GA author w/brkout

Sat, Jun 28, 2008

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By KRISTA HARRIS

The Brunswick News

Pamela Bauer Mueller's mantle is getting full.

This national award-winning author has won another award: the 2008 Georgia Author of the Year Award in the Young Adult category at the Georgia Writers Association's 44th Annual Award Ceremony.

Her book, "An Angry Drum Echoed: Mary Musgrove, Queen of the Creeks," took top honors. It also won the silver medal in the 2008 Independent Publisher's Book Awards/Southeast Regional Fiction.

It's been two years since she won the prestigious award for "Neptune's Honor," which was recently selected as the 2008 Silver Medal Mom's Choice Award.

Her venture into writing started after a turbulent time in her life. Mueller was leaving Mexico City, getting a divorce and moving to San Diego. She wanted to write down something about their lives to calm her two daughters and pay tribute to them. "The Bumpedy Road" was born, but after a few more bumps of its own Mueller changed it around.

She explains that at first it was told in her perspective, but a wise editor advised her to write it in the perspective of her Mexican cat, Kiska. Mueller rewrote it and three books later, the Kiska Trilogy was created covering Mueller's adventurous life in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. Her writing snowballed and she found herself covering the tale of a guide dog puppy.

"My daughter called me sobbing because she had to give the dog up, and she wanted me to write about it," Mueller explained.

The tale evolved after her daughter decided to raise a guide dog. Mueller threw herself into researching guide dogs and wrote "Hello, Goodbye, I Love You."

However, it was her love affair and fascination with the Golden Isles that brought out her passion.

"I discovered I loved history," she said.

After moving to Coastal Georgia, Mueller wanted to learn everything about her new home. One day she took the trolley tour around St. Simons Island and fell in love with the story of Neptune Small. Determined to find out more about him, she visited the St. Simons Public Library to do some research. Mueller quickly discovered that there were not many books about the heroic Small.

"That one touched my heart," she said.

Mueller reached out to Small's descendants and poured over various history books. It took a year of research and interviews, but "Neptune's Honor" was released in 2006. Mueller was named the 2006 Georgia Author of the Year in the Young Adult category for her dedication and hard work of getting Small's story out.

At her first book signing, 42 descendents of Small came out to support her and the historical book.

Mueller realized after writing "Neptune's Honor" that she loved researching and delving into the history of the stories.

"I learned so much and I found my niche," Mueller said with a big grin.

She wanted to write another historical book about a local figure, but she didn't know who she wanted to write about. Then she ran across the name of Mary Musgrove and her newest historical fiction novel emerged.

"She was such a vital figure" in Georgia's history, explained Mueller. It angered her that Musgrove wasn't mentioned in a lot of history books and when she was, it was limited to a few sentences.

Musgrove, she explained, guided the Creek nation through the "treacherous waters of international intrigue. She served as Gen. James Oglethorpe's interpreter and emissary to the Indians, and smoothed a path to cooperation between the Creeks and English colonists.

As soon as the book was completed, Mueller threw herself back into the world of guide dogs. Coming up in July is the sequel to "Hello, Goodbye, I Love You" entitled "Aloha Crossing."

This new book finds the beloved guide dog, Aloha, on St. Simons Island with his new owner, but a lot happens when his former puppy raiser Diego comes and visits.

Many of her books find their way into the classroom. She does considerable research before writing for the middle reader and young adult crowd.

All of her titles have been accepted into the Renaissance Accelerated Reading Program as well as Scholastic's Reading Counts.

She brings valuable messages about relationships, love, loyalty and acceptance to school groups and civic organizations.

It's been nine years since Mueller caught the writing bug, and there are no plans to stop. At her house on Jekyll Island Mueller is busy researching for her next book about Georgia's Jewel. Her next book will delve into Jekyll's rich past when the wealthy used it as their playground.

Mueller says her new book will appeal to adults, because there were so many scandals.

Writing is a passion for Mueller, but so is acting. She acted when she lived in Mexico City, starring in various roles with American actors that included Ringo Starr and Gene Hackman. She found a way to continue her love of acting in the Golden Isles by working at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

"I went a long time without acting," she said. "Here I am still able to act with FLETC."

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