I'm Booked for Fox News Radio!

I’m most fortunate and thrilled to have been booked for an important interview with Fox News Radio, New York City. Mr. Vipp Jaswall will be interviewing me next week about the business of televangelism, my life, my beliefs, and my book.

Vipp will focus on specific points of interest including …

• If you had only one choice whom would you choose? God or family?
• Should your pastor dictate your belief for a guaranteed one-way ticket to Heaven?
• If you believe in separation of church and state, do you also believe in separation of church and culture?

As soon as I am made aware of the date of this pod cast I’ll let you know, as well as give you a specific link to click that will take you right to the interview, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, please enjoy the pod casts on Vipp Jaswall’s page. You’ll hear conversations that will provoke questions only you have the answers to. He really makes people think. I love his peanut-butter fudge voice. Smooth and rich with a touch of salt! It’s like getting interviewed by James Bond!

 Here is the link: http://radio.foxnews.com/category/podcasts/the-vipp-jaswal-report

 

 

Why Do I Do It?



The book tour is like a trail in the woods and sometimes there are steps to climb. You hope it doesn't rain, or folks won't show up. You hope the bookstore is able to draw enough of a crowd. You hope the stairs aren't too steep. You hope you don't wear out before you get to the top. You hope ...

The tour continues and I'm looking forward to today's visit in Greenville, SC. I was interviewed by a Greenville newspaper yesterday, so I'm not sure when the article will run. Mostly I find the media is interested in the story behind the story. Which, if they're not familiar with your writing, is typical. The way I see it, the story behind the story, although fascinating, is not as thrilling and full of suspense as the novel.

Televenge was conceived many years ago in the pages of many journals. Journaling carried me through many dark days and nights when I felt the splinters in my feet from my barrel's bottom. Carrying burdens animals shouldn't bear, I sometimes could only squeak out a few words on the page. But the act of opening that journal and watching my hand move across the paper brought sanity within arms reach. Although I blog these days, I miss the old days of opening a spiral notebook (sorry, could not afford leather-bound journals) and clicking my favorite pen.

My constant struggle to get this book into the hands of readers wakes me periodically through the night; thinking. There's got to be a better way. Though I have a great publisher, it's hard to compete with the big 6 and their muscle to buy space at the front of the big box stores. Their ability to put big money behind their authors is the reason why so many writers go after the traditional brass ring. But I've never followed tradition much. I like change, I like being a part of blazing new trails. I'm of pioneer stock that often rears its ugly head in my quest to sell my work.

So, I work with what I've got. A good car, good health, and the ability to go where I need to go, and speak to those who will listen. Meeting the public up close and personal, word of mouth ... a slow and steady climb. Let's pray each limb on the tree is strong.

Nobody is guaranteed success. You've got to go out and make it on your own. Writing the book is the easy part for most of us. Writers are not celebrities. Well. 10% are, but the other 90% struggles with failure every day. In one way or another, we feel it lurking behind us like a predator.

Why do I do it? I know the power of Televenge. The story. I know what it wields. It's full impact has yet to be felt. But I'm getting there. I'm getting there.

Blessings to you and yours.

As an added bonus today, below is a great blog that ran one of my posts this morning: Enjoy!

Would You Drink The Kool-Aid?
http://t.co/yrnw2iPc
 

Why Should A Writer Bleed On The Page? Isn’t It Time To Open A Vein?

 

… continuing part III of What Do You As A Writer Bring To The Page?

Picture of my parents above ... winter of 1954, my father was leaving that day. He's a Korean War veteran. My mother was not happy. You can see it in her face here.

Until I met my husband, pursuing the passion and dream of writing was something I did alone. He afforded me the time to devote to my craft, which I soon realized was not enough.

As storytellers, surviving life’s heartaches and hardships leave the residue of so much conflict to write about. Without the struggle, we do not possess the understanding and compassion, the inward fortitude to pursue our dreams that often seem so out of reach.

And for all of this, you need to put a smile on your face today. My purpose for this post is to offer encouragement. To help you separate the sheep from the goats. The wheat from the tares. The bland, “so-what” writing of telling and not showing. It’s time to pull emotional appeal out of your gut, from your heart, and raise the stakes. Time to create an original and unique voice that will live long after you are gone. Time to bleed on the page.

“The question isn’t  who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

Be a fearless writer. Make the decision you’re going to do whatever it takes. Sometimes ... you just got to open that vein.

What are the events in your life, or in others lives with which you are intimate, that possess powerful magic to influence the stories you create?

