Interview with Miriam Pace

Miriam, like I told your writing partner, I don’t want you reading each other’s answers. The first questions are just for fun.

Dyanne: Have you ever introduced a character into any of your books to be killed off, and unbeknownst to your writing partner it was her?

Miriam : I didn’t ask Jackie about her answers. I have a lot of people in the world I would like to bump off, but Jackie isn’t one of them. As for characters masquerading as Jackie, I don’t think so. Though I do have an issue with my ex-stepmother-in-law. I bump her off all the time over and over again. Let me repeat: over and over again.

Dyanne: LOL. Let’s hope she’s not reading this newsletter. Let me ask you a safer question, something that does not involve killing. If for any reason without warning you had to leave your home and save one group of possessions, would it be your amber, your pictures or your books?

Miriam: My amber without question. How could you even ask this question? I love my amber and I actually keep it all in a make-up box so that all I have to do is grab the box. My husband gave me my very first piece which is the one I wear most and everyone at conferences sees. Living in a fire zone in California , I’ve learned lots of survival techniques over the years to make sure all the important papers are within reach. My photos are all digital (and on my laptop) and can be replaced. My books are always in transition so I don’t worry about them. I’d probably grab my laptop second (and maybe my Kindle) and external hard drive since that’s where I keep all my backups. Jackie is intelligent and has two legs and knows how to open doors so I’d probably grab the animals next. My Maine Coon cat is named Gryphon and even though he has four legs, I don't think he could manage to survive in a fire, but he’s sweet and not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. In fact from ear to ear he’s a flat line, but I do love him because he is so incredibly beautiful and he knows it.

Dyanne: I know that Jackie writes as Simone Harlowe . How about you? Any writing credits alone?

Miriam: I started writing under my own name and have five books as Miriam Pace , probably a few hundred articles and some short fiction, but I never developed a second name like Jackie did. Jackie ’s Simone Harlow is for her erotica stories and I don’t write erotica. If I did I think I’d choose something like Desdemona (no second name sort of like Cher , of course Cher isn’t a bad name either). My husband took me to a Cher concert for our 35th anniversary and I was impressed. I knew the words to all her songs, and at the time I wondered what that said about me?

Dyanne: Are there any projects that you have coming up that Jackie may not know about?

Miriam: Several. I don’t know what Jackie told you, but I tend to dream stories while I’m sleeping. I write them down first thing in the morning, or even during the night if I should wake up, and when we’re in need of an idea, I trot one of them out. My dreams are really detailed. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Southern Comfort came from a dream and the experiences of growing in a small town. I used to go to school and walk by the dairy and the cows would follow me. I don’t know why they followed me because I only carried a carrot for the old sway-backed horse in the corral at the corner where I crossed the street to get to my school.

Dyanne: Miriam , I gave Jackie a chance to tell the readers of RSJ of any reports. Would you like to say anything at this time to the readers?

Miriam: I attended my first Slam Jam with Jackie in 2001. We had a great time and I made a lot of friends. Also, I would like to add that I love writing. Like most people I didn't know what direction my life would go. I started out as an art major, but dropped out of art school and started playing around with story ideas and words. Of course, getting married and having two kids did get in the way and delayed my first publication, but my husband always encouraged me and because of him I’ve been a writer for nearly thirty years. In fact, my son was born on the same day my first book was released and he just turned twenty-seven. Sometimes I wish I could be more prolific, but I’m not a fast writer. I’m not slow either; I have a tendency to get bogged down in details. Jackie is all about the big picture; I’m the person who makes it all consistent. I’m more linear and Jackie is like a remote control changing channels like mad. Once I started writing, there was nothing else in this universe I wanted to do. Even now as I answer your questions, I’m working out a problem in my head. I wish writing were easier for me, but it isn’t.

Dyanne: I’m aware that this year brings you many firsts. I know you recently had to go through your anniversary, the first since your husband’s passing. There are lots of similarities in our lives, our love of amber, our ages, the absolute love for our families and the longevity of our marriages. I wish you all the best in making it through each hurdle. Thanks for doing this interview. Where can readers reach the dynamic duo?

Miriam: Dyanne, thank you so much for asking me to do this interview. The last two years have been exceedingly challenging for me, as you know I lost my husband of 37 years last Thanksgiving Day to esophageal cancer and I’ve been dealing with a number of life changes since then which have really made me look at myself and reevaluate my life. I do try to look at the bright side of life, though I don’t always. My son married a few weeks ago and I adore his new wife. My second grandchild was born a few days after my husband’s passing and she’s a delight. Her name is Kathryn Miriam so I feel honored at my daughter and her husband’s thoughtfulness. I am so grateful for so many things I can’t even begin to list them.
I do want to say, Jackie is my best friend. I don’t think I could have survived the last two years without her. She has been my strength and my confidante and she hasn’t wavered in her support. Without her I wouldn’t have gotten so far in my writing because she brings her own unique perspective to our partnership.

Jackie and I have an email address cupidclub@yahoo.com. Unfortunately, our website is not working at this time. Though I have someone who is trying to get it back up, this hasn’t happened yet.