Time To Plan Your Career Move
With the demands of work, family, church and community activities, you may feel you don't have a spare moment to even think about, much less pursue, your dream career. You're wrong. It may not be easy, but you can find free time where you least expect it. The next time you're taking a neighborhood jog or walking on the treadmill, use the time to mull over the plot for that book you've been wanting to write or to think about possible locations for the day spa you've dreamed of opening. Instead of listening to your favorite CD during your morning and evening commute, use the time to work on the business plan for your catering business. Even if it's only an hour a week, use it.
2. Don't Reinvent The Wheel
You may not realize it, but you have a multitude of resources all around you – family, friends, colleagues, church members, sorority sisters, and even strangers. Don't be afraid to request an informational interview. People love to talk about themselves and many will be flattered to have someone asking them for advice. The Internet is also an invaluable resource.
3. Join Professional Organizations
It's a good idea to surround yourself with others who share your interests and passion. There are dozens of professional groups whose sole function is to help their members develop their creative talents and realize their business goals. Find the organizations that can be most helpful to you and join them.
4. Understand That It Won't Happen Overnight
Achieving your goal will take time. I recently read an article in Writer's Digest about a writer who received more than 400 rejection letters before getting his first book deal. Now that's what you call perseverance! There will no doubt be disappointments when things don't happen in accordance with your time schedule. But if you remain faithful and focused on your goal, it will happen.
5. Ignore The Naysayers
We all know people who believe you should find a good job, work as hard as you can for 30 years, then retire and enjoy life. For them, the thought of leaving a secure, well-paying position for the uncertainties of entrepreneurial life is unthinkable. That kind of limited thinking won't help you realize your dream. You have decide what you want to do and go for it. And don't be surprised if you turn out to be your biggest obstacle. When that happens, just look your self-doubt squarely in the face and command it to go away.
So don't just dream your dream, make it happen!
* * *
Attorney Pamela Samuels Young is the author of the legal thrillers Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt.
Buying Time coming Fall 2009. Visit her website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
You, Too, Can Write a Novel
by Pamela Samuels Young
Have you been wrestling with the idea for a novel or non-fiction book for months, maybe even years, but just can't seem to find the time or the motivation to get going? Well, it can be done.
Here are Pamela's top
5 tips for not just starting your novel, but finishing it. Here are Pamela's top
5 tips for not just starting your novel, but finishing it.
■ Plan a Writing Schedule and Stick To It
Schedule your writing time the same way you would plan any other important engagement. Write it down in your day planner and stick to it.
■ Master Your Craft
Pick five great writers in your genre and study the elements that make their books an enjoyable read, such as pacing, story structure and writing.
■ Outline Your Entire Book
Spend a month or more outlining your story before you begin writing. Once you're ready to start writing, you don't have to stick to the outline. Simply use it as a roadmap to get going.
■ Concentrate on Finishing a First Draft
Write your first draft from beginning to end without making any extensive revisions. Once you finish, go back and revise your manuscript until you are satisfied with the final result.
■ Seek Support and Ignore Rejection
Share your goals with those closest to you and ask for their support. Above all, ignore the naysayers. Most successful writers have faced rejection and conquered it.
* * * Attorney Pamela Samuels Young is the author of the legal thrillers Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt. Buying Time coming Fall 2009. Visit her website at
www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Just Keep Writing by Pamela Samuels Young
For writers, coping with rejection comes with the territory. Though the way may be long, and even painful at times, persistence often pays off.
"I couldn't get arrested let alone published," says writer Jeri Westerson. But after 14 years and eleven completed manuscripts, her first novel, Veil of Lies, hits bookstores in October 2008. Now, she looks back on her years of rejection as "a blessing in disguise" because it forced her to become a better writer.
Westerson urges other writers to get into a good critique group with" people whom you trust, people who aren't close to you, who are writers. They can give you honest feedback and you can learn to be more thick-skinned and take it. Things turned around for me when I took advice from my critique partners."
J.A. Konrath, author of Fuzzy Navel, takes determination to a new level. After penning ten manuscripts and racking up more than 500 rejection letters over a twelve-year period, he was rewarded with a six-figure, three-book deal.
"All writers get rejected," Konrath says. "It's part of the business. A rejection letter is proof you're working toward your goal."
