Since our last conversation, how has your writing journey evolved? Have there been any surprises along the way?
Every writing project is a new learning experience. I’ve been writing since age six and made a career of it, so it’s been nearly seventy years. Nonetheless, I continue to be mystified by the creative process.
You mentioned LoveQuest had been in draft form for two decades. Now that it’s out in the world, how has reader feedback influenced your perspective on the story?
People share my enthusiasm for this memorable and romantic Greek myth. I intended a lighthearted approach to make this an enjoyable and uplifting read while instilling messages of love and redemption.
You’ve written both historical fiction and romantic fantasy. What do you think connects your different works thematically?
The works themselves have no connection, except through my own filter of interests and experiences. I write what appeals to me, so I might write in any genre. I suppose I could have more of a following if I wrote in only one genre, but then it would feel as if I were writing for someone else instead of myself. I had a whole career of that, and I might as well return to work as to give up the autonomy I have now.
Looking back, do you feel your career in communications shaped you as a storyteller in ways you didn’t expect?
I’ve written for a number of industries, and have had to please a lot of people with my content. It’s given me confidence in the quality of my work. If I had been bad at my job, my bosses would have let me know decades ago. So, I am indifferent to the flattery many marketers use to entice authors to buy their services. My life experience has provided fodder for my short stories. It’s not so much that my own life has been memorable, but the lives of the people I have met along the way. Some of those short stories are on my website https://pamelahorter-moore.com/. One is based on an incident that occurred when I was public relations coordinator for West Penn AAA. “Lamont” was published years later in a young people’s Christian magazine. Another story describes my life as a consultant living out of a suitcase. Yet another describes taking a job and relocating to a place where I didn’t fit in. I believe I have many other short stories to tell.
Many authors draw on personal experiences for inspiration. How much of yourself do you see in Psyche and Eros?
I don’t consider myself a beauty like Psyche, but I share her self-doubt. Her humanity is universal. Her suspicion moves her to distrust the loving stranger, not recognizing the deception of her sisters. Her lack
of self-awareness leads others to influence her, making her return evil for good when she misreads Eros’ motives.
Historical research has been a strong passion of yours. What excites you most about tackling a large nonfiction project like the Wars of the Roses history?
Actually, the Wars of the Roses found me when I was 12 years old. I was doing research and stumbled across Edward V’s story. Being the same age, I felt a bond which led me to a lifetime of interest in this period. To discover the worst and sometimes the best in human behavior, a person only needs to study history. It’s the leaders who get into the history books, and we usually discover that they weren’t nice people. The duplicity and machinations that go on in the search for power and wealth inform us that we are foolish to trust too much in those who seek them. Sometimes, however, the untold stories concern lesser people who have impacted history in a great way, and yet are never acknowledged for their part in the outcome. They are the true heroes, because they often had nothing to gain from their contributions, and much to lose.
With decades of reading and writing behind you, have your tastes in literature shifted over time? If so, how?
No, they haven’t changed much at all. I still prefer the authors from the old reading lists I was given in high school and college. I never liked romances, even as a young woman, but the myth of Eros and Psyche that I pursue in LoveQuest excites my passion with its themes of love, betrayal, tenacity, and repentance. Historic fiction can be dangerous, because authors can twist history to suit the narrative or to promote an agenda. Yes, people get as defensive about historical figures as they do modern figures. Therefore, any opinion one might gain through reading historical fiction should be taken lightly until it is tested by more research. Some historical fiction is more fiction than history, and people need to understand that before they form opinions of dead people and their times. Even dead people deserve justice and dignity.
If you could go back and give your younger self—just starting to write Brief Candles—one piece of advice, what would it be?
My advice would go back even further. I’ve been a writer for a long time, and I made my mistakes young. I say don’t be a loner in your journey as a writer. Work on the school paper and yearbook. Try to get an internship. Join a writers’ group. Submit your stories, plays, and poetry. Be part of the writing community, even if that community is small. For introverts like me, this is painful, but it can open more doors for you.
Retirement has given you the freedom to write what you want. Do you find that freedom exhilarating, or sometimes overwhelming?
I find the freedom exhilarating because I have spent a lot of my life writing what other people wanted. Having to please people for a paycheck does give you confidence that you are good enough to earn money at what you do, but it’s not often that you create something that you love at a personal level.