I wrote Southern Fried Women during different eras of my life. Growing up in a Pentecostal fundamental congregation, I experienced a world reaching from the backwoods and hollers of West Virginia into the great and grand cathedrals of several high-tech megachurches. Living through my own dark days in televangelism, it inspired me to weave religion, spirituality, and the unexplained into my stories … stories that hint to an ancient bridge where the real and the supernatural meet. The biblical kind of supernatural that exists in all deep-rooted religious families.

In the beginning, I wanted to inform and enlighten the minds of my readers, but I learned something about myself in the process of writing my stories. I learned that what I wanted even more was to kick-start their hearts. For me, faith and spirituality have a way of doing that like nothing else.

My point is that as I look back, the horrific darkness I went through gave me a keen insight into the mind and life of struggling and desperate women. Women that I began to write about. The sparks of passion to develop my stories became a burning and all-consuming flame. As I wrote, the blinders lifted off my eyes and my ears became unplugged. I heard myself laughing, crying out, screaming and whispering secrets through the characters I created.

It seems no matter what I write, I draw from those times of tragedy and of triumph. Of horrific and hilariously funny times when all I could do was cry or laugh.

I strongly suggest you draw from your past, from the dark places you don’t want to think about anymore, of love lost and of love sought and found. From those desperate times you will find the words needed to fully develop the characters you were meant to create.

Nobody’s life has been a bowl of soft rose petals spread upon a fine, feather mattress. Somewhere you have experienced pain. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. It comes to us all. So use it. Draw from your own well. Your stories will deepen, strengthen, and yes—matter! At the lowest point in my life, my faith and the ability to write it down became my life preserver. It changed me, as woman, and as a writer.

Draw from your darkest hours and your fondest memories. Life is too short for too many regrets. If you want to be a successful writer, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.  I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I can promise it’ll be worth it.

Blessings to you and yours.

What Is Raw, Honest Writing?

… continuing part II of What Do You As A Writer Bring To The Page?

Are you able to bring your heartbreak to the page? The pain of loss, rejection, abandonment, can you write about it? Can you pull from your most horrific memories, as well as your most joyous? What I’m talking about has nothing to do with your writing degree or your awards. Although commendable, and certainly admirable, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m asking, what do you--as a living, breathing, human being--bring to the page?

Dorothy Allison’s words at the Maui Writer’s Conference year ago were piercing. Delivered with pastoral fire and an urgency she said, “I’m here to deliver black coffee, I’m here to leaven your experience. I’m here to tell you part of why I’m a writer is that it’s one of the professions where you can be a fat girl and make it! Writers come to the page for many, many reasons. In fact, many of us DO come in the hope of justice, we DO come in the hope of balance, we DO come with an agenda of love, but I’m TELLING YOU NOW, lots of us start with a desire for genuine REVENGE.”

Do you bring revenge to your written pages? Anger? Truth?

“Lighten up,” you say? Okay. Sure.

You don’t need some deep, dark reason to write. You can definitely write for fun. Many do. Except that in my honest and humble opinion, the writing that lasts for generations is gathered from the cobwebbed corners of a writer’s mind. Those basements and attics where most writers fear to tread, but some go anyway.

“But,” you say, “I write humor.”

Ah, yes.  Well, dissect that funny stuff. Where does it come from? Most of it comes from pain. You know that old cliché, usually spoken in the midst of fear or anger. “We’re going to laugh about this later.” Laughter through tears ... is it not a powerful emotion? Many believe the angrier you are, the funnier you need to be. Take that to the page.

So don’t just write what you know. Write what you care about, what you feel deep in your gut. What you’ve seen. The heart-wrenching moments that cut deep into your mind and heart. Write about that. Write about the scars. Who gave them to you, and how you healed, or how you still suffer from those scars. Those hurts that won't heal. Give your character a piece of your life story you want to share with the world. Dig out the best and worst of your memories, and include them in your stories. It’s called raw, honest writing.

Write not just what you know, but what matters most to you. What has brought you out of a deep, dark spot? What makes you uncomfortable? Write your passions, your desires, what moves you. Write that.

Those are the guts of a good story. Bring that to the page.

In the late ‘nineties, I clawed my way out of a long, bleak period in my life. It not only developed an edge in my writing, but throughout those years, what kept me sane was journaling and reading every piece of fiction I could get my hands on.

I had secretly studied the craft of writing. When my friends and family found out about it, they adamantly let me know that writing was a big waste of my time. That because of my circumstances I needed to put my nose to the grindstone, and continue to collect that paycheck. “Don’t be a fool, Pam … few make it as writers … you’ll never write a book … are you crazy?”