Konrath has published more than sixty articles and short stories, as well as five novels, and says being a successful author doesn't mean an end to rejection. In fact, Konrath's rejections have now topped the 600 mark. "I still get stories rejected. When you're just starting out, quality is one of the main reasons for rejections. Work on improving your craft. But after you reach a certain point, the rejections are more about editor needs and good fits. Publishing is a business. If you want to sell stories, you need to understand what editors are buying."
Like the writers he represents, agent Paul Fedorko of Trident Media Group, also has to deal with rejection. "I realize that, like baseball, if you get a hit (not a homer), just a hit about once every three times, you are pretty much a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. That's what keeps me going. And just because an editor rejects it, doesn't mean it's not good, or shouldn't be published. It just means that that editor didn't 'see' it."
Fedorko offers the following advice to unpublished writers: "This is trite, but true—just keep writing and querying agents. At some point it will come together. And be serious about the work."
"This business is about persistence and luck," Konrath says. "The more you persist, the luckier you get. There's a word for a writer who never gives up . . . published."
* * *
Attorney Pamela Samuels Young is the author of the legal thrillers Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt. Buying Time coming Fall 2009. Visit her website at
www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Female Mystery Writers
Bring Diversity to Genre by Pamela Samuels Young
An expanding group of female writers is at the forefront of a literary cultural shift. As a result, the typical protagonist in today's mystery novels is no longer white and male. He, and more often, she may range from a Puerto Rican prosecutor to a Japanese gardener to an African-American schoolteacher.
Asian writer Naomi Hirahara, who has been writing stories since she was eight, says her early characters "were always white—usually blonde and blue-eyed." When a fourth-grade teacher encouraged her to write about characters more like herself, she initially resisted that advice. Later, in college, after reading about the reparations movement for Japanese-Americans held in detention centers during World War II, her perspective changed.
"Learning about that historic experience and also reading many Japanese and Japanese- American authors opened a door for me. I've been writing mostly Japanese-American or Japanese characters ever since. The main character of my mystery series, Mas Arai, was inspired by my father, who, as a gardener, got little respect from strangers. I wanted to rectify that in my series. Mas is now the hero."
In Hirahara's third Mas Arai mystery, SNAKESKIN SHAMISEN (a 2007 Edgar nominee in the paperback original category), Mas, an atomic bomb survivor, becomes entangled in a world of heartbreaking memories, deception, and murder that reaches from the islands of Okinawa to the streets of Los Angeles.
It was a desire to see a totally different kind of sleuth that prompted Angela Henry to pen her first novel. "I wanted to create a character that I'd yet to see in mystery fiction," says Henry, "a single, educated, young black woman who isn't a member of law enforcement, or a private eye, and doesn't live in a big city." In her third Kendra Clayton novel, DIVA'S LAST CURTAIN CALL, the small-town Ohio school teacher and reluctant sleuth is called on to solve the murder of a Hollywood diva and find her best friend, who has disappeared just days before her wedding.
Former federal prosecutor Michele Martinez turned to writing as an outlet after leaving the U.S. Attorney's Office, where she spent eight years prosecuting big-time drug dealers and notorious gang bangers. "I was looking to re-experience a career I loved in a different format, and my protagonist was my alter ego," says Martinez, author of NOTORIOUS.
Martinez and her protagonist, Melanie Vargas, have a lot in common. They are both mothers and lawyers, they both come from modest backgrounds and have high-powered educations. And both are half Puerto Rican.
"I'm trying to show a Latina professional going about her day-to-day life," Martinez says. "Being Latina is part of who Melanie Vargas is, but it doesn't define her any more than being a lawyer or being a mother does. Her culture is woven into the story in a seamless way intended to acquaint a wide readership with a smart, tough Latina professional."
Do these authors of color have a particular message that they want to communicate to readers? Definitely.
Hirahara seeks to communicate that "we are not monolithic. Many Americans mix up Japanese nationals with Japanese-Americans. I also try to depict Japanese-Americans as honestly as possible—our strengths but also our weaknesses."
This attempt at cultural honesty isn't always well received by the Japanese community. "When I write about gambling addictions and other secrets, some older Japanese-Americans feel that I'm airing our dirty laundry," Hirahara says. "But I feel that we should represent ourselves as whole human beings, not cardboard model minority stereotypes."
