Be sure and leave a comment. Amy would like to give away an ebook to one lucky commentor.

How many books have you written? I’ve written seven novels and a novella. One novel (a YA) is on sub to editors through my agent. I’ve self-published five books so far, with more to come this year!

You write contemporary romance as well as Young Adult fantasy romance. Why the different genres? I like to read different genres and always have, and I think that’s why I like writing in different genres. Though my 20 SOMETHING series and The Hidden Trilogy are very different, they both contain romance, which is always my main interest, whether in books or movies or the TV shows I prefer. The 20 SOMETHING contemporary series features twenty-somethings in the world of TV news and is inspired by my own experiences as a news anchor/reporter working at 6 different stations in 4 different states over the years. As far as The Hidden Trilogy— in middle school I was a huge Lord of the Rings geek, and when I learned that J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired by Norse mythology, specifically the Poetic Edda, I looked into the ancient minstrel tales myself. In them, the Fae are described as beautiful, frightening, powerful, sometimes god-like. The Trilogy, beginning with HIDDEN DEEP, is based on a combination of this Norse mythology and Celtic Fae legends.

How did you get started writing? I actually tried writing a novel the year I graduated from college when I was working my first job as a TV news anchor/reporter. I covered an amazing murder trial and it inspired me to write a murder mystery. But I quickly discovered that news writing and novel writing were *very* different. I didn’t know how to get past the first few chapters. As I moved from city to city, moving up the TV news career ladder, I kept trying, starting and stopping several novels over the years. It wasn’t until I quit my full-time job to stay home with my kids that I really began the long process of learning about story structure and good writing. I joined RWA, went to some local conferences and found my first critique partner at one of them. I entered chapter contests for feedback and read a lot of writing craft books. I was fortunate that the first novel I completed was selected as a Golden Heart finalist in 2013. I was a finalist again the next year with that YA murder mystery/romantic suspense book! That’s the book that got me my agent, too.

What’s your typical day like? I’m very blessed to be able to write full-time, which for me is about four or five hours a day. I still have young kids at home, so when’s school’s out, I’m a full-time mom. But I do write every day. I go to the library and sit in the furthest back corner with only the most boring reference books for a view. I wish I was one of those super-focused people who can write anywhere anytime, but I’m the world’s worst multi-tasker.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? I’m definitely a plotter. I could never write so many books so quickly without it. I pantsed my way through my first book, which was fun, but then it needed LOTS of revision, which took way longer than just planning it out in the first place. Now I do a few character exercises, fill out a beat sheet and then a scene-by-scene outline (in pencil) during my pre-writing stage. I follow it for my story structure, but I also keep a good eraser on hand in case inspiration strikes and I want to make changes. While I am a plotter, I’m not rigid about it—things can and do change as the story progresses and I don’t feel it inhibits my creativity at all.

You mentioned you have an agent but you are also self-published. How did you decide to do both? Honestly, a few years ago I believed self-publishing was not for me. Then I had so many talented author friends (and fellow Golden Heart finalists) who were choosing that option that I finally began to learn about it. Once I did, I was convinced it was something I really wanted to try. I love that authors have more options these days. Interestingly, I signed with my agent about the same time I decided to self-publish. In fact, I made sure when we spoke during THE CALL that she was okay with my plans to do it. I’m not against traditional publishing at all—I guess I just want to try everything and see what suits me best. Also, some genres sell better self-published than others. Some, particularly contemporary YA, still do better trad-pubbed.

What went into the process of self-publishing? SO much! I won’t lie– it’s a lot of work. After writing several drafts of a book, I send it to my critique partners and implement their suggestions. Then it goes through three rounds with an editor and then to a proofreader. I hire a formatter as well as a professional cover designer—they give me both ebook and print versions of my interiors and covers. I upload the books myself to the various retailers. I have hired PR companies for almost every release (and some cover reveals) to spread the word and try to reach my target audience. Some have worked better than others. I utilize social media and a newsletter to keep readers updated about new releases and/or sales, but I try not to overdo it and turn people off.

Do you have other talents besides writing? I’ve been a voiceover artist for the past 14 years, doing radio and TV ads and corporate videos. I also narrate audiobooks. No, I haven’t done my own yet—I haven’t had time! I’m like the plumber with leaky pipes in his own house—so busy working for everyone else, I haven’t recorded my own books. But they’re coming! I’ll be sure to update you when they’re available.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to write a book and become published? I’ve seen the statistic that 90% of people want to write a book and only 10% actually do. I think lack of know-how stops most people. So my advice would be to join a great writer’s group like RWA (Romance Writers of America) and a local chapter. It’s such a great resource for information on good writing as well as for support. Having writer friends to trade work with made an incredible difference for me. I also enjoyed writing more and had more success when I got a firm grasp on story structure. I loved the book Save the Cat by Blake Snyder for that. It’s very accessible and clear, besides being funny and enjoyable. When I read it, a lightbulb went off for me.  

What’s your next project and when will it be released? I’m working on the next books in the Hidden Trilogy. Book two, HIDDEN HEART, is in the editing process now and will come out May 24. I’ve just finished a Hidden-related novella called THE SWAY for a box set with some awesome YA fantasy authors. The bundle is called Faery Tales and will be released mid-May. I still have to write a fifth book in my 20 Something series, but I’ll be immersed in the Hidden world for at least the next few months before starting that.

Thank you so much for hosting me today Cindy—it’s been fun!

HERE’S THE BLURB FOR CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING:

22-year-old Heidi Haynes is almost one year into her “real life”. She has her first reporting job, her first apartment, and a comfortable relationship with her college sweetheart. But for some reason she’s not as eager to talk about walking down the aisle as he is.

Heidi secretly longs for big cities, big-market breaking news, and real independence from her way-too-close-by helicopter parents. Problem is, the last time she left the security of home for new places and new people, things didn’t go so well. Disastrously, in fact, and she came running back to a local college and a “safe” boyfriend.

Aric Serrano is definitely not safe.

He’s six-feet-four-inches of missing-Hemsworth-brother-hotness and plans to stay in small-market-Southern-Hell just long enough to grab a cup of coffee and put together a kick-ass “escape tape”. He’ll serve his one-year contract, then he’s taking off for a higher rung on the TV sports ladder—alone—the way he likes it. Then he meets his new co-anchor.

Heidi would be so much more comfortable if she could simply ignore Aric. He’s just her type—the type she’s so careful to avoid these days. But that becomes impossible when she’s forced to work closely with him on the weekend newscast. Now the attraction between them is growing even faster than the ratings, and what happens behind the scenes is the real news.

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