I believe that if you put your heart and mind to something and really tap into your own energy and its connection to all that is, you can express in ways you never thought possible. In turn, the reader connects in ways they never thought possible and that is pure magic.
Amy Venezia – 12 December 2018
The Back Flap
Grunge and Grace
Kyle Kent is a beloved musician who dies believing that he killed himself. Grace Jackson is a woman who communicates with the dead. When Kyle and Grace find each other through the realms of existence, they each discover more than they ever thought possible…what they had always believed to be impossible. Did Kyle Kent kill himself? Will Grace get to the truth about what happened to him? Will Kyle manage to remember the last moments of his death? Grunge and Grace chronicles the journey of these two souls as they weave their way through the dimensions of time and space. Defying the odds and those who fight to keep the truth from being revealed, they find themselves forging an eternal alliance to bring light into the darkness of their realities.
About the book
What is the book about?
Each book in the trilogy is based on the main character, Grace Jackson. Grace is a woman who has always had the ability to see and communicate with spirits. Grunge and Grace, the first book in the trilogy, starts with the spirit of a recently deceased rock star who comes to Grace. The two of them begin helping each other get to the truth of how he died. In the second book, Cigarettes and Butter, Grace once again is visited by a deceased rock star…this one having died decades before….and they too work together to reveal the falsehoods of his death. In the third and final book, Mercury and Music, the two spirits that Grace had been communicating with invite her into this deeper realm where a lot of deceased musicians hang out and through her, give their messages and revelations about the planet and music in general. The trilogy tackles not only afterlife and spirituality in that sense, but also sets some things straight about discrepancies and cover-ups in their deaths.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing Grunge and Grace sometime in February or March of 2018. It took me a little over two weeks to write. Cigarettes and Butter was a little more difficult for me to write…not because of the content or flow, but because of life at the time. However, that one took about a month to write. Mercury and Music flowed very quickly as soon as I started. All in all, I wrote three short story books and published them in less than six months.
How long did it take you to write it?
Oops, I answered that in the last question. All in all, three books in less than six months.
Where did you get the idea from?
The first book in the trilogy came from something I was connecting with in real time/life, and I felt very led to take from some of that and put it into book form. I knew when I wrote it that I wanted it to be part of a trilogy. I also knew who I wanted the second book to be based on. While writing the second one, the ideas for the third started pouring in and I just went with the flow.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Not so much in writing, but more in wanting to make sure all that I wrote was in alignment with what I felt to be respectful and true. They are fiction, yes, but there is also a gravitas to them that is very rooted in actual events.
What came easily?
I would say the banter between the characters. That was the easiest and most enjoyable to convey.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I like to say they are like a Law and Order episode…ripped from the headlines.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
As far as these books go, a big influence was Kate Chopin. The very first time I read her book, The Awakening, I devoured it and I was disappointed when it ended so quickly. I remember feeling then that I would love to write something that brought out that same reaction in others. The short story, if written well, can truly captivate a person. Enough so that the reader doesn’t want to put it down and is sad when it is over.
Do you have a target reader?
I do feel a majority of my readers are women, and either lovers of music or interested in the supernatural.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My process is more based on atmosphere than ritual, I guess. It is going to sound strange, but I have to be in a coffee shop or public place to truly get in the zone. I put my headphones on and sometimes I will play instrumental music or sometimes I will just have my headphones in with no music on. I need the buzz of life going on around me in order to lose myself in the flow that I feel is meditative in a sense. It is strange, I need chaos going on in order to zone into another world to write…but I do.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I don’t outline. I start at chapter one having no idea how the story will end. I go in sequence, I don’t jump around. It is totally in the moment.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I read each chapter after I finish writing it and then again a day or so later. I will make small edits from that. With the first book, I sent all the chapters at once to my editor. With the second and third book, I began sending a chapter at a time for edit. Both the editor and I liked that much better than sending the book in its completion.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I did hire a professional who is also a friend. I trusted her completely and she also respected my voice and didn’t suggest to change that, which I was very happy with.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
When I do listen to music it is always instrumental; classical, Spanish guitar. Sometimes I even like to listen to Monks chanting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No, I haven’t. I did a lot of research and in the day and age we are living in, there is no reason self-publishing can’t be successful if you commit to doing it correctly.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I already had a pretty good following, so I knew I had that. I also felt that I would like to try my hand at doing it myself first and it has been a great experience so far.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I hired someone to create the book covers with me. For the first book, she brought the concept forward. For the next two books, I had a vision of what I wanted and shared with her and what she added to them and the end result was amazing.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Now that all three are out, I have begun deep research and started building a plan. It is one step at a time and so far, there has been good results. I am already writing a fourth book to publish before the end of the year and am excited to really delve into the marketing part.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
If you write something that others connect with, that is just a tiny part of it. You have to commit to what it takes to get your book out there. I feel many authors believe they will write a book, publish it, and the rest will take care of itself or it will come easily. Sometimes it does come easily. There is definite ebb and flow to it. However, you have to do the research and put yourself out there. Also, use all the tools available to authors now: social media, advertising, book reviewers, and finding venues outside the box to sell your books! The sky’s the limit, you just have to devote to seeing it through.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Central Florida.
Where do you live now?
Portland, Oregon
What would you like readers to know about you?
I believe that if you put your heart and mind to something and really tap into your own energy and its connection to all that is, you can express in ways you never thought possible. In turn, the reader connects in ways they never thought possible and that is pure magic. Magic is what is needed for a book to come out of the hundreds of thousands of ones published and be a front runner.
What are you working on now?
I am currently writing my fourth book and hope to write many more!
End of Interview:
For more from Amy, visit her website.
Grab yourself copies of The Grace Jackson Trilogy starting with the first installment, Grunge and Grace, at Amazon US or Amazon UK.