Neither Martinez nor Henry set out to create protagonists who are superwomen. "I'm trying to show a Latina professional going about her day-to-day life," Martinez says. "Her culture is woven into the story in a seamless way intended to acquaint a wide readership with a smart, tough Latina professional."
Henry echoes that sentiment. "Though my main character is a black woman, and sometimes deals with race-related issues, she also deals with all the same everyday issues that any other woman deals with. Job issues, relationship issues and family issues."
* * * Attorney Pamela Samuels Young is the author of the legal thrillers Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt. Buying Time coming Fall 2009. Visit her website at
www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Pamela Samuels Young is the Essence bestselling author of Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit, Every Reasonable Doubt and the forthcoming Buying Time. The former journalist and Compton native is the fiction writing expert for BizyMoms.com and is on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Murder on the Down Low raises awareness about HIV and AIDS in the African American community.
Website: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW by Pamela Samuels Young is an intense
eye-opener!
A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger
spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A
brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of
Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled.
At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her
outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose
deceit caused his fianceé's death.
For Special, hauling the man into court
and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts
her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious
lawsuit and the puzzling murders.
"Murder on the Down Low is an entertaining read,
filled with heart-pumping suspense. Pamela Samuels-Young weaves a
sitting-on-the-edge of your seat plot that keeps you guessing and turning the
pages!" —Best-selling Author Victoria
Christopher Murray, The Ex Files
"Right
up to the twisted and unexpected slam-bang ending, Murder on the Down Low will
keep you teetering precariously on the edge of your seat the whole way
through."
MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW
is an intense
eye-opener!
A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled.
At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.
Special Moore has vowed to extract revenge on Eugene Nelson. She's willing to do any and every thing to make him pay. Even if it's with his life!
When Special's lawsuit and J.C.'s case begin to sound alike everyone becomes desperate to figure out the extenuating factors. With Special knee-deep in drama, there is no way Vernetta is going to allow her to sink. What will this do to her chances at O'Reilly and Finney?
(ISBN-10: 0981562701; ISBN-13: 978-0981562704) Purchase
the book.
--
Murder on the Down Low Book Intro by Pamela Samuels Young
--
Murder on the Down Low reading by Pamela Samuels Young,
"Meet Special-Chapter 2, Murder on the Down Low"
--Pamela Samuels Young, Murder on the Down Low, "Meet Auntie Pearl Washington-Chapter 8, Murder on the Down Low"
Murder on the Down Low
Video Trailer by Pamela Samuels Young
A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African-American
men on the streets of L.A. The victims are all quintessential family men.
Well-educated. Attractive. Successful. But appearances can be deceiving. When
the baffling murders are linked to a high-profile lawsuit, a savvy L.A. attorney
and a tenacious female detective soon expose a scandalous tale of lust, lies and
vengeance. www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
(Book info: ISBN-10: 0981562701; ISBN-13: 978-0981562704)
Buy at Amazon.com
Why
write Murder on the Down Low?
What
motivated you to write Murder on the Down Low?
I
often have a hard time recalling exactly when or how the idea for a particular
novel originated. For the most part, the ideas simply pop into my head
from some unknown place. That's not the case with Murder on the Down
Low. I have a crystal clear recollection of watching an Oprah show
featuring J.L. King, author of On the Down Low. As I listened to his
insider's account of the mindset of men on the down low, I was completely
stunned. My emotions went from shock to anger to fear. The
next day, while driving to work, the concept of a killer who targets men on
the down low, popped into my head.
Writing
Murder on the Down Low gave me an opportunity to both entertain and
raise awareness about how HIV/AIDS is impacting the African-American
community, African-American women in particular. While
African-American and Latina women make up 24% of the U.S. population, we
account for more than 80% of the total AIDS diagnoses for women. It's my
hope that Murder on the Down Low helps people understand that HIV is
not a gay disease. Until we take our heads out of the sand, it's going
to continue to devastate our community.
Based
on your research, why do you think HIV infection rates are so high among
African-American women?
