Pam Hillman – Real Life Romance – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Historical romance author, Pam Hillman shares how she met her husband and details on how to win two e-readers, so you can read her latest e-book, Claiming Mariah. Any comments on this post will go into Monday’s drawing. Here’s Pam:

When I graduated from high school, I made plans to attend the local community college twenty miles away. I planned to live at home with my parents and drive back and forth to school every day. All my high school friends lived in the opposite direction of the college, so I’d have to foot the gas bill all alone. 
That summer, my mother and I were talking about other girls who lived in my area who had also graduated and might be going to the same college. She mentioned the daughter of acquaintances who was my age and had graduated from a different school. I didn’t really know the girl, but my grandparents attended her church. 
Her schedule and mine didn’t work out, but she gave me the number of another girl she had graduated with who was pursuing the same degree I was and lived close by. Her name was Karen. Karen and I made plans to share the expenses of riding to school together. We rode back and forth to school for several months and became good friends. In the meantime, I met her cousin, Iran.
Granted, I knew all three of these young people, Deborah, Karen, and Iran through my grandparents, but since I’d never gone to school with them, or attended their church (other than a handful of times as a child), I couldn’t have told you their names or anything about them before we started to college. So, back to Iran. Neither of us are extremely shy, but back then, I guess we were bashful around strangers, especially the opposite sex. So, we started this back and forth dialogue using Karen as a go-between.
This went on for a few weeks until he asked me out through her. Looking back now, and knowing my husband as well as I do, I can’t imagine how or why he ever broached the subject with her in the first place. You know what, come to think of it, he might not have actually ever asked me out. What if Karen told him I wanted to go out with him, and she told me that he was asking me out?
Yikes. That girl has some ‘splaining to do!
Anyhoo, I said yes, but only on one condition, if Karen went with us on our first date. My husband isn’t shy, but he’s not a talker, unless you find out what he likes to talk about which is cows, tractors, and trucks, and what’s happening in the community. But since I didn’t know his interests, and he didn’t know mine, I knew that first date would be tough. So, Karen got hogtied into riding shotgun.
He took us to a steakhouse. Karen and I talked the whole time because I was too nervous to talk to him. He was probably glad she was along, too. In addition, the poor guy had to buy both of us steaks. That was an expensive first date.
After we ate, she wanted to go to the mall, but I guess I’d gotten brave and Iran and I waited in the truck. For some reason, we thought it would be funny if we moved to a different location in the parking lot so that she couldn’t find us when she came back out. I do remember that she didn’t think it was funny at all!
They took me home first, and he asked me out again a few weeks later. Or at least Karen said he did. Hmmm, I’m really beginning to wonder about that…. She didn’t go with us that time, and we dated for almost two years before we got married. Karen brought us together, and she’s never let us forget it.
About Pam: Pam Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay doesn’t take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that’s the kind of life every girl should dream of! Claiming Mariah is her second novel. www.pamhillman.com 
Pam is thrilled to announce the release of her second novel, Claiming Mariah: 
In light of her father’s death, Mariah Malone sends a letter that will forever alter the lives of her family. When Slade Donovan, strong willed and eager for vengeance, shows up on her front porch, Mariah is not ready to hear his truths: her father’s farm, the only home she’s ever known, was bought with stolen gold. With Slade ready to collect his father’s rightful claim and force Mariah and her family out on the streets, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Though Mr. Fredrick Cooper, a local landowner, promises to answer her financial woes if she agrees to be his bride, Mariah finds herself drawn instead to the angry young man demanding her home.
With the ranch now under Slade’s careful eye, he will unearth more than he ever imagined as a devious plot of thievery, betrayal and murder threatens more than the well-being of the ranch, endangering the lives of those who hold it dear. With days dwindling until the rest of the Donovan clan arrive to the Lazy M ranch, Mariah and Slade must rise above the resentment of their fathers and see their true feelings before greed alters their futures forever.
 Contest Details:
 To celebrate, Pam is giving away two eReaders (choice of Kindle Wi-Fi, 6″ Display, or Nook Simple Touch)
Two Winners: One on facebook. One through Pam’s Newsletter.
Facebook Drawing for Kindle/Nook
Pam’s Newsletter
Registering both places is not required but will double your chances of winning. Also keep in mind that you will receive updates more often being connected on facebook than through the newsletter. Just sayin’
Contest runs from January 1^st until March 31^st, 2013.
And….that’s not all! There will be prizes offered randomly throughout the tour.
Click here to View Current Giveaways!
PREVIOUS STOP ON TOUR:
March 14^th: Dora Hiers
NEXT STOP ON TOUR:
March 16^th: Jean Kinsey
Click for a Complete List of Stops Along the Tour
Come back March 18th for Pam’s excerpt and character interview!