Amelia Grey Interview Published on: 05, Sep 2024

My love of reading inspired me from the beginning of my writing career. When I was about 12 years old, I read a young adult book titled, “A Girl Called Hank,” by Amelia Elizabeth Walden. It’s about a teenage girl who has a crush on the good-looking boy who lives next door. I’ve been hooked on romance ever since and feel as if I grew up on Harlequin books. It was many years later and after my children entered elementary school that I decided to try my hand at writing a book. Since I had always loved reading about history and reading historical romance was the dearest to my heart, it seemed fitting that my first published book was a historical romance.

In our small town there wasn’t much to do for leisure but read. With poor television reception, it didn’t take me long to realize I received more enjoyment from reading books than watching a snowy TV. But too, my parents had seven kids, so growing up with two brothers and four sisters I have a lot of experiences and relationships to draw from. In our full house there was always something going on with one of us: laughter, drama, heartache, anger, teasing and so much more.

For me, traveling broadens my thought and descriptive process. I enjoy taking in the different landscapes, homes, buildings, and gardens. Historical authors love to describe stately houses on sprawling estates with the most magnificent grounds dotted with manicured topiary trees, fountains, and birdbaths. So, I love to visit other places and come away with new ideas. But I also have many books in my office that feature homes and gardens. I can glance through the pages and get an idea of how I want the drawing room, a ballroom, or a park to look. To me, setting the scene is just as important as describing the characters.

I like to be in a relaxed and quiet atmosphere. And that place is usually my office. I never have the tv or music on because I decided years ago that was too distracting for me. I always have the shutters open to let the sunshine in. If the day is gray and dreary, I turn on all the lights. I’m not much of a snacker but I do like to keep a bottle of water on my desk. Also, I keep any costumes or history books I might be using on my desk, so I don’t have to get up and go look for them. Because of email and text, I seldom talk on the phone anymore. It’s so easy to turn off the sounds on my phone and computer and just look at messages and emails when it’s a good time for me.

I write romance with a happily-ever-after ending. It is always the main focus of my books. Thankfully romance and love are understood and accepted by all cultural and diverse backgrounds.

I like to think that readers enjoy my stories because they are simple but well-told. I don’t try to make them complicated or difficult to figure out. I don’t try to teach the reader anything or sway any opinions. It’s a love story about two good people with strong ideals and how they learn to overcome their differences and fall in love. I always start with a heroine who has a worthy goal, and I give her a hero who either tries to help her reach that goal or tries to keep her from it.

It is satisfying to win awards and receive accolades from readers, fans, and reviewers. I am thankful for everyone. The way I look at it is that I need to first write a book I enjoy. And I always feel that if I am enjoying the story, there are many others out there who will enjoy it too.

Indie publishing is difficult to compete with. Pricing is the hardest to navigate. In fact, as a traditionally published author I can’t. Self-publishers can set their own price and most of the indie books I see range from $1.99 to $3.99. Many are 99cents or free. Because I am a traditionally published author, my publisher sets the pricing, and my books are higher. I know I miss a lot of readers because they only have so many book dollars to spend. I understand why they would go for the lower priced book.

I do love to set a scene with a room that’s washed in the golden glow of candle or lamp oil light or have beams of sunshine spilling into a room. I enjoy describing the fluttering of silk flounces on a skirt when the hero watches the heroine walk across the room. Nothing makes a gentleman more handsome than to be dressed in a cutaway coat, a perfectly starched and tied neckcloth, and Hessian boots polished to a sexy gleam. So yes, I love adding the tangible details of beauty to my stories.

It is difficult at times to balance the two. I don’t enjoy reading dark or excessively sad stories so I would never pick a subject that’s too horrific. I like to keep everything light and fun. Sometimes I do this with children, a dog, or once in a while a heroine who can’t see to behave as a proper miss. When I do have serious matters come into my stories I try to keep the pacing moving along at a brisk clip and I don’t dwell on them for long.

I would first have to say that you should love the idea of romance and the happy-ever-after ending. Next, you should love reading history. At least the time period you choose to set your story. And then you should get to know as much about it as possible. Especially the clothing, the inventions, manners, political environment, and other things of the era that will make your story come alive to the reader. Historicals must feel as if you are in that time period. But at the same time, as an author of fiction, sometimes I like to give my historical characters more modern traits that will help today’s reader identify more with them. But I never want to lose the historical feel.

It’s not just one but many. It’s always so touching to be at a book signing and meet readers who have read and loved my books. I’ve had readers bring me gifts of mugs and tea bags, or hand-painted cards. Usually, they will say something along the lines of, “You’ve given me so many hours of joy I wanted to give something to you.” Those times are always special and words that I love hearing. Once at a Romance Writers of America book signing, a fan brought in a tote loaded with nine of my back titles for me to sign. That was so much fun.

I always tell people I write fiction, and I always try to keep that in mind as I develop my stories and the characters I write in them. To a certain point, all writers draw from experiences they have seen, read, or participated in but I would think most stay away from personal relationships.

I’m putting the finishing touches on my next book, which will be out April 1, 2025. I don’t foresee me changing from the wonderful world of Regency. I enjoy it so much and there are still so many stories in this era I’m eager to write that I don’t have time to think about others.

I’ve been a member since January 30, 2024. I am pleased with the features and tools provided by AllAuthor.com. They have been instrumental for marketing my books.