We
can't deny that men on the down low contribute to the problem since more than
three-fourths of women infected with HIV contracted the disease through
heterosexual sex. But there are other factors as well. Many
people – male and female, straight and gay -- don't know their status
because they haven't been tested, so they're unwittingly spreading the
disease. Many men who engage in high-risk sexual behavior while
incarcerated, return home and spread it to women. Some women still
refuse to demand that their mates use protection. We also still think of
HIV as a gay disease and assume that it won't impact us. Finally, women
must learn to honor their bodies as sexual promiscuity also plays a role.
Talking
Points for Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young
1.
Are men on the down low solely to blame for the high HIV infection rates among
African-American women?
2.
Is the black community ignoring the AIDS epidemic?
3.
Is the black church failing the black community when it comes to the AIDS
epidemic?
4.
Are African-American women to blame for their high HIV infection rates?
5.
What will it take to stem the high HIV infection rates among African-American
women.
6.
Is the African-American community more homophobic than other racial groups?
7.
Are black men on the down low because they are not accepted in their
communities?
8.
Why do African-Americans refuse to be tested for HIV?
9.
Is promiscuity to blame for the high HIV infection rates among
African-American women?
10.
Is the misconception that gay men are effeminate to blame for the ability of
men on the down low to deceive women regarding their sexuality.
Important
messages from Murder on the Down Low is to relay to the reader
1. Women cannot afford to blame men on the down low for their high HIV
infection rates, but must start taking charge of their own bodies (i.e., get
tested, used protection, know your mate).
2.
The black church must stop ignoring the AIDS epidemic and use the pulpit to
educate.
3.
HIV is not a gay disease.
4.
The black community's religious-based views of homosexuals as doomed to hell
is wrong.
5.
Men on the down low must end the deceit, and the black community must accept
them for who they are.
Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young (Paperback - Nov 1, 2009)
Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he's about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems.
In Waverly's new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need of cash. But there's a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a dime. Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.
The stakes get higher when Waverly brokers the policy of the cancer-stricken wife of Lawrence Erickson, a high-powered lawyer who's bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General. When Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.
(Book info: ISBN-10: 098156271X; ISBN-13: 978-0981562711)
Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young
Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young Website: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Black
Pearls Magazine interview with Pamela Samuels Young
Pamela Samuels Young is the Essence bestselling author of
Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit, Every Reasonable Doubt and the forthcoming
Buying Time. The former journalist and Compton native is the fiction writing expert for BizyMoms.com and is on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Ella: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you? What impact do you want your book to make on the readers?
I definitely have a passion for writing. Nothing else could explain my willingness to sit in front of my computer for ten hours a day or my eagerness to rise at four in the morning to write before going to work. I enjoy creating characters and putting them in precarious situations. I want readers to get wrapped up in the mysteries I create, to love, hate and root for my characters, and to close each book and feel as if they got their money’s worth.
Ella: A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. Finish this
sentence: My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
I want to help destroy the publishing industry’s belief that only African American readers will read stories with African American characters. People who love mysteries want a compelling story. My primary goal is to write entertaining thrillers with diverse characters and a storyline that keeps readers turning the page.
Ella: Pamela, introduce us to your book., In Murder on the Down
Low.
In Murder on the Down Low, a string of successful, attractive African-American men are being gunned down on the streets of L.A. and no one knows why?
When a shocking revelation connects the baffling murders to a contentious wrongful death lawsuit, the deadly scandal erupts into a tale of lust, lies and vengeance.
Ella: What inspired you to write this story?
I have a crystal clear recollection of exactly when the idea for Murder on the Down Low came to me. I was watching an Oprah show featuring J.L. King, author of On the Down Low. I was completely stunned as I listened to his insider’s account of the mindset of men on the down low, who are guys (many of them married) who profess to be straight but have sex with other men. My emotions during that sixty-minute program went from shock to anger to fear. I was driving to work the next day, still disturbed by the show when a thought came to me. What if a serial killer was targeting some of L.A.’s most prominent family men who weren’t quite what they appeared to be? Within 24 hours, I had sketched out the basic plot for Murder on the Down Low.
Ella: What major issues in today's society have you addressed in the book?
Murder on the Down Low gave me an opportunity to both entertain and raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. While African-American and Latina women make up only 24% of the female population in the United States, we account for more than 80% of the total AIDS diagnoses for women, according to the latest statistics published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. I wanted to communicate to women that in order to change these disturbing statistics, we must take responsibility for our own bodies.
