Special Guest Amanda Forester

by Jeannie Ruesch

Today we welcome debut author (and fabulous client of mine) Amanda Forester to answer some quirky questions and give us the scoop on being a writer.Β  Amanda has a yummy (okay, so that’s her cover) book set in 14th century Scotland just out this month — be sure to check it out!

Welcome to Happy Endings. Can you tell us a little about your latest release?

Hi Jeannie!Β  Thanks for inviting me to chat today.Β  My debut novel, THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD is set in 14th century Scotland and tells the tale of Lady Aila Graham who is destined for the convent until her brother’s death leaves her an heiress.Β  Soon she is caught in the conflict between the hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot’s insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.Β  Her new husband, Padyn MacLaren, is a battle-hardened knight, scarred by betrayal, who seeks Aila’s fortune to save his clan.Β  Yet Aila is not what he expected, but everything he needs…

What is your biggest challenge as a writer?

This may sound silly, but my biggest challenge as a writer is to actually WRITE.Β  Even though I really enjoy writing there always seems to be something else that needs to get done.Β  Finding the time to write between my kids, my job, and all the other β€œstuff” takes discipline I don’t always have.Β  I’ve found I need a schedule and daily goals.Β  Without my daily writing goals I doubt I would have ever finished a manuscript.

On the flipside, what is the one thing that gets you most giddy as a writer?

I get excited when I get a flash of insight as to how to solve a problem in the plot.Β  Often I know where my characters start and I know where they are going to end up, but I’m not always sure how they get there.Β  If I ask my husband for help he generally replies with something like β€œalien abduction.”  Since I write historicals, this is not particularly helpful, so it’s back to banging my head on the desk until I dislodge something clever (or I decide alien abduction wasn’t such a bad idea after all).

What’s the weirdest or most fascinating thing you’ve had to research for a book?

For the current manuscript I’m writing I had my heroine try to sneak out of a castle in a pickle barrel.Β  Then I got to wondering if they actually had pickles back then, which led to researching the history of pickles.Β  Did you know there are entire websites dedicated to the pickle?Β  And yes, the pickle has actually been around for quite some time.Β  Shakespeare even mentions them in one of his plays.Β  The Romans were known to be eaters of pickles.Β  Who knew?!

Our characters often have characteristics of ourselves or others in our lives.Β  What’s one Β characteristic you gave to a character that you know is either you or someone you know?

My heroine Aila is quite shy and unsure of herself.Β  I think this reflects part of my personality, especially as I was writing my first book and felt unsure of myself in that process.Β  The heroine in my second book has a bit more pluck, though she often leaps before she looks.Β  The heroine in my third book is a warrior chick with a bad attitude.Β  Not sure exactly what that says about me…:)

If you inherited a time machine, where would your first stop be –in the Past or the future and what would you do when you got there?

I’d definitely go back in time because I love history.Β  It would be amazing to actually see it for real.Β  The first place I’d visit would probably be Regency England.Β  I think that era in history is fascinating and I’d love to wear the ball gowns and go off to dance at the assemblies.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and would you use it for good or evil (or totally selfish personal gain for at least 24 hours)?

I would like to have the power of healing – is that a superpower?Β  It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super Doctor!Β  With my superpower I would annihilate sickness and kick the butt of disease. Β Goodbye cancer; so long heart disease!Β  Wouldn’t the world be a brighter place without it?

If you could become the heroine in a favorite book you’ve read, which book would it be and how hunky is your hero?

My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice so I would love to become Elizabeth Bennet for a while.Β  Besides having a clever wit to always be able to say the right thing at the right time, she captured the heart of the one of the best heroes ever written – Mr. Darcy.Β  I would love to be loved by Mr. Darcy.

If you had a β€œjunk food” drawer in your desk for your writing humps, what sort of junk food would be in it?

β€œIf” I had a junk food drawer?Β  Have you been snooping in my office again?!Β  Of course I have a junk food drawer where I keep all the essential food groups:Β  chips, mints, and chocolate.Β  I don’t have any booze though – it is the office after all!

Because this IS Happy Endings, I have to ask: What is your favorite fictional romantic happy endings — either from a book, a movie or TV show. Why that one?

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.Β  I bet you get that answer a lot, and I tried to think of something more original, but honestly this is my all-time favorite.Β  A close second are the regencies by Georgette Heyer.Β  If you have never read one, give yourself a treat and pick one up!

Amanda Forester holds a PhD in psychology and worked for many years in academia before discovering that writing historical romance novels was way more fun. She lives in the Pacific Northwest outside Tacoma, Washington with her husband, two energetic children, and one lazy dog. You can visit her at www.amandaforester.com.

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7 comments

Silver James March 30, 2010 - 8:54 am

Welcome to Happy Endings, Amanda! Congratulations on the new release. I have to admit, your “tag line” is intriguing. “She is nothing he expected and everything he needs” Wow! What a way to set up the premise.

I have a question to add. What is your biggest fear as a debut author? (I ask because my debut novel comes out on April 9th. I carry a brown paper bag with me everywhere! LOL)

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Jeannie Ruesch March 30, 2010 - 1:01 pm

Thanks again for sharing with us today, Amanda!! πŸ™‚

And uhh…I probably should rephrase my “junk food” question to say “We KNOW you have a junk food drawer….” don’t all writers? Mine currently has some granola bars, junior mints, Raisinets and jolly ranchers. πŸ™‚

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Amanda Forester March 30, 2010 - 6:06 pm

Hi Jeannie! Thanks for inviting my to chat today. Though I have to say, granola bars are NOT junk food!

Hi Silver! Congratulations on your upcoming release! Do tell – what’s it about? I guess my biggest fear about publishing was getting a bad review. Trouble is, everyone gets bad reviews. Look up your favorite book on Amazon – I bet you’ll find someone hated it. That’s the subjective nature of book reviews. So the bad news is you’ll probably get a rotten review at some point. Good news is every writer experiences that, so focus on those fabulous reviews. Best of luck to you!!

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Lavada Dee March 30, 2010 - 6:29 pm

Hi Amanda,
Enjoyed your blog and getting to know you. And, we are neighbors. We live in Lacey.

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Jeannie Ruesch March 30, 2010 - 9:03 pm

Amanda, my granola bars have M&Ms in them. LOL

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Amanda Forester March 30, 2010 - 10:52 pm

Well, ok. Maybe if it has M&Ms… Perhaps you could have it battered, deep fried, and dipped in chocolate like they do at the state fair. Now that’s MY kind of granola bar!

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Amanda Forester March 30, 2010 - 10:54 pm

Hi Lavada! I’m waving to you in Lacey! I’m sure if you look out your window and squint a bit… yeah there I am! HI!

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