Pam Godwin Breaks Boundaries in Dark Romance and Redefines the Power of Unconventional Love

PHOTO: Bestselling author Pam Godwin, whose fearless fiction explores love, trauma, and redemption, photographed at her home in the Midwest.

Exploring Trauma, Redemption, and Fearless Heroines in the Work of a Bestselling Author

Pam Godwin discusses her journey into dark romance, the emotional depth of her characters, her creative process, and the personal experiences that shape her powerful, boundary-defying novels.

Pam Godwin is a literary force of nature—fearless, evocative, and unapologetically bold. Her stories defy conventions, exploring the shadows of the human experience with a searing emotional depth that leaves a lasting imprint on her readers. Known for pushing boundaries and embracing the complexities of love, power, and pain, Godwin crafts characters who are as raw and unflinching as they are unforgettable. Whether she’s navigating forbidden desires, deep-seated trauma, or epic dystopian landscapes, her work challenges the norms of romance and dares us to feel more deeply.

In this candid and compelling conversation, Godwin opens up about her writing process, the inspiration behind her most iconic characters, and the emotional intensity that drives her storytelling. From the brutal beauty of Sea of Ruin to the haunting truths in Trails of Sin, she shares how personal experience, meticulous craft, and a love for the unconventional shape every page she pens. For fans of dark romance and taboo fiction—or anyone who believes in the transformative power of storytelling—this interview is not to be missed.

Pam Godwin is a fearless storyteller whose provocative, emotionally rich narratives redefine romance with unapologetic honesty, depth, and extraordinary character complexity.

What initially drew you to writing dark romance and taboo stories?
I grew up reading horror novels and well-developed villains. I always found myself rooting for the villain and fantasizing about a different ending where the villain gets a love story and happily ever after. Since I couldn’t find a story like this, I decided to write my own. This was before the birth of dark romance, back when horror and romance were separate genres. No crossover between the two. When dark romance emerged, I was already writing it and wheeee! What a relief to finally have a category to classify my work.

How do you balance the emotional intensity with romance in your books?
I use a beat sheet, a romance version of Save The Cat that I modified over the years. As a methodical plotter, I strategize and pace out the beats of emotion, plot, romance, and character development from start to finish before I begin writing. The beat sheet helps me ensure balance and flow throughout the narration.

“I always found myself rooting for the villain and fantasizing about a different ending.” — Pam Godwin

Sea of Ruin presents complex character dynamics—what inspired Bennett Sharp’s character?
Most Historical Romance novels present the main female character as helpless, virginal, and desperate for a man to save her. A damsel in distress. I prefer my heroines to be as strong as my villains and perhaps a bit villainous themselves. When I set out to write a Historical Romance in the Golden Age of Piracy, I knew my heroine had to be a pirate with all the savagery, intelligence, and boldness of her male counterparts. Without shying away from the woeful lack of women’s rights in that era, I created a heroine who never stopped fighting for the rights of marginalized people.

In Trails of Sin, how did you approach writing about trauma and healing with sensitivity?
I sought the advice of a psychiatrist to guide me through the trauma of my characters. My intention was not to write a manual on how to heal PTSD and sexual assault but to shine a light on the lengths a person will go to help the one they love. My characters are wholly flawed humans with no training in therapy or psychiatry. Their actions and approaches to healing may not be advisable or healthy, but they tackle it with love and good intentions.

What has been the most challenging book for you to write and why?
Blood of Eve (book 2 in the Trilogy of Eve) took me five years to write. It’s the end of my favorite story and characters and the birth of something new. The trilogy, with its epic dystopian plot, high emotion, and large cast of characters, is where I cut my teeth on writing fiction, and it will forever be my favorite project. Writing its ending nearly broke me.

“I wrote from memory… In many ways, this novel was cathartic and empowering to write.” — Pam Godwin

How do your personal interests, like travel and music, influence the worlds you build?
I have traveled the world many times over, visiting a lot of exotic, faraway places, and those experiences breathe life through my settings. Some readers describe my writing as atmospheric, and I owe that to the places and people I’ve encountered in my lifetime.

Lessons in Sin deals with heavy themes—how did you prepare emotionally and creatively for that project?
Lessons in Sin features a Catholic priest and his forbidden affair with his high school student. As a former Catholic school girl, I incorporated many of the rigorous traditions and punishments I experienced in my childhood. I wrote from memory, adding embellishments and personal emotions from my time in Catholic school. In many ways, this novel was cathartic and empowering to write.

How has the shift to full-time writing changed your creative process over the years?
My process and motivation hasn’t changed. I don’t write to be famous or rich. I write because it makes me happy. I’m driven by a pursuit to improve my craft, striving to write each novel better than the last, and my creative process follows this goal.

“I write because it makes me happy.” — Pam Godwin

What do you hope readers take away from your stories about love, power, and redemption?
Women don’t need men to save them. They are strong enough, smart enough, and relentless enough to save themselves and write their own stories. Every woman deserves a man who doesn’t feel powerful by controlling her but rather by lifting her up.

What advice would you give to new authors who want to explore darker or unconventional themes in their writing?
Write whatever you want to write, whatever makes you feel. Write what scares you, what turns you on, what makes you cry. If you think “I shouldn’t write this,” that’s when you should write it.