Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today, I’m excited to have Pamela N. Harris to share about her YA mystery/thriller Through Our Teeth. I love murder mysteries, and Pamela’s book sounds like a real page turner. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:
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Three teens investigate a murder—while
each tries to hide their own complicated history with the dead girl—in this
thought-provoking novel from award-winning author Pamela N. Harris. Perfect for
fans of Karen M. McManus and Tiffany D. Jackson!
Hope Jackson is dead. Everyone is convinced she
took her own life, but Liv, one of Hope’s best friends, isn’t so sure. Hope’s
boyfriend, Brendan, was always jealous and possessive, and his alibi doesn’t
really check out. But in the town’s eyes, Hope was just some nobody who was
going to drag down golden boy Brendan.
So with the help of Hope’s other two best
friends, Kizzie and Sherie, Liv is determined to bring Brendan’s actions to
light. Together, they vow to make him pay.
But as their plans keep escalating, Liv begins
to have second thoughts—especially as she’s realizing that Brendan may not be
the only one with the motive or opportunity to kill Hope. Is Liv really getting
justice for Hope, or is she just helping one of Hope’s so-called friends cover
up their lies?
Before I get to Julie’s interview, I have my IWSG post.
Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
The
awesome co-hosts this month are: Jennifer
Lane, Jenni Enzor, Renee Scattergood, Rebecca Douglass, Lynn Bradshaw, and Melissa Maygrove!
Optional Question: When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?
When I started writing in the mid-2000s, I was way more excited about writing and trying to get published. I was already the breadwinner of the family and had a successful career as a lawyer helping clients, so I knew I wouldn’t quit my day job.
I had
more hope back then. But I’ve seen the ups and downs of the publishing world
and the lack of control over whether you’ll sell a book and how well your book
will do. I feel like I lost a lot of control over my life in general when my
husband died and I was laid off from my job. I don’t have much control over my
work or income as a writer on contract. So, I really just want to write for
myself at this point in life.
I’m not working on my book right now because I’m too busy with other things that mean more to me, including Literary Rambles. And it’s okay with me. I really want to focus on doing things that help others, including writers and authors who have a stronger dream than me.
Interview With Pamela N. Harris
Hi
Pamela! Thanks so much for joining us.
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
Wow, I’ll try my best to give you the short version! I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but it never was anything I thought was in the realm of possibility. However, while I was a school counselor, two things happened. First, I noticed that a lot of my Black students were being referred to reading intervention courses, but after talking to them, I realized that they didn’t have actual issues with reading—they had issues with the stories being selected for them. Most of the stories didn’t feature characters that looked like them. Second, I did a lot of career counseling with my students and talked a lot about not being afraid of chasing their dreams. But the more I spoke with them about that, the more I realized that I was not practicing what I preached. So, I decided to take my writing more seriously at that point—both to write stories that looked like them (and me!), as well as to follow my lifelong dream. After nabbing an agent and almost a decade of going out on submission with four different manuscripts, I finally landed my first book deal!
2. That’s a cool reason to follow your dreams. Where did you get the idea for Through Our Teeth?
Haha, this once again goes back to my school counseling days! At the time, there was this super popular celebrity couple, and the guy had been arrested for physically assaulting his just-as-famous girlfriend. While I was prepared to process this second-hand trauma with my students, I was surprised that they were really angry at the female celebrity. In fact, they blamed her for the incident and sided with the male. To say I was shocked is an understatement! But this led me to seeing how society largely villainizes women for speaking up. I had a very rough draft of the story over a decade ago, but recently I was able to refine and revise it to the story on shelves today. It was like we both needed that time to marinate before sharing it with the world.
Your
Writing Process
3. Where did you learn how to write mysteries and thrillers? How do you recommend other authors learn to write them?
Truly, the best way I learned how to write mysteries and thrillers was by reading a lot of them. Some of my favorite authors in this genre are Tiffany D. Jackson, Holly Jackson, SA Cosby, and Riley Sager. As you might guess from that list, I like to read across categories (i.e., YA and adult). I also learn a lot from watching movies. In fact, when I write, I see my stories as movies. Adding that cinematic element makes me excited to return to the manuscript and, hopefully, makes readers excited to keep turning pages!
3. Seeing your stories as movies is great advice. Talk about how you plotted out the mystery in Through Our Teeth.
I like to write out my major plot points in either a notebook or a spreadsheet (sometimes both). Once I figure out the critical scenes I want to include, I need to figure out “whodunnit.” Then, once I figure out whodunnit, I try to list reasons as to why they did it. This helps me add more texture to the pages, such as ways to better develop the characters or include scenes that could provide more of a backstory. Jessica Brody does a fantastic job of describing this in her book, Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel. This is usually my “go to” strategy to figure out sticky plotting issues.
