Pamela King Cable's Blog

I’d like to thank Diana Stevan for inviting me to join her blog hop! Her new book, A Cry from the Deep sounds fantastic! Please take a look at: http://www.dianastevan.com/a-cry-from-the-deep/.
She has asked me to answer a few pointed questions as a writer, and it’s been my pleasure to post my answers here on my blog. At the end of this blog, I will introduce you to a writer who has inspired me along my journey. She will follow me with her own blog post on July 21st.
Question: What are you working on?
Answer: My new novel, The Sanctum, is currently in the hands of several publishers. I’m hoping for a book deal in the very near future since my literary agent has been working hard toward that endeavor. As she does that, I’m writing the sequel to The Sanctum, called The Pinnacle. I’m extremely excited as I see this turning into a series. So to bring you up to date, it’s my pleasure to give you a short description of The Sanctum:
Neeley McPherson accidentally killed her parents on her fifth birthday. Thrown into the care of her scheming and alcoholic grandfather, she is raised by his elderly farmhand, Gideon, a black man, whom she grows to love. Neeley turns thirteen during the winter of 1959, and when Gideon is accused of stealing a watch and using a Whites Only restroom, she determines to break him out of jail.
The infamous Catfish Cole, Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon of the Carolinas, pursues Neeley and Gideon in their courageous escape to the frozen Blue Ridge Mountains. After Gideon’s truck hits ice and careens down a steep slope, they travel on foot through a blizzard, and arrive at a farm of sorts—a wolf sanctuary where Neeley crosses the bridge between the real and the supernatural. It is here she discovers her grandfather’s deception, confronts the Klan, finds her faith in God, and uncovers the shocking secrets of the family who befriends her. Giving sanctuary, the healing power of second chances, and overcoming prejudice entwine, leading Neeley to tragedy once again but also granting her the desire of her heart.
The Sanctum is a coming-of-age Southern tale dusted with a bit of mystery, and set in a volatile time in America when the winds of change begin to blow. 
And, one short note on something else I’m working on. I’ve started a non-fiction book called The Congregation. A book of testimonies, if you will, on the lives of those who have escaped the horrors of churches with a choke hold on their members. Legalism runs rampant in congregations across this country, and since my novel Televenge was published in 2012, so many people have come to me with their own stories. It’s time to put their words to paper.

Question:How does your work differ from others of its genre?
Answer:For me, it is within sanctuaries of brick and mortar; places of clapboard and canvas that characters hang ripe for picking. From the primitive church services of the mountain clans to the baptisms and sacraments in cathedrals and synagogues all over the world. From the hardworking men and women who testify in every run-down house of God in America to the charismatic high-dollar high-tech evangelicals televised in today’s megachurches, therein lie stories of unspeakable conflict, the forbidden, and often, the unexplained.

Question:Why do you write what you do?
Answer:I write about religion and spirituality with paranormal twists unearthed from my family’s history. I studied creative writing, but I believe my best education came from the professionals—mentors and writers in the trenches. I write about my passions, what moves me, what shoots out of me like a rocket. My key inspirational force is my spirituality.
I was born in the South, a coal miner’s granddaughter, but my father escaped the mines, went to college and moved his family to Ohio to work for the rubber companies in 1959. I spent every weekend as a little girl traveling back to the Appalachian Mountains. My memories of my childhood run as strong as a steel-belted radial tire and as deep as an Appalachian swimming hole. As a little girl, I was a transplanted hick in a Yankee schoolroom. I grew up in the North. So my influence comes naturally from both regions. But the dust laden roads in the coal towns of the ‘sixties are where my career as a writer was born.

Question:How does your writing process work?
Answer:Process? What process? I get out of bed, stumble to the kitchen for coffee, and then plant myself at my computer until noon. Some days I spend the morning on social media, but usually it’s to review and edit what I’ve written the previous day. I can spend as many as 12 hours a day writing, or as little as one or two. But generally, it’s an eight-hour day. Although lately, I’ve been distracted by house-hunting with my realtor, and other family matters so it all cuts into my writing time. I think my best hours spent with my characters are between 9 p.m. and two or three in the morning. That’s when the house is quiet, every distraction flies out of my head, and there is nothing between my story and me. I guess you could say that’s my process. Mix it up with research and reading time, it seems I have no solid process. But that will all change … if I ever find a new publisher!


