Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Amanda Cabot!

Talkshow Thursday: 

Welcome back, Amanda Cabot!

I am thrilled to welcome author Amanda Cabot back to my blog.  Her books rank among my favorites! Pull up your feet and get to know this lovely woman.

What was your inspiration for the story?

I’ve always been intrigued by the way birth order affects our relationships with our siblings, and so I decided to create a trilogy with three sisters as heroines. And, just to make things a bit more interesting, they’re part of what we would call a blended family where no two of them have the same two parents. All of that helped increase the tension between them and made writing this series a lot of fun.

If your book is part of a series: Did you set out to write a series? Why did you decide to write a series?

As you can tell from my answer to the last question, I intended this to be a series. Why? Two reasons: first of all, my publisher likes trilogies. Secondly, when I create a fictional town, I don’t want to leave it, so I plan on at least three stories set there.

If you were to write a spin-off book about one of your secondary characters, which one would you choose and why?

I’m so glad you asked that, because there’s a very minor character who’s been demanding a story of

Pixabay/Jill Wellington

her own. Her name is Phoebe, and she doesn’t speak a word in After the Shadows and has only a few lines of dialogue in the second book, Against the Wind, but she keeps telling me, “I need my own book. You see, Amanda, even though I’m an only child, I’m convinced I have a sister. Can you find her for me?” How can I say no?

What is your advice to fledgling writers?

I have three pieces of advice. First, read extensively in the genre you want to write. Secondly, join a writers’ group. The help and camaraderie are invaluable. And thirdly, never give up. What are common traps for aspiring writers?

The most common mistake I’ve seen is not following your own instincts. If the way another writer writes doesn’t make sense to you, don’t do it. Just because that other writer is a best seller doesn’t mean that her technique is the right one.

What was your favorite childhood book and why?

Actually, I had two favorites, Little Women and the Anne of Green Gables series. I liked many things about both, but the key element was that the heroines of both were aspiring writers.

What books are on your nightstand right now?

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin and Windswept Way by Irene Hannon. I’m having a difficult time deciding which to read first, because I know they’ll both be wonderful.

What is your next project?

I’ve just finished the second draft of the third Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing book. There’s more work to be done on it, but it’s time for me to write a proposal for a new series. And, yes, Phoebe will be part of it.

About After the Shadows

A brighter future awaits—if she can escape the shadows of the past

Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First, she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the handsome new schoolteacher, Craig Ferguson, and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.

Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father’s death—and to aid Craig, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. As they work to uncover the truth, they just may find the key to unlock a future neither could have imagined.

About Amanda

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of more than forty books and a variety of novellas. Her books have been honored with starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best.

Social Media Links

Website: www.amandacabot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
Blog: http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Grab your copy!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nDu0q1

Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465111

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-the-shadows-amanda-cabot/1141496562?ean=9780800740641

Christian Book Distributors: https://www.christianbook.com/after-the-shadows-1/amanda-cabot/9780800740641/pd/074064