Interview: Christian Romance Author Amanda Stephan

It’s a pleasure to welcome my friend Amanda Stephan to my blog today. Amanda is a Christian romance author, the co-founder of Christian Indie Authors, and a homeschooling mom extraordinaire. You can read more about Amanda and her work by checking the websites listed below. And now, without further ado, here’s Amanda.

Hi Karin! Thank you for having me here today, I look forward to getting to know your readers better.

Tell us about your upcoming book.

My new release, Lonely Hearts, is a sweet Christian romance about a lonely mother, two matchmaking kids, and three eligible bachelors. Oh yes. And apple pie!

When Becky Callis moves to a new town, she had no intention of becoming romantically involved. Her children, on the other hand, think she’s been lonely far too long, and decide to take matters into their own hands. Choices range from handsome cowboy, Scott Boone; local preacher, Jack; or rough around the edges rancher, Pearce Morgan. It doesn’t take long before her children find that True love is harder than it looks!

Have you published anything previously?

Thank you for asking! Yes, Lonely Hearts is my second romance novel. My first, The Price of Trust, was released in May 2010. If any of your readers are interested, they can get a sneak peek here.

When did you know you wanted to write?

To be one hundred percent honest, I’ve just always written. I never thought or even considered writing professionally as it was something I just loved to do. When I finished my first, full length book, The Price of Trust, I was excited and told my husband about it. He asked what I was planning on doing with it, and I said printing it out and hiding it away until our kids were older. He asked me to try to have it published, and the rest is history. Since then, I’ve been hooked!

What made you decide to write romance?

I am an incurable romantic. There’s just something about reading how a couple come together that makes me sigh and dream. But, with that said, I’m not one for edgy or graphic books. I’m super picky about what I read, so if it’s inappropriate for my children to read, it’s not in my house.

Do you keep a writing schedule?

Ha ha ha! That’s what I like so much about you, Karin! Always joking around! I suppose I’m rather eclectic in that matter. I find my best writing comes when everyone is in bed and I can let my imagination run free.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I’m either teaching school (I homeschool), sewing, or reading a book to review.

Name your three favorite books.

My three favorite books? Let’s see, Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, and 101 Dalmations. When I was growing up, I absolutely tore my paperback copy of 101 D up.

Name your three favorite authors.

That is not an easy question! Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Karin Kaufman! (She’s an up and coming author to be reckoned with, I’ve heard!) :)

What’s coming up in your writing future?

Oooh, I am so glad you asked! I’m currently working on a Christian romance/suspense series.

What would you do if you were tricked into marrying the wrong man? I take that thought and build an entire set up around the couple. As I was writing, new, fresh ideas were coming at me so fast, I had to make it into a series! To tell you the truth, it’s my absolute favorite I’ve written so far. Book one and two are finished, and I’m working on the third now.

Any last thoughts?

Just a quickie before I leave. I’m going to be having a book launch on November 1st, 2011, and I’d love to invite all your readers to participate. There’s going to be some pretty awesome prizes, like a Nook, a Kindle, free eGifts from various awesome authors, and more they can win. If they’d like to know more, they can find the information on my website. Again, thank you for having me here, it was a blast!

How can readers connect with you?

You can find me lurking almost everywhere, but here are the places a frequent the most:

Facebook: personal page
Facebook: author page
Facebook: book page
Twitter
Website
Book blog
Personal blog