For whatever reason, my story brain is wired for the unusual
but not the epic. My stories all take place in a contemporary story world yet involve
some kind of twist on reality. (In the case of the No Less Days series, that
would be the twist of characters who stopped aging a century ago and aren’t
killed by injuries.) Also I love the mystery and Western genres, and flavors of
each of those show up in this series as well as the fantasy flavor.
Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
I don’t hold on to one single pinnacle of happiness that
shines brighter than any other day. There are so many varieties of happiness. Happiness
to me is all these things and more: hearing the first robin’s song when winter
is vanquished by spring; experiencing beauty in art at a museum or a concert or
live theatre; holding the children of my creativity in my hands for the first time
when a book’s author copies arrive on my porch; visiting a dear friend who
lives far away, spotting them in the airport and knowing we have days to chat
face-to-face; getting away “Up North” and trekking over dunes, wandering little
lake towns, poking my head into indie art galleries.
How has being
published changed your life?
I’ve known since I was in first grade that writing is my
greatest earthly love, so for me being published is a great gift from God. I
love working with savvy people who make my stories the best they can be, who
believe God has a plan for each one of my books, and who help those books get
into the hands of readers.
What are you reading
right now?
I am about to finish Alexander
Hamilton, a biography by Ron Chernow; I’m making my leisurely way through Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith
and Art by Madeleine L’Engle; and I’m devouring (nearly through!) the Lord
Peter Wimsey Mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers.
What is your current
work in progress?
The third book in the No Less Days series.
What would be your
dream vacation?
A cabin in a warm sunny forest. The cabin would be full of
skylights, have a library and a writer’s nook, and GrubHub would be delivered
every day, and I could just write and write and write! Alternately somewhere
warm (near a beach to walk in the evenings, maybe) where I could check out art
museums and used-book stores with my best friends. I’d love to round them all
up for a vacation someday!
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
The setting for the No Less Days series is a fictional
tourist town based on Glen Arbor, Michigan .
I chose it out of utility; I’m not a strong visualizer of places, so I write
about somewhere I’ve been whenever possible. By this point the setting has
become intrinsic to the story, and some of the characters to whom it was only a
“place to visit” are sticking around longer than they expected to.
If you could spend an
evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
I’m tempted to say “friends who live far away,” but if you’re
asking about prominent personalities, that would probably be Jim Butcher, the
author of my favorite currently-running series, the Dresden Files.
What are your
hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I love the Golden Era of Hollywood. I love music, especially
folk, and I play piano. I’m always up for a good concert or a day wandering art
museums, antique stores, or used-book stores.
I like to visit used-book
stores when we’re out of town. I’ve found some of my best research materials
for settings that way. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do
you overcome it?
My full-time day job is definitely the biggest obstacle to
my writing, but it’s a necessary obstacle that pays my bills! I overcome it mostly
with evening/night writing to the point of chronic sleep deprivation.
What advice would you
give to a beginning author?
Read as many different authors as you can. Read outside your
genre. Read current books and classic books. Study how they do what they do. The
more you study a variety of fiction, the sharper your eye will become toward
the construction of stories. There’s really no better way to learn to write
well.
Tell us about the
featured book.
From Sky to Sky is a contemporary
fantasy, the second book in the No Less Days series.
Here’s the back cover blurb:
Zac Wilson can’t die.
Daredevil Zac Wilson isn’t the first celebrity to keep a secret from the world, but his might be the most marvelous in history: Zac doesn’t age and injuries can’t kill him. What’s more, he’s part of a close-knit group of others just like him.
Holed up in Harbor Vale,Michigan ,
Zac meets two more of his kind who claim others in their circle have died. Are
their lifetimes finally ending naturally, or is someone targeting them—a
predator who knows what they are?
The answers Zac unearths present impossible dilemmas: who to protect, how to seek justice, how to bring peace to turmoil. His next action could fracture forever the family he longs to unite. Now might be the time to ask for help. . .from God Himself. But Zac’s greatest fear is facing the God he has run from for more than a century.
Daredevil Zac Wilson isn’t the first celebrity to keep a secret from the world, but his might be the most marvelous in history: Zac doesn’t age and injuries can’t kill him. What’s more, he’s part of a close-knit group of others just like him.
Holed up in Harbor Vale,
The answers Zac unearths present impossible dilemmas: who to protect, how to seek justice, how to bring peace to turmoil. His next action could fracture forever the family he longs to unite. Now might be the time to ask for help. . .from God Himself. But Zac’s greatest fear is facing the God he has run from for more than a century.
Sounds very
interesting. Please give us the first page of the book.
Nobody knew, as he strode through the propped-open doors of Harbor Vale
Bible Church ,
that Zac had not entered a sanctuary like this one in more than a hundred
years. Nobody knew his legs were trying to turn him around and bolt. After all,
he was Zac Wilson, and nobody knew a thing about him he didn’t want them to
know.
He lagged
behind a few others who dispersed with clear direction. The foyer was open, the
west wall composed of windows from the floor up that faced a side parking lot
and a row of elderly pine trees. Nothing about the space justified Zac’s
reluctance to step into it. Behind a desk stacked with programs and papers
stood a blond guy maybe twenty years old. He looked bored, but his smile was
real enough as he saw Zac hesitate.
“Hey, dude,
are you here for the pack-a-backpack thing?”
“Yep,” Zac said.
“Okay, see the hallway to the
right? All the way at the end, they’re in room 38.”
Thanks.”
His legs
quit fighting him as he fast-walked that direction. He hadn’t expected a
lightning strike, but the wrongness of his presence here was permeating. God
saw he wasn’t here to worship or repent, knew the lost cause Zac saw in the
mirror.
“Zac?”
He pivoted
toward the voice. Tiana Burton stood, hands on hips, at the mouth of the
hallway he’d just entered. Her smile was one of the kindest Zac had known in
all his years. He stepped toward her to absorb more of its warmth. They stood
eye to eye, she was tall for a woman and wearing heeled boots, he five-eight-and-a-half
in his shoes.
“Well,
fancy meeting you— Wait a minute.” He cocked an eyebrow. “This is your church,
isn’t it? Yours and David’s.”
“It is.
Welcome.”
“What are you doing here on a
Friday night?”
“Service event. Somebody
brought in a ministry for foster kids and matched donations, so we’re. . . Oh
my word. Was it you?”
He spread his hands in a
gesture of cluelessness.
Tiana laughed. “Does your fan
base know about this?”
“I started it online. I
wanted to do something local, and then the foster organization told me the
backpack event was being hosted here.”
She sobered. “You wouldn’t
have chosen a church for the venue.”
“Feels
hypocritical.” The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, as if bridled
electricity did indeed hover over him.
“I respect that. But I’m glad
you came.”
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaGStevens/
Thank you, Amanda,
for sharing this book on my blog. I’m so glad a copy is sitting on my table. I
must read it soon.
Readers, here are links to the book.
From Sky to Sky - Christianbook.comFrom Sky to Sky (No Less Days) - Amazon Paperback
From Sky to Sky (No Less Days) - Kindle
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5 comments:
Love the cover! Sounds like a good one!
Melanie Backus, TX
I enjoyed the interview. The book sounds fabulous. Would love to read it.
Barbara Thompson
West Monroe, LA 71292
barbmaci61@yahoo.com
Sounds like a must read!
Caryl K in TEXAS
So intriguing! Thanks for sharing.
Connie from Kentucky
cps1950ATgmailDOTcom
Enter me in your awesome giveaway!!
Conway SC.
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