I am pleased to showcase author Amy Lignor. Her newest release, "13," is released today, December 1, 2012. Help me celebrate with her on the day of her release!
Here's a bit about her
As
the daughter of a career librarian she grew up loving books. In fact, Patience
& Fortitude at the NYPL are still her heroes. Beginning with her first novel
of historical romance, "The Heart of a Legend," I moved into the YA world
with the bestselling series, "The Angel Chronicles." Today, December
1, 2012 is the release of "13," which is the first book in a seven-book
suspense/adventure series titled, “Tallent & Lowery,” and the fans went
crazy for it. Reviewers have already referred to "13" as a '5-Star' read
that’s “The DaVinci Code with Heart.”
Being
in the publishing industry as an editor for twenty years, Amy now owns and operates The Write Companion (www.thewritecompanion.com),
which offers editing, ghostwriting, and proofreading services to authors. She is also a contributor to Suspense Magazine, as well as many literary
publications, such as The RT (Romantic Times), HumorOutcasts.com,
Authorlink, The Feathered Quill, Random House YA, and more.
Here’s what people are saying about Amy and her Work
“This
is an author to keep an eye on in the future as she takes on the big boys in
publishing. With a vivid imagination, Amy always delivers!” - Dawn’s
Reading Nook
“Amy
Lignor has a knack for writing that many should be envious of. She has the
wonderful flowing poetry style that makes descriptions of places and times play
on the page like mini movies.” - Rants ‘N Scribbles
“Amy’s
story is nothing but original!” - Realm of Fiction
“Amy
Lignor’s novels keep you begging for more!” - Novel ‘d Tales
“I
love Amy Lignor’s twists and turns…she certainly grabs my attention!” - Mocha
Latte Reads
“Amy
Lignor is a remarkable writer!” - YA-Aholic
“Amy
Lignor has a unique way of writing. It’s beautiful, the way she writes.” - Midnight
Book Thief
“Amy
Lignor is a great writer. I am hooked from the prologue and ready to go
wherever she takes me!” - Rampant Reads
Wicked
Readings says…“This
author creates wonderfully complex characters that are completely believable
and truly unforgettable!”
Interview with Amy
I
was able to snag a few minutes of Amy's time and asked her some questions:
QueenWriter (QW): Tell us a bit about your background that we
won't find in your bio.
Amy Lignor
(AL): Writing was something I always wanted to do. When I was 13 years old, we
were actually given an assignment by our history teacher in high school. The
class was supposed to write an essay regarding our ‘take’ on the characters of
Nicholas & Alexandra. The girls headed toward the Tsarina and the boys took
the Tsar and, because I love being different, I took the subject of Rasputin.
That was the first time my writing achieved success – when the teacher placed
it into a historical writing competition and it won. After that, writing was
it! I love research; I love going back to ancient times and figuring out
puzzles; and I love having fans whisked away by a story that I created.
So…writing is not what I would call a ‘job,’ it is extremely personal to me,
and I want to make readers happy and introduce them to characters they’ll
(hopefully) never forget.
QW: Complete the
following sentence: "If I had one day to do whatever I chose to do, I
would ..."
AL: Oh,
gosh…I would have to say that there are so many places I have written about
that I would love to visit one of them for a day; most especially, Petra, which
is a highlight in my new series. Just to be able to walk through these amazing
places and see the ‘real’ thing up close and personal instead of researching in
books, on the internet, etc., would be an absolute thrill for me.
QW: Other than the
synopsis of your book, tell us why you think readers will enjoy it.
AL:
"13" came from a very slow day at work, to be honest, and turned into
an all-out adventure. I think the puzzle linking some of the most varied
locations in the world, not to mention a main character who is beyond funny and
intelligent, will have readers truly involved in the book. It’s a slice of The
DaVinci Code mixed with the all-out action of an Indiana Jones/National
Treasure plot. And the sites, themselves – the legends and ‘ghost stories’ - in
some cases - have readers running to the internet and sending me messages
already about how ‘cool’ they think these sites are. So…I think readers will be
engaged by the material!
QW: Do you believe in
writer's block? If so, has this happened to you? And what do you do to get past
it?
AL: I don’t
know if it’s so much of a block as it is just simple exhaustion. There are so
many times when I’ve heard from others that you should “sit at least an hour a
day in front of the computer, or at least type five pages on a daily basis”…but
if you have nothing to say about the character or the next step in their
path/adventure, the pages will be something that you’ll most likely throw out
later on. I say this because when the thrill is with you, when you have that
passion running through you, the story takes the writer out of the everyday
world and it’s a complete and utter experience. When the passion isn’t there, the
pages written will be nothing more than boring words and no writer wants that
for their fans. To get over the block/pause/exhaustion, I walk away from that
machine. I read a book by someone I love, walk outside, enjoy the family, a
friend, play ball with the dog – something that completely takes my mind away
from the story I want to write. Then, when my palette is clean, so to speak,
that passion springs to life again. (Usually at 2:00 AM when you have to wake
up and start writing immediately!)
QW: What's next on your
writing list? Are you currently penning this or is this in the 'thinking'
stage?
AL: I’m
having a ball, actually, because I am currently working on the third and final
installment of The Angel Chronicles series, which has done amazingly well with
the YA world; and I’m working on Book II in the Tallent & Lowery series,
which is a whole lot of fun because I have found a way this time to connect
Shakespeare, the New Testament, Petra, Noah’s Ark, and the Goddess Athena in a
puzzle that’s beyond exciting…so both are being written as we speak. I also
have a romance novel coming out in January, so gearing up for that as well.
I'd like to thank Amy for taking time from her busy life to talk to us. You can contact Amy and find out more about her at:
http://www.tallentandlowery.blogspot.com
http://the-angel-chronicles.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/alignor
http://twitter.com/hellowritersamy
http://ww.facebook.com/pages/The-Write-Companion
http://www.thewritecompanion.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068.Amy_Lignor
