#AuthorInterview Amelia J Hunter #contemporary #romance #indie

Today I have something for romance fans and for anyone who is interested in the experiences of an indie author. Spring is slowly making way in the nature to take over after a cold winter and as our hearts warm after the long, cold months I think there’s no better time than now to explore some romance titles 😉

The cover of Hidden caught my eye with its simplicity and beauty, added to that it appears that this romance title has more going for it than just a love story. Continue reading to find out more about Amelia’s books and about her journey as an author…

Welcome to Cover to Cover Amelia! A pleasure to have you! First off- who is Amelia J Hunter?

Back in 2014 before Amelia became known, she was a very unsure woman who loved reading and had found a passion for the words that she strung together to make stories. Now, she is the name on the books I write. She is my social media front and my brand and allows me to have my personal life and my writing one.

Hidden is the first book in the ‘Uncovered’ series. In one punchline- what is the core and centre of the book? What can readers expect picking up this book?

“Secrets and Lies ~ we all have them. Some are bigger than others but most we take to our graves.”
I am hoping the reader will firstly enjoy the book and to understand Samuel’s, the main character, actions as family secrets unfold. He is a cold man with a colder past.

Secrets never stay hidden, do they? 

They have a way of creeping into your life when you least expect them. 

Samuel Delaney never expected his secret, his past, his mother to destroy the man he had fought hard to become. 

But when a white envelope with an Irish stamp, containing a letter handwritten in black ink, arrived on a Wednesday morning, it changed everything, risking the most important thing in his life – Faye, his soul mate for the past ten years. 

Samuel had boarded a plane thirteen years ago without looking back. Now, he had no choice but to return and bury his past before it ruined his future. But he didn’t expect the secrets to run deeper, down to a rotten root. 

Will the discovery of the hidden secrets change him when Samuel doesn’t want to be changed?

You mainly write in the contemporary romance genre- did you know from the beginning this was the genre you wanted to write in or did it form over the course of writing the first book(s) that you realized this felt the most natural?

I began by writing erotic books or as I like to call them, sensual all written in the first person. But they weren’t all sex and nothing else. They had a story, they had a connection and they had sensual scenes. My first three eBooks had three stories in them and each story connected to the next. These now are combined into 1 book called The Sensual Collection and now contain 8 intertwining short stories.
While I was writing the fourth book for the collection, I started a summer themed story. I thought it would only be another eBook but the story became my first full novel. A complete turnaround of a romance only novel, Before You Leave. A book for my mother.
Hidden actually started because I wanted to write more about a character from the last book from The Sensual Collection. His name was Tyler and I had his story formed in my head but as I started to write, Samuel took over and Hidden was born. The book style developed from the sensual writing and the romance writing into a comfortable natural writing and in the third person view.

Tragedy strikes shortly before what should have been the happiest day of Julia’s life. The happy ever after she’d been dreaming of for as long as she could remember, is twisted, turning it into her living nightmare, in an accident that changes everything.

Despair. Solitude. Desolation.
This is her life now, submerged in the darkness of her depression and sheathed from the harsh reality waiting for her outside.

Before she can commit herself to the shadows completely, she’s brought back to life with the help of her best friend.

A new start, a holiday, and the unexpected arrival of Kieran mean it’s time for Julia to start living again. But, with the betrayal, untold secrets, and the pain of her grief holding her back, will she be able to move on?

Will she learn how to enjoy life before it’s too late? Or will she let all the obstacles standing before her drag her back to the safe haven of anguish she knew so well?

Goodreads ¦ Amazon UK ¦ USA¦ Kobo ¦ iBooks ¦ Nook

Tell us about your writing process! Do you lock yourself into a study, sit behind a big desk and just write, or can you be found writing anywhere, anytime, in any state? Any specific rituals you definitely need to follow to get the creative juices flowing?

The funny thing is, I have a writing desk, but don’t use it. It looks very pretty, in the dining room, with all my books, notepads, pens etc on. My most comfortable place is in the front room, warm and with my headphones on. I zone out from the room and into the story.

Do you have a favourite type of character you like to write about? A type of character you enjoy developing the most, or a character you usually have the most fun with?

