Interview with Pam Harris and #giveaway

Today we welcome Pam Harris to my blog. Pam is very graciously offering a copy of her book, Aimee. Please leave contact information. To enter answer the question in bold, below. 

Pam, tell us about Aimee – A young woman struggles to trust in herself, in the man she loves, and in God.

It is 1895, and women have few choices. When Aimee Winters’ mother passes away, Aimee has no husband, no job, and no home. Shocked to learn that the father she believed to be dead is alive and well in the Arizona territory, she accepts his invitation to leave Memphis and live with him on his ranch in Strawberry to teach at the local school for one year. Life in the wilderness brings challenges she never could have imagined, but the biggest challenge of all is what to do about her relationship with Levi Raines, the handsome yet unconventional rancher who eventually steals her heart. Is she willing to sacrifice her dream of returning to Memphis to be with him? Will he be willing to sacrifice for her? Or will they go their separate ways?

Is there one particular message or “moral of the story” you hope readers walk away with? 

Not really. The obvious answer is that with God’s help, you can overcome anything, but I believe each reader will take away her own message related to her personal circumstances.

What one question would you like us to ask your readers?

What are four items/words that come to mind when you think of Arizona?

Tell us about the giveaway you’re offering.

A free e-book of Aimee and some of my favorite recipes, including smothered burritos and easy homemade salsa.


How did Aimee get started?

In 2013, I visited Strawberry for the first time, staying with my niece, Amy, and her family. Strawberry is a mountain community, with no stores or restaurants, and wildlife abounds in the surrounding forests and hills. While there, we toured the oldest standing school house in Arizona, and I began to wonder what brought people to this remote area and what life must have been like. The story grew from that.

Tell us about your research process.

I visited the Rim Country Museum in nearby Payson and purchased some books. I researched online, asked my nephew-in-law and brother questions, and talked with the archivist at the museum.

What impact did your research have on you personally?

It was very eye-opening. I grew up in a time when TV westerns were popular. They were nothing like the harsh reality faced by the settlers.

How do you see yourself in your character’s story, if at all?

I had to move a few times when I was growing up, and I knew what it was like to miss a former home. In Aimee, I see my longing to live where I wanted to live conflicting with living where I needed to live.

While you were writing Aimee, do you think it mattered where the book was set?

Oh, definitely! For this story to take place, it had to be in a remote, still uncivilized area. Strawberry was the perfect spot, and the story wouldn’t have come about if I hadn’t visited the community.

A native Tennessean and former Arizona resident, I live in a small university town in Tennessee with my husband of 36 years. We have two sons, one daughter-in-law, and two granddogs, all of whom enrich our lives and bring us much joy. I have worked in public education for more than thirty years as a teacher and principal. Reading has been my favorite hobby since I was six years old, but I also enjoy vegetable gardening, fitness walking, being active outdoors as much as possible, and arts and crafts. I have had published two mysteries targeted to girls ages eight to twelve, The Ghosts of Graceland and Music City Mayhem. Obviously, both are set in Tennessee, and I hope to finish the trilogy someday with Secrets of the Smokies. These books are published under Pam Harris. My adult book is published under Pam Watts Harris.


Social media and buying links:
Facebook: Pam Harris, author
www.authorpamwattsharris.com
All books are available on Amazon.