Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Pamela Hart & Beauty from Ashes

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Beauty from Ashes by Pamela Hart, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Pamela here on the blog today to chat about her book!

BEAUTY FROM ASHES by Pamela Hart
SERIES: Beauty from Ashes Trilogy #1
GENRE: Young Adult Clean Fantasy Romance (Allegorical)
PUBLISHER: Christian Faith Publishing
RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2022
PAGES: 204

How far are you willing to go for love?

When Prince Arnion volunteers to infiltrate the prison colony of Gehenna, romance is the last thing on his mind. Rescuing its inhabitants is his only priority. But the corruption in Gehenna runs deep, fueled by the obsessions of its fanatical leader—a king rumored to devour human hearts.

To succeed, Arnion must conceal his identity from the people he’s been sent to save, including a young woman he’s inexplicably drawn to. And when her life is threatened by two merciless guards, the prince risks everything to save her.

Afterward, she wants nothing to do with him or his promises of rescue. But she soon realizes there’s more to Arnion than meets the eye, and what he’s about to unleash on Gehenna will change everything.

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Hi Pamela! Welcome to the blog!

Pamela: Hello!! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I love your website name and logo!

Carrie: It’s a pleasure to host you – and thanks! 🙂

Pamela: I am a dog lover. I have two Boston terriers, Willy and Marvin. They are my fur babies because we don’t have any children yet. But even growing up, I’ve always loved dogs because they are very affectionate and always greet me with so much love and enthusiasm when I come home.

Carrie: I’m with you! (Although my niece’s cat IS growing on me lol … but for our own pet purposes it will always be dogs)

Pamela: Definitely coffee! I started working at Dunkin’ Donuts when I was in college and never looked back. It all started with iced caramel lattes. Later I fell in love with pumpkin spice lattes, eggnog lattes, and peppermint mochas. Now that I live in Italy, I’m slowly being weaned off flavored coffees to appreciate a nice espresso.

Carrie: If I were ever to like coffee (which is a near impossibility) it would have to be flavored. (<– me trying to be cool and not be like OH WOW YOU LIVE IN ITALY!?!?! haha)

Pamela: I’ve always preferred Coke over Pepsi. I think I was probably influenced by all the cute commercials with polar bears when I was a kid. There’s something about the flavor of Coca-Cola that I really love, especially Cherry Coke.

Carrie: me too!

Pamela: I love print books. I know that eBooks are more space efficient and even more convenient at times, but I love the feeling of turning the pages, the weight of the book in my hand, the smell of the paper. I’ll choose a print book every time.

Carrie: nothing beats it, that’s for sure 🙂

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Pamela: Is it bad if I say procrastination? 😅I tend to put things off to the last minute, but then I get a surge of adrenaline from the approaching deadline and finish what needs to be done by the skin of my teeth.

Carrie: haha i do the same thing 😛

Q: Who is your favorite book character from childhood?

Pamela: I loved the Babar the Elephant books when I was a little girl. He had a tragic backstory. I remember the part with the poachers scared me but then he went on to have adventures all around the world.  And he occasionally wore a bowler hat, which is pretty awesome.

Carrie: awww Babar ♥

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever Googled while researching a book?

Pamela: I think the strangest thing I ever Googled was how bullet-proof and ballistic glass worked. I was writing a science fiction story where a corrupt politician lived in a heavily secured compound, and I needed to understand more about security systems.

Carrie: oh interesting!

Q: Were there any songs that inspired you as you wrote Beauty from Ashes?

Pamela: Yes! Music is a huge part of my brainstorming process. I create playlists for each book I write, and I often assign each character a theme song that represents their personality.

Some songs from my Beauty from Ashes playlist are “Yours Again”, “Take me Over” and “Darkest Part” by Red & “Forever” by Kari Jobe.

Carrie: i love Forever!! Will have to listen to the others, too 🙂

Q: Some authors like to hide little things in their stories. Is there anything you have hidden in Beauty from Ashes?

Pamela: I’ve hidden a lot of little Easter eggs in Beauty from Ashes. Some are references to specific Bible stories or characters, while others are from personal experiences I’ve had.

For a Biblical reference, there’s a moment that’s inspired by Ruth when she refused to leave Naomi.

For a personal experience, there’s a scene at the end of the book where Acadia hears a strange sound. Without giving anything away, an experience like that really happened to me while I was living in El Paso.

Carrie: making discoveries like that as a reader is so fun!

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from Beauty from Ashes?

Pamela: That they are loved more than they can imagine by God, who sent his son Jesus to die in their place.

Carrie: amen ♥

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Pamela: I’m working hard on Falling Star, the next book in the Beauty from Ashes trilogy. I have a first draft complete, but I’ll be editing and revising it for a few months before looking into publication. Falling Star digs deeper into Acadia’s past and her struggle to no longer allow it to define her.

I also have a plot seed for an accompanying novella that I’m really excited about. It will feature a romance of opposites attract, redemption, crime syndicates, and finding true love against all odds.

Pamela Hart is the author of Beauty from Ashes and City of a Thousand Tears. Raised on a steady diet of fantasy, science fiction and anime, she spent most of her childhood failing to acquire a Boston accent. Since then, she has slurped ramen in Ikebukuro, stampeded through flamenco lessons in Granada, and splashed her way across a fishpond for the Milkman Triathlon in Dexter. During her travels, she tends to overpack horrendously, but never regrets cramming her backpack full of books to devour along the way. She wanders the planet with Joe, the love of her life, and her adorably maniacal Boston terriers, Willy and Marvin.

Connect with Pamela by visiting pamelahartwrites.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Beauty from Ashes, 2 themed bookmarks, a $15 Amazon gift card, a book themed tote bag, and a book themed pencil case!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 17, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 24, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Open internationally. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
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What about you? What makes you want to read Beauty from Ashes by Pamela Hart?