If you love Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, or Natasha Preston we have an author you need to check out! Amanda Russo.
Amanda has been writing for a while, and from all her creativity she has now self-published two novels, with a third in progress. We are very excited to not only sell Amanda's novels, but she is also our first featured author at The Crafty Bookstore. We wanted to interview Amanda so you can get to know the person and the mind behind the novels Undergo and The Photo, and her many novels to come.
TCB: You've written two thriller/horror novels, where do you get your ideas from for your books?
Amanda: I'm sure this will be a surprise but most of my ideas come from walking. Either on my treadmill or outdoors. When I'm alone with my thoughts is when the creation begins.
TCB: When you're in the midst of writing and that creative outpouring, what does your space and set up look like?
Amanda: I do most of my writing sitting on my couch or sitting outside, and I feel I write best when it's daytime. Surprisingly, music distracts me. I usually have a movie, or a show playing for background noise. I've been watching a lot of Friday the 13th and That 70's Show.
TCB: You've told us before that books and movies were both very influential in you becoming an author. What books and movies influenced and inspired you the most, and what about them had such an impact?
Amanda: There are so many movies and books that influenced me, but when narrowing it down it would be "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream." I love how insane Freddy is and how creative he is. "Scream" to me has a perfect combination of storytelling with the heart pounding fight for your life scenes to get to the ending battle where everything starts to boil. As for books, Stephen King's The Shining is one of my all-time favorite books. Then there is Meredith Wild with her novel Hardwired. I know this novel isn't in the genre I write, but the characters in Hardwired are my favorite characters I've read.
TCB: What is the most helpful piece of advice you've received that encourages you to keep going with your writing and the publishing process?
Amanda: It was something my Dad said to me. There was a time in my life I was very confused and scared to make the jump and write a novel, not just a short story. He said I have this fire in my eyes whenever I'm speaking about my stories to him, he said I have the same passion and same fire in my eyes when he wanted his career in the NYPD, and he did it. I will always remember that.
TCB: Your current books are stand-alone novels; do you think you might write a series?
Amanda: As of right now, I have no plans for a series. But you never know what the future holds.
TCB: What has proved to be the hardest part about being an author, and what tricks have you found to help you overcome some of the struggle?
Amanda: One of the hardest parts about being an author is making sure the timeline makes sense. I sometimes forget what day or time it is in the chapter and when that happens it can throw many things off for me.
TCB: We are animal lovers here and want to know do you have any pets, and if so what kinds and what are their names?
Amanda: I have 5 pets. A dog and 4 cats. My dog is a Corgi and her name is Daphne. My cats are Taz, Jay Jay, Nelle, and Talia. They all get along amazingly.
TCB: Between your two books, if you were magically pushed into one as a character, which one would you choose to be stuck inside of?
Amanda: I would say Dani from The Photo. I think she is strong and I love her mindset when it comes to caring for the people in her life.
TCB: If you could give younger you a piece of advice you wished you knew sooner, what would it be?
Amanda: I would tell myself not to be so hard on myself. I would have many ideas swarming in my head and would beat myself up for not being able to focus on one thing at a time. I would say you are doing a good job and take it easy.
TCB: Of all your characters thus far, which is your favorite and which is your least favorite, and why?
Amanda: It is hard to choose a favorite character because they all are special to me, but I had to choose one. I would say Maxy from Undergo. As for my least favorite character, that spot is filled for someone in my novel I'm creating now. When you read it you'll understand why.
We are so grateful to have the opportunity to interview Amanda and bring a little bit about her to all of the visitors at The Crafty Bookstore. Amanda's newest novel The Photo was released October 8, 2024, we can attest as we have read it that it's a solid spooky read!
The Crafty Bookstore currently has signed copies of both her novels Undergo and The Photo available for purchase separately or in a bundle. We hope you'll support this amazing indie author in her creative journey and follow along on her social media accounts for more exciting developments.
Related Posts
