Happy Friday Friends. I met today’s guest through Sisters in Crime Colorado bookclub. I was fascinated by her background and asked that she tell us more. Please welcome Pamela Asbury-Smith ~ Donnell
Archaeologists Are an Interesting Lot
By: Pamela Asbury-Smith
Author Pamela Asbury-Smith
Retired physical anthropologist currently living in Colorado; single mom with two grown daughters, and six grown grandkiddies. After I got unmarried, I chose to raise my daughters near my family in Oregon where I established a career as a civilian in law enforcement. (photo below)
Pamela in her civilian law enforcement career
I had worked in multiple capacities, and trained as a composite artist at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia. (photo below) When the opportunity arose, I moved to Hawaii, land of my dreams. After a couple of years in unsatisfying jobs, and classes in anthropology, I found a job with Honolulu’s Bishop Museum as a field archaeologist. Sounds exciting, right?
Archaeologists are an interesting lot. With visions of becoming another Indiana Jones and living a life of international intrigue, hoards are funneled into anthropology programs at universities.
The first two weeks of field work were so hard that it nearly put me down for the count, but I toughened up. Working outdoors and playing in the dirt all day? I had found my calling. I was proudly becoming a real Shovel Bum!
Pamela on the job in Hawaii
While most of the sites I worked were in Halawa Valley where H-3 was under construction, one was in downtown Honolulu. A 40-year-old parking garage had been torn down to make way for a high-rise apartment building. Thankfully, Hawaii has laws that the selected environment must be cleared of anything cultural that might be impacted by new construction before any can take place. 
The career changes and my new life in Hawaii meshed nicely with a life-long interest in writing. A friend who was an English professor at the university gave writing seminars once a month. It was there that I began writing a Hawaii-centric novel. Loving Hawaii as much as I did, I had absorbed the culture like a sponge. The people, the music, the dance, the language, the food… I incorporated all of that in the novel. The glimmer of the story came from a myriad of sources, but the spark was from Glen Grants “Obake Files,” which I was reading at the time. It was only after I populated my story with the people I knew, family and friends, that the story came alive.
This was not my first effort at writing a novel. I had finished three others that I felt were not up to snuff! I have always been taught to write what you know. This time I did. Much like an investigation into criminal activity, I created the story with small clues, introducing first one, then a red herring or two. I wrote chapters about places I had been, experiences I’d had, and gradually fleshed it out. When I had about 50K words I called it complete, and started making the rounds at conferences for reviews. A few well-published writers reviewed the first three chapters. It was Stuart Kaminsky who gave me the wisest input. He told me I was “good” which went right to my head, and that I was capable of writing 75K words. Gulp! I felt terrified. I had been a short-story kind of writer. How could I possibly produce that many words? What would I write about? I applied myself whole heartedly, and ended up with over 81,000 words. After editing and reviews, it was finally ready for publication. I regret that Stuart did not live to see the finished product.
About the Book: In the idyllic setting of paradise, the specter of a nightmarcher at an archaeological site masks a deeper mystery with roots in Ireland. At the harbor in downtown Honolulu, a dig has been targeted by vandals, and a night watchman disappears during his shift. Kristen Kelley, the lead archaeologist, hires a reluctant private detective when the police show little interest in the case. When a human skull turns up in the excavation, Kristen discovers it is not part of an ancient Hawaiian burial, but that of a contemporary Caucasian. As the petty crimes continue an archaeologist falls seriously ill on the job, later to be assaulted when he and an Irish archaeologist go to the site one night. Soon Kristen begins to question the motives of those she trusts. With the threat of murder looming, Kristen comes to view the police detective, Diego Vanos, as more of an adversary than an ally, and the dance of Attraction begins.
About the Author: Pamela Asbury-Smith has always been a writer at heart. She’s published multiple fantasy and mystery short stories, one, a true crime story in True Detective. Pamela was newsletter editor for the Society of Hawaiian Archaeology, and as a physical anthropologist, she wrote scientific reports, which include sites in Hawai`i, California, and Arizona. Her rich background in law enforcement and archeology gave her the confidence to write what she knows. That knowledge carried over to writing novels.
Pamela Asbury-Smith
Ola Aloha, E Aloha, Puʻu Aloha, Hanu ke aloha.
Live aloha, Be Aloha, share aloha, breathe aloha
Pamela, I am so glad we connected. We all have regrets when it comes to our writing career, especially when we lose a mentor. I’m thinking the great Stuart Kaminsky would have been proud at your perseverance! Thanks for joining me this week.
So great to learn more about you and your book, Pamela! Great post!
Great blog. This confirms the idea of writing what you know. Louisa May Alcott was told this early in her career and it seems to have worked for her. More than 150 years later it still works- Little Women is known by generations of readers and moviegoers. And it works for Pamela Asbury-Smith Phantom at Honolulu Harbor was a great story and authentic in cultural details. Waiting for Asbury-Smith’s next “treat.”
Thank you for commenting, Ethel. Authenticity brings a story to life.