Ella: How difficult was it to complete the novel?
I still practice law, so it’s always difficult to find time to write, but I found the plot for Murder on the Down Low so compelling that I made the time. Sometimes I got up to write before work and sometimes I wrote late at night. I wrote on weekends when I wasn’t on the road promoting my other novels. Whenever I had vacation time, I used the entire week to barricade myself in my timeshare to write. I’m lucky that my husband is so supportive. When we first got married five years ago, he didn’t know how to cook. He’s now learned to prepare quite a few tasty dishes since I rarely have time to make a home-cooked meal.
Ella: Did you self-publish? How difficult was it to find a publisher to pick up your novel?
While my first two novels, Every Reasonable Doubt and In Firm Pursuit, were published by Harlequin, I was forced to self-publish Murder on the Down Low after my agent wasn’t able to sell it. I really didn’t want to self-publish, but I wasn’t about to sit on the sidelines and accept the publishing industry’s view that there isn’t a large market for the type of book I’m writing. They’re wrong.
Self-publishing Murder on the Down Low was definitely the right decision for me. The book has received tremendous praise from readers, particularly book club members. My decision to self-publish was further validated when Murder on the Down Low was selected as an Editor’s Pick by the Black Expressions Book Club. Just recently, Murder on the Down Low was a finalist for the 2009 African American Literary Awards in the mystery category alongside, two incredibly talented writers I have long admired: Walter Mosley and Tananarive Due.
Ella: Why did you decide to write legal thrillers?
I’m a big fan of legal thrillers, but I got tired of never seeing women or African-Americans depicted as lawyers in the novels that I read. So, I sat down at my computer and started writing the kind of legal thriller that I wanted to read. I wanted a diverse cast of characters and a protagonist who wasn’t always a white male.
Ella: What is your most valuable lesson about the publishing industry?
You need to have faith in your talent to survive in this business. Even the mega-successful writers—e.g., J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and John Grisham, just to name a few—were rejected by multiple publishers. The writers who survive are those who ignore the rejection and just keep writing.
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I’m thrilled that Murder on the Down Low is a finalist for the 2009 African American Literary Awards in the mystery category. I don’t need to win. Just being nominated alongside Walter Mosley and Tananarive Due is honor enough.
I’m extremely excited about the upcoming release of my fourth legal thriller and first stand-alone novel, Buying Time, which goes on sale November 1st. In Buying Time, Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer who comes to the aid of terminally ill people in desperate need of cash. Waverly finds investors eager to advance his dying clients thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for rights to their life insurance policies. Once the clients take their last breath, the investors reap a hefty return on their investment. When Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly, and a high-powered lawyer who’s bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General, are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.
Ella: How may the readers contact you and purchase your books. Author Website: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com Author Email address: author@pamelasamuelsyoung.com
MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9815627-0-4
Price: 14.95
Sankofa
Literary Society Interview with Pamela Samuels Young
Ella:
What inspired you to begin writing legal thrillers after careers in journalism
and law?
I've always loved reading mysteries, particularly those that involve
fascinating legal cases. It bothered me, however, that the legal
thrillers I read never depicted women and African-American attorneys. So
. . . I decided to fill the void.
I knew pretty early that I wanted to be a writer, having worked on school
newspapers in junior high, high school and college. When I decided to
major in journalism at the
University
of
Southern California
, I didn't give much thought to creative writing. At the age of 18, I
didn't have the guts to even consider a career as a novelist. The
writers I enjoyed reading – James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison,
Joan Didion – were incredibly talented literary writers. I knew I
didn't have that kind of poetic writing talent. So I pursued a career in
journalism and later, earned a law degree. Flash forward several years
and I somehow gathered the courage to give fiction writing a try.
Ella:
What motivated you to write Murder on the Down Low?
I
often have a hard time recalling exactly when or how the idea for a particular
novel originated. For the most part, the ideas simply pop into my head
from some unknown place. That's not the case with Murder on the Down
Low. I have a crystal clear recollection of watching an Oprah show
featuring J.L. King, author of On the Down Low. As I listened to
his insider's account of the mindset of men on the down low, I was completely
stunned. My emotions went from shock to anger to fear. The
next day, while driving to work, the concept of a killer who targets men on
the down low, popped into my head.
