Ask the Author: Amy Spector
Answered Questions (29)
Amy Spector
Thanks so much, Kirsty! I'm smitten with it too! :D
Amy Spector
He asked for my hand on our third date.
I’m still learning to write with my left.
He asked for my hand on our third date.
I’m still learning to write with my left.
Amy Spector
Mr. Stewart, all my stories are, in one way or another, based on Scooby Doo. The influence is very subtle, but if you pay close attention, you'll notice there is always a rubber head unmasking at the very end.
Amy Spector
Each and every one of them. :D
Amy Spector
Yes, Al. You are extremely attractive.
Amy Spector
Great question, Al. The Smiths have probably been more influential in my writing than the average reader would guess.
Whenever I need to tap into sorrow, the real stuff, the painful stuff, and my own past heartbreaks aren't quite enough, I like to drench myself in the tragic, and completely sincere cry of grief that is Girlfriend in a Comma.
There have been many, many great songs of loss, but no other has come close to the rawness of this groundbreaking piece.
Whenever I need to tap into sorrow, the real stuff, the painful stuff, and my own past heartbreaks aren't quite enough, I like to drench myself in the tragic, and completely sincere cry of grief that is Girlfriend in a Comma.
There have been many, many great songs of loss, but no other has come close to the rawness of this groundbreaking piece.
Amy Spector
Thank you so much for the question Al, but I am afraid you are confusing me with Dexys Midnight Runners. But no worries, it happens all the time.
Amy Spector
Oh goodness, yes. How could I possibly write about something I have yet to experience myself?
Authenticity is very important to any writer. I find it best to write about things you have first-hand knowledge of or, at the very least, try my hand at it during the writing process.
The record feature on a smartphone is a lovely tool. It allows you to go back and listen to every gasp of horror, scream and swear. It makes it easier to get those new experiences down on paper.
Authenticity is very important to any writer. I find it best to write about things you have first-hand knowledge of or, at the very least, try my hand at it during the writing process.
The record feature on a smartphone is a lovely tool. It allows you to go back and listen to every gasp of horror, scream and swear. It makes it easier to get those new experiences down on paper.
Amy Spector
I'm flattered Al, really.
There you are, dressed up in your finest jogging suit. See, you've even trimmed a good six, seven inches off your beard.
But again, I'm a girl. I don't have a penis. You know, deep down, it just can't work between us.
I'm flattered Al, really.
There you are, dressed up in your finest jogging suit. See, you've even trimmed a good six, seven inches off your beard.
But again, I'm a girl. I don't have a penis. You know, deep down, it just can't work between us.
Amy Spector
Great question, thank you so much for asking!
You have heard correctly. I am a lover of pristine gravel, spotless dirt roads and immaculate compost piles.
Few things give me more joy.
You have heard correctly. I am a lover of pristine gravel, spotless dirt roads and immaculate compost piles.
Few things give me more joy.
Amy Spector
As always Al, great questionl. Thank you so much for asking.
Wizardry is the most ancient of all the izardy's. It has been practiced since the dawn of time because magic has been around since the dawn of time. You can see it in the trees and in the setting sun, and in the written word. Especially if the word written is abracadabra.
My advice to anyone just starting out is to take great care in picking a hat.
Wizardry is the most ancient of all the izardy's. It has been practiced since the dawn of time because magic has been around since the dawn of time. You can see it in the trees and in the setting sun, and in the written word. Especially if the word written is abracadabra.
My advice to anyone just starting out is to take great care in picking a hat.
Amy Spector
Very good question. I would very likely say ...
I'm sorry Chewbacca didn't get a medal at the end of Star Wars.
Just in case there were hard feelings.
I'm sorry Chewbacca didn't get a medal at the end of Star Wars.
Just in case there were hard feelings.
Amy Spector
Great question, Al! Thank you for asking.
While the idea of a story involving crop circles is intriguing, I very much doubt it is a story avenue I will pursue.
It is universally believed within the scientific community that the making of crop circles is a tedious and time consuming venture, so such a plot element would force me to cut back greatly on all the sweet lovin'.
While the idea of a story involving crop circles is intriguing, I very much doubt it is a story avenue I will pursue.
It is universally believed within the scientific community that the making of crop circles is a tedious and time consuming venture, so such a plot element would force me to cut back greatly on all the sweet lovin'.
Amy Spector
Good question Belf, thank you.
I find writing on my head very difficult. I always have to use a mirror, and I struggle with trying to write in reverse.
I find writing on my head very difficult. I always have to use a mirror, and I struggle with trying to write in reverse.
Amy Spector
As always Al, a wonderful question. Thank you for asking.
Like so many others from my generation, I grew up on science fiction.
