INTERVIEW WITH AMY PLUM

INTERVIEW WITH MS.AMY PLUM-  bestselling author of the DIE FOR ME series!

1.      How did you manage to emerge a winner with all the restriction in your life?

I came from a very restrictive background, it is true. And it took me moving far away from everyone and everything I knew for me to find the strength to really change things in my life. I moved to Paris when I was 22. It took me a few more years to begin figuring out who I really was (and not the cookie-cutter version of me that my parents and their church expected). Even now, more than twenty years later, I am still trying to figure things out. But I am doing it on my terms, living by what I feel is true. And I think that honesty – being true to who I am – has freed me to write better. To write truthfully.

2.      Were you always interested in or fascinated by the idea of immortality, as you have incorporated that in your books?

Someone just asked me that the other day, because my new series, AFTER THE END, includes the subject of immortality as well. And to be honest, I never noticed that it was a fascination for me. My mom’s death was so difficult for me, maybe I was subconsciously trying to find an antidote to it. To make death a little less final.

3.      What drove you towards the filed of writing?

I have always loved books. Reading is my life. And so it has been natural for me to express myself with the written word. I love telling stories, and began doing it for the “public” with a blog that I began back in 2005. I told stories of my life in the French countryside, and people really responded to them. It was then that I began imagining myself capable of actually publishing a book.

4.      Who is your real inspiration?

I really love Neil Gaiman, both for his writing and for his connection with his readers. For pure storytelling, I love Mark Helprin, especially his book Winter’s Tale, which is my favorite novel. And I would have to say that Madeleine L’Engle inspired me as to my idea of what a writer should be.

5.      What has been you life long ambition? Has it been fulfilled or do you still have a long way to go?

My life-long ambition was to break out of my environment, move someplace exotic, and make a living doing something creative. I’ve never thought about it until now, but...I guess I’ve succeeded!

6.      What would you like to say to all the writers out there, struggling to make their name in this industry?

I really don’t understand the industry. So many amazing writers aren’t being published, and some awful writers are successful. I think that all you can do is your best. Keep writing. Keep reading a lot. Write honestly.