I’m here to tell you, if it hasn’t happened already, someone along the way will question your commitment. Your work will continue to be rejected by not only those you know, but the publishing community. On your way to publishing, you will question your ability, your purpose, and your sanity. Even after you're published, you're still bombarded with the same mental anguish. I’m telling you so when it hits, you’ll recognize it for what it is. It’s part of the job. 

Writing is a profession where you pour your guts out on the page, bleed over every chapter, spend years writing the best story your mind, heart, and fingers can produce, labor days and nights on perfecting work that may or may never be seen ... and somebody is always waiting in the wings to tell you how bad you suck.

Sometimes, after reading over your work for the millionth time, you will still find mistakes. You cry, pound your fist on the keyboard, run your hand through your hair and think -- they’re right. I suck. Which is how I felt when the above picture was taken. I was at that Southern restaurant, Sticky Fingers, talking about how bad I sucked as a writer and had one too many cold ones.

 

Anway, you get my point. You begin to understand that perfection can only be born out of rejection and mentors pointing out the obvious. Obvious to everyone but you. And yet, even then, the perfect manuscript does not exist.

Rejection is not only part of becoming a bonifide writer, it’s crucial that it happens. And often. Each “Thanks but no thanks” – each “NO” is a brick upon which we build our tower to Publishing Glory. A writer who has not experienced the critical reviews of their peers, the public, and those within the industry is missing something special. They’re missing the chance to experience the rush of adrenaline that fuels the fire inside to never give up. It’s a writer’s high. A necessary surge of energy to survive in this business.

Come back again soon … there’s more to come in this series … What Do You Bring To The Page?

Blessings to you and yours.

What Do You As A Writer Bring To The Page?

I write fiction steeped in religion, mystery, and the paranormal. I write memoir, and thrillers, and offbeat quirky women’s fiction. And, God help me, I write Christian fiction mixed with horror. But I also write romance. A hopeless romantic, I have discovered sparks of love and lust in the whitest of ashes, the darkest of night skies, and within the deepest oceans of despair--and lived to write about it. Romance is the buttery, rich frosting inside my novel, Televenge.

I find most writers cross genres at some point. We do ourselves a great injustice to pigeonhole our writing into one solitary category, and yet … it is for the love of romance that I find myself driven to write this particular series of posts.

“It is not merely enough to love literature if one wishes to spend one’s life as a writer. It is a dangerous undertaking on the most primitive level. For, it seems to me, the act of writing with serious intent involves enormous personal risk. It entails the ongoing courage for self-discovery. It means one will walk forever on the tightrope, with each new step presenting the possibility of learning a truth about oneself that is too terrible to bear.” Harlan Ellison.

The all-too-often question asked of many of us is this. “Why do you write?” I’m sure you’ve got your standard answer. One that will satisfy your listener. But I’m going to ask you a different question. “What do your bring to the page?”

As a writer, I've often wondered what do I offer my readers? What do I have to say that anybody wants to hear?

Some write lofty volumes of prose, delivering profound messages, soothing to the ears. Some keep you spellbound with intrigue or humor. And then some carefully perfect the craft of curling the hair on our neck as we quickly turn the page to discover the killer. There are writers who can transport us to exotic places we’ve never seen, and hold us there.

Is there a writer who you have read recently, or years ago, that you remember vividly? A writer who created characters that still linger and come to your mind at the strangest times. A writer whose novels haunt you for days, weeks, years? A writer who consistently moves you like few others? What in their voice gives them the edge? What common thread weaves their unforgettable stories to the cloak of your memory? How do they do it?

Besides constantly polishing your writing craft and striving for the title of great storyteller, I'm finding there's another element to this writing thing we do.

How do you share knowledge, life experiences, and enlightenment within the context of a story?

 

How do you make it matter to your readers?

I’m going to talk more about this in the coming days … be prepared to think.

Blessings to  you and yours.

What!? A Christian In A Honky-Tonk?

Marshall Chapman sang at the Bluebird Cafe ... I didn't get a ticket, but I hovered in spirit. Do you know there are just 100 seats in that place? They're sold out every night, obviously, but the essence of American Country Music runs so thick in and around Nashville you can cut it with your fork. It's everywhere. Not just at the Bluebird. Men and women walk the streets with guitars slung over their shoulders in the shadows of the Ryman Auditorium, the home church of the Grand Ol' Opry. It' a sight to behold.

The Author's Reception was only a few blocks from "honky tonk row". After running into Julie Cantrell and Susan Cushman, and talking like friends who had known each other forever, we walked outside to the sound of music floating up the street, drawing us like dry rub on a pork butt. At each place we stopped, you could watch some country star wanna-be through the window, crooning their heart out. I loved it. The people loved it.

