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For the latest news, visit my blog at www.pamelaclare.blogspot.com.
New five-book contract signed
Early this summer, I signed a five-book contract with Berkley Sensation for two more I-Team stories and three — yes, three — historical romances. First up is the next I-Team story, Breaking Point, which tells what happens when Natalie Benoit goes to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Then I'll be starting the next MacKinnon's Rangers novel, Connor's book.
I'm very excited to be working entirely for Berkley. I adore my editor there, and she seems to like my books. I left the publisher that had been putting out my historicals for a couple of reasons. My editor there left to go to a different publishing house, and the length of their books kept shrinking so that every time I wrote a novel it had to be shorter than the one before it. That wasn't working for me.
But leaving was also a hard decision because I adore and respect so many of the people who work for that publishing house. And leaving meant that my MacKinnon's Rangers historical series might be doomed. Fortunately, Berkley wanted those books, too, so now my Rangers have a home again.
Breaking Point slated for release in July 2011
Breaking Point, the next book in the I-Team series, has been scheduled for a July 2011 release. The book, which I'm writing now, tells Natalie Benoit's story. In Ciudad Juárez as part of an education trip for journalists, she comes face to face with her worst nightmares after her tour bus is attacked by cartel thugs and she is taken captive. But if her situation is bad, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach MacBride's is even worse. Drugged and handed over to a cartel, the former Navy SEAL has endured six days of torture and is about to be executed when Natalie's sudden arrival changes everything. What happens next — a daring escape across the desert, a battle with a depraved cartel boss, not to mention an undeniable sexual attraction — forces both of them to face demons from their pasts and drives them to the breaking point.
I've posted several excerpts on my blog. Check them out!
MacKinnon's Rangers ready to march again
I get e-mail every single day asking me whether I plan to write more books in the MacKinnon's Rangers series. The answer for quite some time has been, "Yes, but I don't know when." Now I can definitely say that I will be writing at least Connor's book — and soon!
For whatever reason, Colonial American settings aren't the most popular for historical romance, and the publishing house that was putting out those books wanted me to consider writing another time period. But I'm fascinated by the French & Indian War period, and I love the characters in this series. When I had to cut 25 pages out of Untamed to fit the new, smaller maximum page count, I realized I need to leave that publisher.
That left the future of the series up in the air, and I was warned that it would be unlikely that any publisher would want to pick up a historical series that was already underway and set in such an obscure period of history.
Fortunately, that turned out not to be the case.
I will be starting Connor's book this fall, and I can barely wait! Connor has been a scene-stealer since I started the first book in the series, Surrender, back in 2005. The most rebellious of the three MacKinnon brothers, he's a handful. Tentatively titled Defiant, the book is slated for publication in January 2012.
I hope one day to write Lord William's story and Captain Joseph's, as well.
More foreign sales
The entire I-Team series is now available in Thai. Surrender is out in French and Japanese. And Sweet Release was just published in Czech. It's always great fun to see the covers of these translations and to find out how they translated the titles. The Japanese title, for example, says something about "kissing the man in the kilt." I can get behind that!
Answers to your most frequently asked questions
Lately, I've been getting the same questions a dozen times a day, so I thought I'd post some answers here and perhaps alleviate some confusion.
Q: Do you plan to write more books in the MacKinnon's Rangers series?
A: YES! Next is Connor's book, which I'm calling Defiant. I had planned to give Joseph his own story and Lord William, too, but I'm not sure that will happen.
Q. When is Connor MacKinnon's book going to be released?
A. The third book in the MacKinnon's Rangers series — Connor's story — will be out in January 2012. I know that seems like a century from now, but in publishing terms, it's not that far away.
Q. Do you plan to write more I-Team books?
A: Absolutely. I'm working on Natalie Benoit's story now. The working title is Breaking Point. It's slated for a July 2011 release. Watch my blog for excerpts. I know a lot of you love Holly — I do, too — but I'm saving Horny Holly for last.
Q. Why do you go so long between books?
A. I write two different sub-genres, plus I work full time. On top of that, I'm a very picky writer and try very hard to write the best book possible. I'd rather make people wait than churn out garbage sequels.
Untamed earns a starred review in Publishers Weekly!
I was elated to learn that Untamed, the second book in my MacKinnon’s Rangers Series, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. That means the story stood above most historical romance offering from that reviewer’s point of view. Here’s what PW had to say:
Untamed Pamela Clare. Leisure, $7.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-8439-5489-0
The captivating sequel to 2006’s Surrender continues the tale of the MacKinnon clan, Scots forced to fight for the British in the 18th-century French and Indian Wars. The French score a major coup when they capture notorious ranger Morgan MacKinnon, best known for destroying an Abenaki village after learning that the tribe’s warriors were scalping women and children. Brigadier de Bourlamaque plans on handing MacKinnon over to the Abenaki, who promise to torture him mercilessly, unless he betrays his comrades. MacKinnon despairs, but Bourlamaque’s ward, Amalie Chauvenet, captures his heart and persuades him to spy for the French against the English. Clare’s detailed attention to the history of alliances forged and battles fought near Fort Ticonderoga adds authenticity, and the characters evolve and change with a realism that readers will love. (Dec.)
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Because I spend so much time on historical research, trying to recreate the world my characters inhabit, I was particularly delighted with the reviewer’s comment about the historical value of the story. And I do hope you love the characters, because I certainly do.
Perfume designed exclusively for Unlawful Contact!
I am so excited to announce that internationally known perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has created two new scents in honor of Unlawful Contact. Dawn designs scents for Hollywood stars, New York jet-setters and Parisian socialites. Using natural oils and essences, not chemicals, she makes her perfumes by hand, one drop at a time, just as perfumers did three hundred years ago.
I met Dawn this past summer and was so impressed by her work that I asked if she’d be interested in turning the characters in Unlawful Contact into scents. She read the manuscript, took lots of notes about Marc’s and Sophie’s personalities, and then began to turn those into scents.
I went in to sniff the final results last week, and I love them! I’ve been wearing “Sophie” ever since and dabbing “Marc” on all the men in my life. “Marc” captures the scents of Colorado’s mountains together with Marc Hunter’s deep masculine sexuality, while “Sophie” captures Sophie’s sexy, sleek sophistication with a touch of innocent “fairy sprite” sensuality. The two work well together, both featuring certain musk notes that make them a “couple.”
Working with an artist like Dawn was so much fun. She and I are talking about doing it again, perhaps going backward with the I-Team series. “Julian” anyone?
The scents are now done and can be ordered from her Web site at www.dshperfumes.com. Click on Essence Oils. The perfumes are part of the Essence Studio collection. She has a variety of sizes available, including samples for under $4.
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