I welcome PA (Pam) De Voe to my blog today. Pam is one of the authors featured in the new release: Bake, Love, Write: 105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing. As an anthropologist and mystery author, Pam finds she enjoys writing because it allows her to delve into the lives and worlds of other people, from a group of crafters in contemporary Portland, Oregon to a judge in traditional China.
1. What is the name of the recipe you included in Bake, Love, Write? Could you tell us a little about it, and why did you choose that recipe?
As a true chocoholic with an interest in heritage flours, I had to put my Fudge Brownies with Spelt Flour recipe. The brownies are rich and satisfying. Personally, I also always use a chocolate frosting on my brownies. (Did I say I was a chocoholic?) I use spelt flour instead of regular white flour because spelt is a heritage grain used in Europe from the Bronze Age into the Medieval period. It not only tastes great, it brings alive our sense of roots and tradition. A richly flavorful traditional brownie, what’s not to like?!
2. Could you give a short quote of the advice you included in the book?
As with all authors I have often been admonished to find your voice when writing. What I finally realized is that it didn’t actually mean to find my voice, as in P.A. De Voe’s voice, but to find the voice that best conveys the most interesting and exciting story to the reader. And that means a different voice should be used in writing a cozy mystery, a noir, or a historical mystery. The voice is not your voice, per se, it’s each of your characters’ voices you want to develop.
3. Use your writerly powers of description to describe your kitchen.
I love being in my kitchen. It’s my second favorite spot in the house. (The first is in my book-filled office, seated at the computer, writing.) The cabinets, upgraded by my super capable brother-in-law, are a warm, glowing maple with arches carved at the top of the doors. My blue Formica counter tops work well for me. They provide a wonderful smooth area for preparing baked goods and the softer surface helps protect my crystal from chips. I also have an antique 1950s table with chrome legs and a mottled grey Formica top, which is also perfect for preparing baked goods. The table is from my husband’s family. It is also reminiscent of the one my family had and that I made Christmas cookies on when I was young. All in all, my kitchen is a place of warmth, memories, and family ties.
4. Tell us about your latest release.
My first, A Tangled Yarn, came out in late 2013. A Tangled Yarn is part of a multi-author cozy mystery series written for crafters and non-crafters alike. This year I have been concentrating on historical short stories set in Ming Dynasty China. Each tale is from The Judge Lu Case Files. Judge Lu is a magistrate in southern China and the stories are modeled after the crime stories Chinese magistrates themselves wrote for hundreds of years. The first story, Legacy, can be found in Kings River Life Magazine; the second, Reckoning, was out in Kings River Life Magazine in November 2014; the third, The Devil’s Reckoning in the anthology Under the Surface, will be out November 2014; the fourth, Judge Lu’s Dilemma, will come out in the anthology Fish or Cut Bait in February or March 2015.
Buy it on Amazon
Visit Pam on her website: http://padevoe.com.
Here are more details on Bake, Love, Write below:
What do most authors have in common, no matter what genre they write? They love desserts. Sweets sustain them through pending deadlines and take the sting out of crushing rejection letters and nasty reviews. They also often celebrate their successes—selling a book, winning a writing award, making a bestseller list, or receiving a fabulous review—with decadent indulgences. And when authors chat with each other, they often talk about their writing and their lives. Recipes. Writing. Relationships. In this cookbook 105 authors not only share their favorite recipes for fabulous cakes, pies, cookies, candy, and more, they also share the best advice they’ve ever received on love and writing.
Learn more about the recipes and authors on:
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Stacy Juba has written sweet and sassy chick lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and entertaining books for young adults and children. Her books include the Storybook Valley chick lit series and the Hockey Rivals young adult sports novels.
Stacy is also a freelance developmental editor and online course creator. Sign up for her free masterclass, How to Create Your Editing Game Plan.
Stop by her other websites and blogs: Shortcuts for Writers and Hockey Rivals.