Now, allow me to introduce you to my guest blogger. Please check out her books. I assure you, you won’t be sorry!
J. Hannah Lloyd, author of Survivor Dynamics, Living Life on the Edge www.jhannahlloyd.com www.survivordynamics.wordpress.com
Bio:  J. Hannah Lloyd is an author, poet, and freelance writer whose articles, stories, and poetry have enhanced the lives of many. Although she spends many hours developing her writing craft, her family is most important. She hangs out with an understanding husband, two grown (but irregular) children, a gymnast granddaughter, and two demanding felines.
In 2007 she received two awards for her work at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference in Ridgecrest, NC. As poet and writer, her articles, stories, and poetry have been published in adult and children’s Christian literature, as well as online through www.christiandevotions.us. Miss Lloyd also contributes poetry bi-monthly to Critter Magazine.
Other works have been published in Slate & Style, Shemom, Harold and Banner Press in Primary Pal: Pacific Press Publishing Association in Our Little Friend, MS Focus and MS Connection Magazines, Who’s DANN?, Gospel Publishing House in LIVE, The Pentecostal Evangel, Heartland Boating, and The Upper Room magazine. She has served as Assistant Editor at www.DevoKids.com. Several poems were presented on WORD Radio in Greenville, SC. She was also interviewed on WGGS TV16, and contributed grief documentation via video at www.GriefShare.org.
Currently, she retains membership in Greenville, SC with CrossNPens, The Writer’s Plot, and Women in Crime.
Books by J. Hannah Lloyd
Ordinary Sayings and Southern ClichéTied to Terror – Secrets of a Battered WifeEscape from Abuse Survivor Guide
Visit her online at www.JhannahLloyd.comwww.survivordynamics.wordpress.com

It's been a frightful while since I've been here on the blog. I've missed it. I think Facebook has taken over for some bloggers, including me. You can find me on Facebook every day. Both on my personal page and book page.

Personal page: https://www.facebook.com/pam.cable.5
Book page: https://wwwfacebook.com/southernfriedwomen

But I've been blogging since 2005 and I don't think I'm ready to give it up entirely. Facebook does not fulfill a writer's need of expression. So I'm giving my blog another chance, even though I'm not sure how many of us are faithful at reading blogs every day. I know I'm not. I do good to keep my own online.

My life is filled with many distractions at the moment. The biggest being yet one more edit on The Sanctum. I started writing this second novel over five years ago, and I think God is trying to teach me the virtue of patience, no matter how hard my head tends to be.

Even with all this work, including my frustration with the publishing industry, I'm hoping to sign with a great editor and publishing company in the very near future who will take my work to new levels. Someone I can work with a long time, believes in me, and loves what I write. The good news is that I really like my new Literary Agent. Sarah Joy Freese with WordServe. I did not anticipate such a nice working relationship, but shocker, it's been great.

In the meantime, below are a few pictures of a recent visit to the Mentor Book Club, near Cleveland, Ohio. What a hoot! One of the best book clubs I've ever come across, these ladies have read more than 98 books since they started the club! My novel, Televenge , was their March pick. I wasn't surprised by their questions, and there were A LOT of them. Wonderful, beautiful ladies who I hope will have me back with The Sanctum is published. Thank you all, for your faithfulness.

Essential to the writer is the art of reading. I'm juggling three books at the moment, each as intense as the other. I wish I could clone myself to read, write, and keep up with social media ... alas, I'm not one who can find a balance to the three.

Lately, I've also been studying how books adapt to film. The reason everyone usually loves the book more is obvious, but often a film can stir the interest in a particular writer. These days, I'm reading Truman Capote. He died in 1984, and yet his work is as popular as ever. Maybe because two films, "Capote" and "Infamous" have sparked interest, which is true in my case.

In the film, Infamous, Toby Jones brilliantly plays Capote and Sandra Bullock (who should've been nominated for an Oscar) portrays the elusive Harper Lee, childhood friend of Capote.

Harper (Sandra) made an amazing statement that struck me to the core. Something I'll never forget.

"I read an interview with Frank Sinatra in which he said about Judy Garland - every time she sings she dies a little. That's how much she gave. It's true for writers too, who hope to create something lasting. They die a little getting it right. Then the book comes out, there's a dinner, and maybe they give you a prize, and then comes the inevitable and very American question ... What's Next? But the next thing can be so hard because now you know what it demands."

Many writers can spit out a book every six months. I'm always amazed at that. But for some of us, writing takes more than blood, sweat, and tears. It takes a piece of our existence. I guess if you want to know why a few writers take forever to come out with the next book, you should remember what Harper Lee said ... "they know what it demands."

Blessings.

Climb Every Mountain ... that beautiful song from the Sound of Music rings in my head these days ...

