Hello, friends! Today I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine – Amara Lynn. I met Amara through a writer’s Slack. Amara’s book, Masks, came out yesterday!

Amara Lynn has always been a quiet daydreamer, content getting lost in her own fantasies.

Amara loves anything to do with pirates, merpeople, magic, supervillians/superheroes, paranormal, and just about anything else that happens to strike her fancy.

When she isn’t thinking about her own characters, she is usually reading, listening to podcasts, playing video games, or taking way too many pictures of her two cats. She is addicted to writing and music, and gets most of her inspiration when listening to music and going for walks.

You can purchase Masks through the Less Than Three Press website here!

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What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

You don’t have to write every day to be a writer. You just have to write. I also like this: If you are writing, you’re not aspiring, you’re already an author.

 

What’s your favorite emoji?

The skull and crossbones (I love pirates).

 

Where and how do you like to read? What do you need for a good long reading session?

I like curling up in my recliner or in bed. I just need a big long block of peace and quiet so I can read to my heart’s content!

 

What are your top 3 go-to book recommendations?

My latest obsession is V.E. Schwab. I just recently read A Darker Shade of Magic and absolutely loved it. I’m only a little ways through A Gathering of Shadows. I just adore her and her writing.

I will also forever recommend The Nightrunner Series by Lynn Flewelling to anyone and everyone. Not just one book, all of them. I’m not capable of choosing a favorite among them.

Lastly, anything by Jordan Castillo Price. Jordan’s most recent I’ve read, Hemovore was really great!

 

What authors are auto-buys for you?

The last question probably answers that pretty well, but if it wasn’t obvious, anything by Jordan Castillo Price or Lynn Flewelling is an auto-buy for me.

What does your writing space look like? 

I actually just recently got my house rearranged so I have my own room for writing! I love my cozy writing space. Here’s a picture of it (you can probably tell a lot about my interests from it):

 

What are your favorite writing tools?

Google Docs. I just live in Google Docs and I really don’t use anything else, because I just love having everything in one place. (Can you tell I like Google Docs?)

 

What inspired you to begin writing fiction?

I’ve always been creating characters in my head. I used to just draw them and think up stories for them and even act them out to myself. I tried writing the stories here and there, but nothing ever came of it. This is going to sound silly, but actual thing for me that made me decide I wanted to write fictions was when I read Twilight. Yes, that Twilight, with the sparkly vampires. Not because I thought it was good, but because when I read it I thought “This isn’t that extraordinary. I could do this.” And so it began. Well, kind of. It’s taken me a long time to actually get to the point of finishing a story. But here we are!

 

What is your biggest struggle in writing?

The writing part in general. Finishing things, following through. I’m still so new to this and learning the steps beyond just the finishing part. I’ve got tons of ideas, it’s just getting them onto paper and coherent that’s the problem. And recently, I haven’t felt good most days so that’s been a struggle.

 

What’s the first book you remember falling in love with?

Luck in the Shadows, by Lynn Flewelling. I just adore this book (and the whole series). I hope to make something as amazing and detailed as this one day.

 

What was your last five star read? What made it a five star read?

The Lonely Merman by Kay Berrisford (which just came out at the beginning of July and is the first of a four part series she’s doing!). It was five stars for me because well, for one, I love mermen, okay? It was fluffy and cute with a peppering of angst which is just perfect for me. I can’t wait to read the rest.

 

What other projects are you working on?

By the time you are reading this, I’ll have (hopefully) just finished writing a sweet and quirky Pinocchio retelling, and I’ll be working on rewriting my passion project which I’ve been on and off writing since 2009 (pirates and mermen, anyone?).

 

What’s one thing that would surprise people to know about you?

If I tell people I know in person that I write, they would be surprised. I’m such an introvert, quiet and to myself, so I’m not sure why that’d surprise people. If I were trying to shock and surprise someone I don’t know, maybe that I have almost no idea what Hamilton is (because it seems like everyone does). I know it’s a musical, and it may or may not involve Alexander Hamilton or some sort of historical person named Hamilton? That’s all I know. Okay? Okay.

 

What do you to break out of writing slumps?

Read, listen to music, go for a walk, or do chores. Just anything to get myself away from something for a bit. When I’m feeling like a dry well, doing something else that’s not writing usually makes me think of words.

 

Where is the best place to contact you?

I’m way too addicted to twitter, so you can always find me there @amaralynnwrites! I have a goodreads!

I also recently started a blog (which is mostly me just talking about my writing journey) – https://amaralynnwrites.wordpress.com/

I also have a Facebook page (which is mostly just cross posting my tweets, but I feel free to contact me there!) – https://www.facebook.com/amaralynnwrites/

 

Where should readers start when it comes to your writing?

My first book, Masks, just came out with Less Than Three Press, so probably there?

 

What should readers know about you before reading your work?

I follow my heart and just try to write something that I love. I put a little of myself into every character I create.

If you had a burger named after you, what kind of burger would it be, and what would you want to be on it?

Hm, well… it’d have to have dill pickle spears, colby jack cheese, grilled onions, barbeque, baked beans (made the way I make them!), bacon, and those crispy fried onion tangler things on it. I would be in heaven. If you think this sounds good then you are my food soulmate! <3

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Avari has always been a social outcast, which is just fine by him; he has superhuman abilities and hates people. But his lab partner Chayton keeps being so friendly, and Avari can’t stop staring at his alluring smile.

When he loses control of his abilities, Avari is faced with a startling revelation about himself—one that’s both thrilling and dangerous. As Avari seeks to understand Chayton, he finds himself coming out of his shell, and his connection with Chayton grows deeper.

Meanwhile, a mysterious adversary appears who may hold answers to who Avari really is. Fueled by his curiosity, Avari continues his path of destruction—but he can’t help wonder if his secrets will tear apart his shaky new bond with Chayton. (via Goodreads)