My newsletter runs a monthly Author Spotlight feature. This month we will Fantasy author, Amanda Kaye, celebrate the release of her latest book, Slithers & Swords.
Welcome, Amanda!
Amanda Kaye has a hot new fantasy fiction release out TODAY (5/18/2020) and we are here to help her celebrate by having our own virtual meet & greet so you can get to know the author and get to know all about her fantasy books!
- First things first. Amanda, please give us a brief introduction to yourself, not just the writer but “you.”
Thank you for inviting me! I’m a writer living in sunny California, USA with my two mini-monster kittens. Tucker and Maddie get a nice spotlight in every newsletter because I love sharing their pictures and stories. I also have an addiction to chocolate chip walnut cookies (the nuts make them healthy, I swear!) and old TV shows like M*A*S*H, Law & Order, and Numbers.
My stories feature lots of action and exceptional friendships. It’s so much fun plotting new ways to torture my characters and throw them into danger. And of course I love reading! Nothing makes me happier than an amazing book with an awesome character arc; my favorite authors include Mercedes Lackey, Robin McKinley, and Patricia Briggs.
You get really cool worlds, scary creatures, and to play with magic! Making up new cultures, new creatures, and twisting old tales into new ones are just a few ways I get to play. There’s so much inspiration out there. I want to escape from reality and give my readers that same escape. Usually I stick to YA character, but it’s been a lot of fun writing older characters like the one in my newest release.
Slithers & Swords
A fading hero. A living nightmare.
Available on Amazon and KU: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B087WYSLBC/
We’ll talk more about your books in just a minute. Trust me, friends! She has some amazing books out there and if you love fantasy…you will LOVE Amanda and her books!
Ugh, I hate reader’s block! Reading is one of my favorite ways to relax so being blocked is doubly frustrating. Usually I can get over it by rereading one of my old favorites like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Lark and the Wren by Mercedes Lackey, or The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. Stories like these remind me why I love reading, and make me excited to find a new favorite book. Not every book is going to make it to your list of favorites, but you never know until you try. I’ve found some great reads by randomly picking a book off the YA and Fantasy shelves at my library.
The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory is one of my favorite epic fantasy series that nobody seems to talk about. Wonderful world-building, amazing character arcs, fantastic plot! I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy. For something a bit lighter you can’t go wrong with When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs.
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. I can’t count the number of times I’ve read that story. The beautiful world, secret identities, a quest to save the kingdom, it has a little bit of everything! Also the first book to really introduce me to the idea of other cultures in ways that meant something to child-me. Eating bread with oil instead of butter? Mind blowing! It’s probably the reason I have my characters eating so frequently in my stories. That book opened up a whole new world for me.
Amanda has three fantasy novels out and has short stories included in a number of anthologies.
Cinders & Blades
A great betrayal requires a great revenge.
Available on Amazon and KU:
An Oath of Fire
An ancient killer, a desperate search.
Available at most retailers: https://books2read.com/AnOathOfFire
AND, it bears repeating…her new release (OUT TODAY)
Slithers & Swords
A fading hero. A living nightmare.
Available on Amazon and KU: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B087WYSLBC/
Her short stories are also available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Kaye/e/B07JHT4VTD?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
Typically I like to write stand alones. We get to go on an adventure with the character and have a small glimpse into their world. In the future I’d like to tackle trilogies or maybe a longer series, but it will take me awhile because I want to write them all before I release the first book. I’ve been burned by beloved series that never get finished or take years between books, and I would never want to do that to my readers.
It’s so much fun to drop clues about what’s going to happen in the climax throughout the story. That’s part of the fun of a reread for me—picking up the little details you dismissed before that you can suddenly see in a new light. I’d like to think readers don’t pick up on ALL the clues I drop. There’s always one or two in there that make me giggle but probably get overlooked because you’d have to live in my head to get the references. I have some easter eggs in the story I’m currently writing; I look forward to seeing if people will find them!
Endings are always hardest. After the excitement of the climax, I want to make sure I give the reader a really satisfying ending so I spend a lot of time on this part. I’m really proud of the ending in “An Oath of Fire,” I think it hits the perfect notes for that story.
It would have to be Hawk from my new story, “Slithers & Swords.” She has a great sense of humor, doesn’t waste time with small talk, and has a bunch of stories to share with me over an ale (or three).
I want readers to feel like they’ve just gone on adventure with a friend. Someone they’ve laughed and cried with. Faced down monsters together and fought next to them in battles. The characters aren’t perfect, but they’re interesting and willing to make the hard choices no matter the consequences.
I love hearing from readers! Whether it’s a book recommendation, feedback on a story, or pictures of their pets, it’s always great to hear what’s on their minds.
As a thank you I want to share a fun little flash fiction story I wrote with your readers. They can download it here: https://BookHip.com/KGXBZG
If you’re not familiar with flash fiction, it’s very short—usually less than 500 words although lengths can vary. I like the challenge of telling a story in such a short space. Each word choice is important and it leaves a lot to the reader’s imagination.
Please enjoy it and I can’t wait to hear from you soon!
I send out a newsletter around once a month with exclusive giveaways, sneak previews, and beta reading opportunities. Readers can sign up here: https://www.amandakayebooks.com/newsletter/
I’m also active on facebook where I like to post daily memes about reading, talk about what I’m working on, and any book news I hear: https://www.facebook.com/amandakayebooks/
And you can find me on Twitter: @amandakayebooks
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Thanks for joining us today, Amanda! It’s been so much fun! And best of luck on the release of Slithers & Swords! We hope you’ll join us again in the future.
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Any authors looking for some social media exposure, please PM me at kvcfreeman5@gmail.com and we can schedule you for my monthly Author Spotlight feature.
Thanks and I hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather and staying healthy!
Love to all!
KC