I think this is longest I've ever gone without posting a blog since I started blogging in 2005. There's a reason for that as I ... ford every stream ...

Other than posting daily on Facebook I'm writing another book. I'm also working through yet one more edit of The Sanctum since there continues to be interest from major publishers. So please forgive my absence, while I follow every rainbow ... but it's hard to be in more than one place, even though the "experts" say we writers need to maximize our social media exposure.

I'm afraid ... 'til I find my dream, my exposure time is consumed with writing novels.

Stay tuned ... and please don't give up on me ...

Until then ... blessings to you and yours.

Every once in a while I’m asked to explain Televenge, because secular folks don’t want to be preached at, and Christians don’t want to face the darkness that exists within the church. Granted, faith is powerful, it can be exploited, but some have been crushed beneath the heels of their own pastors, and should we choose to write about it, it becomes a delicate balancing act.
It was my determination that Televenge evolve as a story about how those who abuse their position in the pulpit can over time; literally destroy those who faithfully sit in the pews week after week. I wrote it as a woman of faith, not "an angry lady jabbing at any one pastor or specific religion because a mean church hurt me once," or someone trying to get attention. I can think of better, safer ways to call attention to myself.

For me, the gold perk of writing is working alone, months on end, in sweats and fuzzy socks with no thought of time or the way I look with no makeup. Despite what some may think, my faith sustains me daily. But I recognize that thousands have blindly followed only to have their family units, their core beliefs, and their way of life slaughtered by a “thus saith the Lord” from a man or woman in the pulpit. My biggest revelation, breaking free from my church, was that “touch not my anointed” works both ways.

In the end and without hesitation or apology, and regardless of denomination, Televenge uncovers the madness within the church, as well as big flamboyant pastors and their miracles. But more than that, the story embraces the healing balm of Gilead, the real faithfulness of Jesus Christ, and the peace of God that passes all understanding.

My answer to those who hesitate, “… just jump in and enjoy the story.” Can I hear an amen?

Summer has come and gone and I've not blogged for a good while. I've been ... well ... wrapped up in other things and blogging (something I've held on to since 2005) just doesn't appear at the top of my list.



The Sanctum is currently in the review process with editors, via my literary agent, and I'm working on the next book, as well as putting together another collection of short stories. Southern Fried Faith. An edgy cross between Televenge and Southern Fried Women.



This entire process of publishing The Sanctum has been grueling, to say the least. I expected to see it published last spring. But as fate took over, a literary agent came into my path and the plan to self-publish was put on the shelf. A good thing, really.



So ... this story that is near and dear to my heart will take a bit longer than expected. Patience, a virtue that was left out of my DNA, has been ground into me as the years go by. It's painful and at times I feel as though I'm going to crawl out of my skin, but I've come to the point where I finally realize ... I'M NO LONGER IN CONTROL.



I can't steer this ship on my own. I've tried. In the end, if all I manage to do is write my stories and get them out there on Amazon, then fine. I've grown like the Apostle Paul. I've learned to be content in my situation.



And frankly ... that's all I have to say today.



Blessings to you and yours.


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



Lofty volumes of prose line many library shelves. Some deliver profound messages, soothing to the ears. Some hold you spellbound with intrigue or humor. And then some curl the hair on the neck as you quickly turn the page to discover the killer. Besides constantly polishing your knowledge of the writing craft and striving for the title of great storyteller, there's another element to this writing thing.



The author's ability to share knowledge, life experiences, and enlightenments within the context of a story. To make it matter.



What have you learned or experienced in your life that you bring to the page? Many of us bring our writing degrees, our teaching degrees, our years of contributions to magazines, lit mags, newspapers, and we bring awards. Oh, so many writing awards. And, that's wonderful. Commendable, in fact. But that's not what I'm talking about.



To quote Dorothy Allison (one of my favorites.) She made this profound statement at the Maui Writing Conference many years ago. " ... 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?



"Are you saying there has to be some deep, dark reason why we write? Can't I just write for fun?"



Of course you can, and many do. But once again, in my humble opinion, the writing that lasts for generations is written from the cobwebbed corners of a writer's mind. Those basements and attics where the writer fears to tread, but goes anyway.



"But," you say, "I write humor."



Ah, yes. Dissect that humor. Much of our humor also comes from pain. You know that old cliche spoken in the midst of anger and frustration ... "We're going to laugh about this later." Laughter through tears ... it's a powerful emotion. Take it to the page.







"Do you mean, then, write what you know?"



