With the release of her new book with Mills & Boon, we snatched a few minutes with the rather wonderful Amy Andrews on her visit to London to gain some insight into her writing process and about her new book, Swept Away by the Seductive Stranger.
First things first! How do you manage to write the impressive feat of a 50,000 word book in a month?!
As a Medical Author, it helps that I used to work in nursing and am able to write about things I know (as I don’t like doing a lot of research!). Any diagnosis or procedure I wasn’t sure about I could ask at work or even watch on YouTube. Thank Goodness for YouTube! I don’t know how writers wrote in the days before the internet. You need a pretty strong stomach to be a Medical Author but the story and the romance are the most important. That’s one thing that new authors to the Medical series are always worried about, the balance of medical versus romance. Romance always come first.
What’s your writing process like day to day now that you’re writing full time?
I’m able to write a lot more now that my kids have grown up. I try to reach a word count of 1-2k a day. I’m often the stereotype of an author never leaving the house, and sometimes write in my pyjamas. I reads over what I write at the end of the day so when I get to the end of my story the manuscript is clean enough to send to my editor.
What’s it like working with an editor?
I get to work a lot with the editorial team on continuity stories where I’m presented with a detailed bible of the world and characters I’m tasked with bringing to life. I think continuity stories are popular with readers because they love the characters and have more of an investment in them.
So how do you keep track of everything while you write? Do you keep a notebook or use photographs?
I’m not as visually creative as other authors when it comes to writing but I am very active on Pinterest. I like uploading images that inspire my characters and settings. I find Pinterest boards especially useful to refer to for detail (so I’m not constantly switching eye colours!) and a great way to interact with readers.
So who do you have in mind for the main characters of Swept Away?
Kaley Cuoco from The Big Bang Theory as our heroine Felicity and Jensen Ackles from Supernatural as our hero Callum!
Is there anywhere else you take inspiration from?
I get a lot of inspiration from my own life. Swept Away, Felicity and Callum meet on a train from Sydney to Adelaide. I took the same train a couple of years ago and knew it would be a brilliant way for characters to get to know each other – the journey can take over 22 hours!
Finally, what words of wisdom does you have for aspiring romance authors?
The most important thing is to read as much as you can. Even more important is to read current books to see what people are writing about now. Aspiring authors should also get a Manuscript Assessment and some good critique partners. It’s important to seek advice from the right people, those who know the romance genre. No use seeking out a poetry expert!
Thank you so much to Amy for taking the time to chat with us!
Swept Away by the Seductive Stranger is book #2 in The Christmas Swap duet with Emily Forbes. Felicity (Flick) is fulfilling a lifelong goal to take one of the greatest train journeys in the world. Callum (Cal) is looking for some clear air as he recovers from an injury that has taken away his dreams of being a surgeon. Neither are looking for a distraction or temptation but it’s exactly what they find on a luxury train ride into the night. Neither of them know that their paths are already intricately linked as they throw caution and sense out the window to have a one night stand with a seductive stranger.
Take a look at Amy’s Pinterest page for all her insight into the story and be sure to follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and her website.
