Amy Wallace’s interview

» Posted on Apr 7, 2007 in Blog | Comments Off on Amy Wallace’s interview


1. What made you start writing?

I began my writing journey oddly enough. As a homeschool mom, I was searching for good stories to share with my kiddos one Christmas. Along with some great family books, I also found some grown-up fiction stories. I fell in love with reading again. I’d then hand the books to my husband and tell him how I’d change them, especially the endings. After about seven, my husband handed the book back and said to write my own. I eventually did.

2. How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?

I started writing in early 2002 and signed my first contract in 2004 as a contributing author for the God Allows U-Turns book entitled God Answers Mom’s Prayers. I sold the first novel I’d ever written in January 2006, signing a contract for the three-book romantic suspense Defenders of Hope series.

3. How do you handle rejections?

With chocolate and a lot of prayer.

4. Why do you write?

I write as worship, as catharsis, as a way to make sense of the questions and situations buzzing around my brain. In a lot of ways, I write because I have to, because it’s a part of who I am and how I process and come to terms with the world around me.

5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?

Playing basketball, scrapbooking, reading, getting some sleep, and probably being totally bored after about a month.

6. What are you working on right now?

Right now I’m writing the third book in the Defenders of Hope series. It’s a story that intertwines a woman’s healing from sexual abuse with the FBI action plot centering on a racially motivated killer.

7. Do you put yourself into your books/characters?

I’ve been told first books are almost always autobiographical. If you count working through your biggest nightmare, then yes, mine fits that bill. And it fits on many deeper levels too, like my quest for truth and justice, my questions about how to survive and trust God when life doesn’t make sense. There are also pieces of me in every character, little bits of my life, like family members names, birthdays, and my favorite basketball team.

8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.

Ransomed Dreams is about answering the question: Can Dreams Be Redeemed? Gracie Lang is being watched by a man who will stop at nothing to hide the truth from her. Having lost the only man she ever loved and the children who were her world, the truth is all Gracie wants – an explanation for what really happened. She longs to move forward but is bound by chains of fear. Then she meets Steven Kessler, a Crimes Against Children FBI agent assigned to uncover an international plot to kidnap the British Ambassador’s daughter. Steven awakens more than memories; he revives the possibility of a life Gracie desires. A life where healing and peace crowd out the nightmares. But his case and her past are dangerously connected. Suddenly, Gracie must decide if she’s able – let alone willing – to pay the required ransom to redeem dreams and restore hope.

9. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Enjoy the journey and the pleasure of writing just because you love to do it. Pray hard. And remember who you are as a beloved child of the King far exceeds anything you may accomplish in this world.

10. How important is faith in your books?

God and the mystery of His work in our lives is as much a part of my books as it is what makes me who I am. But not everyone who meets me knows off the bat that I’m a Christian. I don’t always shout it from the hills. I don’t ever hide it or apologize for it either. I try to follow where the Holy Spirit leads and pray that what comes out in what I say and what I write is exactly what the person I’m connecting with needs to hear.

11. What themes do you like to write about?

I love to explore the issues of justice and heartache and how faith changes our human concepts of these ideas. I love to see people, both fictional and real, take on the tough issues of life and choose to hang onto Jesus and receive His hope regardless of the circumstances thrown their way.

12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?

My favorite book that I’ve written is actually a fairytale I wrote in conjunction with a novel idea. I love the fairytale because it was written for my girls and they totally dig the fun story about the battle for good and evil that their mommy made up just for them.

13. What kind of books do you like to read? Why did you choose to write about the FBI?

I actually prefer reading books that make me laugh as opposed to books that keep me on the edge of my seat. The SisterChicks series and Trish Perry’s chick lit are among my favorites. But I also enjoy good romantic suspense stories like the O’Malley series novels.

I write about the FBI because I have a great respect for law enforcement officials, both local and federal. They have incredibly tough jobs and I want to spotlight that reality as well as encourage readers to pray for these men and women and their families.

14. What is your writing schedule like?

I do office work and some research most evenings. Saturdays are my writing days where I’m at work from 9 AM till midnight or later.

15. How do you fit homeschooling in with your writing?

It’s more like I fit my writing in with homeschooling. My family comes first. I work when my kids are asleep or busy with their dad on Saturdays. If an idea hits me during non-writing hours, my kids have learned to be quiet while I take notes and then I return to the real world for school and family time. I have the privilege of writing as a career in large part because my family prays for me and supports what I do by running the errands and handling the cleaning that I don’t get to when I’m writing.