Tuesday, April 10, 2012

the I-Team and Pamela Clare (A to Z)

Doing things a little different today for the Blogging A to Z Challenge and handing the blog over to my friend Tonya so she can tell you a bit about one of our favorite authors, Pamela Clare, who just writes the.best.books! Oh, also! Next week for our stop of the Hunky Heroes Giveaway Hop we're giving away your choice of one of Clare's deliciously steamy books so be sure to stop back over and check that out!


Intense, Intriguing, Incredible


I'm sure some of you are wondering what in the world I-Team is. And the rest of you are already thinking about Reece, Julian, Marc, Gabe and Zach. Oh yes, those delicious heroes from Pamela Clare's incredible I-Team series. If you haven't read them you don't know what you're missing. Ms. Clare's romantic suspense books have the perfect balance of romance & suspense [Anna here: there are also some really funny, make you snort, kinda moments]. These are not your cookie-cutter romance books. When you finish this series you know you've read 5 very different books. There are a few things that make Pamela Clare's book stand out. One is her attention to detail. It's obvious she spends a lot of time researching for her books. Her scenes pull you in & make you feel like you are right there with the characters. Another reason her books are so good is because she includes things that happened in her real life. In the past Pamela Clare was an investigative journalist & columnist. She has won numerous awards for her work as a journalist & columnist including the National Journalism Award for Public Service, the First Amendment Award and the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

I highly recommend that everyone read this series. Read EXTREME EXPOSURE to find out what Reese & Kara do with Mr. Jiggly Stick. Read HARD EVIDENCE to find out about Julian, Tessa & that sucky-swirly thing. Go on a shopping trip with Marc & Sophie in UNLAWFUL CONTACT. Read NAKED EDGE and play in the snow with Gabe & Kat [Anna's favorite! Gabe...swoon!]. Read BREAKING POINT & visit the waterfall with Zach & Natalie.

And keep your eyes open for SKIN DEEP, an I-Team novella, that Pamela is writing now. It will be an ebook released sometime around the end of April/first of May. Check in on Pamela's website or your ebook retailer for an exact date and to find out more about the I-team!


Extreme Exposure (I-Team, #1) Hard Evidence (I-Team, #2) Unlawful Contact (I-Team, #3) Naked Edge (I-Team, #4) Breaking Point (I-Team, #5)
You can find Pamela Clare books at Barnes & Noble!

Clare also writes Historical Romance novels. In these books you will not find lots of ballrooms, gowns, dukes & duchesses. Oh, don't get me wrong! I love those things too. But Pamela's historicals are different. Unlike anything I've ever read. I've heard her call herself a history geek. The amount of time and research that went into these books is unbelievable. And you can bet your bottom dollar that they are historically accurate. The MacKinnon's Rangers trilogy is set in the United States during the French & Indian War. Three brothers Iain, Morgan and Connor MacKinnon came to North America as boys when their father was exiled from Scotland. The Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy is Pamela's first three books and the ones she says are the most dear to her heart. When I tell people about these books I tend to get carried away & tell way too much. I can't stop talking about them once I get started. Yep, they're that good! You can find out more about Clare's awesome historicals here


the MacKinnon Rangers!
Surrender (MacKinnon’s Rangers,  #1) Untamed (MacKinnon's Rangers, #2) Defiant (MacKinnon's Rangers, #3)
Defiant is out July 3rd! Yay!

the Blakewell/Kenleigh Family
Sweet Release (Blakewell/Kenleigh Family Trilogy, #1) Carnal Gift (Blakewell/Kenleigh Family Trilogy, #2) Ride the Fire (Blakewell/Kenleigh Family Trilogy, #3)


A little about Ms. Clare!
Pamela Clare is not only an amazing author, she is also an amazing woman. During her work as a journalist she lent her voice to those that wouldn't have been heard otherwise. Her compassion for others is extraordinary. She stands up for what she believes in & won't budge an inch until she has said what's on her mind. She's a single mother to two wonderful sons. Both have already finished college. Survivor is a word that comes to mind to describe Pamela Clare. In 1994, she fell while mountain climbing. It was a near fatal fall. Many surgeries were required after the fall and Pamela still deals with pain from it. [Anna again: I didn't know about this until recently when Tonya pointed it out but Pamela used this experience for part of Naked Edge which is my favorite of her books! You can read about her fall here] She has also been a victim of a home invasion by 2 men armed with knives. Thankfully the police arrived in time! She has not only survived some horrific things but she also shares her experiences in the hope of helping others who have gone through similar situations. On April 3rd, Pamela was awarded the Excellence in Media award for her work as a journalist on the issue of sexual assault. One of Pamela's biggest accomplishments is Megan's Law. Megan's Law is a law that prohibits inmates from being shackled during labor. Ms. Clare approached a state senator who agreed to sponsor the bill if she would write it. You can learn more about Megan's Law here. Clare also spent a little time in jail! Check out her story here. [It's a pretty interesting one!] Pamela Clare is truly an amazing person. I can't say enough good things about her and encourage everyone to check out her website and read some of her blog posts.

11 comments:

  1. I just read my first Pamela Clare novel and it was Sweet Release. I cannot believe that it was a debut novel. I look forward to the rest.

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    1. Isn't that amazing? I started with the I-Team series and they're just fantastic. I loved her historicals just as much when I got to them :) Hope you enjoy the rest of them!

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  2. I've never read anything by Pamela Clare. But next time I go to the library, I may just look her up.

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    1. Oh I hope you do! Her books are so interesting and the characters really stick with you long after you've read them :)

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  3. Never read this series, but it looks interesting.

    Sonia Lal, A to Z challenge

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    1. It definitely is an interesting series. You end up learning quite a bit right along with getting a fantastic story :)

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  4. Anna, you made an important point when you said that Pamela Clare's books are not cookie cutter; that each is individual is one of the appealing aspects to her writing. The characters are well developed with strengths and flaws. Some of the flaws can at first be off-putting but I advise the reader to stick to the book. Ms Clare doesn't so much as redeem her characters as she helps the reader understand the characters life and motivations. BTW-great blog!

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  5. I've not read Pamela's books. Will put her on my list.

    Teresa

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    1. Hope you like them! I've only got two more books left to read but so far everything has been very, very good :)

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  6. Brittany GMay 29, 2012

    Since it seems as though you have read most of the I-Series (Or possibly all of them by now), would you recommend reading them in order or does it not matter?

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    1. Oh yeah. I devoured the whole series. It's wonderful. I started with book 5 and it read fine as a stand alone and got me hooked. I think they could all be read as a stand alone if you're just wanting to test the waters and see what you think. The characters in previous books do make appearances in the later ones though so I'd say it's better to read in order if you can. Adds a whole new dimension when you know all of the back stories, how the characters got to know each other, etc. Definitely makes the interactions between the main characters and side characters more entertaining to read :) Thanks for stopping by the blog!

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I always enjoy hearing what YOU think so come on and leave a comment. Everyone's welcome :) And feel free to leave comments on old posts. I'll check in on you there too :)

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~Anna

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