AAD Author Spotlight: Pamela Palmer

She grew up wanting to be an astronaut... and she has a degree in Industrial Engineering.  But fans of Pamela Palmer know she ended up right where she was supposed to: writing sexy paranormal romances.  If you've never read one of her Feral Warriors novels, here is the skinny from her website:

Eons ago, before the rise of human civilization, two immortal races battled the Daemons for control of the earth. The Mage, or magic ones, and the Therians, the mighty shape-shifters. Though traditional enemies, the Mage and Therians banded together to overcome the High Daemon, Satanan, ending his reign of terror and destroying his armies. The cost of victory was high. To win that ultimate battle, both races were forced to mortgage nearly all their power. Only one Therian among each of the ancient lines of shape-shifters was left with the power of his animal. Nine remain.

They are the Feral Warriors.

Cool, right? Pamela is here to answer some of my burning questions about the series. Check it out!

Jen: I am anxiously awaiting Wulfe's story. Please tell me he's coming up next!!

Pamela: Wulfe has become such a reader favorite! He’ll get his story, don’t worry, but his story arc still has some developing before it’s time for his book. I’ve just announced on my blog who the heroes of the next three Feral Warriors books will be, so I can tell you here. Book 7 will be Fox’s book. Book 8 is Grizz’s. And Book 9 will be Wulfe’s. The three books, while each a stand-alone romance, are one continuing story arc taking up where book 6 left off. The war with the Mage is heating up, the Daemons are threatening to rise again, and the Feral Warriors are battling on multiple fronts to save their loved ones, their brothers, and the world.

Jen: Of all your Feral Warriors, which of the male characters is your favorite (and why)? What about the women?

Pamela: I adore all the guys and like any mom, can’t choose a favorite. That said I do get a kick out of Jag. I never know what’s going to come out of his mouth and I type it as I hear it, uncensored. (Amazingly, my editor doesn’t sensor him, either.) As for the women, I’ve climbed deep inside every single one and left a piece of myself there. I know them and love them and could never choose a favorite--Kara’s sweetness and uncertainty as she faces a house full of overwhelmingly male shifters, Delaney’s practicality as she approaches her ‘wedding’ to Tighe half afraid that, rather than a bride, she’s about to become dinner, Skye’s acceptance of Paenther’s hatred despite the fact that she’s as much or more of a victim of the Mage evil as he is, Olivia’s handling of Jag, Ariana’s terrible loneliness, and Faith’s star-struck awe of the Ferals. Nope. I can’t choose a favorite.

Jen: What attracted you to the paranormal in your writing?

Pamela: I’ve always loved written the weird stuff. The very first book I tried to write was a Terminator-type contemporary-futuristic time travel. That one will never see the light of day (I really had no idea what I was doing then), but I’ve always been drawn to time travels, paranormals, fantasies, sci-fi. They just spark my imagination like nothing else.

Jen: Have you ever modeled a character off of a real person?

Pamela: Off of a real person, no. But one of the Ferals was modeled, originally, off of a television character. I got the idea for Jag from the character Sawyer on LOST, the smart-alec who, deep down, hated himself. But though Jag started out as a Sawyer-type, he quickly became his own man.

Jen: Have you ever done any Hollywood casting (in your mind) for any of your characters?

Pamela: Honestly, no. A good actor can play so many different roles. Russell Crow is a great example of an actor who can come across as super hot or super dull, depending on the role. And my characters are so individual and so real to me, I’d have as much trouble casting actors to play my family or friends as I would them. That said, if the books were to be made into movies, I’d get such a charge out of seeing them come to life.

Jen: This isn't actually a question, but I have to acknowledge that the men on your covers are just... wow.

Pamela: LOL. Yes, the Avon Art department has done a fabulous job with my covers.

Jen: What is the number one question you get most often from your fans?

Pamela: Either “Whose book is next?” or “How many Feral Warriors books are there going to be?” Since I’ve already answered the first one, above, I’ll answer the second one here. My answer: I know how the story is going to end and I know whose book will be the last one, but I really don’t know how many books it will take to get there. With each one I write, I learn things about the world I didn’t know before. The story is opening up for me only a little bit before it does for my readers. Which is both exciting and terrifying since I’m the one in the driver’s seat. (Though my characters might argue that they’re the ones in charge.)

Jen: Authors are so much more accessible now with social media like Facebook and Twitter. It's exciting for the fans, but what's that like from an author's perspective?

Pamela: Mostly, it’s wonderful. I love to hear from readers, love knowing they’re enjoying the books, and I love answering their questions. Once upon a time, all of that would have had to happen through letters, and writing is so much more time consuming. Email and social media allow us to chat and converse so much more easily. The downside is that sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the messages and comments and I hate that I can’t always answer them all in as timely a manner as I’d like to. But I do try.

Jen: Tell us a little bit about the Vamp City series you have coming out in 2012.

Pamela: Book 1, A Blood Seduction, is scheduled to be released the end of May and is the first of a five-book continuing character romance. From the back cover:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields. Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see--and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can't do is forget about her--any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission--his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red. Welcome to Vamp City...

Jen: What are you most looking forward to from AAD in New Orleans?

Pamela: Meeting and chatting with readers and also meeting some of my own favorite authors. Jeaniene Frost and I are hosting a late-night get-together one night, so I hope you all will join us! New Orleans is such a fun place. There isn’t anything I’m not looking forward to.

Jen: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me. I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!!

Pamela: I can’t wait, Jen!

To learn more about Pamela Palmer or her books, you can check out her website or her Facebook page. She is also on Twitter.