Pam of Babylon

Validation for Pam!

2012-02-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

Finally,

2012-01-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday if you celebrate, and just a great time if you don't.

After several false starts, Don't You Forget About Me is available on Amazon in paperback. Kindle will be out in a few weeks; Nook I'm not so sure about. Nook is a pricy conversion. But I haven't completely ruled it out yet. If I had more confidence I would attempt the conversion myself. I felt so badly about those readers who bought Pam of Babylon on Nook before I knew it hadn't been properly uploaded that I don't want to take any chances. If you were one of the unlucky ones, get in touch and I'll make sure its corrected. So sorry.

Also, the second sequel to Pam, Dream Lover, went to editing this past week. I have a new editor, which is a little nerve-wracking, but I think a fresh pair of eyes will be good. Dream Lover is an expose of the destruction wonton sexual misconduct can have. The book is not for the faint of heart. Pam, Sandra and Marie grapple with what’s left of their lives as they try to move forward after Jack’s death. It sheds light on behavior most of us would never imagine possible in an enviable life, but proves that we are all susceptible to the dangers that lurk in the darkest places. Who can you trust? Who is immune to the worst that can befall humanity? No one. Its message is to use caution at all times, and be very, very careful who you trust. All that glitters is not gold.

The final installment of the Pam of Babylon stories, Prayers for the Dying, has a projected release date of Fall of 2012. Heartache transcends gender barriers as Jack’s path of destruction is examined closely, beginning with his marriage to Pam. Prayers examines in depth the futility of trying to hide who we really are, the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse, and the effect infidelity has on the family and community. Today my eighty year old aunt in Florida told me that she is living to read the sequels! She likes the gritty stuff.....

Pam at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts

2011-12-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

My first book signing went well! The Saugatuck Center for the ARTS has a large, warm area for art display, or in this case, Green Market Vendors. I met six local authors. Karen Doolaard wrote Prayer Shawl Ponderings a lovely little tomb for crocheters and knitters alike.

Joan Donaldson, from Pleasant Hill Farm, author of Secret of the Red Shoes also spins and weaves so the three of us had a lot to chat about.

Don't You Forget About Me will be out by Christmas, I hope!!!

It's Here!!! Don't You Forget About Me Is Here!

2011-11-30T02:23:00.000-08:00

The final proof of Don't You Forget About Me arrived yesterday afternoon; I was so excited!!! So far except for two minor editing snafus, a few extra commas (I have a problem with commas) and a capitalization issue due to Word, I haven't found anything that I would hold up printing for. It's the glory of self-publishing. As soon as I approve the book the publisher will send it to Kirkus for review. I hope and pray it gets a good review!!!

Winter Market Book Signing

2011-11-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, December 3rd, I'll be signing books at the Winter Market Event at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Be sure to come down between ten and three. Hope to see you there!!!

2 Knit Lit Chick's Podcast

2011-11-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

Barb and Tracie mentioned Pam during their last podcast, Podcast Number 7. If you are a knitter and a lover of yarn and books, this is a great Podcast. Thank you, Barb and Tracie!

Win a Copy of Don't You Forget About Me

2011-11-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Goodreads is having another Giveaway. If you go to the bottom left of this page, there is button to click on which will take you to Goodreads.com to enter the giveaway. Here's a quick synopsis of the book.

When charming, seemingly devoted Jack Smith dies, his wife and his two girlfriends are astonished to learn that they were not the only love of his life, and that, in fact, Jack was a rogue who was carrying on secret existences with other women. Shattered by grief and stunned by Jack’s betrayals, these three women, Pam Smith, Marie Fabian, and Sandra Benson, find themselves suddenly thrown together. They could have despised one another, jealously guarding their private memories of their time with Jack and hating those they perceived to be their rivals, but instead, the women begin to realize there might be strength in numbers and in shared pain. Slowly, they begin to open their hearts to one another. They bind together to try to make sense of their lives and to try to heal the terrible shock.

But the more they learn about Jack and his nefarious past, the more they begin to question everything they thought they ever knew about him. Not only did Jack carelessly cheat on each of them, without thought to the harm he was causing, but the women are stunned to discover a secret of Jack that he never revealed.

As the women try to piece together the real life story of Jack, they begin to deal with their own lives differently, as well. They must deal with Jack’s heartbroken mother, who knew nothing about her son’s clandestine dealings in life. The tragedy also takes a toll on their working lives, and most of all it takes a toll on them, robbing them of sleep, hope, and even dreams. But with a sense of shared sisterhood, a little laughter, and a whole lot of determination, these brave women forge brave new lives that are full of promise.