I grew up with Star Wars, television reruns of Star Trek and Doctor Who and the science fiction novels left laying around by my older brother. Science fiction has been part of my life for so long that there is part of my brain that is insistant that Asimov's Laws of Robotics was created by NASA.
But there was one thing missing in all the science fiction that was part of my formative years. Hot zero-gravity M/M action.
Imagining the close quarters and the extended periods of time astronauts are forced to live together, it's hard to imagine that the sexual tension wouldn't be high. Add the element of danger? Well, I'm sure space missions become a bit handsy.
The lure of such a story is to hard to resist. So, to answer your questions, absolutely!
Remember kids, take your protein pills and put your helmet on.
Like so many others from my generation, I grew up on science fiction.
I grew up with Star Wars, television reruns of Star Trek and Doctor Who and the science fiction novels left laying around by my older brother. Science fiction has been part of my life for so long that there is part of my brain that is insistant that Asimov's Laws of Robotics was created by NASA.
But there was one thing missing in all the science fiction that was part of my formative years. Hot zero-gravity M/M action.
Imagining the close quarters and the extended periods of time astronauts are forced to live together, it's hard to imagine that the sexual tension wouldn't be high. Add the element of danger? Well, I'm sure space missions become a bit handsy.
The lure of such a story is to hard to resist. So, to answer your questions, absolutely!
Remember kids, take your protein pills and put your helmet on.
Amy Spector
Thank you Kristan for this wonderful questions. Interestingly enough it was Xanadu that first inspired me to put pencil to paper.
Since birth, I had always been a sickly child, left to spend time reading in my bedroom as the other children played stickball in the street. It was a lonely existence, one I wouldn't wish on another living creature.
In the late summer of 1980, all that changed. My nursemaid Nanny Elna was quite taken with a young Michael Beck and, despite my protests, took me via streetcar to the picture show. She wanted to see that hussy Olivia Newton-John and the young Beck—whom my father, a course working class bootblack, always insisted was a Belgian—in what was being boasted as the most dazzling, musical fantasy in years. The lights went low and as I ate my Mable-Nut Goodies, procured from the local confectioner, my young mind was blown.
Just as the muses burst from the mural, the characters that had been hiding in my own mind burst forth. I lie in a comma for three months, finally awakening in an agitated state that could only be soothed by the dulcet tones of The Electric Light Orchestra.
Since those early days, I have made a conscious decision to keep my characters on a short leash. Much as Nanny Elna dragged me where she would, I make my characters do my bidding. This has saved me a great deal in time, erasers and does not excite my coulrophobia.
Since birth, I had always been a sickly child, left to spend time reading in my bedroom as the other children played stickball in the street. It was a lonely existence, one I wouldn't wish on another living creature.
In the late summer of 1980, all that changed. My nursemaid Nanny Elna was quite taken with a young Michael Beck and, despite my protests, took me via streetcar to the picture show. She wanted to see that hussy Olivia Newton-John and the young Beck—whom my father, a course working class bootblack, always insisted was a Belgian—in what was being boasted as the most dazzling, musical fantasy in years. The lights went low and as I ate my Mable-Nut Goodies, procured from the local confectioner, my young mind was blown.
Just as the muses burst from the mural, the characters that had been hiding in my own mind burst forth. I lie in a comma for three months, finally awakening in an agitated state that could only be soothed by the dulcet tones of The Electric Light Orchestra.
Since those early days, I have made a conscious decision to keep my characters on a short leash. Much as Nanny Elna dragged me where she would, I make my characters do my bidding. This has saved me a great deal in time, erasers and does not excite my coulrophobia.
Amy Spector
As always Mr. Stewart, a very astute question. I thank you for asking.
When it comes to dating, I have long been an advocate of the Campfire Rule.
Now, stay with me here.
The Campfire Rule merely states that when dating someone younger—read, less experienced—you work hard to leave them in better condition than they were when you found them.
I believe the same rule goes for writers. We have a responsibility, nay, a duty to leave our readers in a better condition than when they picked up our book.
Sadly, not all authors follow this rule.
I have long believed that Roald Dahl did a terrible disservice to the world as a whole—and gum manufacturers specifically—when he introduced Violet Beauregarde. Dahl presents Violet's trophy winning gum chewing abilities as poor manners and not as the impressive achievement that it was. Violet Beauregarde should have been praised for her accomplishment, not made to look fat and then rolled away by Oompa-Loompas.
Then there is the L. Frank Baum travesty that is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Never in the history of fiction, has a minority group been slandered to a worse degree. To blatantly state that there are people that can't get wet is no less horrible than to imply that women can't drive well, men never ask for directions, or that all gay men wear women's underwear. (Sadly, that last one isn't true either.)
