Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published two novels but have more complete drafts sitting on my computer than I can count! I’ve also published a short called Storybook. I live in New Hampshire with my husband where I watch a lot of Gossip Girl and listen to Taylor Swift. We spend part of every year in my husband’s hometown in Holland and I’ve slowly (but surely!) been learning to speak Dutch.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book in called Fingerprinted Hearts. I started writing it back in 2010 during one of the most miserable summers of my life – I’d just had my four-year relationship as well as my four wisdom teeth come to and end, so I lay in bed all day alone and in pain. One day during my recovery, I had an image of a woman walking through a house and throwing away all this stuff following a breakup. That sparked the first scene of Fingerprinted Hearts. After that, it became a way for me to process the two sides of my breakup: The horrible betrayal that comes when someone you trust decides they like someone better than you, and the horrible betrayal you feel when you realize you’re falling out of love with someone you feel depends on you.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I know a lot of people create playlists for projects and characters with specific songs across genres they feel represents that work. For me, however, I tend to work on projects by listening to albums, which I feel has the emotional journey I’m looking for. For Fingerprinted Hearts it was largely The Valley by Eisley and Everything In Transit by Jack’s Mannequin. For Untold it was Red by Taylor Swift.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every author and book I read influences me in some way, but the main ones I’d say are Sophie Kinsella, Liane Moriary, and Jane Austen. Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors and made me fall in love with chick lit as a genre back when I was 14. Liane Moriarty is another favorite of mine that I’ve more recently discovered, and I love how she can have a more typically feminine writing style and topics for her books that still pack a punch and are “more” than that as well (I also love that she addresses how unfair it is that books by and for women are expected to be “less”). Jane Austen influenced me at a young age, another example of how humorous depictions of real life and relationships can be great literature and very much worth writing.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on my third novel for publication titled “It’s Funny You Mentioned Chloe…”. It centers around a woman who finds love letters her husband kept from his previous relationship just before she finds out his ex-girlfriend is coming to work at his company. It’s my exploration of female competition, forever vs for-now, and how incredibly weird it is to have loved someone once, especially when they show back up.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use my author site, which is still in progress but building toward something great 😉 I also promote a lot via Instagram and Facebook.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write the book. The first draft of your book will NOT be the vision in your head. You’ll get there through revisions, reading, and learning more about yourself and your book, but the first draft isn’t going to come close to the masterpiece you’ve been dreaming about (although parts of it might!). You’re not going to get to a point where you’re good enough, or have planned enough, or have enough time or inspiration for the first draft to be what you’re trying for. So just write it! Start now. Go!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One of my teachers in college said: “If someone wants to tell a story, someone else will want to hear it.” I’ve kept that close to my heart, reminding myself that no matter what, if I find this story interesting, someone else will too. It doesn’t have to be everybody, or even a lot of people, but at least one person will understand and want to hear what I have to say.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading The Adults by Caroline Hulse.
What’s next for you as a writer?
In addition to It’s Funny You Mentioned Chloe… I’m also working on a short story to publish in Amphibian Press’s upcoming anthology Surrender to Passion.
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?
Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella (my favorite in the series!)
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Other Side of Everything by Linda R. Spitzfaden
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (when’s a better time to work through it?)
Author Websites and Profiles
Amy Spitzfaden Website
Amy Spitzfaden Amazon Profile
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