Published Author Interviews
April 2008 Interview:
Amanda Mccabe
Interviewed by Sarah Tanner
Welcome, Amanda. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I've loved history since, well, always! And I've been reading romance since I found a box of Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer books at my grandmother's house when I was 10, so writing is a dream come true for me. When I'm not writing, I travel whenever I can (and collect cheesy travel souvenirs!), take dance lessons, do cross-stitch, and take my dogs to the dog park.
How long had you been writing before you got "The Call"?
About two years, on and off. I started my first book when I was still in college, so it was slow going. I was totally amazed the day I wrote "The End"!
Have you always been a full-time writer? If not, how do or did you keep your careers separate?
I have a "day job" in a library. The two jobs actually go well together-I'm always finding new research sources at work, and everyone understands when I sit by myself at lunch and write, since most of them are aspiring writers, too! But I also try to remember that when I'm at the day job, THAT is my job and I must focus on it. Same with the writing. But that doesn't keep me from thinking constantly about the WIP when things are quiet...
What's your writing schedule like?
I write for an hour or two in the evenings, after work. And I get Fridays off, so that is my all-day writing day, along with Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings. It doesn't sound like much, but when I stick to it I'm actually able to get books done fairly quickly! Plus writing at least a little bit every day helps me stay in the story.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Oh, a pantser! I've been to workshops where authors talk about story boards and detailed outlines, and I've tried really hard to use things like that (they would probably save me a lot of time!). But then the characters go off on their own plotline, and I just have to change the story board, and then I end up spending all my time on that! I try to spend my pre-writing time research the setting and getting to know the characters. They'll usually take me where they want to go.
Do you have any research tips to share?
If you're writing in a particular time period, try and read everything you can about it! Biographies, diaries and accounts from the period, anything and everything. And visit the setting if you can (it's not always feasible, of course -- I had done 4 books before I was able to visit England! But it was the most inspiring thing I could have done for my writing).
Your new Renaissance Trilogy debuted in August 2007 with A Notorious Woman. What is the trilogy about?
The heroes of the 3 books are 3 friends, Marc, Nicolai, and Balthazar. Though the stories start in Venice, they go off in many different directions before they can find their true loves! My April '08 book, A Sinful Alliance, is set at the court of Henry VIII at Greenwich (I was able to use a real historical event, a diplomatic meeting between the French and English, as a backdrop!). The third book, Balthazar's book, finds the characters in the Spanish Caribbean of the 1530s. Sadly, I was not able to follow my own advice and "research" in the Caymans, LOL!
Are you planning to write another Regency in the future?
I have a new trilogy, "The Muses of Mayfair"! The first book, To Catch a Rogue, is out in the UK in March, but in 2009 you'll be able to get them in consecutive months in the US. It's about the 3 daughters of a famous scholar of Greek art and myth, and how they find romance amidst intrigue surrounding lost antiquities. I'm very excited about it!
Finally, do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Write!!! It's the most important thing you can do. The more you write, the better you get-and the more likely you are to sell your work. And persistence. That's key.
Thanks, Amanda!