Author Interview: Pamela Callow

Pamela Callow is a Canadian debut author. Her first novel was published on June 1st by Harlequin Books, and it's called Damaged. I was recently introduced to Pamela and her work, and the premise immediately catched my attention—especially for being a biomedical thriller! She already has four books until 2012: Damaged, Indefensible, Tattooed and an untitled one.

Find Pamela: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Find Damaged: Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes&Noble

Also, kindly, Pamela accepted my request and today I happily have her here answering me some questions about herself, about Damaged, and just a little about Summer.

Author Interview: Pamela Callow

First of all, could you introduce yourself and then talk a little bit about what Damaged is basically about?

I am a member of the Nova Scotia bar and worked as a strategy consultant for an international consulting firm prior to making writing a career. I am happily married, and am the mother of two children and a pug. :)

DAMAGED is a legal biomedical thriller that was inspired by a US criminal case. The series lead, Kate Lange, is a struggling thirty-something lawyer who has finally landed her dream job at a high-powered law firm only to find herself uncovering a scam that rocks the foundations of biomedical research - and puts her in the path of a dementing killer.

You were inspired in a criminal case to write Damaged. Why did this case take so much your attention? Did you right away think about writing a book when you heard about it, or it took a while? When did you decide you definitely would write a book, become an actual writer?

I was browsing the newspaper one day when I read about a case that was so appalling, so devious, that it both fascinated and repelled me. I had been planning to write a suspense novel, and I decided it would make a great plot. I began working on the story right away. But I didn't want to write a fictionalized version of the case, so I used it as a springboard for DAMAGED's plot and added a number of elements, including a legal conspiracy to the story.

In terms of when I decided to become a writer, I think I was eight years old. But I didn't pursue it seriously until five years ago.

You've chosen a genre similiar to the one Tess Gerritsen writes, and she was the reason why I began to enjoy reading stories involving serial killers. Before writing, did you read a lot about serial killers, too, or something similiar?

I read a lot of mystery. The reason for the serial killer in DAMAGED is that the plot and the setting lent itself to that device, and there was an extra element I added that worked in this instance.

Did you somehow get inspiration from another author that writes the same genre as you? Who are the authors whose works you really admire?

In the suspense genre, I've always enjoyed Elizabeth George, Susan Hill, Donna Tartt, James Rollins and Tess Gerritsen. I'm a huge fan of Ken Follett, Rohinton Mistry and John Irving.

Is there anything that you do during every single summer? What is it?

My family goes camping. We sleep in a tent, cook on a Coleman stove, sit around the fire and toast marshmallows. I love it. I love being in the woods, listening to the sounds of nature, curled up in a camp chair reading a book around the campfire. We usually kayak and hike. It's very relaxing. No schedules, no internet.

Besides these four books you've planned to publish until 2012, are you working on any other project or at least has a book idea to write down in the future?

I have lots of ideas, not enough time! I love to write in different genres, so I have a YA mystery, historical and some other ideas tucked in my brain waiting to see the light of day. :)

I want to thank you, Pamela, for taking some of your time to kindly answer my questions. I sincerely do hope to get Damaged in my mailbox faster than I think, and to have you here again anytime soon!