The novel probes the difficulties in thinking that we can ever really know a person, even a loved one. All the women in Don’t You Forget About Me wonder if they had been really and truly loved by Jack, or if he had simply played them for fools. They question their own blindness to his faults and how they allowed themselves to believe that they might have had it all, when what they had was really more of a dream. The book investigates modern social problems with grace and warmth. Infidelity, it uncovers, can do more than break hearts. In showing some of the worst things that can happen in relationships,it also teases us to imagine the best, a world in which loyalty, devotion and fidelity are prized. As the characters grow and change, they have the possibility for those things.

Don’t You Forget About Me is a tale of love lost and then found again. A sequel to Pam of Babylon, Don’t You Forget About Me can also be read all on its own. You will not like this book if many characters and lot of twists and turns is not your cup of tea.

Men Reading Pam

2011-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

My husband, Jim reading in our RV while we were in Pennyslvania to visit our daughter and her family.

Shut Up and Keep Writing

2011-10-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

So here is the first sequel to Pam of Babylon. It's an easy read like Pam was, but darker. The cover is a mock up; Jack will be on the other side and there are only three women! (Only three....) Here's a short excerpt...
For a forty-five-year-old woman, Marie had little experience with dating in general and men in particular. Or, more accurately, more than one man. She was simply allowing “things” to happen with Jeff, not putting up too many boundaries, but not getting overly involved too quickly, either. She was having difficulty figuring out his intensions. Although he pursued her, once they were finally together, he wasn’t acting very interested.
She turned the radio on to keep her mind thinking about something else. An old Don Henley song came on, and she belted out the chorus to “Boys of Summer”:

