Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I just hit the publish button yesterday on a horror anthology, “Midnight Guests and Other Weird Stories”. My first two books were poetry books. They total 151 poems and I can’t believe that number when I hear it. But somehow, I cranked them out. The only other book I wrote was an Arabic guidebook. I live in sunny Arizona, love to go hiking and am interested in herbals.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Midnight Guests and Other Weird Stories” was inspired by my love of Twilight Zone and Night Gallery. Rod Serling is underrated in today’s crappy television world. Some of his stories were cautionary tales, much like fables. I wrote two cautionary tales for my book, however, they are thoroughly modern. One is about texting and driving, the other is about the power of our harsh words.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yea, I write in the nude. It’s so comfortable. When you start doing it, you’re inclined to walk around nude more often plus it’s freakin’ hot here.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Before I started this horror anthology, I read a lot of Lovecraft for inspiration. Everybody points out The Call of Cthulu but I couldn’t get into that story. I seem to like the overlooked stories, like The Music of Eric Zahn, Dagon and The White Ship. I like them because they’re so different, I guess. Also, I couldn’t finish Herbert West: Reanimator because the length took away from his art of storytelling. But all his short stuff packed a punch.
What are you working on now?
Everytime I hit publish, I take a vacation for three months. I guess it’s like being a teacher. Oh, but I have plans. I want to read “Weirder than Weird”, an indie book by Francis Burger. It sounds really good. I want to go hiking (when it cools down), watch some new movies, go to some restaurants I’ve never been to like the Haji-Baba and return to my research on the Voynich Manuscript.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My free website through Weebly rocks and gets a lot of traffic. I have a YouTube account and my website is found on my channel page. This is going to sound strange but I also have a Yelp account with about 100 reviews and on the sidebar, I included my website (why the heck not?) and I used the picture collage to put in a thumbnail of all 4 of my books. Yelp has a view count so I know over 1,000 people have looked at my profile.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Ignore all the cynical people. Before you pick up a pen, have a complete vision of your book. Don’t waste time with traditional publishers. And PLEASE help the rest of us indie authors by completely editing your book. It makes the rest of us look better.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read. Figure out what you like or don’t like about what you read. Set aside dedicated space in your living quarters for writing.
What are you reading now?
The Arabian Nights translated by Sir Richard Burton.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I have an idea for something that’s fits squarely in the ambiguous literary fiction genre. Having said that, I don’t really want to let on too much.
What is your favorite book of all time?
The Shining
Author Websites and Profiles
Amy Michelle Mosier Website
Amy Michelle Mosier Amazon Profile
Amy Michelle Mosier’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account