Meet and Greet Monday: Amanda Cabot

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Amanda Cabot has always been a dreamer, and so it’s no coincidence that her first books for the CBA market are called Texas Dreams.  Set in the Hill Country beginning in 1856, these deeply emotional historical romances showcase God’s love as well as that between a man and a woman.  The first in the trilogy, Paper Roses, is in its second printing, and Scattered Petals was a March 1 release.

A former director of Information Technology, Amanda has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages.  She’s delighted to now be a fulltime writer living in Cheyenne, WY with her high school sweetheart/ husband of many years. 

BRC: How would you describe your book?

Scattered Petals is a historical romance set in the Texas Hill Country beginning in late 1856.  Although completely accurate, isn’t that a boring description?  Who would read a book if that was all you knew about it?  Let’s try again.  Here’s the back cover blurb, which I hope intrigues you more than that plain vanilla first sentence.

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston in 1856 and heads for the Texas Hill Country, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks could have heartbreaking consequences. Although attracted to her, ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows Priscilla deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who’s haunted by memories of his mistakes.

When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life filled with promise. But then the past intrudes.

Book 2 of the Texas Dreams series, Scattered Petals weaves a tale of drama, love and second chances as beautiful as the Hill Country itself.

BRC: What message do you hope it conveys?

All of my books seem to have an underlying theme of the healing power of love.  I don’t always have that in mind when I begin the book, but since I believe in love (and justice, but that’s another story), there’s usually at least a hint of healing.  Scattered Petals, however, was designed as a healing story.  Priscilla, who’s been attacked by a bandit, needs to heal both physically and emotionally, while Zach’s healing is internal. 

BRC: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

This is the second book in the series, and for me it was great fun to return to Ladreville, the fictional town I’d created in Paper Roses.  I had gotten to know – and love – the people of Ladreville (most of them, that is), and so it was a pleasure to watch the next chapter of their lives unfold.  For me, writing the second and third books in a series is a bit like returning to a dear friend’s home – more comfortable the second time around.  (Oh, dear, that sounds like a line from a song, doesn’t it?)   Anyway, I hope my readers feel the same way and that they enjoy this second Texas Dreams adventure.

BRC: What did you dislike most about writing this book?

The first scene was an extremely difficult one for me to write.  It was also a critical one, since it forms the foundation for my heroine’s journey to love and healing, and so – as painful as it was to research and ultimately write – I did it.  That scene and the rest of the first chapter are available as an excerpt on my web site.

BRC: What inspired you to become a writer?

I really cannot remember a time when I didn’t write – or at least want to write, and so I wrote sporadically until I was almost 29. Since then I have come to believe that authors have at least one thing in common with oysters, namely that we need irritation to produce our pearls … er… our books.  For me, that irritation was moving to a new area and discovering that what had appeared to be an ideal job was truly awful.  Of course, that happened at a time when jobs were hard to find, so I stuck with the one I had for over three years.  But the irritation was enough that I decided it was time to become serious about writing.

BRC: Tell us about your writing process.

I’m almost afraid to tell you this, since when I explained my process to a group of eager readers at a library, another writer jumped out of her seat, clearly horrified, and announced that she didn’t understand how anyone could write that way. So … consider yourself warned. My technique doesn’t work for everyone.

I start with a five to eight-page synopsis, which is primarily a selling tool.  (Agents and editors need synopses to decide whether or not they want the whole book.)  For my own benefit, I create a chapter-by-chapter outline.  The goal of that is to provide a road map, showing me which scenes are in which chapter.  After that I write two drafts for each book (the skeleton and the flesh-and-blood).  Those are followed by a final read-through and minor tweaking phase, which I refer to as the accessories.  In keeping with the analogy of turning a skeleton into a living, breathing person, this is the time for makeup, hairdos and jewelry.   

For the two drafts, I put myself on a two-chapters-a-week schedule.  Since I’m a morning person, I write most mornings.  I’d love to tell you that I always finish my allotted chapters by noon on Friday, but that doesn’t always happen.  When it doesn’t, you’ll find me writing during the afternoon, even at night, to get those chapters done.  And when I’m in the final polishing phase, I tend to work longer hours, mostly because I want to ensure continuity in the book.  It’s during that final phase where I catch errors like a minor character being named Smith in one chapter and Jones in another.  Those are the kind of mistakes that bother me when I see them in a published book, so I try my best to eliminate them.

BRC: What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on the first draft (my least favorite part of the process) of the first of the Wyoming Winds books.  This is the trilogy that will be published after the third of the Texas Dreams books.  Since I live in Wyoming, I’m having a lot of fun, introducing readers to my new home state.

BRC: What books do you enjoy reading?

I’m a fairly eclectic reader and enjoy a variety of books (mostly fiction, I admit), but my favorite books are those with happy or at least satisfying endings.  That’s why I gravitate toward romances and mysteries.  In both cases, no matter what horrible things happen during the story, I know I’ll find a satisfying ending.

BRC: Where can readers buy your book?

All of my books are available online (Amazon, B&N, Christian Book, etc.) and in brick-and-mortar stores.  If one of the brick-and-mortar stores is out of stock, they can always order a copy.
 Here's the purchase link for Paper Roses, book one of the Texas Dreams series, at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080073324x/amandaharet

            Here's the Amazon purchase link for Scattered Petals, book two of the Texas Dreams series:
            http://www.amazon.com/Scattered-Petals-Novel-Texas-Dreams/dp/0800733258/ref=pd_cp_b_2


BRC: Where can readers find you online?

I invite them to visit my web site, http://www.amandacabot.com.  I also welcome email from readers and try to respond within a couple days.  

          

BRC: Thanks for stopping by Book Readers Central and letting readers get to know you.

          Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me, Janalyn.  I enjoyed our time together.

Book Giveaway: Leave a comment to this post or email it privately (click here) to enter. Be sure and put "Scattered Petals Giveaway" as your subject. Entries will be accepted until midnight (Pacific time) this Wednesday. Visit this blog on Friday to find out the winner!