We celebrated Christmas in the lovely Facebook group Inspirational Reads and Authors. (By the way, have you visited that group yet? ) In one of my posts, I asked readers to ask me questions for my next newsletter. I received more questions than I expected. Prepare to learn more about me and my writing than you probably want to — haha!
Rory: Do you ever use real people you know in your books?
Amy: I have never used a real LIVING character in my books, but I have filled my books with real characters in my historical books. I love introducing readers to courageous and spirit-filled men and women from the past. I think of my writing as time travel. However, I did create my character of Nellie from the Apron Strings series based on myself and a few friends who tend to be happy-go-lucky and, therefore, a bit accident-prone.
Debra: How do you personally celebrate a book launch?
Amy: I do treat myself each time I release a book—whether it’s going out to a favorite restaurant or ordering something that’s been on my wish list on Amazon. But honestly, when a new book is released, it’s not as big a deal to my family and friends as it is to me and the bookish communities I have online. I am grateful for the support and friendships I have found virtually because I don’t have many people in my physical life who love to read and write Christian fiction like I do.
Bonnie: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Amy: I think I am a delicious combination of both. Ha ha! Just like in real life! I make plans, but I am fine with changing plans at a moment’s notice. When I am writing a novel, I outline what I want to happen in each chapter. However, often, characters take over, and I have had plots, settings, and even characters that significantly change from what I had in mind at the beginning. My characters come to life in my head, and their personalities often dictate how conversations and actions go.
Linda: What do you have planned for future writing?
Amy: So much! I have four books I need to write this year. These are just books that I agreed to write, but there are others I wish I had time to write as well! Currently, I am working on a book for Brides of Pelican Rapids – my first-ever mail-order bride romance!
Tabitha: Do you want to write more fantasy stories?
Amy: Yes!!!! I cannot wait to get back to my Dolls of Mahogany Manor series. I am working on a notebook written by Livvie, one of the dolls. It will contain all the notes that my fifth graders need to have for English-Language Arts Class, with an interesting fantasy spin to help the different grammar and writing components stick in their brains better. It’s filled with fun imaginary creatures to help them remember lists and such.
Doris: What has been your favorite book to write and why?
Amy: Probably my fantasy, A Cursed Enchantment, from the Dolls of Mahogany Manor series – about dolls brought to life by a sorcerer who abandons them. I could give my imagination free rein, and I didn’t have to spend hours and hours researching like I must when writing historical fiction. Even though it is very fairy-tale-ish, writing it certainly renewed my awe and love for God as a Creator. He will never abandon us and had an incredibly detailed and wise plan before He breathed life into Adam.
Helen: What is your next book on Walsh Mountain, and what era is it going to be?
Amy: My next book is Adelaide’s Decision, a mail-order bride story for the Brides of Pelican Rapids series. It takes in Virginia and Minnesota in the 1880s.
Laurel: What got you into history and miniatures?
Amy: I had such a wonderful childhood. My parents encouraged our creativity and knowledge by keeping us well-supplied with books and historical stories dramatized on phonographs and cassette tapes. I was reading Christian and general market historical fiction early on. I credit my aunts with getting me interested in miniatures. One of my earliest memories as a toddler was having my aunts turn my grandparents’ kitchen table in a village with dominoes and making up stories with their tiny figurines.
Krista: Where do you come up with the places in the books? Are they places you’ve been, or are they just totally fictional?
Amy: Both. I often come up with story ideas as I am driving through cities and towns. I see an interesting building or a quaint little home, and a story about the characters who might live or work there will pop into my head. I am blessed to have gone to London and many places in Scotland, so I have some lovely inspiration from the UK. I also grew up in one of the most beautiful areas of the world, northeastern Pennsylvania, so some of my books take place there.
Marilyn: Where do you get your inspiration?
Amy: As a former compulsive daydreamer whose parents once thought she had epilepsy because she would zone out so deeply into her own imagination, it doesn’t take much to inspire a story. It could be a Bible verse, a line of lyrics, a story someone tells me, or a funny interaction I see at the mall.
Dorothea: What sort of research do you do for authentic information for your books?
Amy: I’ve traveled to actual settings, explored ruins, visited museums and historical societies, entered a coal mine – and researched old newspapers. I often purchase memorabilia related to my stories on eBay and antique stores.
Here is the link to this awesome Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inspirationalreadsandauthors
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