Writing Murder
on the Down Low gave me an opportunity to both entertain and raise
awareness about how HIV/AIDS is impacting the African-American community,
African-American women in particular. While African-American and
Latina
women make up 24% of the
U.S.
population, we account for more than 80% of the total AIDS diagnoses for
women. It's my hope that Murder on the Down Low helps people
understand that HIV is not a gay disease. Many people – male and
female, straight and gay -- don't know their status because they haven't been
tested, so they're unwittingly spreading the disease. Until we take our
heads out of the sand, it's going to continue to devastate our community.
Ella:
What is your process for creating a novel?
I will spend any where from a few weeks to as long as three months
outlining a book before I sit down to write. I also mull over my story
quite a bit. I'm thinking about it in the shower, while I'm standing in
line at the grocery story, during my 45-minute commute to work. I can
almost see each chapter as if it were a scene in a movie. Only after I
have a completed outline do I start writing. And when I write, I go from
page one to the last page without doing much editing. For me, it's
psychologically motivating to complete that first draft, even if it's so bad
I'd never dare show it to anyone. Once I have a first draft, then the
real writing starts. I revise, and revise and revise some more.
That process can last six months or more.
Ella: What are some of your favorite authors or books
(past, present, or future)?
The book that had the greatest impact on me as a kid was Claude Brown's Manchild
in the Promised Land. I can still remember stumbling across a copy of the
book at my aunt's house when I was about twelve. It was the first book I
remember reading that had African-American characters and I was thrilled to be
reading about people who looked like me. It was also a very gritty and
graphic coming of age story. I promptly "borrowed" the book
without asking for permission for fear that my aunt would think I was too
young to be reading such a sexually graphic book. After that, I
developed an insatiable appetite for African-American fiction.
These days, I read more mysteries than anything else. Some of my
favorite authors include Walter Mosley, Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag, Joseph
Finder, James Patterson, Valerie Wilson Wesley, John Grisham and Greg Iles.
I love a good plot and I think all of these writers write very entertaining
novels. I also enjoy contemporary fiction and I'll buy anything Terry
McMillan decides to write. I spend a lot of time studying the story
structure of novels that I've enjoyed reading, which has helped me
tremendously with pacing.
Ella:
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Find the writing process that works best for you. When I wrote my first
book, I struggled a lot with the writing. I didn't prepare an outline or
even have the storyline worked out in my head. I had an idea for the
characters and the setting and I just sat down and started writing. I
would spend weeks on a single chapter, rewriting what I had written during the
previous session. Later, I ended up tossing out several chapters
that I spent weeks working on.
Now, I have a completed outline before I begin writing a single word. It
can take me weeks or months to complete an outline. Then, I sit
down and write my story from beginning to end without doing any major
revising. My goal at the start of a new novel is to produce a decent
first draft with a solid, engaging plot. Once I'm satisfied with the
plot, then I go back and spend as much time as it takes to polish the
writing—as long as six months. This process helped me cut my writing
time tremendously. It took me three years to write In Firm Pursuit
(written, first but sold second) and only one year to finish Every
Reasonable Doubt.
Ella:
What have you learned about the book industry so far?
I learned that it's a very tough business. As a result, you have to have
faith in your talent and keep going despite the rejection. I've
worked in both television news and law and I never faced anywhere near the
rejection and difficulties in those careers that I faced trying to become a
published novelist. In fact, both law school and the
California
Bar exam were way easier. I also learned that you have to think
like a businessperson, not a writer. My books are products. I have
to be inventive and unrelenting about getting my product to readers. I
focus heavily on connecting with book clubs. During a trip to the D.C.
area, I did three book clubs in one day, along with a reception at a friend's
home and a panel discussion at a bookstore. It was a long day, but I
reached a lot of people. Book clubs are social networks and they are
great sources for word-of-mouth promotion. If the book club members
enjoyed reading one of my books, it's likely that they're going to mention it
to their friends, family and co-workers.
Ella:
Have you received any sound advice from fellow authors?
Just recently, Christian fiction author Victoria Christopher Murray told me
that the writers who survive in this business are the persistent ones.
She said that producing a book a year has been one of the keys to her success.
