Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Interview with the Author: TJ Amberson


At the release of her novel, Love at Lakewood Med, I had the opportunity to interview TJ Amberson and ask her a few questions about her writing.

TJ, thank you for spending some time with me. How long have you been writing?

Since early childhood. In elementary school, I would frequently pencil 50-plus-page-long stories on notebook paper and bring in them to my teachers to read. I remain forever grateful to those long-suffering teachers who kindly humored me, read my stories and allowed me to read them to the class, and encouraged me to keep writing.

Wow! That sounds like something I would have loved to do when I was a kid. You had some great mentors. I did something similar in Junior High, but my friends all read my stories, not my teachers. I spent so much time writing in notebooks, tearing out the pages and passing them around the room. I have no idea how I passed seventh grade! Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I suppose it was never something I thought about "wanting" to do. I just did it. It was much more recently, however, when I decided to channel my love of writing into something professional. Not many years ago, while strolling through a bookstore, I was struck by how much of the literature being marketed to tweens and teens was filled with adult - even inappropriate - content. Surely, I thought, there still has to be a market for the types of wholesome, wonderful novels like I grew up reading. And that's what inspired me to try and publish professionally, and it's what still inspires me today. I hope to provide great stories that are original, clean, and well-written for tweens and teens, as well as adults.

I agree. I think that’s one of the reasons I started writing clean stories as well. I wrote the stories I wished were on the shelves at the library and bookstores. I still do. How do you come up with your ideas for stories?

It varies! I woke up from sleep with the idea for Fusion. The opening scene of The Kingdom of Nereth randomly began playing through my head like a movie while I was running errands. Love at Lakewood Med was loosely inspired by my schooling and work. 

Let’s talk more about your new release, Love at Lakewood Med. Tell me about it:

Love at Lakewood Med is a romance that will hopefully make you laugh and swoon, and also tug on your heartstrings a little bit. It follows the story of Savannah Drake, a fourth-year medical student, who is dreading the start of her mandatory, month-long rotation in the emergency room. Things get even worse for Savannah when she learns that cold, aloof Doctor Wesley Kent has been assigned as her attending physician for the entire rotation. Soon, though, Savannah finds that caring for patients in the ER affects her far differently than she expected. And handsome Doctor Kent turns out to be anything but the arrogant attending physician that she assumed him to be. But just as Savannah starts to recognize her true feelings, she learns that things at the hospital are not all what they seem...   

Sounds like a great romance in all the traditional ways. Let’s dig deeper. Of all the books out there, why should readers choose this one?

Well, as mentioned, I strive to provide great novels that are original, clean, and well-written. So I hope that, above all, those characteristics make Love at Lakewood Med stand out. And for any who love medical television shows, romantic comedies, or the classic, great romance novels, I think that Love at Lakewood Med will be a really great match.

Let’s shift gears and talk more about your writing. Do you write/read every single day?

Not every day, but most days of the week.

What is your favorite music to listen to while writing?

Oooo...I don't think I could name a favorite! I don't always listen to music while writing, but when I do, I enjoy a big variety. I probably listen to classical music the most.

At what moment did you feel like you could say, “NOW, I'm an author?”

The Kingdom of Nereth was my first novel that was published. When I received my paperback copies from the publisher - when I saw my name on the cover and my words on the pages - that was a pretty cool moment for me. I think that was when I felt like a "real" author.

I felt exactly the same way! When I held my first novel, The Cove in my hands it was magic. What other project are you working on now?

I am currently very excited to be working on the sequel to my YA historical fantasy, The Kingdom ofNereth.

You’ll have to touch base with me in a few months when you get it done so we can talk more about it. Do you have any furry writing buddies? (Or scaled or feathered?)

My cocker spaniel regularly takes me on walks so I can clear my head and plan my next chapter.

What book are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading AWrinkle in Time. I haven't read it since elementary school, and with the recent 50th anniversary of its release plus the moving coming out, I was excited to read the story again.

I’ve heard it’s a really good movie. Well done and stays true to the book. That’s a good thing. Well, TJ, thank you for joining us today and for sharing your stories and your writing experience! Good luck on your new release! -Julie L. Spencer

Author Bio:
TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and nutty cocker spaniel. Her most recent novels include Love at LakewoodMed, Fusion, and The Kingdom of Nereth. When she's not writing, TJ can probably be found enjoying a hot chocolate, pretending to know how to garden, working in the ER, riding her bike, playing the piano, or surfing the Internet for cheap plane tickets. 

Follow TJ Amberson on social media:

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/authortjamberson
YouTube Channel: realtjproductions

Books by TJ Amberson:

The Kingdom of Nereth - young adult historical fantasy
Fusion - young adult sci-fi adventure






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