Amy Maltman interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

I’m a lifelong animal lover and nerd who grew up obsessed with Star Wars in a small city in northern Ontario, Canada. I’m a graduate of the University of Guelph and the University of Toronto, and I had a short career as a pharmacist before I was forced to go on permanent disability due to a rare spinal cord disorder (syringomyelia). Now I live with my fur family of three small dogs and three cats and pass my time watching TV and movies (including Star Wars, Supernatural, Marvel, and True Blood marathons), reading, and collecting Funko Pops and other pop culture memorabilia.

When did your love of books begin?

I can’t remember ever not loving books. My mother always encouraged my sister and I to read, and one of my earliest memories is reading a Dr. Seuss book to my nana.  

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

Since the sixth grade, roughly 35 years ago. Yikes. That math was painful. I actually have a picture of myself at an electric typewriter writing one of my first stories, wearing one of my many horse T-shirts. Then, in Grade 13 (another sign of my age since it no longer exists), I didn’t like any of the options for the course’s major project so I asked for permission to start writing a novel instead. Those 70ish pages formed the basis of Ride Every Stride, which I finally released in 2015. I finished the first draft in 1998, between university degrees, and it sat until a couple years after I had to go on disability.  

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

In a word, long. But seriously, it’s a rollercoaster. There’s the high each time I release a new book, followed soon after by the terror of how that book is going to be received. It’s elation when I feel like I’ve written a particularly good sentence or paragraph or chapter, but it’s also (and more often) doubting every word I type. It’s dreaming, then having those dreams crushed.  

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

I’m answering this as a self-published author addressing other self-published authors, but some of it can apply to the traditionally published. (Note that I still struggle with much of what I’m about to say, especially in the first paragraph.)  

 

Control your expectations, in terms of how well your book will sell and how much support you’ll get from the people in your life. If you don’t already have a thick skin, invest in one as soon as possible. No matter how many times those supportive family members and friends tell you that you’re the best thing since Stephen King or Tolkien, that your book is going to be snapped up by Hollywood, there are going to be people who hate your work. Negative reviews are unavoidable. And it is damn hard to get your book noticed, especially if you write in a popular genre such as fantasy. So learn about marketing and get to work on it before you even finish writing your first book.  

 

Spend money on your cover, because most people do judge books by their covers whether they like to admit it or not. Edit, and edit, and edit again. Send your manuscript to alpha readers and beta readers, the more the better, and try not to rely on people you have a personal relationship with. Then edit again. If you can afford a professional editor (which many of us cannot, including myself), hire one.      

Tell us about your book/books:

My first book was Ride Every Stride, a standalone equestrian novel. I released it in 2015 and it has been my most successful book by far, reaching #1 on Amazon charts in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia. It follows the struggles of a young man, Jed Carver, who hopes to put his troubled past behind him and earn a spot on the Canadian Equestrian Team. Jed is confident in his riding ability, but the obstacles outside of the ring could be his undoing. Will his dark secrets come to light? Can he ride every stride until his dream comes true? Or will his demons unseat him? It does have some heavy content, including child abuse, domestic abuse, and drug and alcohol use, so it’s not for everybody. I drew upon my experiences as a former competitive rider and a groom for three-time Olympic medalist, Eric Lamaze.

A Journey Unveiled and An Enemy Defined are the first two books of my epic fantasy trilogy, Daughter of Venus. I’m currently writing book three, A Destiny Confronted. Following a catastrophic plane crash, eighteen-year-old Lexi Guinel stumbles through a portal into the world of Ayandoh where she becomes trapped for eight years. There, she learns that she is a witch in a land where magic is forbidden. Her fate soon becomes entangled with that of Prince Aeric of Gower, who obeys his father’s every cruel command. Can Lexi master her powers in time to save the country from tyranny, prejudice, and evil? And will Aeric join the fight against his own family? There are elves (light and dark) and other fantasy races, quests, underground cities, magical artifacts, animal companions, found family, and so much more!   

Representation is one of my goals with Daughter of Venus, including a biracial protagonist in Lexi, and Yendar, a gay Black elf who is Potions Master. As the world expands in book two, diversity increases to include disabled characters and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s my hope that every reader will find at least one character to identify with.  

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

The support, the encouragement, and the enthusiasm. These are total strangers who are often more supportive than the people in your real life. They cheer your successes, lend a shoulder for your failures, and encourage you through your doubts. And this extends beyond just the writing aspect of your life. They truly do become friends.  

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

I would thank them for supporting me and for giving me a reason to keep clacking those keys. I hope that my books allow them to escape the stresses and problems in their real life, and maybe even help them through their issues.  

Where can people connect with you?

I’m on Twitter (@AMaltmanWrites) and Instagram (@AmyMaltmanWrites) and I have a blog (AccioTofu.blogspot.com). I also have a Facebook page (AmyMaltmanWrites) but I rarely use it because, well, it’s Facebook.  

 

My links can be found at linktr.ee/AmyMaltman, including links to all my reviews for A Journey Unveiled and An Enemy Defined, and my short story that won a Firecracker Department contest earlier this year (“The Boy in the Box”).