Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former park ranger turned YA Fantasy author. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and hold degrees in anthropology, religious studies, and environmental leadership. When not conjuring up other worlds, I can be found hiking, antiquing, traveling, or painting. Strange Luck is my first novel and I’m currently working on the sequel. Look for it in 2016!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I get a lot of good thinking done when I’m driving and since I drive by a cemetery nearly every day, I often think about memories, regrets, life, and profound experiences. Having as many experiences as possible has always been a personal goal of mine – don’t even get me started on my mile-long bucket list. One day, my mind wandered to the idea of collecting the most cherished memories possible and that’s when I got the idea for a story about just that.
Strange Luck was a lot of fun to write because it allowed me the unique opportunity to explore how I feel about the mind, memories, and what it means to be a good human. Having discourse with my husband, who is a philosophy teacher, also helped me to think through a lot of these concepts. And, because I’m a huge fantasy fiction and magical realism fan, I decided to weave in lots of magical and supernatural elements, too.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have a warm beverage and chocolate nearby.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joanne Harris inspired me to become a writer. Having only seen the movie, I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up a copy of Chocolat nearly a decade ago, but I instantly fell in love with it. I absolutely adore the whimsical world that Joanne Harris creates, the hints of magic, and especially the sweetness she sprinkles throughout. She remains one of my favorite authors of all time. I also adore Neil Gaiman, Sarah Addison Allen, J.K. Rowling, Alan Bradley, and Erin Morgenstern. Although I didn’t actually read The Neverending Story by Michael Ende until very recently, it is definitely one of my favorite books of all time (and it’s so much better than the movie).
What are you working on now?
The Nightmare Birds. It picks up right where Strange Luck leaves off and follows Daisy Darling on her quest to authenticate a mysterious, evil book, but gets more than she bargained for. Keeping with an underlying philosophical theme, I implement one of my favorite topics—existentialism. There’s also lots of magic, myth, and supernatural elements. The Nightmare Birds is in the vein of The Neverending Story meets The Night Circus. Look for it in 2016.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My home base is my personal website, amieirenewinters.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
There isn’t a single path or author playbook that you need to follow. It’s all about exploring the diversity of options out there and doing what works best for you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Neil Gaiman put it perfectly when he said: “The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can.”
What are you reading now?
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Happy Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, and Chocolat by Joanne Harris.
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