A.M. Ami interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hello. My name is A. and I come from Italy, where I grew up for most of my life until I moved to Japan. I work as an English teacher for young children, but my dream is to be a translator and full-time author.

When did your love of books begin?

I started reading books when I was very young. I loved this series by Elisabetta Dami called "Geronimo Stilton". It's about a rat journalist who is also a detective and has many adventures. I liked that some of the books were interactive; it really made me love reading as a kid.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

First I wanted to be a cartoonist. I had a series of comic books with my cats as protagonists, and what I thought they did whenever they were left alone. When I received my first computer at 12, I started to write more and draw less. I remember talking about my stories to someone who asked me if I wanted to be an author. I had actually never thought about it before, but from that moment I knew what my future would be.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

It's not easy. Even though many people think writing is a hobby, it takes dedication and lots of practice. Growing up in Italy, I spent most of my life speaking and writing in Italian. I have recently started my very first novel in English, and it's been a challenge. Sometimes it's hard to feel confident and motivated, but whenever I write, I know it's my path.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Write every day. It doesn't have to be a novel, it could be a journal, a blog, a diary, a short story, a poem.... anything. As long as you write a little every day, you will improve.

Tell us about your book/books:

My new novel is set in the same world as the previous one, which is only available in Italian. It's a high fantasy, with magic, animal gods, shape-shifters, and beautiful scenery. I think my books are more character-driven, and recently, I have been trying to work on my villains a bit more.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

It feels right. There is nothing else that makes me as happy as writing does. I love the community because I grew up being told that writing and reading were not cool, so it feels nice to finally be understood, and to share something I really like with other people.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Thank you for taking the time to read my novel. Especially my friends who don't speak Italian and made an effort to read it using the translation tool on their kindle. I really appreciate that, and I promise from now on that all my books will be in English.

Where can people connect with you?

https://linktr.ee/booksfromtenelan