Author Q&A with Rebecca Amiss

Rebecca has has been writing since she was a teenager. Her short stories, “The First Snowfall of Christmas Eve” and “Down by the Bay”, as well as her recent novella, “Summer of ’77” are available on Amazon. She is currently working on her debut novel, “South of Home”, which she plans to release at the end of next year.

1. Tells us about your writing/ published book(s)

I have a few short stories published on Amazon. One is a short Christmas story called “The First Snowfall of Christmas Eve” and the other is a dark Southern Gothic story called “Down by the Bay“. I also have a novella called “Summer of ’77” on Amazon, that I released this past June.

2. What’s your favourite genre to read?

I love historical fiction, psychological thrillers/suspense, contemporary and domestic fiction, as well as family dramas.

3. How do you choose your book’s title(s)?

Some titles like “Down by the Bay” and “Summer of ’77” came to me right away. For “South of Home”, my current WIP, it took a lot longer and went through a few mock titles, some of which were terrible haha.

4. What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?

Just write. Don’t stress over perfect grammar, you can always go back and fix it later. Just get the words out on the page. Also, have fun doing it!

5. Do you do research for your books? If so, what kind of research?

I do! If I’m writing historical fiction, I like to research as much of the era I’m writing about. I love looking at lingo, period clothing, and popular foods/movies/etc. I also tend to be researching during all stages of writing. I like to make the story as authentic as possible.

6. Tell me about your current work

My current WIP is called “South of Home” and it is a historical fiction set in 1946. It touches upon the themes of friendship, second chances, and you don’t have to be blood to consider someone family.

This or That Questions…

Short books or Long books

I like both, but enjoy longer books more. I just like relaxing with a nice, long book for an afternoon.

Romance or Fantasy

Romance.

Bright book covers or Muted book covers

I prefer muted covers.

Ebooks, Paperbacks or Audiobooks

Paperbacks all the way!

Writing in the Morning or Evening

Definitely the morning. I feel I’m more productive and alert in the morning.

Character Driven or Plot Driven

I really enjoy character driven stories. I love getting inside the character’s head, and seeing their growth throughout the story.

Finally, what’s the best piece of advice someone has given you about writing, marketing, or just generally about life?

The best piece of advice I’ve received is write what you want, not what others want. Just because something is popular or trending, doesn’t mean you have to write it as well if you don’t connect with the genre or themes.

Where can you find Rebecca?

Twitter

Author Q&A with Rebecca Amiss