A sea of cowboy boots, short skirts, Dolly Parton hairdos, and glittery shirts. To sit and people watch, it was a gift ... and this ol' pentecostal-raised gal felt not one drop of condemnation.

 



The Southern Festival of the Book took over downtown Nashville again this year, with authors, readings, signings, and tents filled with everything "book".

 

 

New Voices in Women's Fiction. I sat with Kimberly Babb Brock and Ginger Moran, discussing our work, our new books, and the industry as we saw it. The room was full, which was great for an early Saturday morning panel. But something strange happened. Reading from Televenge I suddenly saw myself as if from a dream. I experienced a true deja vu moment and I almost stopped mid-sentence. It spooked me, but I kept reading ... I had never felt something quite like it during a reading of my work, and I've read to hundreds of groups. I know. I know. What can I say? It simply runs through the women in my mother's family. I can't explain it. I stopped trying long ago.

 

More on the book tour tomorrow ... every day something exciting happens!

Blessings to you and yours.





What's Next On The Book Promotion Horizon?

The story has captivated its first round of readers in the past few days. The emails, tweets, and facebook posts are coming in faster than I can keep up with them. The blog tour started today with WOW, Women on writing. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/ Here you can join post comments and win a free copy of the novel.

For the past few days, I've been thinking about social media and the overwhelming work it takes to get your book noticed by potential readers. I think one of the best ways is with a quality book trailer. Book trailers appeal to the masses because of the visual aspect. My first trailer was with Misty Taggart and Trailer to the Stars. She's fantastic and great to work with, and did a super job. I highly recommend Misty and her company. http://www.trailertothestars.com/

My niece, Lindy Bonin, a graduate of Lee University, worked with me on creating a new video for Televenge. Televenge, The Story. This video is a synopsis of the novel, set to music and pictures. It's a little longer than most book trailers, 7 minutes, but it's really good. I believe the music along with the story holds you until the end.

I wrote the script and recorded it into an Audacity file, then uploaded it to Lindy. Both of us worked on gathering just the right pictures for the script. The pictures were purchased from an Internet site specializing in stock photos. Lindy used music from her own collection. Lindy, like myself, is from a church background. She and her two sisters, Ashlie and Melissa, all graduated from Lee University and have become pastors or are in pastoral service.

The voice of my protagonist, Andie Oliver at the beginning, middle, and end of the video is Lindy's voice. Although a native of Ohio, she spent a great deal of time in Tennessee at Lee and then worked for her church organization in the Cleveland, TN area. I was quite surprised when I first heard it. I had no idea who it was. She does a great job as a steel magnolia, don't you think?

It took a few drafts and a little time, but in the end I think we've created something very special. I'm proud of Lindy and of the video. If you've got some time, take a look. And then hop on over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble ... where you can purchase the entire novel!

When it comes to writers promoting their work, I think we're going to find more book trailers in the future. It's the cherry on top of the sundae.

http://tinyurl.com/Televenge-TheStory

The video can be found on You Tube and across all social media sites. Enjoy!

Blessings to you and yours.

How To Have A Great Time At A Book Store

Next stop on the TELEVENGE Book Tour ... Park Roads Books in Charlotte, North Carolina!

My table was covered with books, both Televenge and Southern Fried Women.

Sunday - a rainy Carolina afternoon with Panthers football in town ... I didn't anticipate a crowd. But as folks strolled into the store, they couldn't miss my table and most picked up the book to read the cover and ask questions. As it turned out, friends from Greensboro who attended the launch made their way south to Charlotte. Talk about love and support!

Rhea and Diane purchased their books at the launch and three days later, Diane finally came up for air. I had to laugh when she said all she got done as she read my book was feed and walk her dog. Knowing I was appearing at Park Road Books, they both skipped church and headed to Charlotte with a head full of questions. And then Alle Wells and her dear friend, Sara, arrived. Alle and I met on Goodreads.

But that's when the magic happened. We gathered our chairs in a circle and had a wonderful time together, all of us, talking writing, publishing, and of course, Televenge. Alle and Diane are both writers, and the time flew!

I think Diane testified to every patron who walked through the door. I had never met Diane until the night of my book launch, but I do believe I've made a lifelong friend.

My point is this ... it doesn't matter how small the crowd. To sit in a great book store, converse with those who came specifically to meet you and talk about your book, the ripple effect can be huge. Our chatter and laughter drew onlookers who will remember Televenge as the word spreads. I signed the store's stock of Televenge, and told them I'd be happy to return in the future.

