Author Spotlight - Pamela S. Young, Mystery Writer

   

PAMELA   SAMUELS   YOUNG

1. What inspired you to write your first novel? 

I love reading mysteries, particularly those that involve fascinating legal cases. It 

bothered me, however, that the lawyers in the legal thrillers I read were never women or 

African-Americans. So I decided to fill that void. 

I knew pretty early in life that I wanted to be a writer, having worked on my school 

newspaper in junior high, high school and college. When I decided to major in 

journalism at the University of Southern California, I didn’t give much thought to 

creative writing, however. At the age of 18, I didn’t have the guts to even consider a 

career as a novelist. The writers I enjoyed reading – Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, 

Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Joan Didion – were incredibly talented literary writers. I 

knew I didn’t have that kind of poetic writing talent. So I pursued a career in journalism. 

I guess it took all these years for me to gather the confidence to give creative writing a 

try.

2. Your novels have been described as “John Grisham with a sister’s twist.” How do 

you feel about that label? 

I’m thrilled. He’s one of my favorite authors. Any comparison is absolutely welcomed. 

It’s my goal to be recognized as a writer of entertaining legal thrillers.

  

3.  What writers inspired you to write? 

 I enjoy reading both commercial and literary fiction and some of my favorite authors
include Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison and Joan Didion.
Other writers I enjoy are Walter Mosley, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Tami Hoag, Michael
Connelly, James Patterson, Terry McMillan, John Grisham, Bob Woodward and Joseph
Finder. I recently discovered Joshilyn Jackson. I think she’s an incredibly talented and
entertaining writer.

But if there’s one book that impacted me more than any other, it would have to be Claude
Brown’s Manchild in the Promised Land. I can still remember stumbling across a copy
of the book at my aunt’s house when I was about twelve. It was the first book I
remember reading that had African-American characters and I was thrilled to be reading
about people who looked like me. It was also a very gritty and graphic coming of age
story. I promptly “borrowed” the book without asking for permission for fear that my
aunt would think I was too young to be reading such a sexually graphic book. After that,
I developed an insatiable appetite for African-American fiction.

 4. Where do you find story ideas? 

I run across great stories ideas all the time. I kept hearing about child sex trafficking and 

it really disturbed me. And when I started researching it, I was stunned at what I learned, 

which is why I was so compelled to write Anybody’s Daughter. The employment cases 

I’ve handled over the years have involved wonderful characters and intriguing facts that 

have also provided the seeds for great legal thrillers. I’m constantly jotting down things 

that my friends say and tearing news stories out of newspapers and magazines. I find 

stories everywhere. I just wish there were enough hours in the day to turn them all into 

ABOUT PAMELA SAMUELS YOUNG

When attorney and author Pamela Samuels Young isn’t practicing law, you can usually find her penning her next legal thriller. Described by one reviewer as “John Grisham with a sister’s twist,” Pamela is an award-winning author of six novels.

Pamela has always abided by the philosophy that you create the change you want to see. Fed up with never seeing women or people of color depicted as savvy, hot shot attorneys in the legal thrillers she read, the Compton native decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, Pamela accomplished her ambitious goal by getting up at four in the morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing and even spending her vacation time glued to her laptop for ten or more hours a day. In the process, she discovered her passion.

Her debut novel, Every Reasonable Doubt (2006), won the Black Expressions Book Club’s Fiction Writing Contest, received an honorable mention in the SEAK Legal Fiction Writing Competition and was a finalist for USA Book News’ Best Books of 2006 awards in the mystery, suspense and thriller category. Her second novel, In Firm Pursuit (2007), was honored by Romantic Times magazine as a finalist for Best African-American Novel of 2007. Murder on the Down Low (2008), Pamela’s third release, was an “Editor’s Pick” by Black Expressions magazine and a finalist for the 2009 African-American Literary Awards in the fiction category. The Black Caucus of the American Library Association honored Pamela’s fourth novel, Buying Time (2009), with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book “a captivating, suspenseful thriller.” Attorney-Client Privilege (2012) was Pamela’s fifth legal thriller, followed by Anybody’s Daughter (2013), which examines the shocking world of child sex trafficking.

The prolific writer has also penned the short stories Easy Money, featured in the anthology Scoundrels: Tales of Greed, Murder and Financial Crimes (2012) and Setup, selected for the Sisters in Crime anthology, LAndmarked for Murder (2006).

A former journalist, Pamela began her broadcasting career with WXYZ-TV in Detroit and later worked as a news writer and associate producer for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. Burned out by the news business, Pamela took a big and scary step a few months before her 30th birthday and entered law school—a long-held dream. Pamela currently moonlights as a mystery writer while working full-time as Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for a major corporation in Southern California, specializing in employment law and social media law. Prior to that, she served as Employment Law Counsel for Raytheon Company and spent several years as an associate with the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, in Los Angeles.

A graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Law, Pamela has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from USC and a master’s degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles chapter of Mystery Writers of America and is a diehard member of Sisters in Crime-L.A., an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers. A graduate of Compton High School, Pamela lives in the Los Angeles area and attends Hope in Christ Community Church in Compton.

Pamela is a frequent speaker on the topics of fiction writing, discrimination law and pursuing your passion. To read an excerpt of Pamela’s books or to schedule her for a speaking engagement or book club meeting via speakerphone, Skype, FaceTime or in person, visit her website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com or email her at authorpamelasamuelsyoung@gmail.com.

 Hello Readers, Ms. Young has written a total of 8 novels and 1 book.  She is definitely worth your reading time.   If you have not read any Mystery Novels lately, and need a good novel for your reading challenge, then I recommend you choose one of Pamela's novels. ....Sidne, Reading Rendezvous Reviewz