Not just what you know, but what you feel. What you've seen. What matters. The gut-wrenching moments in your life that cut deep into your 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. Give your character a piece of your life story that you want to share with the world. Dig out the best and worst of your memories, and include them in your stories. Write not just what you know, but what brought you out of a dark spot. What event turned you inside out, not just what made 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.



Blessings to you and yours.

I listened to David Wilkerson, a well-known fire and brimstone evangelist whose messages stir the emotion and bring most to their feet or their knees. Clips of his sermons are posted on You Tube. You can search for him there.



"True passion comes from anguish," he said. His words flew into me like a fiery arrow, illuminating my past. Wilkerson's message centered around anguish and how todays church is void of it. He's a big believer in, Cryin' Holy unto the Lord . He professes the church has gone soft, that we're basically a bunch of babies who want to be soothed and coddled. That we no longer tarry for hours before the Lord, prostrate at the altar. That God wants to see our anguish over the state of the world and our Godless nation. Wilkerson has that pastor voice. You know what I mean? He's learned how to wail when he speaks, allowing us to hear his heart as it breaks for the sins of mankind. And if you've grown up as a fundamentalist, it moves you. Even if you've never sat in a tent revival, I think it would move you.



Whether or not you agree with Wilkerson's message, you have to agree that true passion is definitely born from anguish. As a writer, I believe the heartaches and hardships we experience give us plenty to write about.



And plenty to talk about ...







But it's not about anguish over a fender-bender. It's not about a bad grade on a test. Or losing your wallet. Or a fight with your spouse.



Anguish, suffering, agony, grief, sorrow and angst ... comes from a break in your spirit. A temporary disconnection with yourself and the world around you. The loss of anything dear to you creates real, gut-wrenching anguish. The kind you feel down to the soles of your feet. Buckets of tears. Nobody wants to experience it. Nobody wants to go through something like that, and I hope and pray you never do.



But if you do, what you do with that anguish, how you channel it, will determine your future in many ways. And if you're a writer, it can propel you into another level. I've read books where I know, without a doubt, the writer has suffered at one point in his/her life. You can feel it in the way they put the story together. Raising the stakes isn't so hard, because they've lived it.



Not a pleasant topic to blog about, but I think it needs to be said. Personally, I hope I never see another drop of anguish as long as I live. I've had my share. David Wilkerson can wail as long as he wants about anguish, but I never want to experience it again. Ever. It's not a pleasant place to go to.



However, I want you to remember if you've closed the door on your anguish, the memories of it ... you may want to revisit that dark place again. Especially if you're a writer. Your writing changes. Something inside you clicks and literary takes on a whole new meaning.



My passion was truly born from the sorrow, grief, and the anguish of my life. Now, I can truly say, the joy of the Lord is my strength. A scripture phrase that has almost become a cliché in Christian circles, has power and new meaning in me. At some point the tears have to stop. The river of sorrow has to trickle to nothingness. We have to move out of that place and use what we've learned to write the story of our life. It's not something we want to think about, anguish, but be thankful for it. It's made you who you are.



And despite the fire and brimstone, that's a good thing.



Blessings to you and yours.

Oil from the Arizona still floats on the water at Pearl Harbor. Smoke from the Twin Towers still lingers somewhere in our atmosphere. I was reminded by a friend today that these events that rocked our nation will never depart from our hearts and minds. Thank you, Barbara.



I remember visiting the towerless sky in 2002, one year after the attack. Ground Zero still smoked, the fences still held the memorabilia of those who perished, and the air still smelled of death.



Who can understand why this happened? No one. But the peace of knowing God in times like these is the peace that passes all understanding.



Blessings to you and yours.

As a writer, my comfort zone, like most writers, is at home wrapped in the warm, soft blanket of creation. To create well-rounded, compelling characters, and pull them through the high stakes of their lives ... there is simply no place I'd rather be.



But every so often, a writer has to get out and meet their readers. Word of mouth is truly the best way to sell books, but guess who must get that ball rolling? The writer. Once an event is booked, once you arrive on the scene, how do you size up the audience? Is the speech you have prepared the right one?









Be proactive. If you want to get an audience on your side, first you need to choose the right length of time to talk. Sometimes, even when they give you an allotted time to speak, you know after arriving, to shorten it, skip the Q & A, or change the speech entirely.


How can you make that decision? There is no fast rule here. You must learn to analyze each audience. I remember hearing that one pastor offered this silent prayer every time he stepped into the pulpit: "Lord, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff, and nudge me when I've said enough." Cute.








