Amanda Heartley

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I was raised in Oklahoma and now live in sunny Southern California with my family where I've been for many years. I love it here! I'm a 50-something on the outside, but still 23 in my head ...and I'll probably stay that way! I write fun and flirty steamy romance to make my readers laugh, cry, and fall in love with the characters. In my down time, I love just hanging out with the family, plucking at my guitar in the hope of making a sweet sound, or box set binging on Netflix.

When and why did you start writing books?

It seems so long ago now, but I started writing in my 40's, just for my own entertainment. but I never published any of those, and looking back now, I cringe at some of the stuff I wrote, lol! My first published book got let loose on Amazon in 2013.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I'm a stay-at-home kinda gal with a healthy imagination when it comes to writing hot and steamy romance, so when the opportunity arose to make a career out of it from behind my keyboard, I jumped on it and I've never looked back.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Oh no, that's cruel. Don't make me choose! :) Ok, I honestly can't just pick one, so the two series I enjoyed writing the most, and the characters I love the most are Tristan and Ginny in Oceans Apart and the siblings Rory and Siobahn in the Claddagh Ring Irish trilogy. They were all such fun and the banter between the characters even made me laugh out loud as i wrote them. Having British and Irish friends was a great help in getting the dialogue right. I learned a lot!

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

That has to be Shameless Submission. I don't normally write dark romance, especially with BDSM themes, so this one took a lot of research and reading similar troped books to get into it before I could even start writing this story. It sure was a challenge, though the reviews seem to suggest I did an ok job, so the research was definitely worth the time.

Who is your favourite author and book?

That's a toughie with so many talented romance authors out there, but I'd have to say my bestie, KB Winters is my favorite with her Ashby Crime Family series.

What book are you reading right now?

Family Ties, Ashby Crime Family.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Hmm, that's a good question. I've never really thought about it, but I guess it comes from a mixture of other authors I read, the TV, my life experiences and those of my friends and family. I adapt them all and let my imagination do the rest!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

You know, I'm normally a home-lovin' gal and just hang out with my family and friends, but lately, I've started learning Spanish, learning to play the guitar, and I've even taken up golf! I guess I'm having a mid-life crisis :)

Do you have any new books in the works?

I have a follow-up to my Oceans Apart series in the works; Kari and Mike's story. They were such a big part of Tristan and Ginny's life and my readers have been asking for their own story since, well, forever! I've finally got around to fulfilling their wishes and should be finished with it pretty soon. They had such chemistry between them in Oceans Apart and I hope my fans are gonna love it as much as the original story.