Samanthya Wyatt Interview

It's not often that I get the chance to interview an author and simply chat about what it's like to be a writer. I mean, my family and co-workers are sweet enough to listen to me ramble on and on about my storyline issues, but it isn't the same as chatting with someone in the industry who understands my struggles.

Today's talented author is a fellow Soulie whose path to publication is very similar to mine. Please welcome, Samanthya Wyatt, author of the One and Only series.

EJ:  Hi, Samanthya. Thanks for joining me here today. Here's my first question. Have you always been a writer, or was there a specific event in your life that drove you to write? 

SW:  Ever since I can remember, I have loved curling up with a book. Once I found romance novels, I fell in love with the characters and needed to know their happy ending. I had so many ideas running through my head, I decided to write my own. I’ve taken every workshop I could to improve my writing. I’ve entered many contests. I joined RWA and joined several chapters. Savvy Authors offered a pitch contest with several editors, agents and publishers. Coming up with a pitch—25 words or less—is extremely difficult when you’re in a group with thousands of other authors. But I got the attention of 3 editors and two different publishing companies. My dream paid off. I signed my first contract with Soul Mate Publishing.

EJ:  Me, too! That Savvy Authors pitchfest was the best thing that ever happened to me. So, what was it like when you finally received an offer on your book? Who did you tell first?

SW:  I received an email from an editor requesting a full of my MS. Two days later, another email offering a contract. My heart pumped, my eyes grew wide and the smile on my face couldn’t express the excitement I felt inside. I shrieked. Then I ran to my husband and told him my good news. I think he was almost as excited. We ate out, had drinks, and spent any money I would have made selling my first 100 books. LOL

EJ:  Give me the inside scoop on your editor. Who is s(he) and what kind of advice did s(he) give you?

SW:  My first book was a historical romance. Stella, an editor with SMP, was so supportive. I went back to see her emails so I could give you her comments:

“So... wow. Here it is! First round complete. :)

The good news. Very tight plot, no problems with character arcs or plot holes, etc.

The bad news: no bad news. A bit of this, a bit of that. Typos, formatting, deepening POV, that sort of thing. Nothing at all major. I wish most of the mss I edit were as pleasant and fulfilling.”

After reading that I was over the moon. I’d heard horror stories about edits and how writers had to change practically everything.

EJ:  Can I just say how jealous I am right now?! I was not quite so lucky, but my editor was a saint and had patience in spades. How does your family feel about you writing romance? 

SW:  Hubby is the only one who knew for years. Then someone at my work place found out and announced it to my co-workers. It was scary and thrilling to have my secret out.

EJ:  Is everyone supportive, or do they think you write “smut”? 

SW:  I couldn’t get over the number of people who supported me. I was worried about smut, but as a good friend said, “Well, everyone reads it!” Then she gave everyone my bookmarks. I should have hired her for my PR person.

One day a neighbor called and said, “I have a question. I heard there is a Danielle Steele in our neighborhood.” I didn’t admit anything at first, joking with him. Then I finally had to admit I wrote romance novels. His wife immediately went to the store looking for my books. I had to explain about a “Kindle”.

EJ:  I'm always struggling to devote time to my laptop. How do you find enough time to write? 

SW:  When I had a day job, I spent most of my time writing when hubby worked the night shift. Now, my morning usually starts with a cup of Java. If I’m lucky, hubby gets up first and brings me a cup of coffee in bed. Mmmm. What a way to greet the day! Then I get on facebook. I like to tell everyone Hello, have a great day or paste a hunky picture. Then I get to work.


EJ:  Coffee in bed? Lucky girl. Who do you bounce ideas off of? I pretty much torture my friend, Monica and my little sister, Trish. Not so sure they appreciate it, though.

SW: Myself. I’m a one woman show. I enjoy penning a story with strong characters, a bit of humor, and active scenes.

EJ: What celebrity hottie revs your engine? Have they ever inspired the image or personality of one of your literary heroes? 

SW:  Tom Mison – Ichabod Crane on Sleepy Hollow. Long hair, speech, deep voice – He is Hot. Man they really make him look good on that show. But my favorite actor is Liam Neeson. I adore that man.

EJ:  I'm not a follower of the show, but Tom Mison is definitely H.O.T.  I love a guy with long hair and a deep voice. It screams a bad boy vibe. 

EJ: It's time for . . . 

Rapid Fire Questions 

Salty or Sweet?   

Salty 

Coffee or Tea?    

Coffee, Cappuccino 

Coke or Pepsi?   

Coke 

Chocolate or Vanilla? 

Vanilla 

Cat or Dog? 

Dog, German Shepherd 

Extrovert or Introvert? 

Both. I can socially charge, LOVE people. 

But I can function alone, and regroup in my alone time.

EJ:  Alright, hon, before we wrap this thing up, can you give us the log line and first paragraph of your current WIP? 

SW:  A dangerous lord’s warning sparks devastating results -- A girl’s determination triggers a woman’s desire.

It was a day to try a man’s soul. Giles Heathcliff Montague Litscomb, Duke of Nethersall, wondered for the hundredth time, why he’d volunteered for this venture. He had visited the Americas before, so he’d been accepting of the unexpected trip, if not excited.

EJ: Thank you so much, Samanthya, for allowing me to interview you today. You've been awesome. 

ABOUT SAMANTHYA WYATT

Samanthya lives with her husband in the Shenandoah Valley. She left her accounting career and married a military man traveling and making her home in the United States and abroad. Once she found historical romance novels, she couldn’t put a book down. She fell in love with the characters and needed to know their happy ending.

One day she put words to paper creating a story of her own. The more she wrote, the more she became involved with the characters, and they seemed to take a life of their own. She relishes the challenge of penning a story with strong characters, a bit of humor, and active scenes. She enjoys creating new characters and bringing them together in a romantic tale. It took years of writing, joining RWA, joining chapters, entering contests, submissions & rejections which created the author she is today. By keeping her spirit and turning criticism into drive she has achieved her career as a published romance author.

To find Samanthya, please visit her website here: www.samanthyawyatt.com

You can also find Samanthya Wyatt on Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon.

To purchase one of the above titles, use these Amazon buy links:

The Right One (Book 1) - http:amzn.to/1lEk2qY           

The True One (Book 2) - http:amzn.to/1uSAlFl              

Something More - http:amzn.to/1mhTqw4

I hope to see you all again next week when author Christina Kirby swings by for a chat. Don't forget to leave a kind word for Samanthya Wyatt in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!

Next week's schedule:

Sunday - Recap of the Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival (I'm a presenter! EEK!)

Tuesday - Romance Weekly Blog Hop - An inside look at my "Writer's Space" (Don't laugh)

Thursday - author Christina Kirby