Her fan base has followed her with each book and continues to grow. It's
definitely my plan to produce a new book every year.
Ella:
What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring writers about
juggling full-time careers and personal lives?
Learn to say "no" and don't feel guilty about it. Right now,
I'm practicing law, promoting my books every weekend, working on my next
novel, and teaching a business law course at the University of Redlands School
of Business. I'm also on the Board of Directors of the Southern
California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and I write a column for
Global Woman magazine. I love teaching, but I recently decided that I
just don't have the time or energy to teach another course this year. I
also turned down a request to join the board of directors of a local
non-profit group. I wish I could do it all, but there simply aren't
enough hours in the day. For now, my primary focus is on finishing my
next book and making sure I spend some quality time with my husband, who
rarely sees me because I'm gone so much promoting my books.
Ella: What are you currently working on?
I’m
currently working on my fourth novel, Buying Time. In my first
stand-alone thriller, a disbarred lawyer finds himself an unsuspecting pawn in
a rather unusual murder ring.
10. What do you want the world
to know most about you?
That I grew up in
Compton
,
California
, which I'm very proud of. When I mention my hometown, people
automatically assume that I dodged bullets on the way to school every day.
But it was nothing like that. I had two strong, hard-working parents,
who still live in
Compton
today. The foundation they laid – faith in God, hard work and
education – is responsible for who I am and everything I have achieved.
Attorney Pamela Samuels Young is the author of the legal thrillers Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt. Buying Time coming Fall 2009. Visit her website at
www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Media
Interview Questions and Bookclub Discussion Questions
Pamela Samuels Young
is a practicing attorney and author of the thrillers, Murder on the Down
Low, and the Essence bestsellers, Every Reasonable Doubt , In Firm
Pursuit and Buying Time. A desire to see engaging African-American
and female attorneys depicted in today's legal fiction prompted her to begin
writing despite a busy legal career. Every Reasonable Doubt won the
Black Expressions Book Club's Fiction Writing Contest and In Firm Pursuit was
a finalist for Best African-American Novel of 2007 by Romantic Times Book
Reviews. The Compton native and former journalist is the legal columnist
for Global Woman magazine and served as legal consultant to the Showtime
television series Soul Food.
Murder
on the Down Low Synopsis
Murder
on the Down Low takes the readers into the clandestine world of men on the
"DL"—guys who insist they're heterosexual, but have secret gay
lovers. When a brazen gunman starts targeting prominent men on the
streets of L.A., police are completely baffled.
The victims are all quintessential family men. Well-educated.
Attractive. Successful. But appearances can be deceiving. When the
puzzling murders are linked to a high-profile lawsuit, a tenacious female
detective soon exposes a scandalous tale of lust, lies and vengeance.
Murder on the Down Low
Goldman House (September 2008)
$14.95 U.S. ($16.95 CAN.)
ISBN 13: 978-0981562704
Potential
interview questions
1. Where did you
get the idea for Murder on the Down Low?
2. How long did it
take to write Murder on the Down Low?
3. Did you do any
research for the book?
4. Did you learn
anything that surprised you while writing this book?
5. What do you want
readers to take away from the book?
6. Are you
concerned about a backlash from the religious community because of the subject
matter of the book?
7. Have you
received any reaction to the book from the gay community?
8. Why did
you decide to self-publish, rather than just wait for your agent to sell the
book?
9. How did
your self-published book end up in bookstores?
(As a result of being selected for the The Independent Book Publisher's
Association's Trade Distribution Program the book is in the major bookstores.
People need to know about this program!)
10. Why are
African-American women the fastest growing segment of the AIDS population?
11. Do you think
black women are partly responsible for the impact the disease is having on
them?
12. What role does
the black church play in solving this crisis?
13. Why do you
think African-Americans are less likely to be tested for HIV?
CONTROVERSIAL
NEW THRILLER TACKLES IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR BLACK WOMEN
Los Angeles -- When Los
Angeles attorney and Essence bestselling author Pamela Samuels Young began
writing her third legal thriller, Murder on the Down Low (ISBN: 978-0-9815627-0-4),
she was not prepared for the impact that it would have — on her.
“I consider myself fairly
enlightened,” says Pamela, “but I realize now that I was completely
ignorant about HIV and AIDS.”