I can tell you my love for you will still be strong

After the boys of summer have gone

It had only been weeks since Jack Smith died, and she was already going away for the weekend with another man while singing the songs Jack used to sing to her. Could it be possible that she was over Jack already? She thought back to the first time she met Jeff. She had fled the city that day, feigning illness or family emergency at work (she couldn’t remember which now), getting into her car, and heading toward her sister’s house in Babylon. She went over the speed limit all the way, keeping up with traffic. As soon as she got there, she put on her bathing suit, grabbed a beach chair and a paperback, and went out to sit in the sun. It was a perfect beach day, and the sand was packed with other sunbathers. The area in front of Pam’s was already crowded, so she had to walk south a few yards to find an empty spot. She ended up in front of Jeff’s fabulous house. The oceanfront facade and landscaping appeared in the Sunday home section of the paper just about every summer.
Most all the sunbathers followed the sun’s path, moving their towels and chairs every thirty minutes or so as it traveled toward the west. But Marie liked facing the ocean. She would look up from her book periodically to stare at the water, hopefully spotting dolphins or boats, way, way out there. When Jack was alive, he always remembered to bring binoculars, and they would take turns examining the horizon for interesting finds.
Jack liked looking at people, too. He’d find lovers kissing under their umbrellas or suspicious movements underneath carefully placed towels. He was really a pervert, she thought to herself. Creepy. She relished being alone for the first time in her memory. She could nap without worrying if she drooled or snored, or mindlessly snack while she read her novel.
Jack could also be a tyrant. She remembered, on one of their beach days together when she was just twenty years old, falling asleep on a beach towel and waking up to find Jack staring at her body with his lips slightly pursed. She sat up self-consciously, hoping she hadn’t farted in her sleep.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him, quickly pulling her towel around her.
He was sitting next to her, scrutinizing her face and looking along the length of her.
“You’re thin, but you’re not in shape. You need to work out.” He said, nodding his head yes at her, and turned to look out at the ocean again.
Eager to please him in every way, she agreed, saying she would start going to the fitness center at school as soon she as she got back to the city.
“Yeah right,” he said sarcastically. Then more kindly, “You should ask your sister to give you some advice about a workout. Ask Pam. She’s in great shape,” he said with a devious smile. It was the first time Jack had ever held his wife, her sister Pam, up to Marie as an example. It would be the beginning of years of humiliation and criticism that he would pile on, playing the sisters against each other in a battle that Pam knew nothing about.
Worried that he may be plotting to end their relationship, Marie would have done anything he asked to keep him happy and near her. “Okay, I’ll ask her. Maybe she’ll take me to the gym with her.”
But he ignored her, lying back down on the towel and closing his eyes, his forearm draped over his face, ensuring that he didn’t have to see her. She held her stomach in and stood up straighter the rest of the day, regretful that she had worn a two-piece suit. That evening she would find one of the provocative underwear catalogues Pam shopped from and buy a suit with a push-up bra and tummy control panel. And that night, Jack would come to her bed, and she welcomed him, the insults at the beach already forgotten.
That day on the beach after Jack died was one of the first times that Marie felt like she was going to be all right, that she had hope for a normal future. As long as Jack was alive, she’d have been in bondage to him, even though he had stopped seeking her out. He had replaced Marie with Sandra.
She wasn’t thinking about Sandra when Jeff Babcock approached her. He was walking the beach with his dog, Fred. Fred took an instant liking to Marie and would not leave her, even though Jeff called for him over and over again. Finally giving up, Jeff reluctantly walked to Marie’s beach chair, collar and leash in hand.
“Sorry about this! Fred, you are bad! Bad dog!” Jeff was clearly embarrassed, but Marie was happy; she didn’t really mind the dog’s intrusion because his owner was so nice looking.
I wonder if he’s single, she thought. He wasn’t wearing a wedding band, but that didn’t mean anything anymore.
He knelt down in front of Marie and started placing the collar around Fred’s neck. He held out his hand. “Jeff Babcock,” he said, smiling. He had perfect white teeth. A little too tan, considering it was only June, he must go to the tanning salon. He was wearing crisp white tennis shorts and a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was pure white, but he didn’t look much older than Jack had been, not as fit, either. It was a relief. She let her stomach relax a little bit.
“Marie Fabian!” she said, taking his hand and shaking it. “I love dogs!” She pulled her feet in away from the licking dog.
They talked for a while, until Jeff excused himself; he had to get home to take a call.
Later that week, he asked Marie to accompany him to the retirement party of his former partner, meeting her in the city for a wonderful evening of dancing. She couldn’t remember when she had had so much fun. At the end of the night, he said he had to get back to Babylon but wanted to see her the next time she was at Pam’s. He didn’t offer to see her home, putting her in a cab and paying the driver in advance. When they were together, it was really nothing more than companionship. He did nothing for her chemistry. Pam told her that would come in time. Men had immediate desire for someone they were attracted to; for women, it came with admiration for a man.
“I mean, a man can be attracted to a bimbo who can’t construct a sentence; I’m right, don’t you think? A woman can think someone is handsome, but if he is an asshole, she won’t be attracted to him, no matter how good looking he is.” She thought of Jack; there were exceptions to every rule.
Marie navigated the car through Albany. She was almost there. Having rarely been out of the city except for the weekly trips to Babylon, coming up here was a treat, and she was determined to enjoy herself. She thought of Jeff and his mannerisms and posture, how different he was from Jack, thankfully. Where Jack was tall and handsome, Jeff was average height and a little soft around the middle. And Jeff was soft-spoken and gentle. Jack was a larger-than-life sarcastic who didn’t waste a minute or word in action or speech. Jeff was willing to sit back and allow time to pass without looking at his watch. Marie almost relaxed when she was with him. Could it be real? she thought. And then, again, repeated Oh, I hope he’s not a jerk.

Nook!

2011-10-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Pam is available on the Nook from Barnes and Noble, properly formatted. Ask for the new edition if you purchased it when the old one was up. Thanks! Just $2.99.

Kindle Edition on Sale

2011-09-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

Now on sale for $2.99, it is a great time to get Pam on your Kindle.

Critic's Pick!

2011-08-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Talk about shock!!! I am still shaking, twelve hours later. My son went to http://www.kirkusreviews.com/ last night and found the book cover for Pam on the front page, listed as a Critic's Pick. I'm still not quite sure what that means, but I like the way it sounds. Of course, it was only up on their website for twenty four hours; I mean, give me a break! At least allow me to get the blog post out....

Preposterous

2011-08-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

My reviewer from Kirkus used that word when he described the relationship that Pam had with Jack's girlfriend, Sandra. It is bizarre. But its not completely unheard of. I have a friend who, after her husband's death, became best friends with the woman who was involved with him when their marriage broke up. True story.
      Also, several friends are best friends with their husband's ex-wives. Now I think that is amazing. Could I do it? Could I be civil to any woman who ended up with my husband if our marriage broke up? I fantasized about this and I think the answer is no. Sit at my child's wedding, across the aisle from my ex and his new wife? Spend Christmas as one big, happy family? No, I don't think so. But isn't it the 'adult' thing to do?
   In a manuscript I began a while ago but shelved to write Pam, the main character is dead, and spends her unlife suspended from the ceiling in her former home, haunting the house, and spying on her husband. In Vapors, the husband she left behind dates her girlfriends, bringing them back to the home they shared. He never gets around to throwing her clothes or belongings out, and his dates rifle through her things, stealing clothes and jewelry, looking through her nightstand, reading her personal writings. After I wrote that portion of the story, I went immediately to my nightstand drawers and did a thorough cleaning! My underwear drawers are pristine. there is very little that I would be ashamed to have anyone look through if I died, and I have Vapors to thank for that.
     Husbands and other women are a treasure-trove of material for stories. I have many fantasies about my poor, faithful husband of forty-three years and the possible women he could be with, and trust me, nothing is left to the imagination when I get done with him.