Strangely I like to write about the male character and in the Uncovered Series all of the books will be on the male POV. Before You Leave was written on the female side. And I do have another, none related to Hidden, story that will tell the story on both sides, male and female. I find writing in the male’s voice comes natural to me. Maybe I observe the male a lot to take notes on how they react in situations!

Samuel Delaney thought he had uncovered everything from his past until the builders arrived to renovate the cottage left to him.
Exposed behind the old crumbling plaster, the slot between the stone used to construct the fireplace, hid a piece of faded pink cloth, torn and blood-stained.
Too small for an adult, perfect for a baby. 
More hidden secrets are to be revealed.

More lives will be changed forever.
A continuation of HIDDEN, and Samuel Delaney’s battle for closure.

Goodreads ¦ Amazon UK ¦ USA ¦ Kobo ¦ iBooks ¦ Nook

Is there a topic, plot, a character that you are likely to never write about because you find it too cliché, or too boring, or too out there?

The billionaire! That character doesn’t sit well with how I write. I like the fact the reader can relate to the character I put into the situations and the storylines that develop around them or about them.

Plot twists- I love them! What is your experience with incorporating plot twists into your books?

Always leave something that will surprise yourself as you write! There is only so much you can plan and then even your characters can take the story in a completely different direction. When the twists happen, that is when you sit back and smirk at the screen. It is a good feeling.

What, for you, is the most difficult part of writing? And how do you overcome it?

There are two parts of writing that I find the most difficult. 1) Time. When I wasn’t at college full-time I had a structure with writing. But now most of my creativity gets used up during college time. So I allow myself not feel guilty about it or not to put pressure to write when I am too exhausted. Nothing gets done with guilt. 2) When I get to that middle part in the book. The last thing I want to do, as a writer, is to bore the reader. This is usually about 30k words into the book. To overcome it I usually take a break, check my notebook for anything I have missed or can add. Most times just taking a recap of what has been written is enough to get pass the mark.

As a writer do you also enjoy reading and are do you also believe that you can only be a great writer if you’re a great reader?

I love reading and read anything from biographies to suspense. Before writing, I would have been an avid reader. Now it takes me a little longer. But that’s okay. The important thing is to remember how a book takes you on a journey and that is what I want my writing to do.

I will not ask for your favourite authors because I can’t answer that question myself, however, if you could name 3 authors that have inspired you, who are they and why do they stand out to you?

This is hard as there are so many authors, especially in the indie world, that have inspired me. So it is impossible to name just three, plus I am terrible at remembering names of books that I have loved, so I am going to name just one. JK Rowling for Harry Potter, for Dobby, for a story that will ALWAYS live, for believing in what she had written and took her rejection letters, at the beginning, as a challenge.

As an indie author, what has been your biggest challenge?

For my books to be read. That is my hardest and biggest challenge. I would love readers to take a chance on what I have written.

When not writing, what could you be found spending your time at?

My answer is not that exciting. You won’t find me hiking for hours up a mountain, or cycling for miles nor preparing to run a marathon, all amazing things to do. I am usually either catching up on college work, preparing for filming, studying, attending gym classes, cleaning the house, cooking the dinner or driving after hours at lecturers.

Any writing/editing/publishing tips or lessons learned you could share with fellow authors?

Editing tips ~ research, research and research. Don’t ever think it is best to go with the cheapest either. You get what you pay for!

What’s next for Amelia J Hunter?

The plan I have is to release one book a year. This has worked for me for the past two years. I am living in high hope that the summer will allow me to get back into the story; I have already started, for part 3.
I have a book event in April that is completely new to me in Kerry [Ireland] and for 2019 I have 3 in the UK:
Leeds Author Event is a fantastic event run by Rachel and Jo. Tickets and information can be found on this link. I will also be attending an event in June and again in July in the UK:
Creativity in Chester June 22nd and
Books on the Beach in Blackpool July 27th.

Amelia J Hunter is an indie writer who likes to take her reader on a journey through her novels.

Leaving the bright lights of London behind in the early 90’s, she now lives in the Irish countryside with her family, a good coffee maker and plenty of talk.

Amelia is a sociable writer who loves to hear from readers, writers and anyone that makes her smile and enjoys her ramblings.