You’ve written novels, novellas, and short stories. Which form feels most natural to you now, and why?
That’s a very hard question to answer because my creative instincts might lead me in any direction, and, hopefully, the form I use will be the best one for my story. I used to write poetry, and some of it is collected on my website, but that was when I was much younger. I believe I am better at prose than poetry. If I had to give an answer, I would probably say short stories or essays because you only need to develop one thought or theme in order to write something that works. Right now, one of my projects is converting my Amazon Kindle Vella serial “Silence of the Centuries” into book format. As a platform, Vella didn’t succeed to Amazon’s satisfaction, but I was one of many authors who were invited to participate. I was gratified to see royalties that exceeded those from my two novels, and I appreciate Amazon’s including me in this project. My challenge is going to be keeping the page limit down. Serials allow for a complexity of subplots and ample opportunities for character development. As a result, when gathered into book format, episodes can translate into several hundred pages. I’m not sure I want to release a 700-page book.
How do you balance writing with your many other passions like music, genealogy, and gardening? Do these interests ever seep into your stories?
It is easy to be distracted. Perhaps I have too many interests. I continue to think about new content for my history website https://edwardv1483.com. There are other ideas I would like to explore and publish on my author website. Eventually, I would like to gather everything and release it in book format. Realistically, I know time goes faster the older one gets, and health issues cut into the time I have left to create. An interest in genealogy and history complements my writing because genealogy and history naturally lend themselves to narrative. You’ll find stories from local and family history on my author website https://pamelahorter-moore.com/.I have fifty years of journaling to provide me with material for the rest of my life. On my author website, I also share my love of nature in observations and essays, as well as my perspective on religious themes, which I hope resonate with others struggling to find meaning.
Having spent years in a career where words were often shaped by others, do you ever catch yourself “editing” your fiction with a communicator’s mindset?
Yes. It is tempting to never stop editing. This is one way writers procrastinate and delay releasing their books into the world. People who are careful about their work are particularly susceptible, as they always want to improve upon their best effort. Indie writers have something to prove, because people prejudge the quality of a book that is published independently. I suppose all indie writers would love to get a nod from a large traditional publisher. However, if they only pursue traditional publishing, they might never see their work in print because the competition from big-name writers is just too fierce. Writers have difficult choices to make all the way around. I’ve always said that a writer who does his own proofreading has a fool for an editor. However, it’s easy to want to circumvent that bromide and hope for the best when all you want to do is release your book into the world and see what happens. Of course, every service you request from an editor, formatter, or designer is going to cost money, but you would expect nothing less from a professional. As an indie author, you might wonder how much you want to spend to polish your work and make it the best it can be before you actually publish. Once again, writers have difficult choices to make. Based on experience as a communicator, I warn people not to be arrogant. There are many times in my career when I blew it by overlooking an error, making a poor judgement, and displeasing my bosses. You’re human, and you are never going to hit 100%. But, if you don’t try, you won’t even come close.
The story of Eros and Psyche has been told for centuries. What do you think makes mythological retellings still resonate with modern readers?
The theme of love and betrayal is etched into the human soul. Little is more profound than the deceit of someone who is considered a friend, lover, or protector. This theme from the Greek and Roman gods is played out in the Christian theme of human betrayal and the need for redemption. Just like a religious pilgrim, Psyche has to endure trials and show personal growth before she can be saved because she has proven herself faithless to a love divinely given.
Looking ahead, which project excites you the most, and what do you hope readers will take away from it?
My serial-to-book project has taken up much of my time recently. It’s a class-based dystopia that explores inequity based on money and status. If we erase the artificial barriers of money and influence, we can propel people to be the best they can be, regardless of how small and unimportant they are. How many geniuses have been overlooked or persecuted because they were considered too poor and destitute to consider? I hope for a world where people are admired for what they are, not for their wealth and notoriety.
How has been your experience with AllAuthor so far?
I think it’s a good value for the money, and I don’t even begin to use all of the tools that are available. I appreciate the tweet scheduler, and the tweets that I can add to this service and that AllAuthor creates for me. It gives me peace of mind. The graphics you offer for book promotion are a big plus.