The Sequel is Finished!!!!

2011-08-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Don't You Forget About Me, the sequel to Pam of Babylon is finished!!!! It will go to the editor next week, and in about a month or so, returned to me for changes. I had a good cry at the end; its a good book, but different than Pam. Now to continue working on the second sequel, Dream Lover. Those of you who have read Pam know who I am referring to.....

Here's a short excerpt from Don't You Forget About Me. Pam is daydreaming about the day Jack died and her experience at the hospital when she identified his body. If you would like to write a review for the excerpt, go to my preview page.

Pam finished her coffee and left the radio on, grabbing her sun hat and a folded up beach chair. She walked the wooden path that lead to the beach, wanting to sit there for a while, by chance some inspiration would cross her, some epiphany. In the weeks prior to Jack’s death, she felt restless and a foreboding that she had never experienced before. It’s your age, the still, small Voice said. Be patient. And sure enough, before she had even gained admittance to his death bed, Pam saw the other woman as she left Jack’s final room. Sandra Benson had seen Jack’s body before Pam did.

As she sat on the beach, a silent observer of those bodies lying around her, the unforgettable memory of knowing the second she laid eyes on Sandra that Jack had loved her drifted through her mind. The sudden knowledge had taken her by such surprise that she teetered on her feet and had to be supported by the nurse in charge of Jack’s body. Thinking the wife was swooning due to grief, the nurse was prepared to care for her as she had for the husband. Tenderly guiding her into the room where Jack’s body lay, and where Sandra had just exited, the scent of her shampoo on still wet hair lingered, filling Pam’s olfactory with an overwhelming connection to her husband. She had smelled that scent on him before.

Barnes and Noble and Nook

2011-08-05T06:20:00.001-07:00

Looks like B&N has the book on sale for $10.99!!! That's a great buy!http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pam-of-babylon-suzanne-jenkins/1031919912

Don't You Forget About Me......how could I!

2011-07-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

The first sequel to Pam of Babylon is titled Don't You Forget About Me, which comes from a combo of the song by Simple Minds and a Emily Dickinson poem Heart, We Will Forget Him!

Heart, we will forget him!

You and I, to-night!

You may forget the warmth he gave,

I will forget the light.

When you have done, pray tell me,

That I my thoughts may dim;

Haste! lest while you're lagging,

I may remember him!

The challenge in writing a sequel is finding that balance between giving enough information to the new reader so the story makes sense, but not being so repetitive that those who read Pam first find it boring.

Jack is such a fascinating man; he is more realistic to me than Pam is in her perfection. I give him more voice in the sequels. The second sequel is turning out to be simply character studies of the women he had had affairs with and through them, I am discovering who the real man is. So I don't accidentally expose any surprises, suffice it to say that Jack was a cad.

Where's Kindle?

2011-07-25T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Kindle conversion should be coming from Createspace.com any day now. Of course, once I receive it, I have to figure out how to upload it to Amazon.
Yesterday, I placed metatags on this blog so it will show up when the topics I write about are searched for. It took me several hours to read how to do it, and then go into the 'guts' of the blog and place the tags. It is not for the faint of heart. I had to take a nap afterward. Also, I was so engrossed in the process that I didn't notice a family of raccoons were attempting to steal our last surviving bird feeder.

Vicious.

Forgive and Forget

2011-07-24T12:42:00.001-07:00

Is it possible?

A Life

2011-07-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have come to the conclusion that we have just the life we want. Think about the decisions that are made over a lifetime and what the effect has been. If there have been horrible tragedies, the response to it is what makes all the difference in the world. I have to think about this for awhile.

Stirring the pot,

Suzie

Sequels Galore

2011-07-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

So the first sequel is finished and being edited and the second is half way there. The third is a story really onto itself. I could go on forever with the characters. Who knew it would be so much fun????