Stereotypes do a disservice to mankind.
There have certainly been other books that have tried to undue the damage done by the unthinking, or uncaring Baum.
But I want to do my part as well.
If you are ever asked about the Wiccan agenda, it is simple. They want people to know they can bathe like everybody else. And look good while doing it.
As responsible writers, I feel we should be doing all we can to repair the damage done by these insensitive, deceitful, authors that thrive on spewing hate.
As for bubble butts. Well, I've just always been a fan of an onion ass. An ass so nice it can make you cry.
When it comes to dating, I have long been an advocate of the Campfire Rule.
Now, stay with me here.
The Campfire Rule merely states that when dating someone younger—read, less experienced—you work hard to leave them in better condition than they were when you found them.
I believe the same rule goes for writers. We have a responsibility, nay, a duty to leave our readers in a better condition than when they picked up our book.
Sadly, not all authors follow this rule.
I have long believed that Roald Dahl did a terrible disservice to the world as a whole—and gum manufacturers specifically—when he introduced Violet Beauregarde. Dahl presents Violet's trophy winning gum chewing abilities as poor manners and not as the impressive achievement that it was. Violet Beauregarde should have been praised for her accomplishment, not made to look fat and then rolled away by Oompa-Loompas.
Then there is the L. Frank Baum travesty that is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Never in the history of fiction, has a minority group been slandered to a worse degree. To blatantly state that there are people that can't get wet is no less horrible than to imply that women can't drive well, men never ask for directions, or that all gay men wear women's underwear. (Sadly, that last one isn't true either.)
Stereotypes do a disservice to mankind.
There have certainly been other books that have tried to undue the damage done by the unthinking, or uncaring Baum.
But I want to do my part as well.
If you are ever asked about the Wiccan agenda, it is simple. They want people to know they can bathe like everybody else. And look good while doing it.
As responsible writers, I feel we should be doing all we can to repair the damage done by these insensitive, deceitful, authors that thrive on spewing hate.
As for bubble butts. Well, I've just always been a fan of an onion ass. An ass so nice it can make you cry.
Amy Spector
Exactly what it sounds like. All the time.
Amy Spector
They are completely unimportant.
If you can not get across your meaning, any meaning, by use of a withering glare, you need to consider another career..
I am looking forward to my first public reading where I will stand silent, staring daggers at my fans, and they will flee in both fear and adoration.
If you can not get across your meaning, any meaning, by use of a withering glare, you need to consider another career..
I am looking forward to my first public reading where I will stand silent, staring daggers at my fans, and they will flee in both fear and adoration.
Amy Spector
Both a marvelous compliment and a fantastic questions! Thank you so much.
Absolutely! I would love to write more about Jacob and Elijah, as I fell in love with both my brooding photographer and my eternally optimistic one.
I took part in the Love's Landscapes event when I was working on another piece for myself that revolved around two of the secondary characters in Watching Elijah Fall. So Elijah existed in a vague sort of way, and the story for the LL event gave me a change to develop him on a level I hadn't yet.
Truth be told, I have three other short stories, in various stages, that link directly to Jacob and Elijah's story. Once those are complete, I will likely play with visiting the Watching Elijah Fall couple again.
Everything I am currently working on, as well as everything still swirling around in my head, are all connected in some way. Both by the splendid location of my hometown, as well as through shared friends and acquaintances. Even my current piece, Shiny Things, which is my contribution to the Boughs of Evergreen anthology, while completely a stand alone story, is part of that world and—hopefully the publisher will forgive me—anyone who is interested, will get a glimpse of the boys there.
Watching Elijah Fall is finally available for download on Amazon and will hopefully, very soon, be up for FREE download at a few other sites.
Absolutely! I would love to write more about Jacob and Elijah, as I fell in love with both my brooding photographer and my eternally optimistic one.
I took part in the Love's Landscapes event when I was working on another piece for myself that revolved around two of the secondary characters in Watching Elijah Fall. So Elijah existed in a vague sort of way, and the story for the LL event gave me a change to develop him on a level I hadn't yet.
Truth be told, I have three other short stories, in various stages, that link directly to Jacob and Elijah's story. Once those are complete, I will likely play with visiting the Watching Elijah Fall couple again.
Everything I am currently working on, as well as everything still swirling around in my head, are all connected in some way. Both by the splendid location of my hometown, as well as through shared friends and acquaintances. Even my current piece, Shiny Things, which is my contribution to the Boughs of Evergreen anthology, while completely a stand alone story, is part of that world and—hopefully the publisher will forgive me—anyone who is interested, will get a glimpse of the boys there.
Watching Elijah Fall is finally available for download on Amazon and will hopefully, very soon, be up for FREE download at a few other sites.
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