Tuesday Book Interviews - Pam & Linda

Pam Thibodeaux

Hi Pam. Thanks for being here today. Tell us about your holiday release.

Merry Christmas! Thank you, Cindy, for having me here today. I don’t have a holiday book to talk about, but I would like to introduce my upcoming release, Winter Madness. Here’s the blurb: Sienna has survived what most succumb to - the death of a spouse and child and has maintained her faith despite her troubles. William has never met anyone who actually lived out what they say they believe. Is it true love between the faithful optimist and broody pessimist or simply winter madness? Winter Madness will be released on March 11, 2009 through The Wild Rose Press.

I love titles. How did you come up with this one?

Titles usually come to me from something that occurs or is said by the characters or as a result of the overall theme of the book. For Winter Madness, the hero, William is pessimistic and when I wrote the opening scene where Sienna talks about how lovely the first snow of the season is and his response was “sheer madness if you ask me” I just knew ‘madness’ had to be part of the title. Since the book is set in winter, the title Winter Madness just seemed to click and resonate within my spirit so that’s the title I chose.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

No, not really. I did a little research about the area around Peg Leg Falls in Oregon but that’s about it.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

Well, Cindy, as with all of my stories my ideas come from a vision or a thought. Winter Madness started out with this thought... Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 They met on a cold winter morning in a cozy coffee shop.


I “saw” this meeting in my mind and the conversation that ensued. The rest evolved from there. I must admit, this is one story that took a very long time to write in light of how short it is. Life just kept getting in the way of me finishing, but one evening after a very stressful day, the words flowed.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I liked writing about William the most because it is always beautiful to me when a person realizes the simplicity and beauty of a personal relationship with Jesus. William had heard all the rhetoric about Christianity but never met anyone who actually lived the concept – in fact everyone he knows who professes to be a Christian had lives as screwed up as his. For him to see and understand a true relationship with Christ by Sienna’s example and testimony was a wonderful thing to watch unfold and I ended the story with a sense of knowing that his life was and would continue to be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Where can we get in touch with you and purchase your book?

Winter Madness will not be available until March 11, 2009 however I am GIVING AWAY an advance copy to ONE lucky person!

You can purchase my other short stories, Cathy’s Angel, Choices and A Hero for Jessica as well as my full-length novel, The Inheritance at The Wild Rose Press. If you purchase one of these between now and December 15^th your name can be entered in TWRP’s contest to WIN a Sony E-Reader!!

I also have my 4 part ‘Tempered’ series available from Com Star Media. All full-length novels are also available in Print.

Folks can find out more about me by visiting my Website and/or Blog.

They can also email me at: pthib-7@centurytel.net, pthib07@yahoo.com or pthib07@hotmail.com

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Linda Swift

Hi Linda. I'm excited to hear about your holiday release.

The book's title came from the song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." And a version of that song plays on my web site and another version of it plays on MySpace. Kala copes with so many disasters with such effortless grace and ingenuity that I felt this title suited the story well.


Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

The only research required was a tour with "Sandy," who is one of the real tour guides at the Welcome Center to learn what goes on behind the scenes. A local newspaper did a story about the book first time around and featured pictures of Sandy and me in the mansion. I visited her there again last week and we caught up on each others lives. She has a son fighting in Iraq now and plans to send him a copy of the book.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

This book is about a real place called Whitehaven, an antebellum mansion built at the time of the Civil War. It was home to one of Paducah's mayors when I was a little girl and I had a terrific crush on his grandson who also lived there. So I used to imagine myself living there some day. Then the place fell into grave disrepair and was finally bought by the state and renovated to become a welcome center, the only one of its kind Kentucky. At Christmas, they always hold a open house and I had been there a few times and the story began to grow in my mind. The young mother and her small children who appear in the story were in a short story I wrote and they were heading North for Christmas. Imagine my surprise when they stopped in the Welcome Center and stayed over with Kala! So the book started with a place and a time and then the people came into it.

When my husband and I were looking for house to buy many years ago, we were shown a large old brick home on Fountain Avenue and I fell in love with it. It needed new wiring and heating and cooling and plumbing and we had to pass it up. But in my heart, I think I have always lived there. So the next best thing was to have Kala own this house in my story.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I liked writing about Kala best. I always identify with the heroine of my story. Doesn't everybody? She usually has the character traits I wish I had and her life always turns out the way it should. In this book, Kala has the house I've always wanted, a job in another place I've fantasized about, she is a good cook, and has grandchildren (which I also want). And though I never want to be a widow, she finds happiness with a handsome man in the end so who could ask for more?

Where can we get in touch with you and purchase your book?


You may contact me at lindaswift22@yahoo.com and visit me at my web site www.lindaswift.net
LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY is a heartwarming holiday story peopled with characters of all ages. It is 64 pages, categorized as "Sweet" and can be ordered on December 10 from www.thewildrosepress.com as a e-book for $3.