Murder on the Down Low grapples
with the devastating impact of HIV on African-American women and also takes on
gay bias in the African-American community. The idea for the book
stemmed from an Oprah show featuring JL King, author of On the Down Low:
A Journey into the Lives of “Straight”Black Men Who Sleep With Men.
“I listened to King describe this
secret world of African-American men who engage in sex with other men, but who
insist that they aren’t gay and I was completely floored,” Pamela recalls.
While listening to
King’s frank conversation with Oprah, Pamela’s emotions went from shock,
to anger to fear. She was even more astonished to learn that
African-American women were the fastest-growing segment of the AIDS
population. “I just didn’t understand how that could be. Once
I started talking to people, I realized that African-American women are being
infected at such alarming rates because we think HIV is a gay disease that
can’t touch us. That’s just not the case.”
The day after watching that
Oprah show, the idea for Murder on the Down Low came to Pamela while
stuck in traffic. In Murder on the Down Low, a brazen gunman is targeting
prominent African-American men on the streets of
L.A.
The victims are all quintessential family men, well-educated,
attractive and successful. But appearances can be deceiving. When
the baffling murders are linked to a high-profile lawsuit, the frantic search
for the killer exposes a scandalous tale of lust, lies and vengeance.
“I didn’t begin writing Murder
on the Down Low with the goal of sending a message about HIV,” Pamela says.
But after researching the subject, she quickly realized that the novel
provided an excellent opportunity to educate as well as entertain.
“I hope readers are
intrigued by the mystery that unfolds in Murder on the Down Low,” Pamela
says, “but I’m also hoping they’ll learn something that might just
save their lives.”
About the Author
Pamela Samuels Young, an attorney who specializes in discrimination law, is
the legal columnist for Global Woman magazine and a member of the Board of
Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
The
Compton
native is a graduate of USC,
Northwestern
University
’s
Medill
School
of Journalism and the
University
of
California Berkeley
,
Boalt
Hall
School
of Law. She is married and lives in the
Los Angeles
area.
EDC Creations, The Sankofa Literary
Society and The Black Authors Network announced the launch of their
2011-2013 "Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign," bringing readers and authors together to
help improve literacy. The "Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign," seeks
to expand even further! 
Lawyer
and author Pamela Samuels Young continues to receive accolades for her
page turning legal thrillers that present the legal detail and mouthwatering
suspense of John Grisham, combined with the understanding of urban love,
explosive language and humor of Terry McMillan. Young's latest offering, the
gripping and suspenseful legal thriller, "Buying Time" has been
honored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) as the
winner of its 2010 Fiction Award. The BCALA Literary Awards recognize excellence
in adult fiction and nonfiction by African-Americans.
BPM:
What is your process for creating a novel? Do you plot out the story or do the
characters speak to you?
About
the Author
Do you ever fantasize about leaving your current career behind and pursuing something totally different?
Perhaps you've thought seriously about it for a day or a week, but then the fear of leaving the virtual security of your current job floods your head with dozens of sound reasons why you should stay put. Whether your dream is to write a novel, start your own business or go back to school, you can make it happen. Here are five tips that will help you begin your journey.
Here are Pamela's top
5 tips for not just starting your novel, but finishing it. 
For writers, coping with rejection comes with the territory. Though the way may be long, and even painful at times, persistence often pays off. 
An expanding group of female writers is at the forefront of a literary cultural shift. As a result, the typical protagonist in today's mystery novels is no longer white and male. He, and more often, she may range from a Puerto Rican prosecutor to a Japanese gardener to an African-American schoolteacher. 
Pamela Samuels Young is the Essence bestselling author of Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit, Every Reasonable Doubt and the forthcoming Buying Time. The former journalist and Compton native is the fiction writing expert for BizyMoms.com and is on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Murder on the Down Low raises awareness about HIV and AIDS in the African American community.
Website: 
MySpace:
Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he's about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems. 
Pamela Samuels Young is the Essence bestselling author of
Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit, Every Reasonable Doubt and the forthcoming
Buying Time. The former journalist and Compton native is the fiction writing expert for BizyMoms.com and is on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
I’m
currently working on my fourth novel, Buying Time. In my first
stand-alone thriller, a disbarred lawyer finds himself an unsuspecting pawn in
a rather unusual murder ring.
