Pamela N. Harris
Author Interview - Pamela N. Harris
Author of This Town is on Fire
A lot is up in the air in Naomi Henry’s life: her spot as a varsity cheer flier, her classmates’ reaction to the debut of her natural hair, and her crush on the guy who’s always been like a brother to her. With so much uncertainty, she feels lucky to have a best friend like Kylie to keep her grounded. After all, they’re practically sisters—Naomi’s mom took care of Kylie and her twin brother for years.
But then a video of Kylie calling the cops on two Black teens in a shopping store parking lot goes viral. Naomi is shaken, and her town is reeling from the publicity. While Naomi tries to reckon with Kylie, the other Black students in their high school are questioning their friendship, and her former friends are wondering where this new “woke” Naomi came from. Although Naomi wants to stand by her best friend, she now can’t help but see everything in a different light.
As tensions in her town escalate, Naomi finds herself engaging in protests that are on the cusp of being illegal. And then a bomb explodes, and someone is found dead. Will Naomi be caught in the center of the blast?
Author Interview - Pamela N. Harris
Author I draw inspiration from:
Tiffany D. Jackson! Anything she writes, I'm reading. I love how she tackles important issues while also crafting engaging page-turners.
Author Interview - Pamela N. Harris | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I actually am reading a lot of audiobooks now. After having kids, I noticed that I was having less and less time to actually read. Ever since I discovered audiobooks, I'm reading as much as I did when I was a kid. I usually listen to them during drives, or while completing chores.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Probably Mavis Miller from Elise Bryant's It's Elementary. I don't think she would be helpful with getting us out or anything, but I think I'd have a good laugh trying to see how she tries to help us escape (readers of the novel will get what I mean!). Plus, it seems like we could both commiserate about the struggle of balancing single parenthood with full-time careers while we wait to be rescued.
Author Interview - Pamela N. Harris | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
It was probably the time my third grade teacher thought one of my stories was good enough to read to a kindergarten class. That's when I knew that my words could have the power to not only impress someone else, but to hold an audience captive.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I don't mind hardback or paperwork; hardback makes me feel fancy, but paperback is certainly easier to transport. I'm not really a fan of ebook. I'm on screens enough for writing and my full-time job, that I'd like to take a break from it when doing something for self-care. Audiobook is my favorite, honestly. Without being able to listen to stories, I'd never be able to get any reading done!
The last book I read:
I'm currently reading The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest. I've been inhaling her Greene Sisters trilogy and I'm pretty sad that this is the last one. I love that she so cleverly integrates common romantic tropes in a unique way that perfectly tells each sister's story.
Author Interview - Pamela N. Harris | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I love to scribble down ideas on paper, which takes me back to my childhood when I wrote all my stories in Lisa Frank notebooks. However, once I start writing, I turn to my laptop. My handwriting has gotten terrible over the years, so there would be no way that I'd be able to decipher what I'd written when it would be time to transfer everything to the computer!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Definitely Lily Greene from Kristina Forest's The Neighbor Favor. She's bookish and kind of quiet like me, and we could probably talk for hours about our favorite books and authors.
Author Interview - Pamela N. Harris | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I'm currently working full-time as counselor educator, which basically means I teach graduate students how to become counselors. In my previous life, I was a school counselor (which I loved). If I weren't writing novels, I think I'd be running my own private counseling practice for children and adolescents. Or maybe be a pediatrician or fertility doctor! I fell in love with the medical profession after binge-watching Married to Medicine.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Oh, that's a tough one since I've never considered myself to be a fashionista. The nineties were kind of fun, I guess. I liked wearing the baggy clothes and preppy looks. I also wouldn't have minded the seventies era. It seemed like there was a real focus on Black women embracing their natural hair.
Place I’d most like to travel:
I definitely would love to visit Italy. I visited Europe as part of my MFA program, but only stayed in England. I would have loved to have added a few days to my trip to explore Italy, but I had to return to work, sadly. There's something about the architecture, food, and culture in general in Italy that seems like it would be a truly inspiring experience.
My signature drink:
For non alcoholic, it would either be lemonade of some kind of mocha or latte. My favorite coffee drink used to be Starbuck's Salted Caramel Mocha, but they stopped selling those a few years back (insert angry emoji here!). As far as alcoholic, the fruitier, the better! My cousin makes a delicious sangria drink during our Juneteenth celebrations that's pretty stellar.
Favorite artist:
When I think of favorite artist, Beyonce is the first person that comes to mind. I love the way that she continues to evolve with her music, even in the face of criticism. She doesn't seem to care to what people think or to do things conventionally--she simply continues to do what inspires her. I'd love to have that boldness in my writing!
Number one on my bucket list:
Okay, this sounds super random--and I'm sure that there are a thousand of other important things that I'd love to do--but the first thing that comes to mind is dressing up in one of those mascot costumes and dancing with no inhibition. It takes the whole "dance like nobody is watching" idea to a new level. People WOULD be watching me, but wouldn't have a clue that it's me. Again, random!
Anything else you'd like to add:
My new YA thriller, Through Our Teeth, is coming out this fall! Think Bodies, Bodies, Bodies meets John Tucker Must Die. It's a little bit different than my first two novels, but I had so much fun writing it!
Find more from the author:
www.pamharriswrites.com
IG: @pamharriswrites
About Pamela N. Harris:
Author Interview with Pamela N. Harris
Pamela N. Harris was born and somewhat raised in Newport News, VA—also affectionately known as “Bad News.” A former school counselor by day, she received her BA in English and a Master’s in school counseling at Old Dominion University, her MFA in creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a PhD in counselor education and supervision at William and Mary. When she isn’t writing, Pam is re-watching Leonardo DiCaprio movies, playing with her two kiddos, and pretending to enjoy exercising. When You Look Like Us, an Odyssey Award winner for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Young Adults, as well as a finalist for SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award for Young Adult Fiction, an NAACP Image Award nominee (2022) for Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens, and a 2022 Edgar Award nominee for Best Young Adult novel, is Pamela’s debut novel. Pamela’s next young adult novel, This Town is on Fire, is out now.