If you are the main event, if they came specifically to hear you speak, you possess much more latitude. But if you are the "scheduled speaker" at a business lunch, a monthly meeting, or a Mother's Day event, if the audience didn't come because of you, then do your homework and be prepared. Some folks in the audience, guaranteed, have never even heard of you. Unless you're a celebrity author, you've got to make that group fall in love you and want to take a piece of you home. Your book!

 

A program coordinator will typically suggest a specific length for your presentation, usually it's thirty minutes to an hour. Nod your head, appear appreciative, say thank you, then totally ignore whatever time frame they gave you.

 

Unless the entire program is focused on you and your books, meetings and conferences rarely stay on schedule. Technical glitches eat up time. Coffee breaks have a mysterious way of expanding. Attendees run late. Don't assume you will get all the time you've been promised.

 



 

Event planners have an agenda. They think in terms of "time slots." They need a speaker to fill their speaker slot on their schedule. Fine. But good speakers do more than fill time slots. As the invited speaker, your job is to entertain, enlighten, communicate and captivate your audience, all while selling your book(s) in the process. Tough process? You bet. But the good news, you can learn how to speak to your readers, be great at it, and have fun doing it!

 

Consider the place of the event. Is it inside or outside? Is it air-conditioned? Women and men? How many will attend and are the seats comfortable? It's hard to communicate with an audience when they are uncomfortable. If you talk too long, they will tune you out. If it's a lunch meeting, remember these folks need to get back to work. You want to give them enough time to buy your book!

 

What precedes your presentation? For example, if you're scheduled to talk right after lunch, understand that lunch often runs overtime and so you might get less time to deliver your talk. Also, folks get sleepy. Don't drag on and on. Give an interesting, quick, and to the point presentation. Talk in a friendly tone, don't fiddle with your hair, and smile! Some say, "be yourself" but as a speaker you may want to spend your time as someone else! What a great excuse to do that!

 

On occasion the program director may want you to speak while the audience is eating. Try to get them to change this. People want to visit with those at their table when eating, not have to listen to a speaker. I know, crazy, but it happens.

 






Often a cocktail hour or a reception follows and the audience will be itching to get on with it. Not a comfortable situation to be in. But you have deal with this. Don't just get through it, have fun with it. I've changed my speech several times, gearing it to the mood of the audience. If you don't think you're talented enough to do this, then I suggest you take a class in public speaking or join Toastmasters for a while, and learn how to manage your audience.



Always factor in a few minutes for starting late. I've sat in Rotary meetings that have run over, giving me a whole ten minutes to wow the room. I jump in with a quick reading, about a paragraph of my book, something funny, and talk about what will resonate with the audience. Enough to whet their appetite and buy the book. But never, ever look or sound irritated. Common sense, right? You'd be surprised.

 



 

When you arrive, are the women friendly? If it's a mixed group, will that bother you? Do they welcome you warmly? Most do, but every once in a while you walk into a freezer. Truly, that's when you make it a challenge. Your dog and pony show can surprise them all, have them rushing to your table to buy your book after your closing remarks. Even if you're a great speaker, be prepared for a non-responsive audience. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

 

Don't lecture. Find a coach to help you create compelling speeches about your work, research, and the book itself. Jodi Picoult is famous for her research prior to writing her novel. I've heard her speak on three separate occasions, and each time she spellbinds the audience with her story. I've also been in the audience of many other authors who put folks to sleep, or have no idea how to speak to a group. I've actually been quite embarrassed for them.

 

Allow time for someone to introduce you, and prepare that ahead of time. Make sure they have the correct bio in hand, or some interesting piece of news you would like the audience to know.

 

It's okay to use your notes, walk around, or stand behind a podium. Dress for the event. Don't overdress. And allow time for Questions and Answers. At most Book Clubs, the entire time is taken up in Q&A. It's very informal and I love this. It's easy, and the time goes fast.



But always, always allow time for selling your book.

 





Do your best. Once again, give the audience 100% and be prepared to shorten or change the speech upon your arrival. Never forget that the more you say, the less people remember. But take five minutes and read from your book. It doesn't have to be from the first page, but make sure it's a good part, and read in character if you can. I often turn into a Southern Fried Woman when I read. It's just a part of me, so it's easy. But find your niche. Know who you are as a writer and a speaker. It takes practice, hard work, and you must be fearless.

 

But more than anything, know your audience. If you can learn to read the faces in your audience, your success rate climbs. In being asked to speak, and in book sales. I've been professionally writing for over a decade now, and speaking for about six years, and I can tell you there is no social media out there like meeting your readers face to face.

 

Blessings to you and yours.