“Pamela Samuels Young has crafted a page-turner that will keep you engrossed until the very last page. If you’re a fan of smart legal thrillers with brisk pacing, crackling dialogue and edgy, intriguing characters, Lawful Deception is for you.” - –Dwayne Alexander Smith, Award-winning Author of Forty Acres.
Published: October 27th, 2015
Once again, award-winning author Pamela Samuels Young delivers another captivating legal thriller full of unexpected twists and jaw-dropping moments you never see coming. The beautiful Bliss Fenton won’t be winning any awards for Mother of the Year. Truth is, motherhood isn’t nearly as important to Bliss as the cottage industry she’s created: extorting wealthy men for the hefty child support she can collect.
But Bliss’ greed goes too far when she takes on Fletcher McClain. The handsome music industry mogul refuses to accept her conniving conduct lying down. He retains high-profile attorney Vernetta Henderson to sue Bliss for fraud.
Enter Bliss’ unscrupulous attorney, Girlie Cortez, who has a personal score to settle with Vernetta. As the two lawyers once again go head-to-head, their legal battle quickly escalates from merely contentious to downright deadly.
GUEST POST
Pursue Your Passion Now!
People are often amazed to learn that I’ve managed to write seven legal thrillers while still practicing law. I, on the other hand, am amazed when I meet talented people who put pursing their passion on the backburner. Here are some of the most common excuses I hear:
“I don’t have time.”
“I have to wait until the kids start school.”
“I’ll do it after I retire.”
“I’m too old to do it now.”
When I decided that I wanted to write a legal thriller, the plan was simple. Write the book, wait for Oprah to call and make me famous, then spend the rest of my days writing novels in my fabulous Malibu beach house. It didn’t exactly happen that way, but it did happen. It’s hard to believe that I’ve just released my seventh legal thriller, Lawful Deception.
No matter what your passion is, pursue it now, not tomorrow. Age is no excuse, neither is lack of time. My first book was published when I was 48—over nine years ago. I was practicing law full time, but I woke up at four in the morning to write before heading to the office.
Do you have a passion you’re not pursuing? Here are three tips to help you get started.
1. Make Time No Matter What.
I wrote my first novel by rising at four in the morning to write for a couple of hours before heading to work. I work out my best plot twists while stuck in traffic. Your lunch break can also be put to good use. With your family’s support, you might even find an evening or two to run off to your local library or a nearby Starbucks for some passion-planning time. Even if it’s only an hour a week, use it.
2. Look for Support
Surround yourself with others who share your interests and passions. There are hundreds of professional organizations whose primary function is to help members realize their dreams. I’m a diehard member of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers. Find a group that fits your passion.
3. Ignore the Naysayers
Many times, people who don’t have dreams of their own want to dash yours. Ignore the naysayers and go for it. And don’t be surprised if you turn out to be your biggest critic. When that happens, stare down the self-doubt and go for it.
About the author:
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 legal thrillers.
The prolific writer 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, hotshot attorneys in the legal thrillers she read, Pamela decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, the Compton, California native accomplished her ambitious goal by ising at 4 a.m. 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.
Pamela’s sixth novel, Anybody’s Daughter (2013), which tackles the horrific world ofchild sex trafficking, was the recipient of the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction. Her debut novel, Every Reasonable Doubt (2006), won the Black Expressions magazine’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 award 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 next novel, Buying Time (2009), with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book “a captivating, suspenseful thriller.” Attorney-Client Privilege (2012) was a finalist for USA Book News’ Best Books of 2014 award in the multi-cultural fiction category. Her seventh legal thriller, Lawful Deception, goes on sale in October 2015.
Her writing repertoire also includes the short stories Unlawful Greed, featured in the anthology The Funeral (2013), Easy Money, featured in the anthology Scoundrels: Tales of Greed, Murder and Financial Crimes (2012) and The Setup, featured in the Sisters in Crime anthology, LAndmarked for Murder (2006). She also has an essay in the anthology, A Letter for My Mother (2013).
Pamela has achieved a successful writing career while working as Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for Toyota 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 former journalist, Pamela began her broadcasting career at WXYZ-TV in Detroit and later worked as a news writer and associate producer at KCBS-TV 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 frequent speaker on the topics of sex trafficking, fiction writing and pursuing your passion, Pamela lives in the Los Angeles area and attends Hope in Christ Community Church in Compton.
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