4. I want to try to use her method too. One of the things that appeals to me about your book is that Liv, Kizzie, and Sherie are complicated characters with secrets to hide. Share a bit about them and why you decided that having them have a complicated past with Hope should be a plot line.
I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite stories to read and movies to watch include unreliable characters. I love the idea of people wearing “masks” (which is featured prominently in this novel), and what kind of chaos needs to go on around them that makes them shed said masks. I also love a good locked-room thriller, so what better way for secrets to slowly spill then to have these characters stuck in a space together and not knowing who to trust. Liv is the main character, but I thought it was important to not create a true “heroine” in the story. We’re all flawed in some ways, and it’s those flaws, struggles, resiliencies, and so forth that shape who we become. I also wanted to showcase how one person can have so much influence that the unlikeliest of people could become friends. Each one of these girls are so different, yet they all share a bond with Hope—the dead girl in the story. What happens to this group when the nucleus is gone? It was super fun exploring that.
Your
Journey to Publication
5. Natalie Lakosil is your agent. How did she become your agent, and what was your road to publishing your debut book, When You Look Like Us?
Funny story—I never actually queried Natalie. Okay, scratch that, I queried Natalie YEARS ago and she rejected me LOL. It was for a dark love story that will thankfully never see the light of day. However, I did get one yes, and that agent stuck beside me through so many twists and turns in my budding writing career. As I mentioned earlier, together we worked on four different manuscripts that went through submissions (which, in short, she sent to editors with hopes that we’d get a yes from a publishing house). We had a few close calls, but nothing quite reached the finish line. However, my writing was being talked about behind the scenes (in a good way!). An editor reached out to my former agent about a story idea and asked if she knew a writer that might be good for it. Lo and behold, When You Look Like Us was born.
Sadly, right after my deal, my agent decided it was time for her to leave the business. However, she thought that I would be a perfect fit for another agent in her agency, who just happened to be Natalie. We had a phone call, sensed there was magic between us, and now she can’t gid rid of me LOL.
6. What an amazing way to get your agent! This is your third book release since you were a debut author in 2021. How have you grown your career? What advice do you have for other authors?
Wow, I still can’t believe that! I think the main way I have grown is allowing myself space and time to actually be inspired by a story instead of chasing trends. I used to worry about publishing a book per year, but when I felt rushed, my stories were never authentic. Thus, I gave myself time to let the muse speak to me. When I write something, it’s because I can’t stop thinking about it. I followed the advice from one of my professors in my doctoral program: write about what pisses you off. Of course, that was for my dissertation at the time, but I apply that same mantra for the stories I feel like I have to tell. So my advice: tell the stories you want to tell, not what others think you should write.
Marketing
Your Book
7. Through Our Teeth was released in September, 2025. How have you been promoting it? How has your approach to marketing changed since you were a debut author?
Not going to lie, but marketing and publicity is NO FUN for an introvert like me. It’s tough to put myself out there and ask people to buy my book, even though that’s exactly what I need to do to be able to write more books! Since I know that I’m not good at it, I’ve sourced out for help. With some of my advance, I actually hired an outside publicity team to help nab interviews and guest post to help with the exposure. I’ve used the same team for two out of three of my novels, and the difference is striking! I also pay for some of my own ads to help with marketing. The biggest change over the years is knowing that I need to be proactive about getting the word out. Now I just need to work on being more consistent with talking about my books in between publication dates, haha!
8. You hired a publicist to help with marketing your book. What made you decide to hire one, and how has this helped you?
As I mentioned above, my publicist is able to make connections that I’m too shy to make on my own. With her help, I was able to be featured in my local paper—as well as on a local morning show. I’ve never in my life thought I’d set foot in a television studio, and I probably never would have without the work of my publicist. 😊
9. What are you working on now?
Ah, great question! I’ve been getting some feedback that readers have been enjoying some of the horror elements I integrated into Through Our Teeth. So, why not go full steam ahead? I’m working on a pitch for a YA horror novel as we speak.
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Pamela. You can find Pamela at
Website: https://www.pamharriswrites.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamharriswrites/?hl=en
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@pamharriswrites
Giveaway
Details
Pamela’s publisher is generously offering a hardback of Through Our Teeth of a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by November 15th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or follow Pamela on her social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.
Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops
Monday, November 10th, I have a guest post by Darlene P. Compos and a giveaway of her MG The Center of the Earth
Wednesday, November 12th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Mara Cobb and a query critique giveaway
Sunday, November 16th, I’m participating in the In All Things Give Thanks Giveaway Hop
Monday, November 17th, I have a guest post by Mike Steel and a giveaway of his MG Not Lucille
Wednesday, November 19th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Carter Hasegawa and a query critique giveaway
Monday, November 24th, I have a guest post by R.M. Romero and a giveaway of her MG The Tear Collector
I hope to see you on Monday!
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