Although book stores are not typically a venue where an author will sign the most books, it's still good to support your independent book stores (we came bearing gifts of fresh cookies for the staff) meet and greet folks strolling inside, and just breathe in the scent of all those books. It's like walking through a department store as a kid, smelling the popcorn and hot cashews, the perfume counter, and the hamburgers wafting out from the grille. Book stores have that special scent. It puts a smile on my face every time I walk inside one.

Thanks to Park Road Books for letting me stay extra today. I'm sure I'll be back someday. And who knows, we might have to rent a bigger venue next time!

Special thanks to those who came today and stayed and stayed, I hope you had as much fun as I did!

Blessings to you and yours.

What A Fantastic Book Launch!

A magical night to launch a book. TELEVENGE, my debut novel, shot into the stratosphere as the room filled with friends and those who came to buy their signed copy. I was thrilled, honored and moved as they filed in to hug my neck. The line formed and I think my eyes were filled with tears on more than occasion. Maybe it's a southern thing, but these folks brought buckets of love with them to The Harmon House in Kernersville, NC.

A beautiful venue to launch my novel, the evening was warm and the air full of electricity. And cake, we had a cake!

It's been quite a journey, and it's just begun. I discovered today that Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC, is selling tickets to my event on the 26th. The word is getting out, and I'm hearing from so many on a daily basis. Friends, family, colleagues, and the media! Thoughts of love, best wishes, and support ... I'm so blessed. When I arrived in High Point, I was shocked to see a FULL PAGE write up on the book by award-winning reporter, Jimmy Tomlin.

If you missed last night's launch, just stay tuned. There is much in store for this old gal and her big book. God knows, I'm excited to start this tour! It's been a labor of love. My tragedy has turned into my triumph. At least for this one night.

Many blessings to you and yours. And many thanks.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The COUNTDOWN begins!

This week I head to North Carolina to launch my novel, Televenge! I find I'm so nervous, I can't sit still, eat a bite, or hold a thought in my head. But what a beautiful time of the year to head to the Blue Ridge. One of my favorite spots in the world, Pilot Mountain, looms in the distance as we near Winston-Salem. Like an old friend, I can't wait to see it again.

Today, I have two radio interviews and plethora of work to be done before I can even begin to pack. Last week I was a guest on a radio show, two blogs, and ... well, go to www.pamelakingcable.com and there you'll see all my previous appearances and links to the shows and blogs. It's been crazy busy and it's about to kick into HIGH GEAR.

Below is my personal invitation to YOU. If you are anywhere close to Kernersville, North Carolina, this week, come to the Televenge launch party!

 A FREE EVENT!

Thursday, October 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

Harmon House, 149 South Main St.

Kernersville, NC 27284

Cake & Refreshments
 

Andie Oliver is faithful-to God, to husband Joe, and to televangelist Calvin Artury, a Godfather in a Mafia of holy men. Debauchery follows when her husband is lured into employment on the megachurch ministry team. Uncovering long-hidden truths, Andie confronts the very definition of sin and shakes the Christian evangelical world to its core as she battles the dark side of televangelism.
 

A message from Pamela: "Ten years ago I started a journey. A journey that ended with a powerful message of faith and deliverance and strength of the human spirit.

Televenge is a tale of unconditional love. A vivid portrayal of heartbreaking loss, an invincible spirit, and incredible courage.

The novel contains a lifetime worth of wisdom. Its beginnings were mired in tragedy, but has since become my triumph.

I hope it will pierce your heart as it has mine. Please come celebrate with me!"

 

www.pamelakingcable.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedwomen

Twitter @pamelakingcable

Book Trailer: http://www.televenge.com/trailer.html

TELEVENGE is available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and everywhere fine books are sold. Also available in all e-book formats.

To book Pamela to speak at your next event, meeting, or workshop, see pamelakingcable.com for information.

 



Advance Praise For TELEVENGE

Televenge is " ... an emotional rollercoaster that ends as intensely as it begins . . . those who commit to Cable's tome will find themselves captivated and deeply devoted to Andie. Fans of Fannie Flagg and Janet Evanovich will be hooked on this saga of religion, romance, and crime."

Library Journal Editor's Pick BookExpo America 2012

Shannon Marie Robinson, Library Journal
 

"A captivating, beautifully rendered, unforgettable look at a world so few of us understand. Ms. Cable has courageously opened the door...and my eyes."

Lesley Kagen, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of Good Graces
 

"Pamela King Cable's debut novel breathes good and evil, frost and fire. You can finish it, but it won't let you go."

Jacquelyn Mitchard, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of The Deep End of the Ocean