Urban-Reviews.com - Inside Out with Pamela Samuels-Young

Pamela Samuels-Young

Described as "John Grisham with a sister's twist," attorney Pamela Samuels-Young is the author of the legal thrillers Every Reasonable Doubt and In Firm Pursuit, which are both Essence magazine best-sellers. Pamela's desire to see African-American and female attorneys represented in mainstream legal fiction prompted her to take a stab at fiction writing despite a busy career as a lawyer. She currently works as a Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for Toyota in Southern California. The Compton native received her bachelor's degree in journalism from USC and a master's in broadcasting from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

After spending several years as a television news writer and associate producer, Pamela earned a law degree from UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law. She previously taught ethics at the University of Redlands School of Business and served as legal consultant to the Showtime television series, Soul Food. Pamela is the legal columnist for Global Woman magazine and is a frequent speaker on the topic of self-empowerment . Pamela's third novel, Murder on the Down Low, goes on sale July 1, 2008. You can visit Pamela's website at www.pamelasamuels-young.com and email her at pamelasamuelsyoung@gmail.com.

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Urban Reviews: Start by telling our readers about In Firm Pursuit.
Pamela Samuels-Young: In Firm Pursuit revolves around Vernetta Henderson, a top-notch L.A. attorney who juggles, marriage, career, and ambition only to become enmeshed in an explosive sexual harassment case that is not quite what it seems. When she passes up a chance to settle the lawsuit for a song, Vernetta is soon faced with a string of unforeseen events – the death of a key witness, concealed evidence, and shocking photographs – that place the entire case and her chance at making partner in jeopardy .

As more troubling revelations about the case emerge, Vernetta uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy of corporate greed, deceit, and violence that will touch many lives, including that of her closest friend, Special. And just when she needs her husband most, Jefferson finds himself in a compromising position with his scandalous young assistant, La Keesha. With both her private and professional lives spiraling dangerously out of control, Vernetta soon finds out what really matters – and how far she'll go to protect the people she loves.

Urban Reviews: What inspired you to create this storyline?
Pamela Samuels-Young: I tried a case in federal court a few years ago that involved an African-American man accused of sexual harassment. The company terminated him and he sued for wrongful termination and race discrimination. I was the attorney hired to defend the company. We won the case at trial, which was the correct result. But what if the guy hadn't done it and actually had been set up? And what if the attorney representing the company came to truly believe he was innocent, but had to win the case to ensure her chance of making partner? Those "what ifs" led to In Firm Pursuit.

Urban Reviews: Can you tell our readers how you started your literary journey?
Pamela Samuels-Young: I rarely saw African-American or women attorneys depicted in mainstream legal fiction, so I decided to try writing a legal thriller myself. I was working full-time at a large corporate law firm in L.A. and didn't have any spare time. Still, I started getting up at four in the morning to write before going to the office. I wrote on the weekends, in the airport and in my hotel room when I traveled, and I even devoted my vacation time to writing. I soon discovered that fiction writing was my passion.

Urban Reviews: Can you give us a sneak peak at your next novel?
Pamela Samuels-Young: Murder on the Down Low is the third book in my legal thriller series featuring L.A. attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special. Attractive, successful African-American men are being gunned down on the streets of L.A. at an alarming rate and no one knows why. At the same time, Special's cousin dies after contracting AIDS from her fiancee Eugene, who it turns out, was on the down low. The family sues Eugene for wrongful death and Vernetta becomes one of the lead attorneys on the case. For Special, suing Eugene is not enough, so she begins to extract her own brand of vengeance. Not until a savvy young female detective connects the dots do the mysterious murders and the wrongful death lawsuit intersect . . . leading to Murder on the Down Low. The book goes on sale July 1, 2008.

Urban Reviews: Do you have any difficulty balancing your writing career with your day job?
Pamela Samuels-Young: Yes! I'm fortunate to be working part-time as an in-house attorney. But it's still a struggle balancing my legal career, promoting my current books, and writing my next novel, on top of being a wife and step-mother. I'm just thankful that I have a supportive job and family. Staying afloat requires organization and a lot of physical stamina.

Urban Reviews: What have you learned about the book industry so far?
Pamela Samuels-Young: I learned that it's a very tough business. As a result, you have to have faith in your talent and keep going despite the rejection. I've worked in both television news and law and I never faced any where near the rejection and difficulties in those careers that I faced trying to become a novelist. In fact, both law school and the California Bar exam were way easier. I also learned that you have to think like a businessperson, not a writer. My books are products. I have to be inventive and unrelenting about getting my product to readers. In addition to bookstore signings, I've done email blasts, online advertising, giveaways, speaking engagements, and of course book club meetings. I believe that one of the primary reasons both In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt have made the Essence Best-Seller's list is my heavy focus on book clubs. During a recent trip to the D.C. area, I did three book clubs in one day, along with a reception at a friend's home and a panel discussion at a bookstore. It was a long day, but I reached a lot of people. Book clubs are social networks and they are great sources for word-of-mouth promotion. If the book club members enjoyed reading one of my books, it's likely that they're going to mention it to their friends, family and co-workers, and go back to the store to pick up my next book.

Urban Reviews: Have you gotten any sound advice from fellow authors?
Pamela Samuels-Young: Just recently, Christian fiction author Victoria Christopher Murray told me that the writers who survive in this business are the persistent ones. She said that producing a book a year since 2004 has been one of the keys to her success. Her fan base has followed her with each book and continues to grow. It's definitely my plan to produce a new book every year.

Urban Reviews: What are some of your favorite authors or books (past, present, or future)?
Pamela Samuels-Young: The book that had the greatest impact on me as a kid was 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.

These days, I read more mysteries than anything else. Some of my favorite authors include Walter Mosley, Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag, Joseph Finder, James Patterson, Valerie Wilson Wesley, John Grisham and Greg Iles. I love a good plot and I think all of these writers write very entertaining novels. I also enjoy contemporary fiction and I'll buy anything Terry McMillan decides to write. I spend a lot of time studying the story structure of novels that I've enjoyed reading, which has helped me tremendously with pacing.

Urban Reviews: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Pamela Samuels-Young: Find the writing process that works best for you. When I wrote my first book, I struggled a lot with the writing. I didn't prepare an outline or even have the storyline worked out in my head. I had an idea for the characters and the setting and I just sat down and started writing. I would spend weeks on a single chapter, rewriting what I had written during the previous session. Later, I ended up tossing out several chapters that I spent weeks working on.

Now, I have a completed outline before I begin writing a single word. It can take me a couple of months to complete an outline. Then, I sit down and write my story from beginning to end without doing any major revising. My goal at the start of a new novel is to produce a decent first draft with a solid, engaging plot. Once I'm satisfied with the plot, then I go back and spend as much time as it takes to polish the writing—anywhere from three to six months. This process helped me cut my writing time tremendously. It took me three years to write In Firm Pursuit (written, first but sold second) and only one year to finish Every Reasonable Doubt.

Urban Reviews: What do you want the world to know most about you?
Pamela Samuels-Young: That I grew up in Compton, California, which I'm very proud of. When I mention my hometown, people automatically assume that I dodged bullets on the way to school every day. But it was nothing like that. I had two strong, hard-working parents, who still live in Compton today. The foundation they laid – faith in God, hard work and education – is responsible for who I am and everything I have achieved.