Interview with Amanda Ashby

Welcome to Jagged Edge!

would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Australia and spent the last fifteen years dividing my time between England and New Zealand, though I’m moving back to Australia next month. I’m married with two kids and a big addiction to chocolate and television and when I’m not writing, I work part time as a teen librarian.

What inspired you to write?

My love of reading. I can’t remember a time that I haven’t read and every now and then I used to freak myself out about how I would feel if my favorite authors hadn’t bothered to sit down and write their stories. It stayed with me for so long that eventually I thought that I’d better sit down and write my stories.

What authors influenced you as a writer?

Well, there are the writers whose work I have grown up with like Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, Ursula Le Guin, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCafrey and many more. There are also the wonderful writers who I’ve met over the years and they’ve influenced and inspired me every day.

Your favorite character?

Lizzie Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, she’s smart and funny and gets it wrong before she gets it right!

What is your favorite Quote?

"Only in silence the word,
Only in dark the light,
Only in dying life:
Bright the hawk's flight
On the empty sky.
—The Creation of Éa"
— Ursula K. Le Guin

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

Any of Georgette Heyer’s regency books. She makes them sound so deliciously fun!

What is the one thing that every writer needs to have or do?

A very bendy imagination!

Are your books different to your personal favorite books by other authors?

My books are quite light and I love reading that sort of thing but I always like darker YA books as well. Not to mention middle grade boy books with lots of action and adventure! Oh, and I’m a big fantasy fan as well.

What lead you to writing in this genre?

I’ve always loved all things YA from television shows through to magazines so it just felt really natural to write YA, even though I had been writing romance and women’s fiction books before I finally sold.

What inspires you the most when you write?

Once a story clicks my only motivation is try and do credit to the bright and beautiful story in my mind. I ALWAYS fail but it never stops me from trying!!

How long does it normally take you to write a book and go through the whole process?

I wrote my debut novel in three weeks and then went through about four months of revisions, where as the last book I wrote took three months and the revisions only took a week, so I guess that one way or another it normally takes four or five months!

What are you most excited about this year?

As well as Fairy Bad Day releasing, I’ve got four more books that I’ve sold so I’m getting very excited about seeing the covers of those!!

What book do you wish to see come out as a movie? (of course all authors want to see their movie on the big screen but what other book would you like to see?)

The Hunger Games is obviously going to be massive and I’m dying to see it. I also loved Eon by Alison Goodman and I think that would make an amazing movie!

Funniest question you have ever been asked?

After Zombie Queen of Newbury High came out I got asked loads of zombie related questions and I think my favorite one was what part of a person would I eat first if I was a zombie (if I recall my answer was fingers!!!!)

What happened while writing one of your books that you did not expect?

I finished a YA book earlier this year called Demonosity and I thought I knew for sure who my heroine would end up with but by the end of the book I was really torn (and you have no idea how confused my heroine was). Of course for now my lips are sealed on who she chose!!!!

Do you read the review when they are good and/or bad?

Yes. Reading bad reviews can be tough but I still read them, especially when they are from YA bloggers, who tend to call it like they see it. I actually think I’ve become a better writer from some of those harsher reviews. And of course the nice reviews leave you smiling all day long!

What's next in life for you?

A move to Australia at the end of the month, the start of my new mid-grade trilogy next year and hopefully Demonosity will be out at the end of 2012 as well!

LAST QUESTION:

Was there a question you wish I would have asked but didn't?

I was pleased that you never asked me how many packets of Skittles that I ate while writing Fairy Bad Day because that would’ve been one embarrassing confession!!!!!


Don't forget to come back on the 25 for the big giveaway here's a sneak peek of all the books in the giveaway! http://klearsreviews.blogspot.com/p/armchair-bea-giveaway-list.html