Interview With Author Pamela Kopfler

Interview With Author Pamela Kopfler

 Q1. Tell us about yourself. What are your favorite books to read?

A. Hi, ya'll. My friends say I’m Southern-fried and I admit it’s true. I live in South Louisiana where the spirits are restless; the food is spicy, and the living is divine. 

I can stir up a roux, mix a cocktail, shoot anything (as long as it doesn’t have eyes), and love swapping stories. Putting words on the page keeps my alligator mouth from overloading my hummingbird heinie in real life. I mark my time on this earth by the lives of the dogs I’ve loved and who often show up in my stories. My current fur baby is a seventy-pound pup in black, a fearless hunter and protector––when he’s not pretending he’s a lapdog. 

I write humorous mysteries with a kick of Southern sass. My award-winning debut novel, BETTER DEAD, is the first in my B & B Spirits mystery series (Kensington Books). Book two in the series, DOWNRIGHT DEAD, released in 2018 and book three, HOG WILD DEAD, will release in late 2019. I read across genres and plenty of nonfiction. Mysteries are my favorite! I also enjoy suspense, thrillers, fantasy, women’s fiction, and romance. Give me a good story and I’m in!

Q2. Where did the inspiration to write come from? 

A. You may have been that kid who couldn’t hear thunder or threats while she had her nose in a book. That was me too. I didn’t just read the story. I lived it in my head. Stories became magical. 

I’ve had a big imagination since I was a kid, but that sometimes got me in big trouble. Later, that same imagination became my superpower in my working life in TV, radio, and print. A move across the state took me away from my media market, and I needed a new gig. That’s when my imagination saved me again. I had stories in my head, so I put them on paper to entertain myself and now my readers.

Q3. How did you come up with the titles of your books? 

A. You may have heard someone going through a divorce say, "It would have been easier if he'd died."  I've heard it more than once. BETTER DEAD is about a B&B owner who wanted a divorce and got a funeral and the ghost of her nearly EX. Let's just say, be careful what you wish for. Tee-hee.

Q4. Anything you're currently working in 2019? 

A. Yes! I’m finishing HOG WILD DEAD. It’s the second in the B&B Spirits Mystery series. A motorcycle club, including one ghostly rider, checks in at the B&B and a murder follows. The whole town goes hog wild to pin the murder on the motorcycle club, but the B&B owner suspects a homegrown killer is in their midst. With the help of the ghostly rider, she’s determined to find the real killer.

Q5. How long have you been writing? 

A. Ha! All my life. Every job I’ve had involved writing. I wrote my own copy for a local news program and told short stories on a local NPR affiliate. My first publication was a collection of short stories I had told on the radio. (IN-LAWS, OUTLAWS, FRIENDS, AND FOES 2004 Pelican Publishing) Notice these are all short. Writing a three-minute package for TV or a short story is a very different skill than writing a novel. It’s the difference between a sprint and a marathon. I had lots of training to do. There’s one book hidden deep in my hard drive that I call my learned book. It took me over two years to write it, and it will continue to rest in peace on my computer. I bless that book because it taught me how to write a novel. I now have two novels published, one ready for publication, and one almost finished. Writing is a long game, but it’s worth it. 

Q6. What advice would you like to give to other authors?

A. Nothing you write is wasted. Every word makes you a better communicator. Every setback is an opportunity to learn. Never forget, it’s all about the story. Above all, do it your way! 

Q7. Where can we connect with you online?

A. I’d love to see you anywhere out on the big wide web!  Website:

https://pamelakopfler.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pamelakopflerauthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/pamelakopfler

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16661977.Pamela_Kopfler

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Kopfler/e/B073T6FLVV

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pamelakopfler/Instagram

To keep in touch, sign up for my newsletter on my website for lagniappe (a little something extra) to get unique cocktail recipes, finger-licking-good Southern recipes, sassy short stories, and news about new books and sales. I promise I won't flood your inbox. 

Q8. Do you plan on writing any more books in the future? 

A. Yes! I've got a lifetime worth of stories swimming in my head.

I enjoyed the interview. Thanks a ton for reaching out Angel.