 Amie Irene Winters is a very diversified lady. She's had a multitude of wonderfully intriguing jobs, from Park Ranger to Archaeologist, and is also the author of the Strange Luck series.
I met Amie through a little bit of luck, and an e-mail, and I find she is a girl after my own heart. Yes, another dog lover, and a self-admitted chocoholic. Amie married her High School sweetheart and spends a great deal of time outdoors, but she also does something I've never been able to get quite right, she bakes desserts! I have to say I am grateful she agreed to interview with me, and now I'd like to pass a little insight into Aimie on to you. This is what Amie had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? Writing books full-time never entered my mind until I completed my bachelors in anthropology and religious studies, masters in environmental leadership, and an eight-day wilderness solo in the Rocky Mountains. After having tried a variety of unique jobs - from park ranger, grant writer, natural history curator, to archaeologist - did I start to experiment with writing fiction as a career. I can’t imagine a more perfect job for me. I love the flexibility and creative freedom. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? Having the opportunity to explore the mind, memories, and what it means to be a good person through creative fiction. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? When I starting writing my debut novel, Strange Luck, I didn’t have a particular genre in mind. I just wrote the story that I needed to tell. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I had written a YA Fantasy book. Who is your favourite character, and why? I tend to always root for the villain, so I would say that the entity was my favorite character. Since he is a dark wizard, his powers are limitless, so it was a lot of fun coming up with magical, strange things he could do. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Chocolate is a must…and a good cup of tea. What does your family think of your work? Everyone has been very supportive of my writing. One of the best compliments I’ve ever received though is that my dad (who is not a fiction reader at all, nor a reader of books in general) actually read the whole thing! Not only that, he kept calling me for weeks after he finished it asking questions about the story and how I got my ideas. How do you deal with writers block? Neil Gaiman put it perfectly when he said, "This is how you do it: You sit at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it's done. It's that easy, and that hard." These are certainly some words to live by and I am constantly fine-tuning my process and figuring out what works best for me. In general, if I have writers block I’ll go for a walk, talk with a friend, or go see a movie. Studies show that distractions can usualy be good for creative thinking. I also carry around a notebook with me at all times if I get any ideas. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Connecting loopholes. You can plot, organize, and storyboard a book a thousand times, but there will still be loopholes. That’s why it’s extremely important to let other people read your work, especially a professional editor. When you are so close to something it’s very easy to overlook holes in your story. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Yes! Daisy Darling is based on my own thoughts and experiences, especially the desire to pursue her dream of writing. We share a lot of little quirk like over-analyzing, competitiveness, a crippling addiction to chocolate, oh, and being incredibly stubborn. Fun fact: I was actually born with red hair, too (but then it turned blonde). Daisy’s relationship with Roger started out in a similar way to how my relationship started with my now husband. We actually met in high school and became good friends, but I never thought he liked me until one day he asked me for my phone number. Roger is similar to my husband in a lot of ways in the sense that he is very grounded and calming no matter the situation. There are a lot of other tidbits in Strange Luck that are based on real things like Roger’s dog, Millie, that could bark I love you and some of my unusual antiquing experiences. What do you do in your spare time to relax? I love everything outdoorsy like camping, hiking, and kayaking. When inside, I play keyboards, paint, and bake sinfully sweet desserts. What do you like to read? Pretty much anything having to do with magic, witches, and evil. The Neverending Story and Harry Potter are some of my favorites. Right now, I’m reading a lot of Victorian and Gothic literature. Who is your favourite author? H.P Lovecraft immediately comes to mind. He was not only a genius with creating a complex pantheon of gods, but his style of writing has a way of getting in your head. Lovecraft never really tells or shows you anything to evoke fear; instead, it subtly creeps into the story on its own. Genius! Where do you get your inspiration from? Everything. A song, movie, a painting. I was actually inspired to write Strange Luck while passing a cemetery on the way to work one day. I started thinking about memories, regrets, life, and experiences. Having as many experiences/memories as possible has always been a personal goal of mine (don’t even get me started on my mile-long bucket list). Anyway, my mind wandered to the idea of collecting our most cherished memories and I thought it would be a unique concept for a book. Where are your books available? Amazon Barnes & Noble IndieBound Kobo BAM! What are you working on right now? Book II in the Strange Luck series called The Nightmare Birds. It will be very H.P Lovecraft meets The Night Circus. Muhahaha! It’ll be a little darker than Strange Luck and have more philosophical components. Look for it this autumn 2016. Here is how you can find Amie Irene Winters Website: www.amieirenewinters.com Twitter: @AmieIWinters FaceBook: www.facebook.com/aiwinters Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomamieiwinters Google: AmieIreneWinters I'd like to take this last moment to thank Amie for agreeing to my interview, and hope she had as much fun as I did in her participation. It was a pleasure to get to know her, and see inside her head a little. I hope you'll take the time to connect with Amie wherever you can, and hopefully pick up a copy of her book before book two arrives.
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 Jay Plemons is a very talented man. He has a BS in music with emphasis in publishing and copyright law, an English degree, and a Music degree. As I said, very talented. However, he is also the author of the Last Light Falling series, and freely admits if he isn't drumming, then writing is his next love.