Hope you are enjoying the read!

Suzie

Kirkus Review

2011-07-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

Although the reviewer does use the word preposterous, I have to agree!!!! I deleted one sentence that is giving away more than I want the new reader to know until the book is about halfway finished.

Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 6411 Burleson Rd., Austin, TX 78744
indie@kirkusreviews.com
An intriguing first novel that revolves around a husband’s death and hidden secrets.
Pam Smith lives an apparently charmed life as a well-to-do Babylon, N.Y., homemaker in a large house by the water. In her 50s with her children grown, Pam is happy with her exemplary husband Jack. After he has a heart attack on the subway, however, the protagonist finds out more than she ever wanted to know about Jack. . Bordering on preposterous but consistently interesting, this psychological novel contains some mystery and moves along quickly for a non-thriller. While Pam is the novel’s protagonist, Jack’s mistress Sandra and Marie also play key roles. The three women all feel betrayed by Jack, and the plot focuses on their reactions to his deception. Pam, though, feels drawn to Sandra in empathy while Marie is angry and jealous. The women develop an odd bond, and Pam even invites the other two women for a weekend to relax at the beach house in Babylon—a hostess gesture that seems a bit extreme. The novel also focuses on Jack and Pam’s mothers, the latter of whom is having a hard time living alone in Brooklyn—Pam, of course, brings her to Babylon, too. Jenkins is skilled in her presentation of the characters’ inner thoughts, particularly at Jack’s funeral, where Pam’s emotions are decidedly mixed as various facts about her late spouse come to light. While the novel is convincing during moments between the main female characters, the plotline strains from narrative overload as extortion and issues of parentage come into play. Themes of sisterhood and abuse run through the book, and the three women shift between rivalry and friendship before becoming empowered by Jack’s demise.
Women’s fiction with a touch of noir.
Jenkins, Suzanne
PAM OF BABYLON
CreateSpace (330 pp.)
$14.99 paperback
June 14, 2011
ISBN: 978-1461135920

How Well Do You Know Your Husband?

2011-07-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is not a question I have asked myself lately; been too wrapped up in Pam and her husband's demise. But it is noteworthy because like everyone in your life, you cannot read the mind of another human being! (unless you are psychic.) I hope Pam will inspire every woman to really delve into the mind of her husband so there are no surprises at a later date!!!! Pam of Babylon is available on Amazon.

Pam's available on Amazon!!!

2011-07-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Pam's now on Amazon !!! And on Kindle soon, too!

Welcome to Pam of Babylon!

2011-06-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your interest in my first published novel, available this summer, July 2011. To whet your appetite, here is the flyleaf synopsis...

How well do you know your husband?

For Pam Smith, the answer to that question is about to come shockingly into focus. Every week she spends her days on Long Island preparing for her husband Jack’s weekend return. Using their old apartment on the upper west side as a base, Jack spends his week in the city, usually returning on Fridays—sometimes as early as Wednesday when he misses his wife and his home on the beach. It is an idyllic life, a modern Norman Rockwell painting of success, comfort, and the love of family and friends that is built on the foundation of the American Dream. But on this particular Saturday, a day no different than any other, Pam receives news that will shatter her world forever.

Fast-paced and riveting with shocking twists and almost unbearable tension, Suzanne Jenkins’ debut is a heart-wrenching examination of lives suddenly and irrevocably torn apart. After spending an extra night in Manhattan, Jack takes the Saturday train home, but it is the last time he will ever make the trip. En route to Long Island, Jack has a heart attack and eventually dies at the hospital. Emotionally overwrought, Pam embarks on a trip to identify Jack’s body, and this supposed formality is instead the moment her life takes an unexpected trip down the rabbit hole of intrigue and past sins. Pam soon finds herself confronting a series of revelations that unmask the life of a man she realizes she only thought she knew, and the losses and disappointments she discovers give color and understanding for a husband markedly different than he appeared. Uncovering secrets and betrayals far worse than her most vivid nightmare, Pam retreats to their meticulous Babylon beach house, the one refuge she has to put the pieces of her life together and move toward ultimate forgiveness.

A fascinating, multiple point-of-view character study about confronting mistakes and omissions in life, Jenkins’ novel demonstrates the devastating consequences of our actions and how they can reverberate through generations. But it is through forgiveness that Pam finds redemption and strength, eschewing the option of victimization for one of power and, ultimately, personal peace. Affecting in its expert plotting and spare, evocative prose, Pam of Babylon is a powerful reminder for us all to strive to be better people.

Thanks again!

Suzie