By Mark Ambrogi
Writing has always been a passion for Pamela Jackson. She just didn’t have the proper time to pursue it.
“I never had time to do it until my kids were grown and gone,” said Jackson, who moved from Carmel to Noblesville last fall. “I did a little bit here and there but nothing like writing novels. It was almost like I woke up one day and started writing it. I had an idea running through my head, and I just started writing it down.”
Her first book, “Confessions of a Teenage Psychic,” was released in 2010. Her latest novel, “Certainly Sensible,” a modern-day version of “Sense and Sensibility,” was released in December through Wild Rose Press.
Jackson penned her books under the name Woods-Jackson.
“Jane Austen’s book doesn’t necessarily translate verbatim to the 21st century,” said Jackson, a former teacher who now works part-time in guest services at Conner Prairie. “It’s the basic story with 21st century elements. I changed the names of the characters, too.”
The two main characters are sisters, ages 21 and 24. The book is designed for teenagers and new adults.
“The first two books were strictly young adult novels,” she said.
Her first book came out in 2010 when she was teaching at Broad Ripple High School. She later taught at Tech High School.
“I based that first on my experiences of teaching in an urban school system,” Jackson said. “The second one, called ‘Genius Summer,’ was part contemporary romance and part historical fiction. It came out in 2014. It’s close to my heart because the historical part is based on a true story that happened in my family. It took me three years to write it because of researching the history.”
“Genius Summer” received a Literary Classics Seal of Approval in 2015.
Jackson said she worked on “Certainly Sensible” on and off for years. She credits a good editor with helping her finish it.
“I feel like I bled all over that one,” she said.
Some characters from “Confessions of a Teenage Psychic” also appear in “Certainly Sensible.”
“It’s a companion piece, not necessarily a sequel at all,” she said.
Her books are available on Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.