I met Jay on Twitter and found him to be very down to earth. He's very polite, and very much the gentleman, and I, for one, just couldn't resist wanting to find out more. I asked Jay if he would be willing to do an interview with me, which he gracefully agreed to do being the gentleman that he is, and now I'm sharing that insight into Jay with you. This is what Jay has to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? Simply put: reading. Reading is the quintessential ingredient for writing. But I didn't choose to become a writer. It chose me. I wrote short stories and poetry all the time as a young child until I became glued to film during my teen years—that's when I delved into screen-writing. Most of my writing was for me and my little inner world of fantasy, escapism, and just pure entertainment. I never at any time dreamed I would grow up to become a writer. In fact, I was hoping to become a late night talk show host, professional baseball player, or a chef working in a five star restaurant. Who knew? What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? Reading other Author's stories. I thought it was silly to waste a talent I'm not using, even if it wasn't the best. I've experienced so many different careers and skills in my life, I thought it was time to choose one I could enjoy for a lifetime. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? No particular reason. I love most genres. I intend to reach out to the psychological thriller genre when I'm done with my dystopian series. Just like the experiences in my life, I prefer to be versatile. I get bored easily, but my mind is in a constant state of change and imagination. Who is your favourite character, and why? No doubt, Arena. It was so easy to create and develop her character because I mirrored her traits and personality from my own daughter. But the mundane trials she grows up with and faces in the story are based on my own personal experiences. I just thought it would give the novel better appeal if I vicariously lived them through this 15 year old girl. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Strange, but it must be very warm. I hate the cold with a passion. I can't concentrate when I'm feeling uncomfortable. During the cold season, I use a small heater under my desk to toast my feet. What does your family think of your work? They love it. My mom read both books, something she isn't accustomed to reading, but gave me great feedback. My wife is an editor so I get the best constructive criticism, even if I don't want it, hehe. Because of my family, I've had to tone down my writing, which turned out to be a great idea. How do you deal with writers block? Ha! Get on Netflix. Not sure that helps though. Writer's block is no more than procrastination. I was asked how I dealt with it before and I'll answer it the same way. I exercise, watch a movie, read a book, play my drums, have sex. Not in any particular order, as some may derail others. ; ) What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Most would say developing characters, but I quite enjoy that part of a story. I would have to say Dialogue, Dialogue, Dialogue. It can move a story, yet it can slow the prose in profound ways. It's an art no doubt, and I've been trying to craft mine for years. I used to write screen plays, but dialogue in a script is so much different than a novel. Where description moves a story in a novel, it's dialogue that pushes a story in film. Very different, yet both are hard to master. I absolutely detest clichés or tropes. It drives me insane. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Arena's traits are purely based on my daughter, Mikaela, and Gabe's personality is based on my son, Gabriel. The experiences these characters live are based on my very own as a child. I like coming up with characters based on real people that I have either read about or have actually met. Makes it so much easier to build and develop. Many of what is written is part of my past or stories revealed to me through my grandfather. Some things are obviously embellished, but some are very real. I won't tell you which ones. I'll let the readers guess. What do you do in your spare time to relax? Relax, what's that? I'm usually playing with my kids and making really bad horror movies with them. I love being outdoors and active. I'm still a ten year old child living in a 43 year old body, and I don't see myself growing up anytime soon. What do you like to read? Thrillers, Dystopian, and well done fantasy books. I like strange and unusual stories with characters that will stay with me a long time. Also love historical non-fiction. History is a passion of mine. Who is your favourite author? I don't really have just one, but if I had to choose a modern day inspiration, it would definitely be Stephen King. But what jump started my inner imagination would have to be C.S. Lewis and Tolkien without a doubt for their courageous unsolicited effort to go against the pretentious grain of the book publishing world during their time. They both have created timeless characters and stories to which have inspired many to follow in their writing footsteps. Robert Lewis Stevenson and Jack London, two of the greatest authors of our time, for their masterful real-life characters and colorful story telling through prose and poetry. Where are your books available? Everywhere, here are a few: Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords Smashwords iBook iBook GooglePlay Book Depository booksamillion abebooks.com Indie Bound Cherry Hill Publishing (Audio Format) kobobooks What are you working on right now? I'm delighted to be almost done with book III, Last Light Falling - The Ten, but no spoilers here I'm afraid. Release date should be available April 2016. I'm pretty busy right now working with an executive producer for the movie franchise. The script for the film is in the pre-stages as we speak. This film series is going to be epic. Here is how you can find Jay Plemons Website: http://www.lastlightfalling.com/ Twitter: @lastlightfallin FacebookFanPage: https://www.facebook.com/lastlightfalling.Plemons/ LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/author/plemonsje I'd like to thank Jay for taking the time to interview with me, and for answering my questions with a grace I have come to admire about him. It's been an enlightening experience to learn what I have about Jay, and I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did. Please take the time to connect with Jay and follow his progress and any new ventures he begins. You won't be disappointed. |
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I am a wife, mother, and grandmother, and I live in Wales in the U.K. Sallyann Phillips is an IASD member.
Check out their website for a wonderful choice of Indie authors for you to chose from.
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