Pelaam: Thank you for inviting me. We know it's just a hop across the ditch though *winks back*
Renae: Today, Pelaam is talking to us about her new book out, Good Deed Done.
Blurb: Conner is a hard working farmer with a generous heart and a lonely existence. When a couple of his much needed milk cows go missing he tries to find them. Instead he finds that some legends are truths. Faoladh, werewolves, exist, and a good deed done a couple of years earlier to an injured young wolf leads to changes in his life he could never have imagined. Delighted to have such a beautiful mate as Ciaran at his side, Conner feels his life is complete. But another man’s greed threatens to destroy Conner and Ciaran’s happiness.
Renae: Of course werewolves exist! **wink** Okay, okay. Being serious here. I adore this cover. Tell me who is the cover artist for this story?
Pelaam: The very talented Michelle Cary. The cover fits what I wanted perfectly.
Renae: This story is being published by MLR – is it a full-length story? Is there a comfort zone for your writing when it comes to length? You’ve written shorts, novellas, novels – everything!
Pelaam: The book was released on the 6th of March, and you can buy through MLR here.
The story is a short one at 11.5k but I really liked writing about Ciaran and Conner.
If I'm writing for an anthology I try to keep the story to less than 15k as there's usually a limit on words by the publisher. After that a story can be between 20k and 60k. I'm quite happy writing in that range.
Renae: Is the story set in NZ or somewhere else? Do you have a preference for writing in a certain setting? I know personally I struggle to write anything that is not familiar to me.
Pelaam: This is set in Ireland, but as it's a fantasy, there's no specific location. Tine is loosely set between the 1600s and the Irish Famine when the people were very reliant on the potato as a main food staple.
I have written a couple of books based in New Zealand, but if I need to write about a particular place where I haven't been, I'll research it as well as ask friends who may know it more intimately.
Renae: How about genre? Do you have a preference for writing contemporary, sci-fi, paranormal, etc? Or do you simply roll with what comes?
Pelaam: I should see if my Muse can pop in and say 'Hi'. I blame her for my occasionally eclectic inspirations *looks around for elusive Muse*. Although my favourites are fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi/steampunk, I do write the odd contemporary. I would say fantasy probably has the largest number of stories to date.
Among my favourite fantasies are "The Magic of Dooros", "On Dragon's Wings", and "Addiction". A couple of favourite paranormals are "Haunted by the Past", "Samhain", and "Familiar or Not." My favourite sci fis are "Captive" which I'm currently working on a sequel for, and my sci-fi/steampunk "Breath of the Feathered Serpent".
Renae: In Good Deed Done, Conner helps an injured wolf. Do you think that many farmers would stop to help a predator?
Pelaam: I would think probably not. However, this is a young wolf, plus there have been no attacks on the farms. And, of course, Conner remembers the old legends and his mother's favourite saying.
We (as in Australians) often call New Zealanders our cousins, but in reality they are not geographically close to us, it’s just that there is no one else around. Have a look at this map.
The distance of Australia to NZ is about the same as USA (mainland) to Hawaii – and Perth (where I am) is on the OTHER side of Australia. Let’s do some actual calculations:
Sydney to Auckland (NZ) = 2155 kms
Perth to Auckland = 5343 kms
Los Angeles to Hawaii = 3989 kms
New York to London = 5566 kms
London to Rome = 1432 kms
Pelaam: When I researched Faoladh I found they were originally the guardian and protectors of children, wounded men and lost persons. They also had a history of being called upon by kings on times of war. There were references to them making the odd night time foray into a farm, but I thought that with a little twist I could make them a more noble beast while man is the true monster.
Men in general are not the enemy, but my Faoladh are a little more magical and remain hidden, watching and helping man where they can. They generally wouldn't initiate contact except for a good reason.
Ciaran knows his mate when he sees him. That enables him to bear Conner's touch despite his injury.
Renae: Are there allowances that Ciaran is going to have to make to have a human mate?
Pelaam: Not in this story. As a shapeshifter he is happy in either wolf or human form.
Renae: Is this story HEA? Is this book going to be part of a series?
Pelaam: Yes, I've done this as an HEA. It could be a series with the characters, but I haven't looked that far ahead. Plus it would also depend on my readers and whether they would like to see more of Ciaran and Conner.
Renae: What are you working on now?
Pelaam: A fantasy, a steampunk, and a sci-fi.
The fantasy is set along the timeline of ancient Greece with a good selection of fantasy beasts. The steampunk is still in the 'toss it around in my mind' stage. I'm not a plotter. I don't have storyboards and copious planning. I sit and I write. I'm very likely to start at the end, jump to some scenes in the middle, and finish at the start. But I already have my villain, my team of good guys, my MCs, and the main plotline. This isn't a short by any means so I may not finish it until the end of the year. The sci fi is a sequel to "Captive" which I mentioned above.
Of course, I do have a large leaning tower of WIPs. These are just the three that I'm giving the greater attention to. At the moment *grins widely*
Renae: Where can people contact you?
Pelaam:
https://www.facebook.com/pamela.pelaamone
and my author page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pelaam/1467778320131583?ref=hl
[email protected],
Renae: Thank you ever so much for coming and visiting me. It’s been great to have you. Good luck with the release and I can’t wait to read.
Pelaam: Thank you so much for having me. It's been awesome.